Avenal CNC was hopefully the biggest disaster I will have to deal with for some time! Everything that could go wrong did go wrong and the few things that wern't a complete mess were average at best. Perhaps we can laugh about it now!
The weekend before Avenal was spent at Boneo Park where both Fonz and Queenie led me into a false sense of secruitry with fantastic, CALM tests and clear jumping rounds to place 6th and 5th in the 1* and Prelim. During the week, our float sold which meant we had 3 horses entered without yards and a way to get them all there so we had 3 days to find a new float and book local stables.. This should have been SCRATCH sign one!
SCRATCH sign two could have been the realisation that we had misread the dates of Ben's Dad's Engagement Party and it was actually on the Saturday night and an unforeseen 2 minute change from top boots to high heels in the Flinder's St Maccas was in the stars for us..(Well, me - Ben wasn't exactly wearing heels)...This also necessitated a midnight XC walk with high powered torches that did give us a vague idea of the fences I would face in the morning however they didn't seem to detect the giant slippery cow patties that were EVERYWHERE) quiet as clearly.. I'll say no more.
1.00am we returned to the float .. and Trojan had not only ESCAPED from his brand new steel yards but destroyed these brand new yards and cut his leg open so he had to scratch.... (ironically he was the only one who behaved in the dressage with a 70% and a provisional 5th. So we were left with two dressage monsters (Queenie and Fonz) who bucked, bolted and practically did backflips in their tests and were still in the bad books despite both jumping easy doublle clears on jumping day! I'd like to blame their cheeky behaviour on the aeroplanes that seem to always follow me down the centreline...but there is just something about Avenal. (DId I mention Fonz got time penalties because he refused to go in the start box for what seemed like forever for the first time in 5 years of 1*.....Lucky a kind stranger came to our rescue and give the little sulk a lead through the box but no matter .. Maybe we'll leave "Fantapants" at home next Avenal!
The weekend before Avenal was spent at Boneo Park where both Fonz and Queenie led me into a false sense of secruitry with fantastic, CALM tests and clear jumping rounds to place 6th and 5th in the 1* and Prelim. During the week, our float sold which meant we had 3 horses entered without yards and a way to get them all there so we had 3 days to find a new float and book local stables.. This should have been SCRATCH sign one!
SCRATCH sign two could have been the realisation that we had misread the dates of Ben's Dad's Engagement Party and it was actually on the Saturday night and an unforeseen 2 minute change from top boots to high heels in the Flinder's St Maccas was in the stars for us..(Well, me - Ben wasn't exactly wearing heels)...This also necessitated a midnight XC walk with high powered torches that did give us a vague idea of the fences I would face in the morning however they didn't seem to detect the giant slippery cow patties that were EVERYWHERE) quiet as clearly.. I'll say no more.
1.00am we returned to the float .. and Trojan had not only ESCAPED from his brand new steel yards but destroyed these brand new yards and cut his leg open so he had to scratch.... (ironically he was the only one who behaved in the dressage with a 70% and a provisional 5th. So we were left with two dressage monsters (Queenie and Fonz) who bucked, bolted and practically did backflips in their tests and were still in the bad books despite both jumping easy doublle clears on jumping day! I'd like to blame their cheeky behaviour on the aeroplanes that seem to always follow me down the centreline...but there is just something about Avenal. (DId I mention Fonz got time penalties because he refused to go in the start box for what seemed like forever for the first time in 5 years of 1*.....Lucky a kind stranger came to our rescue and give the little sulk a lead through the box but no matter .. Maybe we'll leave "Fantapants" at home next Avenal!
Naughty boy paying me back for telling him off when he wouldn't turn!
Trojaan cruising around the dressage before he cut his leg
Queenie before her mass explosion in her test.. poor Ben!
Fonz before his bee sting and ranga tantrum!!
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