Tactics to sell Hartpury Take It 2 The Top

I have had several phone calls asking if he would suit a less experienced rider, as I have competed at Advanced and Intermediate, people are tending to assume he is only good for advanced riders. I didn't really knew the answer to that as only Bill and I have competed him. So last week I dropped him off at Tom Searles yard and changed the ride to Tom for the next few events.
It was worth it just to see Toms smiling face when I met him coming back from XC "Oh my god Stella he is amazing" not only that he did a double clear and a fair dressage test despite clashing with the worst rainstorm of the entire day, a horizontal 6 minute rainstorm! They finished in 5th place Toms best result at Novice and the first time he has ridden a horse at this level not produced by himself. He rode him beautifully too.
Then my plan backfired for Sapey as Tom managed to get food poisoning and texted me to say he was really ill and toilet bound (possibly dying!!!) he was gutted as had to withdraw all his horses. To add to that I had pulled a muscle in my back, carrying Rif Rafs soaked hay, so I couldn't ride him either and was off for a few days so I also had to withdraw my youngster from the 80 at Sapey.
Thankyou to everyone who has been asking about Rif Raf, pictured below, she is well on the road to recovery and is looking really good. Other news Middleton cut his leg in the field, nothing much but enough to put him back a couple of weeks. I seem to be having one of those years where everything is constantly on hold.
One amusing moment last week made Ant laugh, I was talking on phone to a gentleman who was interested in buying Hartpury Take It 2 The Top. He wanted to fully analyse every single run he had ever had BE... I felt like I was being interegated in court, he just went on and on, why did he get this mark here or that mark there..... Arghhhhh he's my baby only 7 years old, ridden by me who is very careful and cautious with my lovely horse...... Anyway I was getting crosser and crosser and our conversation finished like this.......
Man - Why did u withdraw at Barbury after a clear SJ?
Me - Because he didn't get a good dressge mark, I couldn't see the point of running him on concrete ground for 20th place.
Man - But you wouldn't have been 20th you would have been 13th and anyway you have run him for 20th place before!
Me - Do u want to come and see him or not as I have got to go now because you are starting to annoy me....!!!!

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