Riding Farm Equestrian Centre
News
Moorsele, 9-12 December 2009
Sally Gosling tells us about her experience of taking part in a three-day show jumping competition in Moorsele, Belgium.
Encouraged by James to “get out of your comfort zone”, and eager for a new challenge, I decided to take the horses, Bryan and Belle, to compete abroad for the first time.
Setting as a long term goal a place on the British International Veterans Team in 2011 (when I will be 45) and with the help and encouragement of Ann Berry as my mentor, we set off for Moorsele in Belgium on 9th December for three days of competition.
I’d only 10 days to prepare because we had just come back from our holiday, so things got a little intense! As practice I jumped lots of very big uprights; only to find that the course in Moorsele had lots of very wide oxers!
Bryan’s passport records that he has jumped in Moorsele three times before, so he could have shown us the way. Ferry travel was all new to Belle and her eyes were on stalks as she looked out onto the sea. With the support of Jo Mair as groom, horses and humans all travelled well for the eight hour journey.
When we arrived we found that the facilities were excellent. There was a huge restaurant and everything was under cover so we didn’t have to go outside at all. The immaculate arena was surrounded by polished boards which were kept sand-free by a man with a paintbrush!
Three words describe the course - longer, wider and bigger! The classes were huge, 150 or more riders in each. The standard was very high and the competitors were professional horsemen and show jumpers. They rode fast and were competitive but the Belgians really made us welcome. They also had some very high class horses.
My first round was a nightmare. Bryan spooked at a shadow cast by the sixth fence and jumped sideways over it. This almost unseated me. I held on somehow as Bryan took off and went over the 8th fence backwards. Things could only get better.
Disqualified, I only had a few minutes to recover before going in again on Belle. I had to re-focus on the important thing, my next round. It must have worked because Belle came up trumps and we took 7th place.
Bryan obliged on the next day with a 6th. On the last day both horses were placed and I had my best round of the competition. Bryan made four strides down the last line of fences instead of six, saving vital seconds to be placed in a class of 169.
It was a fantastic experience. My goal next time is to jump a bigger class with Bryan on the last day and my ambition is to win a class at Moorsele. My next trip is on 3rd February, I am really looking forward to it!
