Did It!!

Whooo... well it can't get any worse than that and we did OK so I'm a happy bunny tonight.

N37 is one of the nastiest tests I've ever ridden, although it rides OK it's really a test where you have to ride it.

We lost marks where I thought we would and we kept marks where I thought we would. Started brilliantly with a line of 6s and a couple of 7s until we got to the canter work. The canter, in all honesty was fairly atrocious and worse than I expected. Amazingly, the counter canter went off without a hitch at all so I was well chuffed with that.

However, we did the test in some semblance of what we should have done and walked away with 55% and 8th place and a very snazzy rosette.

Fell off in the warm up for N38, doh which upset him and in N38 he wasn't quite as relaxed as he was prior to me falling off.

However, couldn't have asked for more from him. Canter work was still a bit grumpy but he did absolutely everything I asked for. He thought about stopping for a poo across the short diagonal to F but a well timed nudge with spurs meant we got a snappy transition into canter.

I don't yet know how we got on N38 but I'm hopeful for a much better score, especially as the judge called me over at the end to say how lovely he was. When I explained it was our first affiliated, she said I just needed to get him a little more in front of the leg and we'd be well away.

I'm taking it that if the judge liked him enough to call me over to tell me that we did OK LOL. She also said he was "just a little cheeky in canter" but then he's cheeky all over.

Very pleased with him. Rossie for my first affiliated and it's never ever going to get any worse than it was today - little preparation, horrid tests, first ever affiliated.

Only way is up and I'm really looking forward to the next one! :)