So the weather has
been a bit mixed to say the least! South of England was cancelled along with
many other events around the country so Lily didn’t get another run until
Chilham. Little Lexi ended up staying at the vets for over a week with a very
sore fat infected leg so no Munstead or Chilham for her. Getting on for five
weeks later and there is still a huge amount of fluid in the hock so we have
just rescanned and x-rayed it to make sure that there isn’t anything else going
on (which thankfully there isn’t). Best laid plans and all that!
That meant that Ehren
has had to fly the flag for the team. Gulp! It was with some trepidation that
we headed off to BlueBarn for our first Advanced Medium. She is quite spooky in
their indoor arena and for the first Medium test there was sunlight on the
surface which always makes life hard. Approaching a spot of sunlight in
extended canter requires serious brave pants! For the second test the clouds
had arrived and I was trotting around saying to her “hey you can do this, look
no patches on the floor!”. And she did. One mistake and an added circle just to
reorganise ourselves. We could have danced in better balance but all in all
very pleased to have got 65.88% in our first go at this level and winning the
class overall. Wow! Ehren done good.
I
then took Jasmine’s Lottie to Oldencraig for the Prelims. This was quite an
outing as the Young Horse classes were on at the same time. I can only describe
the car-park and warm-up arena as chaotic. Horses broncing all over the place,
stallions everywhere, horses yelling and crashing about in lorries. Poor wine
buff Jilly Goolden got bucked off right next to me. Fortunately, Lottie wasn’t
at all bothered. She was an absolute saint and although rather green in the
indoor arena she still brought home the reds and was much more confident in the
second test. We went back two weeks later and she went much better in the
indoor; more confident and won her test overall. She was rather hormonally
challenged and very green in the International arena but didn’t do anything
wrong so we were very pleased.
As
we withdrew Lexi from Chilham I had the day free and decided on the spur of the
moment to take Ehren to Cobham Manor for another go at Advanced Medium. She has
never been to Cobham before so it had the potential to be an interesting outing
but they do run the higher tests there fairly regularly so I was hoping that
Ehren might like it, or at least not hate it! She was amazing considering how
she can be at a new venue. Little bit spooky in the medium but really let me
ride her in the Advanced Medium, so we were in better balance than at Blue Barn
and won overall with 69.11% Amazeballs. Very pleased with the girl.
Lily went to Chilham
for the BE100 but was about as awful as she can get. Snatching the reins out of
Martin’s hands in the dressage, feisty as anything in the SJ, and continuing on
the theme of ‘Lily is a know-it-all’ until she crash landed at fence 9 on the
XC. Literally belly flopped onto it having taken a stride out. Luckily Martin
just stepped off and she shimmied over the side of it. Oh Lily. With this in
mind Martin headed off to a lesson with Nick Turner FBHS and a really
productive and interesting lesson it was too. Nick had Martin riding with his
reins 4 inches longer and pushing for a more forwards canter. Talking of brave
pants! However, it got better and better with her arguing less and thinking
more. Lots of homework for Mr Wright. Maybe I should buy him a set of those
rainbow coloured reins?!
It has been great to
see so many eventing clients picking up the frillies this year. Top marks to
Hayley who has never evented before and has been working hard with the dressage
and XC with her young horse Baloo. I was absolutely thrilled to hear they ended
up 4that the Munstead UA,
their first event.
Highlight of the
month has to go to Jasmine though. Four years ago I started working with her
and Kevin. They were competing at BD Prelim level and it was not entirely
uncommon for them to get a below 60% score. He doesn’t find dressage
particularly easy and still has the odd bad day but at BlueBarn he cantered
down the centre line and performed his and Jasmine’s first Advanced Medium. I
was so proud of them I could barely watch. What makes it all the lovelier is
that he is a home bred horse and she has put all the work in herself. Top
banana!!