Burnham Market abandoned

Very sadly Burnham Market was the latest weather victim so we never got the 3* run in.  Poor Oratorio didn’t even get to do the dressage.

I think that was the first time that Burnham Market have ever cancelled, but the weather really did close in and as they had run the Advanced section first on the Friday the ground had been slightly destroyed already.  Typically the dressage ground was the best ever in a field that can get quite firm, and you would never have imagined that cross country would have got as holding as it did.  Poor Pippa and Tina had nasty crunches but hopefully they are making good recoveries.  

I was very lucky to be staying with Bill Borritt, who is Josie Joyce’s brother.  Normally I stay with Josie but this time Bill took us on.

We had a lovely evening with Catherine, Charles and Josie Joyce, and several of my previous owners, so we had a really good catch up.

Once the event was cancelled I was very lucky that Rachel Upton allowed us to come schooling over her wonderful course on superb ground.  All of mine had very useful outings and although the questions weren’t enormous there was every sort of thing to jump so my boys did really feel that the trip to Burnham had not been wasted.

The news then came through that Portman was being abandoned, which is devastating for the Yarrows and their team.  Now we are wondering about this weekend with Larkhill and Weston on the calendar.  Larkhill might happen, but Weston Park can be pretty stodgy on a good year, and I imagine if they are hoping to run the Advanced on Sunday they will need to cancel all of their other classes on the Saturday so the place doesn’t get ploughed up.

We are still as busy as ever, working the horses and looking forward to Yogi coming on Friday.  Our New Zealand rider Andy Daines' Badminton horse has arrived very well and looks fabulous, so watch this space.

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Easter and had a bit of a break