Top Gun still Top!!

Despite his last 2 events being cancelled Top Gun still leads the Foundation points for 2012. Only because everything is cancelled and Keyso has gone today. At this rate he will win - if the whole of 2012 is a washout!!!!

Following my accident this week my foot is a fat funny shape, its lost all its normal lumps and curves and resembles a foot made by a 6 year old out of modelling clay!!!

Thank goodness for vet wrap, paracetamol and a good pair of boots. Still sore but well strapped up I am sound, just. It hurts to put weight in a stirrup so I only rode Icon yesterday (without stirrups) even running through his advanced dressage test including the flying changes. Today I can put weight in a stirrup but am not yet 100% secure so I rode all 4 horses in the school. The only near miss was a spook from Take It 2 The Top!

Tonight I should be cleaning tack for the now cancelled Badminton Horse Trials, very sad, but even worse for Jeni Clements and her horse Mowgli who should be in the grassroots tomorrow. She has taken her horse up to Championship level from an unbroken 3 old, with help from Ledbury Pony Club rallies and clinics. I remember Jeni bringing a young unruly Mowgli to winter lessons, having to lunge him before getting on, now he is the star of the Ledbury Pony Club. Lets hope they can qualify for 2013.

I am Injured and Badminton Cancelled

Take It 2 The Top and Amazing Mika were due to compete at Badminton on Thursday in the Burghley Young Event Horse class. But sadly due to flooding of the parkland the entire event has been cancelled. I had thought that if I did the BYEH class at Badminton it may quench my thirst for competing at the worlds greatest 3 day event, but now it seems Take It 2 The Top will have to try and get to the real thing instead!!!
This afternoon I had a freak accident and am a bit lame with a quickly swelling ankle. I was untacking Top Gun when he stepped sideways a bit quickly and his saddle fell off. It was still attached to the martingale via the girth. As he spooked at the falling saddle the whole lot followed him. Poor lad shot backwards very fast to be followed by the saddle dragging along the concrete yard, with me holding on asking him to whoa. I was caught between him and the saddle which had become a deadly weapon, the faster he ran back the more the saddle flew about. Luckily after about 30 yards the saddle came loose and Top Gun stopped. I was left still holding on to him but felt sick and wobbly, my ankle felt very sore. Top Gun is a lovely kind horse and gently nuzzled me as if to say "I am sorry are you OK"
I am now sitting with my ankle well strapped up in vet wrap, pain free, drinking a glass of Bucks Fizz with paracetamol, hoping I can ride tomorrow.

Rain and Events Cancelled!

Photo Hambledon 2012 after the storm.

Almost everything this weekend is cancelled. Riders on route to Withington are tweeting not happy at the mid morning decision, many of them had already set off for Friday dressage. We live about 25 miles from Withington and its been raining non stop since I woke up at 6 am, its now 10 am.

We were due to run at Bradwall with the 2 brothers on Saturday and thats off too.

My gripe about weather conditions is the SJ and XC. At Hambledon last week it was numbers on the board for SJ, riders publicised times were ignored. This meant if you were on the ball you could get your number down and SJ/XC early before the ground deteriorated further. We realised what was happening and got our numbers down but it meant many very annoyed riders (mainly one horse riders) arrived for SJ on time and had over an hour to wait, and then jumped nearer the end in the very worst ground, despite being drawn half way through the section. I felt so sorry for the steward who was getting lots of abuse.

I have no idea why BE and or Events choose to ignore allocated times. It certainly suits us to go early, better ground, cooler conditions on a hot day, home earlier and to show jump all our horses before XC is easier as saves outfit changes and its easier to keep you eye in for a better SJ round and a faster XC time. Also you can then run the horses XC in any order that you prefer. So maybe the one on the best score last as you always ride quicker 2nd time round as you get the feel of the course.

Hartpury Top Gun Leads 2012 F.Points.

British Eventing have today put the list up for the 2012 foundation points rankings.

Top Gun is currently leading by 6 marks. I have never been even in the rankings before on anything, I couldn't be more excited if I had won the lottery.

Fab news for the stud at Hartpury and for all the students who have looked after him as he was growing up. I have just texted them, mum Top Totty and dad Take It 2 The Limit will be pleased too I expect!!

He still needs a few more runs BE100 before he will be ready for Novice so he may even stay leading a bit longer!

To see the ranking lists go to www.britisheventing.com click on About Us and then Top Foundation Points.

Scared to Death at Kelsall

You can walk the course on Jess Williams BLOG at www.equine-planet.co.uk.
Icon went bananas in the dressage, he is so intelligent he remembered that last time he was here the XC ran within yards of his arena.! We expected a 47 and got a 36. Weird!
I then walked the XC to find to my horror it was not the easy run I was hoping for. Its an Intermediate bigger than some Advanced I have done. I arrived back at the lorry to announce to Ant that we will SJ and go home!
Then Icon SJ with only one down and felt amazing. I nervously went and walked a few of the XC fences again, they looked more jumpable this time. the Burghley Leaf Pit replica still scared me to death. There were about a dozen massive tables/spreads and I hated those too, having ended our XC last weekend by us both sliding sideways across a table.
But feeling nervous I decided to go XC. It was one of those fabulous rides, Icon just said "I AM NOT TOUCHING A XC FENCE EVER AGAIN" and almost jumped me off about ten times. We jumped the wrong side of a flag (20 pens) at the triple brush after the leaf pit (photo) but who cares when he is such an amazingly brave horse.

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.