Belton Saturday

Day 1 at Belton was a very jolly one!

I had Yes I Can in the Intermediate and he really couldn't have gone any better.  The dressage arenas were on the muddy side and he coped really well to score 26.8 and be right amongst the leaders. He then jumped a lovely clear show jumping over what was a demanding track, it is always tricky at Belton in the main area, there is a lot going on and a lot to look at, and the horses get quite tense .  He then flew around cross country and made it all feel very easy, and jumped a lovely clear with 6 time faults.  It was a bit tacky and holding in parts so I probably wasted a bit of time, but his 6 time faults still gave him second place, and we were beaten by Piggy French who did a leading test anyway and finished on that score.

I was also doing dressage for the 3*.  I haven't ridden at Belton in the 3* for a good 15 years so thought it was time they all had a bit of exposure.

It was Bay My Hero's first event of the year, and the first time being in a big arena since Blair 2015 and he really did strut his stuff taking the lead on 25.9.  He has not led a CIC3* after dressage and there were loads of starters so it was a real credit to him. He was very concentrated and showed off to his best and loved being out.

It was then Fernhill Pimms' turn in the same arena and I was also dead chuffed with his performance. He also did a fault free test and is just 0.4 behind Bay My Hero in second place so that is very encouraging, it is the second time he has done a 3* test and both times he has been on 25 or 26 so he is being very much Mr Consistent.

It was then Little Fire's turn to go in the big arena, that was really why I had him here to get the exposure to some more atmosphere.  And he also coped as well as I could have dreamt, he was obviously excited and made a couple of little mistakes, but even so he is still in second place on a score of 27.4, behind Pippa Funnell on the very flash Billy Beware.  There must be 70 or 80 in his section so he is ahead of some very smart horses and some hot company so to be up there is very exciting.

So all to go for tomorrow but I am not sure how fast I am going to be with them.  I will probably waste a bit of time over the deeper parts but am hoping that they cope with the whole Belton excitement. 

I am the next one in on the Badminton waitlist which is very exciting,  Pimms needs to go well tomorrow, and be all well on Monday.