Hi guys, it’s been a chaotic few weeks, to say the least, involving definite highs and lows of pointing but fun all the same!
Flying back a few weeks ago to Bitterly point-to-point on 2nd April. I had my first outside ride on a horse called Gottagottagetaway in the 2m4f mixed open. The sun was shining and it was looking to be a perfect day pointing. Gottagottagetaway (otherwise known as Gordy) is a 10yr old gelding with lots of talent trained by Lucy Smith. However, not everything went to plan! We lined up at the start with 3 other runners and a few unknown horses in the race; Lucy had told me to keep him handy so I lined up with 2 of the other horses at the front. We were let go and, unfortunately, it all went wrong from the first fence! The horse next to Gordy and I stopped, firing the jockey (fellow PPORA blogger Zac Baker) into the fence leaving him unconscious and hindering the horse behind. However, Gordy being the saint he is managed to keep out of the carnage leaving me and him free, and out in front! However, during the chaos I had lost both stirrups and was desperately trying to get them back again before I had to turn a sharp corner and jump another fence. But just as I was about to get them back and turn, a loose horse came up and carried me off course meaning I had to pull up! So it wasn’t a very successful first outside ride.
However, because the horse that had stopped injured the jockey badly, it meant that his ride in the point-to-point flat race was left riderless, so naturally after a disastrous first race, I offered up my services. The trainer agreed, so I quickly changed and weighed out, however in my haste I didn’t realise that my hat silk was not on properly. Again, I lined up at the start having been told to let her run for a mile and then bring her back. We set off and I immediately noticed that I couldn’t see very well and I was going flat out. My hat silk had come down over my face and I could see nothing! With one hand I could only just steer, using the other one to hold my silk out of my eyes! We completed however after going so fast at the start she was exhausted by the time she came round for the second circuit, meaning the others were able to pass her. So let’s just say Bitterly didn’t go to plan for me that day, but on to the next which is hopefully soon! Catch up next month!
