News UpdatesEmma & Eddie are Reserves for 2011 European Championships (July 22, 2011)
It has been a busy summer with the goal being the European Championships which are held in Moorselle, Belgium in September.
Unfortunately though I had to have five weeks off riding during April and May when I sustained a knee injury whilst preparing to compete at the British Dressage Winter Championships. I was getting on my mobility scooter to go and get on Eddie, when I twisted my knee and it locked. I was in so much pain and I think that because I really wanted to compete, I tried so, so hard to get my knee ‘un-locked’ – but in hindsight I think that is what made it worse. I couldn’t weight-bare for a few days, and after five weeks rest and some physiotherapy from the squad physio Andy Thomas I was fit to ride again – just three weeks before Hickstead.
Having time off had some benefit in that because I wasn’t able to ride Eddie, Karen had him all to herself which meant that she was able to work to develop his training to the next level.
Although the improvements that Karen has made in Eddie’s training are now beginning to pay off, it has taken a while for me and Eddie to gel back together as he is now more forward and sensitive. For him to be more sensitive is the aim as we want to be able to use the minimal possible signal and get a response from him. However because of my disability effecting my co-ordination I tend to be a bit like a ‘bull in a china shop’, and the use of tiny, fine signals is a hard thing for me to do. Therefore I am having to really work hard at making my signals smaller in order to get the response that I want.
In June, things came together enough for my team and I to enjoy another fantastic Hickstead! Hickstead acted as part of the selection trials for the Europeans, and I was pleased that Eddie and I won both of our Grade 1a classes with good scores, beating multi gold medallist Anne Dunham.
Hartpury CPEDI*** last week (12th – 15th July) acted as the final part of European Selection.
Hartpury was a fantastic competition with lots of riders from various countries competing, there was even fourteen grade 1a riders which is an amazing turn-out!! I wondered whether the increase in competitors was due to next year, and people ‘testing out’ coming to England ready for the Paralympics.
It was very close at the top of the grade 1a leader-board with Anne [Dunham], Sophie [Christiansen] and I fighting it out for top spot. There was only a percent separating us in the team test and just over a percent in the championship test. Eddie and I were in third place on both occasions, it was so, so close, but unfortunately in the team test it was lack of communication in the first halt that lost us first place – Eddie is so much more sensitive now and so I am having to learn to use minimal signals to make the slight adjustments. Unfortunately when I asked him to square-up he thought I meant walk-on, this meant that the halt was in two parts – and therefore lost us a lot of marks!! The individual went well except that Eddie dropped ‘behind the bit’ in places which as with the mistake in the halt on the previous day, was expensive!
For the freestyle I made some changes, putting Eddie in the snaffle bridle rather than the double. This meant that the contact was much better than the previous day, and I was pleased to up my placing to come second behind Anne on 74%.
The team for the Europeans were announced later on the Friday night – when I learnt that Eddie and I had been selected as reserves.
I was a little disappointed not to have made the team, especially having done so well at Hickstead. But I guess going on the results at Hartpury – we did come third, and I suppose that being reserve shows how close we were.
All focus now is on next year on the Paralympic Games, however I still need to prepare as if I was going to the Europeans, as being reserve you never know whether you will get called up! This week I have been busy planning our campaign for the next year, a couple of weeks a go I visited Greenwich Park for the Olympic test event – and what an amazing venue it is going to be! The main stadium was set up on a smaller scale to what it is going to be in 2012, but you certainly got a flavour of what it is going to be like. Just to be at such a big equestrian event in the middle of the capital city is slightly surreal, but amazing in itself! It has certainly given me even more drive than I had already (if that is possible) to ensure that my team and I get there!!
It is going to be so tough to get there as like this year there are only five precious places. I have so much faith in Eddie, thanks to Karen, Nicky and Angela’s hard work, Eddie just keeps getting better and better and I want to give him as well as myself the best chance possible of getting to London! Our first Hickstead qualifier for 2012 is on the 21st August at Vale View.
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