So I desperately wanted to event, but I had bought Drifter because I found his terror of life so endearing! So I think I’d accepted at an early age that perhaps this was a bit of a pipe dream- far from being bold, Drift would shy at changes in the colour of grass! So we started my crazy appy and to all of our surprise he had a beautiful jumping technique, so since dressage was out the window (we are both rubbish because I’m not patient enough) I decided to give show jumping a shot with him.
Drift jumping 1m20 at home no problem!!
Nope, it didn’t go entirely to plan. I would hire places and Drift would be fantastic, but at a show he was so terrified of the other horses, the speakers, the people, the timers, just the atmosphere. I have attempted to get Drift competing show jumping several times a year from when he was about 7-12 and although I would hire places regularly he genuinely got stage freight. He would jump the fences at 1m10 if we’d hired somewhere, and the same fences come show day he would stop at every one at 65cm and would refuse to canter!!!
And I used to hear - “maybe it’s because you’re nervous, he’s feeding off you” etc. We’ve all heard it!! Now a course of 65cm jumps does not frighten me- competition or not, and competing didn’t matter enough for me to get anxious over it. So one day in March last year I decided to take Drift to the local show- we’d hired it the week previous and he’d jumped like a stag! We arrived and he was an absolute nightmare, the point Kate couldn’t even hold in the working in whilst I was walking the course! She could feel my pain!!!
The week previous to the show- jumping the same fences but much bigger!!
It went badly, he stopped at nearly every fence and refused to go out of trot and into canter! I was so deflated, again I just thought what’s the point, I can’t put him through this and it’s just too embarrassing.
And then. Jol came. And she changed our world. Now I can’t explain it and I wouldn’t even begin to try. Maybe it’s the herd environment, maybe it’s because he’s so content at home, and maybe it’s because he’s a jealous nut and can’t bear for anyone else to be number one!
But I took him to the exact same show 3 months later- nothing else in his training regime changed. And he went in the 65cm and jumped double clear! I was absolutely dumbfounded! Never have I been so proud of him, the work in was hard for him, but in the arena away from the other Horses he found his mojo and got into gear. And that was the start, he’d finally overcome his stage freight!
Since then Kate and I have taken him to several unaffiliated shows and he’s jumped from 75cm to 85cm, then fences and the height had never been his problem. He’s brought home four first rosettes and I couldn’t be more proud of him.
I’m so excited for this year and what the future holds. He is finally able to use his talent and step up the ring! And guess what, he’s going to be 13 in August. Who cares that it’s taken me all of 10 years to get him to where he is now. He’s here and that’s all that matters. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, or how far you are from you’re goal- you’re still further than someone who isn’t even trying!
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