BRAMHAM...

Last week we headed North for Bramham, Ginger was competing in the CCI*** Under 25 Championships, Rayef was having his first outing since Europeans last year in the CIC*** and Jitterbug was coming for the Mix and Match. We also had the added nerves of Grace doing her first three day event at Brand Hall on Noble Springbok.... this was the British Pony Championships!!! A busy week was beckoning!!!
On Thursday, Rayef had his dressage, in the warm up arena he decided he couldn't possibly cope with people sat watching him and reversed around the arena acting like a 4yo!!! Alex had to lead him round once to show him they were infact people not monsters!!
After this he was working well, however none of us quite knew what to expect when he entered the arena!! He was however an angel!!!! He did one of his best tests and even managed to perform his flying changes without bucking!!! He scored a 42.5 which left him in 2nd place behind none other than Mark Todd!
Ginger came out on Friday and did her best test ever, she was soft, supple and really moving! She scored a 41.3 which put her into the lead by 4 marks from a Frenchman!
Immediately after my dressage I had to jump in my car and head 15minutes down the road to an airfield where Charlie Walker and his little plane were waiting to fly me to Brand Hall to walk the XC course with Grace... It was an experience... rather like being on a ride at Alton Towers, only it lasted 45 minutes!! I was not feeling so good when I arrived at Brand Hall!!
We walked the course and then back in the plane to trot Rayef up back at Bramham! The timing was spot on but mainly Thanks to Alex who had Rayef ready and waiting down at trot up, with Kate Honey at the ready just incase I didn't make it!!
Saturday morning began with Rayef showjumping... he was chased by a dog in the warm up which he thought was very exciting! When he went in the ring he jumped really well, he just made up too much distance down a line to an oxer and had the front rail so finished with 4faults. We withdrew him before the XC as it was too much of an ask first time out!
All our attentions moved towards Gingers XC... I watched the seniors on the big screen and it was causing chaos! I had decided to go long at the water as not many had attempted the straight route and it was early on in the course so it would have been a long way round if you had a 20 penalties there!
Ginger set off on the course and was flying, I then got held just before fence 15. The next fence was a double of corners on a tight right turn. Ginger had switched off during the hold and as I jumped the first corner she never looked at the second one and annoyingly ran past it. She then turned round and popped it easily, a very frustrating 20 penalties so I then just went in a nice rhythm round the rest of the course which she jumped brilliantly.
I added 20 jumping penalties and 19 time penalties which dropped me down to 15th.
I then had to hot foot it back (in my car this time!!) to Brand Hall to walk the showjumping track woth Grace!
By the time I arrived back at Bramham my bed was more than just calling me!!!
Ginger sailed through the Sunday morning trot up!
I walked the showjumping track and it was quite twisty with lots of related distances! As I met Yogi in the warm up arena we both had a laugh and said the course was not suited to Ginger and that maybe it was a good thing that I had not retained my lead as the chances of her jumping clear were slim to none (bearing in mind she has never showjumped a clear round on the final day before!)
This time though I had an incentive as Alex had said that if I jumped clear she would take me to The Ritz for dinner!!
As I entered the ring I wasn't sure what was going to happen!... Ginger jumped her socks off though and jumped a brilliant clear round!
As I came out Alex said that was the most expensive clear round I have jumped!!!!
So we are off to The Ritz!!!!
I was obviously thoroughly disappointed to have had my 20pens on the XC but now we know that with an incentive like Thr Ritz... Ginger can jump clear!!!!
JITTERBUG was next up and I was paired with George Whitaker in the Mix and Match... this is a fun class where the eventers jump out of the arena onto the XC course where they jump 7 XC fences and then back into the arena, where the showjumper then jumps a course and the whole thing is against the clock!
JITTERBUG has only had one novice run this season so it was a huge ask for her to jump 7 *** fences including into the water! She was amazing though and George went like a rocket but unfortunately roled a pole so we ended up 4th! £400 for us both meant it was fun and well worth it!!
Grace rounded off a good weekend by just rolling one pole to finish 5th in the British Pony Championships!