Derbyshire Festival was our second show this year, this one was going to be a tough strong class as this was a Hoys class competing for a ticket for the Maxi Cobs, with Lynn Russell as the ride judge I was even more nervous Lynn specialises in Maxi Cobs, I do a short warm up before the class the temperature was a scorching 24'C and I did not want to over heat her before the class.
Coming up to waiting to enter the class I look around me I see plenty of beautiful Maxi Cobs with professionals on their backs, this made me feel like a small fish in a big pond but we went in confident.
The class was full with 19 horses when it came to the go round we were split into 2 groups to make sure we had enough room, I was in the second group it was interesting watching others go round watch their riding styles... didn't help my nervous being second our go round was fabulous she didn't put a foot wrong, we were pulled in last for the ride judge and conformation judge I was disappointed as I wasn't sure what we did wrong.
Lynn Russell was the ride judge in the class, when she came down to me and Rein I watched intently to see how she went for a rider that competes mainly in Maxi cob classes, Rein went lovely again which made me think maybe we are just not ready?
We all mounted back up and both judges started pulling riders in for their position and rosette place in the line up, I was astonished to be the be pulled in 8th id gone up 11 places in the line up, I may have not won in that class but I had won to me I was so proud and happy of this moment, I was then approached by both judges to state that she gave a beautiful ride and the reason I was pegged lower is because she looked more of a lightweight cob not a Maxi Cob (Rein is 15.3 so can not compete a s a lightweight) but compared to some of the other horses in the class I'm not surprised that is what they though I did look pretty small.
After I exited the class I was approached by multiple bystanders and other riders in the class who thought my placing should have been even higher than what I was pulled in, and this just made my day I went home beaming with pride and joy for us both.
