Icon in Cheshire

We took Icon to do an Intermediate at a new event at Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire today. A 3 am start meant we were home in time for me to ride the others this evening. Icon did a good dressage 37 but had the last 3 fences down SJ. The ground was like concrete and he hated it. I decided to run XC as we are entered for Gatcombe and really needed to go XC. Icon jumped awkwardly over the early fences and then I had to turn a circle between an a and b at 4 when he just didn't lock on. He really was not liking the hard ground, none of the fences landing were sanded and so I decided to pull him up. He is too valuable to risk and has never enjoyed hard ground and even less as he has got older. The younger horses now have a busy week so I have been schooling them and pulling manes this evening. Yippee - I am feeling rich as just earned over a £100 selling some unwanted eventing prizes on ebay!!!

Stafford Horse Trials 2011

Wow what a fab few days. First Louise Calverley has had the ride on Sarah Dixon-Smiths horse Frank (Hope Detori). Sarahs towing vehicle is off the road for all of July for major welding work, so rather than give Frank a month off I suggested Louise rides him. They took him to Stafford and won!!! Came home with an armful of prizes and qualified for the 80t Champs in September.

I took Milo and Monty today (Man Friday and Hartpury Take It 2 The Top). Milo went double clear in the BE90 open to come 3rd and Monty came 7th in the 4 year old class. It was their first run BE and I was not expecting such a good result first time out, especially Monty. They won some lovely prizes and felt amazing I am thrilled with them both.

Dauntsey and a telling off at Pony Club.......

Top Gun went well in the BE100 at Dauntsey. He did a superb dressage but scored a disappointing 36, weird! Then went green at the trade stands in the SJ but flew XC, it was a big track with lots of questions, big ditches, a big bank, lots of drop fences and 2 easy waters.

At our pony club rally last week my group of young riders (some nervous and some wobbly) were overtaken by some older pony club riders who rudely and inconsiderately cantered off in front of us, causing my group of 6 ponies to get quite bouncy. Luckily no one fell off.

On returning to the lorries I marched up to the culprits and putting on my best pretend I am a DC voice I said "GIRLS, GIRLS, you do realise that was dangerous and incorrect behavior cantering off in front of a group of very young children" They apologised and that was that. It was only later I discovered they were not two of our older pony club members but two very grown up adults who had been allowed to school round the course following a bad day at our ODE. I thought it was odd I didn't recognise them. OOPS!!!!

Training Required for Prize Giving!

I have managed to have a good weekend eventing without even leaving home, thanks to the hard work of the horses and riders that I coach.

First Tracy Jenkins on her super little mare, Cassie, came 3rd at her first BE event in an 80T at Ascot Under Wychwood. Unfortunately I neglected to tell her we dress up proper posh for prize giving. Poor Tracy attended prize giving in a bright orange coat and pink flowery wellies. She was so embarrassed.
Louise Calverley and Emma Potter both were well placed at Sapey ODE today. Then fab news John Wayne (5 yrs who I recently sold) won his BE90 at Ascot Under Wychwood with his new owner Polly Tompkins. Very pleased as I trained him from 2 years to 5 years.

BYEH Field House - Top Gun Top Of The Jumping

Monty's hooves didn't get chance to touch the lorry floor after his ODE as we whisked him off to do a young event horse class. I considered not taking him after his ODE on Sun but he was so sharp riding on the school yesterday I decided tough he is going.
Field House have an amazing set up, an all weather derby ring, 2 outdoor schools and 2 indoor schools. The course used the Derby arena, flowers on all the brightly painted jumps, an arch to enter under, an optional ditch, 2 steps up a bank with a XC roll top to finish. A super atmosphere was created by a busy spectators bank with a marquee over looking the main arena.
Top Gun performed outstandingly, 1st place in the jumping (judged on style by Malcolm Pyrah) with a perfect dressage to be in 5th place out of 53. But despite performing the best gallop the final judging was our downfall, he was dwarfed by the bigger more imposing horses and ended up 8th.
Monty was full of it, scoring average in dressage and jumping, losing marks for knocking the double and broncing across the entire arena. The spectators gave a ripple of laughter as I called I will be back in a minute as he bronced past the judges shed! Little monkey, he is full of fun and it is amusing that everything he has done is duplicating Top Guns antics last year, including the hooves in the lorry window!!!!!
Proper eventing next week but a good few days off for them first.

"Montys hooves appeared in the lorry window"

Photos courtesy of Sarah Dixon-Smith.
Monty did the 80 cm at Ledbury PC ODE today. He scored 22 dressage, clear SJ and one whip sideways spook XC but still came 8th!
When he was put back on the lorry it was Milos turn. Monty decided it was about time he misbehaved and had a temper tantrum about being left on his own. When Milo got back from dressage Monty was on his hind legs in the lorry with his hooves in the window! I threw my gloves at him and his hooves disappeared. Then we realised he had got his haynet down and round his back legs. On inspection I could see it was lodged firmly between his hooves and his shoes, on both legs. My friend Bernice had to feed him sugar lumps and carrots, whilst I carefully cut the haynet off. We dare not unload him in case he panicked and bolted round the lorry park, it felt quite dangerous under his hind legs cutting the net, he was nervous and quite jumpy as his legs were held by the net. Soon all OK and no harm done thank goodness.


Milo lay in 3rd place after dressage and had one down SJ, he was competing in the 90 cm (3 ft).

He did a lovely clear inside the time XC and finished in 3rd place, definitely now ready to go British Eventing next time out. Exciting.

Icon At Glanusk

Photo courtesy of Emma Mealing Photography
Icon was an absolute star today at Glanusk Horse Trials finishing 11th.

We were a bit creaky in the dressage, feeling a bit rusty after a long break. He was one of only a handful of clear Show Jumping rounds, he just pinged round. And then we set off XC, I was worried after our last run had ended retiring when he just pulled himself up half way round, and we found out after a blood test he was aneamic. This time was very different he was on fire and cruised round, I just had to keep up and stay on! His breeder Peter Sheppard came to watch him so thank goodness Icon was so impressive. I think he had been ill for a while, the run out we had back at Hambledon was so out of character. So glad he felt really amazing. The course was superb, we had to jump in and out of the walled garden and there were 3 waters. The 2nd water featured a huge log in the shape of a fish on the edge of a large drop jumping into the water and then a good size brush in the water. I just had one of the best XC rides ever, Louise Skelton saw me at the double of corners, taken on a curving line on 4 strides, she said we were foot perfect. Good boy Icon.

Burghley Young Event Horse Glanusk

Had a fab day out at Glanusk Horse Trials. Walked Icons course for Sunday, its a lovely Intermediate but the ground is already hard with 2 days of hot weather forecast, so we will make a decision about running him tomorrow evening.
Monty (Hartpury Take It 2 The Top) did the 4 year old class, he forgot all about claiming his ASBO and behaved so well. His dressage was unsettled, courtesy of some horse flies that I was swatting as I tried to ride the test. He had the first show jump down and then went clear, he had good enough marks to make the top ten and finished 5th. Amazing.
Then Top Gun had a go at the 5 year old class, he did his best ever dressage and his best ever show jumping round gaining one of the best jumping marks of the day. He also scored 14 out of 15 for confirmation. He made the top ten and went in for the final. He finished 8th as the judge for the final was a Show Jumping lady, hence the slightly stockier horses were preferred over the thoroughbred types.
Came home with £20 prize money, lovely rosettes and very pleased with my boys!