Tweseldown day one

We have started!

Day 1 at Tweseldown overall went pretty well but for some reason it was pretty manic.  My times were quite intense but the team did a brilliant job and we got it all done.  

The day started off with Crunchie, who has now got a proper name of Under Oath, in the BE100.  He did a pretty decent test first in at 8am, and scored 29.8 despite his rider going the wrong way.  He was excellent jumping a clear round in the show jumping and cruised around the cross country very happily.  He felt he was going plenty fast enough, which he wasn’t, so we might need to practice going a bit quicker at home.

Then it was onto the OI’s with Oratorio going first.  I was very pleased with how he felt on the flat, with a couple of blips he actually did a very nice test and scored 30.5.  Show jumping also went pretty well, he jumped a very good round and was actually a bit unlucky to knock the last.  On the cross country he was very happy and excited, and my new bit that I had tried schooling was not quite as ideal today but it was certainly an improvement.  He felt great on the course and had a good outing – the course was actually not very demanding.

Little Fire was on his toes but looking back to how he was this time last year I can’t be disappointed.  He did a very nice dressage to score 26.4. I came out of his test very happy with him and that doesn’t happen very often in dressage.  He also jumped a decent round in the show jumping and just touched one.  On the cross country he was lovely.

My last ride today was Yes I Can.  His dressage very much came off, and he scored 31.1, there were little bits that will get better but that was a great start.  He show jumped a lovely clear and was really pinging.  On the cross country he felt very grown up, he was confident and straight and had an ideal start to his 4* campaign.  It was also a huge delight to see some of the syndicate owners today, especially Bay Sandars and her family. 

Kazu also had a good outing with two of his horses, and I think he was pleased with them, he gave them both good rides.

Tweseldown have done a great job with the courses and the ground and they were unlucky to have had a rather unfriendly day weather wise.  I am back tomorrow with the Novices and apparently the weather continues.

Bay, William and Emily at Tweseldown