Week 4 included an amazing experience of meeting World Champion jockey A P McCoy and class jockey Andrew Thornton as they came to the BRS with BBC 5 live to record a podcast with the students asking McCoy questions. You can listen to the podcast on the link below. After the recording we had the opportunity to get a picture with McCoy and Thornton and ask a few questions of our own. It was a fabulous experience and especially chatting to Andrew as he raced my ex-racehorse a few times and he remembed what a lovely chap he was too!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04m06v5
A P McCoy
Andrew ThorntonRiding wise the week included us improving our cantering pose position, I've ridden a different array of horses, some more difficult than others! Instead of cantering on your own , you canter in groups of 2,3 or 4 dependent on what horse your on. It is important that you keep a distance of 5 lengths as your horse may chase and you get run off with! Thankfully this hasn't happened to me, but it has to many others!
On Saturday we had our week 5 fitness assessment - this is our fitness test that decides wether we are fit enough to carry on the course or not. Thankfully I passed the run with a time of 8mins18secs, not as fast as my previous but still in the safe zone so I was still classed as a pass, I also passed the sit ups doing 35 and the press ups doing 46.
Week 5 was a very very intense week for everyone on my course as it was our 5 week assessment. Throughout week 4 our yard work and riding was being watched closely. On the Monday we took our diploma exam - thankfully I passed with 80%. On the Tuesday of week 5 we had our riding assessment, this was just a normal cantering lesson but with Mrs Donnely teaching us, and she decided if our riding was good enough to carry on the course. Tuesday afternoon we was told wether we was staying or going home - thankfully when I was eventually called in the director took me out of my pain and told me that he was happy with my work and I can continue the course! I was very happy and privileged to be one of the remaining 10 out of 18 who started the course.
The rest of week 5 we rode out in the paddock- it was a breath of fresh air to have a smaller more concentrated group and to be out of the ménage doing bigger and facer paced work in a larger space!! I also had my second fall here on Allied Powers - a beautiful gelding who only came out of racing last year, he was a fantastic jump racer, he is quite a fresh horse and still settling into the racing school. He bolted and reared with me when a horse got lose and was galloping round the paddock, my fall was excused by Mr Bateman as I had sat all of his other rears, bolts, bucks and bronks, haha!
On Tuesday we are eventually moving onto jumping and going onto the round gallop. I'm very excited!
can you tell me more about what they look for a student's riding, that you'll be able to continue the course? was there any beginners who could carry on?
ReplyDeleteso nice that you write this blog, thank you! :)
Sorry I've just only noticed your post! The riding isn't too important at the start as everyone starts from scratch. As long as you are dedicated , try your hardest are listen to everything the instructors say, you will be fine!
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