Pontispool

We have just survived our crazy day at Pontispool with eight horses.

My day began with Priorspark Passionate in the Novice, and it started 'belly up' because I got eliminated for jumping the wrong fence cross country.  Even more annoying was the fact that otherwise she would have won; she had led the dressage on 26 and jumped a double clear inside the time.  So as far as we are concerned she was a winner and luckily her owners were very understanding.

It was then onto the Intermediates and I started with BT Seventh Heaven who had a very good day. He scored the best mark he has so far of 28, he jumped a much more peaceful round show jumping and only had one down because I ended up galloping at a vertical, so not his fault.  He was then very confident and clear cross country and finished in 11th place.

FC Torino was having his last run before Osberton and overall had a very useful day. He did another nice test and scored 27 doing some very good work and getting more confident.  He show jumped a lovely clear, and as the ground was so good and the course was inviting I really let him run on a bit which is actually for the first time this season because of his setbacks.  Very frustratingly we had a stupid runout because I couldn’t turn but it was not at all an evasion on his part, it was just a bit of greenness in our control, and I will have to do a  bit of thinking about my ‘bitting'.

Then it was Shannondale Percy; he did a very pleasing test to lie right up there on a score of 27 as well.  He jumped a super clear and gave me an excellent ride cross country with just 5 time faults to give him his first Intermediate win.  He went the best he has ever gone, very happily, in a good rhythm and made it all feel nice and easy.

Yes I Can very excitedly led the dressage on a score of 25.  I have really been feeling his dressage coming together so that was very encouraging and he did some jolly good work.   He then had a couple of silly poles down show jumping which is very unlike him, but he jumped a pretty decent round.  He then gave me a superb ride cross country making the course feel very easy.  He was also nice and confident and I took my time on him to give him a comfortable ride.

It was, as I said, excellent ground and Eric Winter had built a very decent attacking track so it was a very good day for all my young boys.

Andrew also had a busy day.  He had Cafre Lunar Eclipse and Priorspark Premonition in the Novice and they both jumped very good double clears and did very respectable tests.  It was Priorspark Premonition’s first event for a good two years so it was excellent to have him out again and he really enjoyed himself.  
Annaliese was in the Intermediate and did a very respectable test of 30. She had a couple of annoying poles down but her round was pretty decent, and her cross country was excellent.

Most of these will be having their next run at Osberton and I am very hopefully that today will have set them up well.