West Wilts & Bicton

 I took the opportunity to have a Novice run on Little Fire at West Wilts.  It is always a very enjoyable quite local event, and I wanted to give him an easy run after his Intermediate at Aston Le Walls.  He had a very good day leading the dressage in his arena on a score of 21.  He jumped a good clear show jumping and as usual was quite on his toes.  Although the cross country course was very inviting and asked a few interesting questions, Little Fire gave me a lovely ride but I didn’t put my foot down which kept him out of the money.  

The Graduate was having his second competition with me, and this time I had him in the 5yo qualifier.  He did a lovely dressage which had him in third on a score of 26.  He jumped a super clear show jumping and went really well cross country.  I was hoping to qualify him by finishing in the top 10%, but he very frustratingly finished one place too low with 2.4 time faults.  I felt I had gone plenty fast enough but clearly not and as you are not allowed to use your stop watch at BE100 level, you have to hope you get the time right.

I was very happy to have Dynasty out after his fall at Gatcombe.  The idea was to see how he felt.  He was very bright and cheeky in the dressage, had a pole down in the show jumping, and I withdrew him from the cross country which was the intention.

Hector Payne took my 5yo Yes I Can in the BE90, he is quite a baby but a very talented chap.  He is still very green so I was delighted with the job Hector did, giving him a very good first eventing experience, with a 34 in the dressage and a double clear.

Cyril rode our mare Red Kite and Balu Gidran, also in the BE90.  They both had very pleasing outings.

It was then on to Bicton where The Graduate was trying again to get his qualification for Osberton. It was a bit quick to have him out again and he went very well to finish third.  I am hoping that was good enough to qualify but have not yet had confirmation as there were only 27 starters!  He did a nice test, not quite as good as West Wilts, and we were very careful in the show jumping and flew around the cross country.  I thought the time was quite tight for a BE100 and with a very decent hill it made the cross country into a good test for a 5yo.  However he coped brilliantly and is now enjoying a few easy days.  

Little Fire who I seem to be keeping busy, had a very useful run, but had an infuriating step back at the sunken road incurring 20 penalties when he was comfortably in the lead on a score of 20.  He seems to have really nailed the dressage at the moment and is producing very good work, and his show jumping likewise is becoming much more balanced and focused.  He is now entered for the Intermediate at Wellington, but I will see what the course is like before I decide whether he will run.

Balu Gidran and Red Kite had another very educational day with Cyril and I was delighted with how they went.  Both did nice quiet tests, rolled a pole in the show jumping and good clear cross country, with Red Kite finishing ninth.

The fundraiser barbecue was a huge success and a fantastic sum of money was raised.  Helen West and Andrew Fells and the committee of The Eventing Family did a brilliant job galvanising everyone into action, and it was a fantastic evening raising money.  

Heavy rain did not dampen the evening but it made Sunday’s conditions pretty unpleasant.  The organisers decided to go ahead which was hugely appreciated by all those desperately needing qualification.  But I decided not to make the journey back to Bicton, particularly as the four horses I had entered would have been going cross country very late in the evening on churned up ground.  It was very frustrating as I thought the Intermediate course looked inviting, and on Saturday conditions were pretty much perfect (barring the odd thunderstorm).