Bicton

 It was a beautiful day at Bicton and we were pretty busy.  There were 10 horses there from the Fox-Pitt Eventing team, and I was riding five of them.  

Our day started very early with the Novices, I started with Atlantic Vital Spark who really redeemed himself. He did a pretty decent test which I was very pleased with, so I was slightly surprised when he got 35, which was fairly harsh.  I thought he could easily have been in the 20's so it just shows you never know.  He jumped his first ever double clear and got his first point of the year for me, and he finished 9th so we are all celebrating.

It was then Ludo FH who also had a very satisfactory day.  He did a very decent test that rather underwhelmed the dressage judge and ended up with 36, I rather imagined him to be on a 25.  He then rolled a pole show jumping, which is annoying because he jumped well.  He flew around the cross country nice and easily and only finished a couple of seconds over the time, but was not in the hunt.

Grafennacht was having her first ever Novice run, and acquitted herself quite brilliantly.  She was in the same arena as the two boys and led them in the dressage on a score of 30, she has obviously got something a bit special.  She then jumped a lovely easy clear in the show jumping, and flew round the cross country taking it all totally in her stride, but obviously incurring a few time faults and finishing out of the money.  She too got her first ever point making Bicton memorable.

It was then on the Intermediates and Yes I Can did another very nice test to score 28.  He jumped really well show jumping but had one down resulting from a slightly chaotic turn.  In the cross country he was rather naughty having a little bypass of the angles at number four.  So he ended up with a 20 and he will certainly be in the classroom next week. But I was not too disappointed as it wasn't a serious crime and he did give me a very good ride around the rest.

Fernhill Pimms had a better day after his Belton saga.  He scored 22 in the dressage and put in a lovely double clear. He felt great and was really holding his line well cross country, so now we have go to do some thinking.  I let him bowl on a bit but it was really not about doing the time and he came back with a few time faults.  

Helen Fell (West) and her team really did a brilliant job with Bicton, they produced a wonderful event and excellent cross country courses with some pretty amazing ground.  I hope they all survive their very busy weekend, but day one was certainly a huge success.