So at last after five and a half years of planning and waiting Dylan went to Haywood Oaks to play with
the big boys in his first ER, the FEI 1* 90k class. No one wanted to start the ride so we were initially in second place.
Unusually for him he was a bit strong but was going well at over 17-18 kph when the bicycle chain in his hackamoor broke!!!
Fortunately we were trotting having just pulled up from cantering and he stopped when asked to. I jumped off and had to
jury rigg a headcollar from what was left then walk 5k to the next crew point. I had a spare bridle with me but in the
trailer!!!! The Regerson,s very kindly gave Steve a hackamoor at the crew point, Sarah having passed me and offered a
bridle to us. Steve ran drown the track a fair way with the new bridle and we did the swop and were on the way again
completing the 30K loop at 15.21k overall about 10 minutes adrift. Vetting in 3 minues with a heart rate in the mid 50's.
Thankfully the second loop was less eventful and again we vetted in 6 minutes, mainly due to fannying around with the
heart rate monitor, in the low 50's. Then of we went on the last loop pretty much by ourselves for two thirds of the 30k.
Ttrotted accross the line at the end 7 minutes adrift of the next horse at an average speed of 16.1kph. Again we vetted in
5 minutes with a heart rate in the mid 50's. Metabolics had been good all along, vitals always on 1 except cappilary
refill on 2 and an A for action.
So a few ducks gone for us, Dylan did not fall over his own two feet on his first ride of the season, which he has done
for the last two years!!! My first FEI ride completed sucsesfully, my first ER at Haywood oaks sucsessfully completed,
Dylan's first ER and his first ride at above 12kph. They have changed the rules this year and you have to sucsesfully
complete a 1* ride before you can enter a 2* ride so I had set out to get the completion. Was really please with the way
he went all day and had plenty of petrol left in the tank at the end. We learnt that we can pretty much pass the finish
untack slosh and vet with out stopping in future which is such a change from Dougal.
Below are my heart rate monitor and GPS readings from this ride.
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