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!!!