Hartpury Stars at British 4 year Old Champs

I think Lotta the stud manager from Hartpury College almost burst with pride at Osberton horse trials today. Two horses she bred, my boy - Hartpury Take It 2 The Top (Monty) and Hartpury Sky Is The Limit (ridden by Ian Wills) both finished in the top ten out of 46 starters in the 4 year old British Eventing Young Horse Championships.

Monty came 4th and Sky 7th, both double clear. It was the most wonderful day, Lotta arrived with 16 students from the College and it was fabulous to have their support, we had by far the biggest audience for the dressage and a huge cheer each time we jumped clear. Eventually the Event Organisers caught on and "Lottas Lot" even got a mention at the mounted prize giving.

All the 4 year olds looked tired after the long day, apart from mine who completed his 2 laps of honour with a good buck!

Monty was the 2nd highest British Bred Horse, he behaved perfectly in all 3 phases, I am so proud of him. Thankyou to Louise Skelton for a some valuable advice while I warmed up for dressage, Hartpury for the Cheers, Lotta for the horse, Joy for the Millionaires Shortbread (kept me awake on the long drive home) and most of all to Anthony (my partner) who although he no longer rides is the most amazing horseman and enormous help to me. He has just told me to delete this bit, well tough its staying in!

Solihull ODE- Milo 2nd.

Milo came 2nd at Solihull unaffiliated 100cm ODE today, a star again. Monty spooked at the fence before the water but gave me a super feel XC and felt like he was having a joke round the 90cm show jumps. It was a good day for the riders that I coach too, Megan Slater had a 2nd, Tracey J had 2 top 3 placings, Louise on Charlie came 6th at their first ode and Emma Potters "Lux on Your Side" came 4th ridden by her partner Rory.
Solihull riding club had yet again done a super job with the course, sand on landings and take offs and even about 50 yards of sand where the ground had got poached. It rained nearly all day so the ground was perfect.
Monty had a win on Friday at Allens Hill in an eventer training class, he is really growing up and is becoming such a lovely horse.
Only a few more weeks and the season ends, I am looking forward to getting Top Gun in from his holiday, we are going to do lots of winter Show Jumping-Blue Chip Champs here we come!

Hartpury Twilight

Two year old Hartpury Twilight has come in for some educational work this week. He is lovely and has not put a foot wrong so far. He has hardly been touched for over 12 months.
He is full brother to Top Gun and Monty. He is stunning, more elegant than the older boys. He has grown into a beautiful swan as he was an ugly yearling!!!
He has had a rug on and been tied up, he was tied up properly as a yearling, so just a reminder needed.
Bridle and saddle - both went on easy and he happily accepted them both.
He led perfectly in hand in walk and trot.
Lunged off a headcollar in walk and trot both ways, he picked up voice commands very quickly which will be essential in the future for long reining and riding.

Monty has been out unaffiliated eventing he had a 2nd and a nearly 2nd (ran out at a water jump) all in preparation for his British 4 year old Championships.

Milo 4th Monmouth BE100

I can't believe it! 5 year old Milo is even more of an eventing star today finishing 4th in his first ever BE100 on his dressage score of 34. Thats better than any of my other recent youngsters and better than the great Icon managed when he was at that level.

He did not touch a thing SJ and felt amazing. XC he was bold and confident, we went all the direct routes including the tricky roll top to a corner combination, it was on 5 strides and he went on 4 easily. There was a sunken road with a ditch to a skinney when he went a little green.

A very good boy, very exciting, he should easily go Novice in the future, now thats started me dreaming of doing a 1* next Autumn on him. How did I ever think he was just a happy hacker!!!!

Milo has a go at 100

Milo went to Stafford unaffiliated 100, round the BE100 course. Gulp. Seemed a very grown up outing for the foal I bought from Malvern Sales almost 5 years ago to the day!
He was more than ready for it. 30 dressage, 1 down SJ and clear XC with just 2 time faults. I was thrilled, he had a couple of wobbles XC but remained bold and trusting of all I asked of him.
Next outing a real BE100 at Monmouth.

Katie Richards on her homebred dun mare Buffy also went double clear, a huge achievement as this is the first young horse Katy has bought on, doing all the work herself with a tiny bit of guidance from me.

Icons season is on hold, he has a chest infection that is allergy based, making his lungs over sensitive at the moment and so I can't gallop him. We were off to do a CCI** but that's now unlikely, we may get an end of season Intermediate run. Fingers crossed.

Training at Home with Man Friday and Take It 2 The Top

Both boys are progressing well training at home, Milo (Man Friday) has learnt to move on a bit quicker to his XC fences rather than show jumping them. I have been teaching him to do this first over gorse bushes, where if he makes a mistake he only gets prickled. Then I built a solid gallopy fence in the field just over BE100 height (using some old rusty barrels) he flew it from a true forward xc canter and moving off positively afterwards too. An exciting feeling, especially as hes my surprise eventing star, until May this year I was trying to sell him as a happy hackers horse.

Monty (Take It 2 The Top) is now easily jumping 1 metre at home, which is the height of the show jumping at the 4 year Championships. He pops 1.10 quite easily too but lets not get carried away as he is still very green, especially through doubles where he jumps in too big and struggles to find enough room for a comfortable stride. I am sorting this out with some pole and grid work.

My website gets some updates

Yey, I have a lovely new updated banner on the front page, which features both Monty and Icon at Gatcombe.
Also the Instruction page has been updated with my Badminton grassroots pupils on and a few other changes and updates.
Have a look http://www.stellabayliseventing.co.uk/.

The site is brilliantly designed by http://www.fromthesticks.co.uk/ they are excellent at reminding me to send them updates and sorting out any queries I may have.

My blog has had 8,764 veiws in 16 months, amazing and its fun to do too!!!

I am working hard on Montys flatwork trying to get him to take a better contact to become more supple and take larger strides for those elusive 8's. So much to work on and only 3 1/2 weeks till the Championships. Yikes.

Mark Todd at Burghley Young Event Horse

Good news, Opposition Supremacy ridden by Mark Todd has been placed 4th at the Burghley Young Event Horse final today. My 4 year old Monty (Hartpury Take It 2 The Top) was pulled in 3rd next to him at Gatcombe in the Burghley Qualifier. I am so pleased as I am convinced Monty is potential top class.

At Gatcombe both Monty and Opposition Supremacy were both awarded 13 for confirmation and given 8 and 9 for Star Potential. It was only Montys lack of experience on the flat and jumping that slipped us down the final placings. Monty has had a month off and is back in work with a much more mature attitude and is really feeling quite grown up. I am aiming him for the 4 year old Young Event Horse Championships which he has qualified for.

Monty has been out to his first British Dressage show today. He did two prelims tests 15 and 19 both in a long arena. He won both tests 68% and 66%. There is still lots to work on to get him up to over 70%.