BYEH and Icon fails to do Welsh Champs

Icon is a little bit sore from the run at Salperton, however he is full of it, bucking and messing around and does not believe me! Ant agreed he is a tiny bit more unlevel behind than normal so we had to sadly withdraw from the Welsh Champs. He looks sound tonight however and is booked into the chiropractor on Tuesday just to make sure.

Top Gun did his young event horse class at Glanusk on Friday. It was all a bit of a fiasco. The rules said I had to declare an hour before the class began, which I did, even though it meant he was there two hours before he competed. Three of us declared on time everyone else ignored the rules and turned up half an hour before their time!

Top Gun did a lovely test (apart from finding a rabbit hole as he did his final halt) and jumped clear but was given a very low score which left us bewildered. As I did my dressage test the commentator announced "This is Stella Baylis who has only come from Malvern, whereas some competitors have travelled from Cornwall". Making me feel very inferior! None of the commentator info that I had given them was read out about his very successful parents or his BEF futurity win last year.

One horse in the jumping reared and spun round and had to be hit into every fence. It scored a higher mark than most other horses! Others stopped and had two down but were still given good jump marks. One youngster seemed to be a headshaker yet was chosen for the final ten. Most of the young horses were ridden in spurs.

After watching the entire class we decided they were looking for a horse that had flash movement and is very sharp to bring its front legs up jumping. Regardless of its trainability or if it had a bold outlook. Top Gun has super natural balance, uphill paces and a careful jump but does not yet snap up in front as well as he could but as he was only broken in March he really is exceptional, he is also very bold and very trainable.

It was one of thoses classes where everyone seemed to be winging about the judging and no one could understand the scores given, however it was super experience for him. We may do one more of these classes as different judges will look for different things. I have John Wayne back in work now so perhaps I will take two and put I live in Cornwall!