Another great day at Wilton. It is a lovely event and super weather. I took Milo and Victor who were competing in the Novice, Rocky was in the Intermediate and George was having his first run in the OI since Bramham.
They were all good in their tests. Milo led on 28.0, Victor struggled with the flies but still scored a respectable 36.5. Rocky was good and was in the top 10 after dressage on a 36.4 and George was quiet and settled to score 38.6.
The SJ was nice, Victor and Milo jumped super clears in the Novice, whilst Rocky and George just rolled a fence each over the intermediate track. The XC was causing a lot of problems as always. Milo jumped a super clear, and we actually went 2 seconds too fast, but that was still good enough to take top spot and win his second event on the trot.
Victor found the kennels at fence 5 very spooky but jumped clear just picking up 10 time faults, he therefore finished outside the top 10. George jumped a lovely clear but I didnt push for the time. I then had a really silly 20 penalties on Rocky, they had, had so many stops at the first water so I came in really strong, but he didnt even look at it, jumped in so bold and then tried to take a stride out to the roll top after, but couldnt make it, very annoying, but he was foot perfect elsewhere so I wasn’t at all worried.
I was very pleased with how all the horses went.
We had a great 2 days at Aston-le-walls. I had 3 in the advanced. Tomi, and 2 first-timers Woody and Rocky. They all produced nice tests. Rocky and Woody made a few errors, but I was pleased with 34.3 and 37.5. Tomi stayed settled for her, to score 42.0.
Tomi jumped a fantastic clear SJ, the others rolled a few rails, but it was a big track and caused a lot of problems. The XC seemed a nice course, there was a couple of tricky questions and the waters were different this year, but all 3 horses were fantastic and jumped clear, each picking up a few time faults.
Tomi finished 7th and Rocky was 11th.
Well it was lovely to go to such a local event, only 25 mins away was bliss!! I took Andy and Luca on the first day. They were both fantastic and produced their best results. Andy scoring 26.0 and Luca on 26.5. Luca jumped an immaculate clear SJ and Andy rolled just one fence. They both went on to jump clears XC, strangely I was given a stop on Luca for nothing, but the judges had made up their minds which was disppointing as he would have finished 5th. Andy finished inside the time XC to pick up 2nd place, which was fantastic for all the team, he has come so far!
We were there again the following day with Milo, Henry and Victor in the Novice. Milo led the dressage on 30.5, and Henry and Victor were both in the top 3 after dressage scoring 26.5 and 30.5. They all jumped clear SJ. The XC was tough, but Milo jumped a fantastic clear inside the time to win by 5 marks. Henry picked up 3.6 time faults to finish 4th, and Victor was very unlucky when he slipped on take-off to the difficult skinny and therefore couldn’t jump. He popped over it beautifully 2nd time, but sadly would have won by 6 marks, but thats eventing for you, very unlucky sometimes, but he went very well and thats the main thing.
We just at Upton House with 2 horses, Andy and Luca. Luca was not on best behaviour and after problems in the dressage, he jumped a super clear in the SJ, but I decided not to run him XC. Andy was fantastic with a 31.0 dressage, one fence down SJ, but clear XC inside the time to finish 9th.
We had a great few days at Barbury. Henry, Milo and Victor were competing in the Novice. They all produced good tests, Victor on 31.0, Milo on 33.5 and Henry on 35.5. Henry rolled the last fence, but Milo and Victor jumped clear SJ. Victor had a silly run out at a simple hedge at fence 6, it was off a tight turn and just shocked him. The other two jumped clear. Milo finished inside the time to pick up 4th place.
Woody and Rocky were competing in the CIC**, both a little green on the flat but scored, 54.7 and 52.2. Rocky rolled one fence, and Woody jumped a super clear in the SJ. They both went on to jump fantastic clears XC, and Rocky really stepped up to the mark as this was his first CIC**. A handful of time faults each kept them out of the placings but I was delighted with both.
Tomi was in the CIC*** she did a lovely test for her, with just two small mistakes, she was harshly marked with 67.2, but it was a strong field and we followed two big movers. She went on to jump a super clear SJ. She felt a lot more secure in the hand, having had 2 days jumping over the weekend previously. An annoying run out at a ‘let up’ skinny fence in stone henge ruined a great result, but otherwise she jumped all the complicated fences with ease.
We had a busy 2 days at Hand, show jumping. I took Luca, Milo, Rocky, Woody and Tomi.
Luca was super and jumped double clear and finished 3rd in the Discovery both days, he was also competing in his Newcombers, jumping clear in the first round and rolling a pole in the jump off on both days. I was so pleased with the way he jumped and stepped up to Newcombers very well.
Milo was fantastic, he won the Newcombers both days with a double clear, and was 4th in the 1.15m on the first day. He was a star, especially seeing as it was the first time he had been pushed against the clock. Rocky too jumped very well. He jumped clear in the first round and rolled a pole in the jump off both days in the Newcombers, and he rolled a pole in the first round of the Foxhunter each day, but jumped very well.
Woody too was a star, a bit too fresh on the first day and had a fence in the jump off of the 1.15m, but went on to jump a slow double clear in the Foxhunter, he had the last fence in the jump off of the 1.15m on the second day as we turned a bit too tight into it. But went on to jump a super double clear in the Foxhunter to finished 2nd out of 38.
Tomi certainly jumped her socks off this weekend. She was super fresh in the Foxhunter and had a fence in the jump off, but jumped a perfect clear in the 1.30m Open just touching one fence in the jump off. She then had one down in the Foxhunter on the second day, but went on to jump another clear in the 1.30m Grand Prix, which went up to 1.40m in the jump off, certainly a surprise to both of us, who havent jumped that height for a while, but she was so unlucky just to touch the penultimate fence.
I was so delighted with how all 5 horses jumped!!
We had a busy day at Stonar, with 5 horses. Andy was competing in the BE100. He produced a nice test to score 35.5, sadly rolled 1 pole but was clear XC inside the time.
I had Luca competing in his first Novice. He produced a lovely test to score 30, rolled a fence SJ, but I was delighted that he jumped clear XC with just a handful of time faults. I also had Milo, Henry and Victor, they all produced there best dressage so far. Henry scoring an incrediable 19.1, Victor on 21.9 and Milo on 28.1. They all went on to jump super SJ rounds, Victor rolled a pole and Henry and Milo jumped clear. And to my delight they all jumped super clears XC inside the time. Henry won and has now qualified for an NRF. Milo finished 3rd and Victor in 4th.
I was absolutely delighted with all of them!