Brigadoon CNC - Show jumping and cross country

Well, that is the last event for the season over and I am feeling rather sad about it. The event didn't end the way I had hoped but that's horses!

Coolie and I had SJ up first, and the course was very twisty with lots of changes of direction, a real challenge to see if we could land on the correct lead after every fence. Coolie was feeling quite spooky warming up, but he jumped well and after a few practice fences we waited our turn.

Approaching the judges caravan Coolie decided it was going to eat him so there was much sideways prancing and eye balling going on, but he got over himself pretty quickly when he knew we had to jump the jumps.

I have to say, it was the best course we have ever done. I rode forward, we got great spot's and Coolie landed on the correct lead every time! A couple of times where I wanted to woah, I added more leg and got Coolie to a good spot, I definitely rode forward and the reward was a perfect clear round.

To say I was happy was an understatement, two great phases down, and just XC to go. I was really looking forward to XC and couldn't wait to get out there. While we waited for our time, I helped my friends warm up for their XC, watched some SJ and then there was a pretty serious fall on XC. That pushed my start time back by about an hour while we waited for 2 ambulances and the helicopter to arrive. Thankfully I think the rider will be ok, and the horse walked away.

Finally I got on, and warming up Coolie felt his usual self. He was jumping well and feeling adjustable. I jumped a few fences and the waited, keeping him moving. The only thing that I really noted was that he slipped around a corner quite badly, but he recovered and kept warming up feeling ok.

We got into the start box and again Coolie was feeling spooky, but that isn't too unusual for him. The starter counted us down and I rode forward out of the box to jump 1 which had caused a few issues. Coolie was super back off and it took a lot of effort to get him over jump one. Not normal for Coolie. I rode hard to jump 2 which although he still  wasn't as forward he jumped ok. He came around to jump 3 and about 6 strides out he said no. I put my leg on and tapped him with the crop but he continued to say no and we had a refusal. We represented and once again he said no. Really odd behaviour. Third time around and he jumped it but he didn't feel right. Number 4 was a combination and he jumped the A element way too big and I knew we wouldn't get to B because I didn't have my normal horse with me. At that point I decided to retire, and we walked home.

Shiny, but not that spooky!

Untacking him I was pretty disappointed but confident I had made the right choice. XC is our strongest phase, my horse does not stop. It's just not him. I checked him over and couldn't find anything amiss so decided to keep an eye on him and chalked it up to just one of those days. Jump 3 was fairly spooky, the sun was behind it and reflecting off it, but that doesn't explain 2 stops. I knew I rode into it well, I was committed to the fence. He has jumped that jump before too. 

My coach was surprised too, she was TDing and I caught up with her after my round. She wondered if he had pulled something. We packed up and headed home and when I unloaded Coolie, he had lost a shoe. One thing I hadn't check was his shoes! The shoe was in the float, so it had been on when we left. I think when he slipped in the warm up it was enough to dislodge the shoe and make galloping and landing uncomfortable for him, but not enough that I could feel it.

I'm hoping that's all that it is and now he has his shoe back on he will be back to his normal old self. I just wish it hadn't happened at the last event of the season!