Burnham Market

After a few quiet and very wet and/or frozen weeks it was great to be out eventing again this weekend.  We had a very good, all be it rather chilly, few days at Burnham Market and with seven horses and two lorries making the journey from Dorset to Norfolk it was all hands on deck. 

On Thursday Parklane Hawk and Cool Mountain did their CIC3* dressage and both performed good tests to score the same mark of 38.7, leaving them in the lead after day one of dressage. 

On Friday Deli Star Hero got a last minute slot in the OI and had a useful run.  He had to endure a snowstorm during his dressage and although he did some nice work he was a little unsettled to score 36.4.  He rolled a pole show jumping but overall jumped very well and he gave me a super ride across country.

Seacookie also got a run in the OI and did an excellent test to score 26.8, sitting in second in his section after the dressage.  He also rolled a pole show jumping but jumped a lovely clear across country, picking up 17.6 time penalties to finish in 10^th.

Chilli Morning produced a lovely test to score 34.9 and take the lead in the CIC3*.  He did some very good work and I could not have been happier with him at this stage in the season.  Oslo was very pleased to be out again and on the whole produced some good work in his test but a few costly mistakes in his changes and counter canter left him on a score of 40.7.  Lionheart also did some nice work to score 41.8.

It was then a busy day on Saturday with all five horses doing their CIC3* show jumping and cross country.  The show jumping had been moved to the main arena and all the horses jumped well on what was remarkably good going.  Parklane Hawk, Oslo and Cool Mountian each rolled a pole, Chilli Morning had two frustrating rails and Lionheart jumped a superb clear.  They then jumped five lovely clears across country but I didn’t rush any of them and picked up between 13 and 27 time penalties.  Lionheart finished best placed in 9^th and Chilli Morning finished in 21^st.

The team at Burnham Market did a fantastic job and the EHOA Tent provided some much needed warmth for the owners who had endured the cold on the viewing mound.  The courses rode well and the ground held up exceptionally well.  It certainly made a nice change to not finish the weekend covered in mud!

With the Portman cancelled this week we are heading off to Larkhill next, on Saturday, and then make the trip to Shropshire on Sunday for Weston Park.