Groom Badminton 4* XC day

I arrived really early when Badminton Park was still relatively quiet, although there was still a quiet buzz as the excitement of XC day dawned. 

The food fussy Mr Potts had eaten well overnight, he is now on Gain Horse Feeds combined with plenty of carrots. He had also munched through most of his haylage, he has two large nets one hung at the back of his box and the other over the door, so he could choose to either eat and be nosey or to eat and not be nosey. Potts likes being nosey.

I grazed Potts for 2 hours in front of Badminton House, The crowds were building and he had loads of his fans come to see him, readers of Eventing Magazine had seen Louises Monthly Diary and recognised his big white face from the photos in the Magazine. Although they seemed to think it was Mr Potts Diary!!!

Below on our way out of the yard to go grazing.

Jackie, Louise and I discussed our count down plan to XC and then set off to the riders tent to see how the XC was riding. We watched in surprise as the early riders made it look easy, clear after clear came through the finish with only time faults making any difference to their dressage marks. At 12.30 we caught a buggy back to the Stables, as we got Potts ready we could hear over the tannoy that the XC was beginning to cause more trouble, the first horse to have a jumping error ironically was horse number 13.  Louise tried not to listen as the first few falls were announced and there was more trouble mainly at The Lake and the Mirage Pond. The Pond was 3 angled brushes, set on undulating ground with water between the first two.

Below Louise hacking through the main stable yard at Badminton on her way to XC.

Louise and Potts warmed up well, they had a last minute chat with Mark Todd about how to ride the Mirage Pond and they were off. They both looked fab, Potts was pinging and Louise was riding superbly. She sat well back at The Lake, she is so tiny and light (7 stone) she has to sit well back otherwise Potts powerful jump can fling her forward like a ping pong ball. Pics by Emma Horton-Smith

Sadly they had a glance off at the last part of the Mirage Pond but otherwise a brilliant clear. Louise was dissapointed when she got back, but she soon was smiling! It was Potts first Badminton after all and he had got round with one tiny mistake. It was also fab that Potts had finished looking fresh & his heart rate had recovered really fast. 

After he was washed off and vet checked I led him back to the stables, he still had plenty of spring in his steps. Pic below. 

We left Potts to rest in his stable while we watched the rest of the XC and then I grazed him for an hour in the evening. Jackie and Louise gave him a trot up to check he was sound, he looked perfect so it's fingers crossed for Sunday's trot up, vet check and Show Jumping. A really good day. :-)