A hectic weekend...

It started on Friday with an early start for Lincoln. Mum and I left at 4am, alarm clock at 2.45am (seriously unpleasant)!! We went in the little lorry with Noble Bestman (Steve) and Uno Di Landro (Landro) so that the big lorry could be packed at home by Alex and Felicity. Steve did a lovely test marred by a few unasked for flying changes and scored 31.5! His trot work was very flashy!! He followed up his good dressage with a lovely double clear to finish on 31.5 and a rosette for 4th. Landro having his first run of the year scored 33 and jumped a super double clear in the pre novice. He came home with a rosette for 3rd. He is now off to do a novice at Gatcombe on Saturday. Meanwhile back at the yard Alex and Felicity were busy working and washing horses, however Vancouver wasn’t too sure he wanted another early morning on Saturday and didn’t feel quite right when being exercised. So he was carefully examined and some pain was located in his foot and the offending shoe was quickly removed and he spent the day having his foot tubbed and poulticed! However it was obviously not meant to be, as on Saturday morning we trotted him up while preparing the others for travelling and he still wasn’t quite right. I am pleased to report that now he is fine and I hope to get a late entry in an intermediate section at Gatcombe at the weekend, fingers crossed! So the lorry left with Fernhill Cristal, Ginger May Killinghurst, Noble Springbok (Spring) and Blackwater Clover (Sid). Guy Pearson Gregory has been based with me while he is at uni in Reading so we gave him and Sid a lift to Lincoln. Grace and Spring were doing their first pony trial together and I think I was more nervous than Grace was which resulted in a few emotional tears when they finished a brilliant clear xc. They finished 2nd in the trial and have been invited to the final trial which is a great result for them. Meanwhile Cristal was first in the arena in the Young Rider trial and scored 35.5 which I was a little disappointed with. He did some lovely work, notably his shoulder in and canter transitions. However square halts were eluding us this week, so a little more practise required on those I think! He jumped well in the show jumping to have the first upright down which was a shame and we also picked up one time fault. Xc he was awesome and jumped everything brilliantly considering this was his first intermediate of the year. His next run is the CIC** at Burnham Market. My first run on Ginger was a learning experience which I thoroughly enjoyed. Her dressage was very good despite going a little flat in the arena, next time I don’t plan on being on her so long in the warm up. She scored 25.5 to head the Young Rider trial after the dressage. Show jumping was interesting and she had three down, however I am not too despondent as she improved in the arena when I left it more up to her!! Obviously she knows best….. Xc, her forte, was very good and I enjoyed the whole round. It felt a huge privilege to be riding such a xc machine. When everything was done and the lorry packed up we made a beeline for home as we didn’t fancy sitting on the A46 in the roadworks!

This week there will be an outing to Boomerang to take Eliza Sangsters horse, Mere Oak (Jambi) cross country schooling before my first run on him at Gatcombe at the weekend. Also Hunters Legend (Willy) is coming over for me to sit on him for the first time this year. He has had some issues with his feet and as we all know no foot, no horse so we have been spending a long time to get it all sorted. All being well he will be out and about soon.