Chepstow

The whole point of going to Chepstow today was the Novice Regional Final and very happily Yes I Can qualified.  He led the dressage and scored 28 with a very nice test.  He show jumped a good clear, and the cross country again went clear but I got a few time faults dropping him down to 3rd.  Maybe I am getting old, but I felt that I was going flat out for Novice level and was still too slow, and actually overall no-one got the time.  I am happy obviously that I got qualified but there are surely some safety implications with having such a break-neck optimum time at Novice level?

Seventh Heaven didn't score quite as well in his Dressage to be on 39, I was actually quite pleased with his test but that is how it goes.  He then jumped a lovely double clear with a few time faults.  And sadly did not get his qualification but he probably isn't quite ready for Gatcombe anyway.

Georgisaurous was also having a run and did a nice test of 28, and did an excellent double clear, but obviously with plenty of time faults.  Hopefully that will have set him up well for Barbury next week.

Chepstow is a great event, and we were very lucky with the ground being so good after the rain.  I personally was a bit disappointed with the Novice cross country course, as I thought it was not very difficult and lacked a nice flow. Novice horses would not have had a useful education, but it did the job.