Aiken Showcase....Team Training....First events of the season

 I was invited to the Aiken Showcase by Shelley Page and her team, and I travelled out last Wednesday night to get to know my mount – Sandro’s Star.  Very fortunately he was a nice horse and was very receptive to be ridden by a totally new jockey.  I had a little work on the flat and a pop on Thursday ready for his dressage test on Friday morning.  The test we were doing was an American test, but it was quite a difficult one so I was very pleased that he tackled it so successfully.  We had a few little inaccuracies but overall he really put in a good performance and lay in 6th place on 31, which was a great position to be in particularly considering some of the experienced company he was competing against.

We were then show jumping that evening and the track was a decent 130, but it was probably not the most technical and the time wasn’t too tight.  Sandro jumped a super clear round and moved up one place.  

The cross country course wasn’t too taxing but we all knew the time was going to be fairly tight, the speed was 525meters a minute, which isn’t much quicker than 2* speed, but given the fact it was in a very small area it was going to be fairly manic.  Mark Phillips had built an excellent track but there could probably have done with being a couple more accuracy questions.  Sandro was certainly quite up for the job, and he flew around the course, doing the time quite easily and we very happily finished in 3rd place.  

It was very satisfying and also a huge relief to hand back the precious Sandro to Hannah and Chris in one piece, and I am hoping the next time Chris rides him he has still got good control.

It was great to see Ron from RAM out there, and it was wonderful to have my RAM truck to drive, but it was then a big rush back to the UK for squad training with John Ledingham at Addington on Monday.  I met Jackie at Addington with Little Fire, Yes I Can and Oratorio, and I had three very interesting sessions and have some good exercises and will be focusing on some weak links.  From team training it is then on to the first event of the year at Tweseldown.

While I have been away Adam had his first event on Secret Night at Moreton, and had a pretty impressive first day out with a 23 double clear.  I told him not to get used to that sort of performance!

It was also very exciting for Kazu to be out for the first time on his new horse Vinci de la Vigne, and he too had a great first run and is very much feeling that they are forming a partnership.