Burgham - day 3

This was really the first big focus we have had for a long time and the show jumping course was very close to height and the time was pretty tight.  The course however was not too technical and overall there were quite a few clear rounds.  I started off with Atlantic Vital Spark who jumped a beautiful round and he just tipped the water tray; goodness knows why, but he totally deserved a clear round. On the cross country he cruised around very comfortably.  I took him all the direct routes and let him bowl on but I didn’t hurry as there was really no point.  I think if he had been clear inside the time he might have been 20th.  The ground was riding well and the course was a good interesting track but not overly tricky.

Next up was Oratorio who jumped an excellent clear, he really used himself well and I was particularly pleased about that and he never breathed on a pole.  I let him go on a little bit on the cross country, but again I was not in a desperate hurry and he came back with 13 time faults, and that felt just about right.  He felt great and really didn’t pull too much so I was encouraged.  

It was back to show jumping with Little Fire who of course jumped a foot perfect clear.  He was properly showing off and couldn’t have jumped much better.  He was quite excited at the start of the cross country and I let him bowl on a little bit and he ended up being my fastest time of the day, but still slow compared to most and 9.6 time faults left him in 13th place.  I wasn’t too concerned about placings and results because this was just intending on being a useful outing.

Grafennacht was my last in the big class and she was really up for the challenge of her first 4*S.  She jumped her socks off in the show jumping and didn’t breathe on a pole so totally deserved her clear.  I was not worried about the cross country for her but there were a few questions, but she couldn’t have cared less and flew around very much in the same vein as my grown ups. I felt very encouraged and positive after that and we have now got to have a think about what to do next.

It was then Under Oath’s turn to show jump and sadly the wheels came off a little bit.  He rolled three poles which means that he doesn’t get the qualification for Lion d’Angers, but Lindy and I are not overly concerned.  He was good and sound and felt quite perky, but he must have just been a bit muscularly tired. Incidentally the three fences he had down were all the back rais of parallels with his back legs, so I think that tells me he was lacking a little bit of stretch.  I will now give him a few days off and he won’t be going to Wellington for the 3*S as there is no point for qualification.

Everything at Burgham worked brilliantly but it was very strange wearing masks, particularly for the trot up......  The ground was good but they certainly got lucky with a little bit of timely rain.  David Evans had done a really good job with the courses which I thought rode really well.  There were a good few questions in the 4* using lots of imagination, and there was plenty to jump but it was not overly testing.  They had a huge entry list but it is interesting how much simpler things seem with a bit of social distancing reform and it is just amazing how fewer people events seem to cope with.

Photo of Oratorio before his clear show jumping round, and video of Atlantic Vital Spark starting the cross country, taken by Alex, Team Fox-Pitt