Today wasn’t our best day. I rode like a total muppet. I let Buddy down. But we made it round. Somehow. Came home with another cricket score for the collection. That’s another BRC Championship done!
When I woke up, I had a proper wobble. It’s a long way to drive. I was going on my own. I didn’t feel ready. Buddy wasn’t fit enough. You name it, they all went through my head.
I got to the yard, locked and loaded and started another Toby Travels adventure. Red warning light on the dashboard caused a minor freak out. Something about brakes. So I took him for a drive round the block and see if it went off. It did (and my brakes worked) so I pushed on.
Really smooth run through to Aston-Le-Walls. We arrived exactly when I was aiming for. The timetable said the course was at 3pm. I was riding at 3:56pm, so I thought I’d tack up, head down for 3pm and then ride in.
When I arrived, I was told the course walk was 3:30pm. So I was really early. Faffed about for a bit hacking Buddy round the lorry park.
Course walked, I got back on. Grateful to a random chap who held Buddy for me so I could do the course walk. The course looks great. Up to height but flowing. This was Combined Challenge – so a round of SJ, then straight out onto XC.
I’m not totally sure what happened. But when we left the start box, I turned into an insane woman. You could probably hear me from space. Poor Buddy! Not my finest hour.
We were clear till the last SJ. A bounce. Now we love a bounce. Sadly muppet features (as I shall now be known) brought him back too much and he stopped. Quickly turned him around and popped through. But took the last pole too. Arse.
He flew the first XC jump, then Mr Nappy Pants returned and he was so busy gawping at stuff, he had no impulsion to no 2. Represented and I tried to give us both a kick up the backside. I know we’re better than that! I’m pretty sure I told him that too!
The rest of the round was a bit of a blur if I’m honest. We had another stop somewhere but I think we’d both kinda left our bodies at that stage.
I do remember jumping the last and telling he was a legend. I was something that ends in ‘end’ too. I think the emotions, angst and all manner of stuff just all came out of me.
We did it. It wasn’t pretty. We weren’t the only ones to have issues either. I was so frustrated as I wanted to show we deserved to be there.
Having had a chance to reflect on it. I know my prep was wrong. Buddy hasn’t jumped on grass since July. He hasn’t been XC for years. I’m low on energy and my head has been a mess with Dad. I got so many things wrong today.
I’m cutting myself a bit of slack. I am proud we did it. Buddy is happily munching his body weight in haylage. I’ve been for dinner at the local pub.
One day, it’ll all come together… Till then, we’re winning or learning. Today was one of those learning days.
