Larkhill

We had a rather mixed visit to Larkhill, which was luckily resurrected by Grafennacht in the BE100, who won very nicely.  

She led the dressage with a very decent test of 26, jumped a very decent clear in the mud show jumping, it was great that they had moved the fences after the Novice section because it was getting a little chewed up in front of some of the fences.  She then flew around the cross country very easily, so much so she got me 1.2 time faults for being too speedy, which is very ironic - I think it is the first time in my career that has ever happened.  I am very excited that I was able to go so fast, and she is clearly a good ground coverer.

The Novice horses gave me glimmers of hope but were all below par.  They started very early with Atlantic Vital Spark who was only having his second start this season, in a normal year it would have been his fifth start so they did need to get the whole show on the road again.  He did a nice dressage which I was pleased with, and with a bit of tension he still scored a very respectable 29, just 2 marks off the best score.  He then jumped really well show jumping and put in his first ever clear round in his career, so we were properly celebrating and he gave me a very encouraging feel.  He then flew around the cross country giving me an excellent ride until he took a complete aversion to the last fence as it had a roof over it, and stopped dead.  So I have got some homework to do on the 'jumping under roof’ front.  He would have been second had he jumped it as he was going inside the time, incurring only 2.4 time faults.

Second off was Koko Pop, who did his usual lovely dressage but the all the wheels fell off in the show jumping and he had several down getting very stuck in the mud.  

Lastly was Ludo FH, again I was basically very pleased with him in the dressage, he scored 32 but went well with plenty of room for improvement as he becomes a bit looser.  He jumped really well in the mud and only had one down, and cross country he flew around but he took an aversion to the tree in the middle of the corner and ran out by miles, but happily jumping it the second time, so 'work in progress' as they say.

We are on for Belton next weekend where I am hoping to get a run into Fernhill Pimms, and I am waiting for Bay My Hero to get in from the wait list.