Hail Hambledon Horse Trials !!!

Hambledon Horse Trials today with the two brothers. A long way when this weekend Solihull is on our doorstep. Both boys have done Solihull a few times, we felt they would learn more at Hambledon with the buzz of an International event. Sure enough every show jump was decked with flowers and there were numerous trade stands and flags. They both dressaged and show jumped well, young Take It 2 The Top coping well with the atmosphere. Top Gun went clear xc to finish 8th. Take It 2 The Top spooked sideways approaching fence 1 then went clear, although he wobbled into the water. He is still very green but is brave, has masses of scope and is a lovely horse to ride.
After we finished the hail storms arrived and we have just heard they have had to sadly cancel the next two days of competition.

Symm International Horse Trials

I have just applied for a £750 training bursary that is on offer to a few riders competing at the Symm International Horse Trials. Symm is a building company, working on stunning buildings such as Blenheim Palace, one of their joinery workshops is in Pershore, not far from my yard.
The bursary would mean I could have some help with my training of the lovely young Hartpury Horses. So far I have had only one lesson on Top Gun and none at all on Take It 2 The Top. Just shows how good the horses are. Maybe I would have won the young horse champs last year with a few lessons, I only needed 2 more marks in the dressage!

Fingers crossed that I am selected.

Oh No...Bang Goes My Air Jacket.....

Weston park Intermediate today, Icon got a competitive dressage of 35 but clunked a few SJs down. Then XC he set off full of enthusiasm and felt really bold, he was pinging and it felt very easy until........

.......... at the wide angled table we had a fab stride, but suddenly Icon seemed to misread the fence and went to put down on the top, as he did his hooves skidded on the wooden surface and we were sliding sideways instead of flying over clear. I landed on my feet with a loud bang of my air jacket going off, a split second later Icon also landed on his feet next to me, he stood on my foot.....Ow!

We decided to retire as he has another run very soon. First time I have set my air jacket off. Anthony made us laugh, he claimed the Army Cadets helping at Weston all ducked when it went bang....he said they thought they had been shot at.....!!!!!

After looking after Icon and working out how to load a new air jacket cannister, we had a lovely afternoon watching the advanced horses SJ and XC. A big crowd turned out as many Badminton and Olympic horses were running, amazing to be able to watch them close up.

Eventing Mag get it wrong!

I have had numerous texts from people telling me Eventing Magazine have me down in their results at Stafford as riding the stallion Take It 2 The Limit into 3rd place in the BE90 open instead of his 5 year old son Hartpury Take It 2 The Top. How on earth could that happen, very annoying both for me and for the stud, especially when the full brothers both did so well that day.

Louise Harwood (Skelton) texted me to say "you seem to be riding the whole family now!"

Next month maybe Eventing will accidentally have me down as winning Badminton!!!

The Brothers are Stars

Oh my goodness what a fab day, took my 2 full brothers to Sapey, Take It 2 The Top attempting his first BE100. They did not let me down and both finished on their fab dressage scores of 31 and 30 in 2nd and 4th place.
The ground and courses at Sapey were superb . Both boys gave me a super ride, Top Gun the XC tiger nipped round easy peasy and Take 2 Top felt like he just floated round. I was thrilled when he bravely jumped into the water the direct route which was a small log drop.
They both had time to text their breeder - stud manager Lotta at Hartpury College, hoof prints on my phone now!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hartpury-Home-Farm-Stud/73225432691

Link is to Hartpury facebook report.

No photos of my boys but below is Louise taking 5 year old Charlie clear XC at his first BE90. I have trained Louise for several years. In the last couple of weeks riders that I coach have had some fab results, around 9 double clears and several placings. Well done to Sarah clear again today, Sue clear XC at Sapey at her horses 1st 100 and Becky 9th and double clear in a 90 also at Sapey.

Horse and Hound - BE100 dressage test 106

Horse and Hound rang me today asking for my view on BE test 106. This is the dressage test ridden at 100 level that requires you to canter round and round on a 20 metre circle until you are dizzy......well maybe I am exaggerating slightly!

I have ridden it at every BE100 event I have competed at so far this year. Top Gun knows it so well he is going to do it without me next time!

We call it the roundabout test as the canter work feels like you are stuck on a roundabout and can't find the exit!! Event rider Tom Searle made me laugh, he has been practising 106 and says he now knows what it must feel like to be on a horse walker in canter!

Photos from Gatcombe

http://www.stephensparkes.co.uk/GATSPRING12.aspx

Click the link to see photos from Gatcombe spring event 2012, including Icon jumping those corners!!!!