Upton

 The team had a very good day at Upton yesterday.  Upton event has really taken a big position in the Eventing calendar running three days, and Jess Waley Cowen and her team deserve so much credit for putting on such a lovely event.  The courses were spot-on, educational and inviting, and the going could not have been more perfect.  

I had Hannah Martin's 6yo Latest Edition doing his first Novice, I decided to run him in the place of Hussard Brun who had lost a shoe, and had no idea whether his first novice was the right question to be asking.  However he could not have been any better, he did a very good test and got 30.  He just touched the last part of the treble, otherwise jumped a very good round.  In the cross country he took on everything in a very confident way, never deviating from his line and coping well with the terrain, which was quite undulating and windy.

Cusco did another double clear, he did a very nice dressage test and was ridiculously given 34.8, I came out expecting to get a 25, but I guess sometimes you get that with novice judging.  His show jumping round was quite effortless and he gave me a good ride cross country with a few time faults.  As he was so far off the pace in the dressage I thought there was no point in pushing.

Then BLS Absolutely was having another Intermediate outing, and I was very happy with him.  He did a super test of 27 and gave me an excellent double clear. I thought I was going quite fast but obviously not and ended up with 10 time faults which moved him down to 7th.  He has gained another confident outing and I am looking forward to trying him in the 2*L at Hartpury.

Violetta and Yes I Can are at Upton today with Olivia, my niece, which will hopefully be another good day.