May Event Update!

Hi everyone,
I hope you're all having a successful eventing season with your horses! We have been busy the last 3 weeks at Richmond (1) horse trials and Floors Castle!

Richmond Horse Trials:
Saturday moning we set off to Richmond horse trials with Donnermere (Beanie).  He was in the ONU18 (Q) for Weston Park, the first qualifier in our region.  He had a very early dressage time so thankfully it wasn't too far away!  We were hoping that he would perform better than at Bradwall horse trials in the dressage.  He performed a much more secure test but still with some tension and a long way off how he performs at home but he scored a respectable 38.5.  Beanie jumped a lovely clear in the show jumping and is beginning to find this level far too easy.  The ground was on the hard side on the cross country so I gave him more of a 'cruise' round posting a lovely clear with 5.6 time faults.  Unfortunately the time faults knocked me down a few places and he finished 13th.  I hope he did enough to show his ability.

Sunday morning came and it was Kellys Lad's (Louis) turn! He was in the BE100u18 class and it was his first horse trial at BE100 level.  He did a lovely relaxed dressage test, considering the ground was slippy because of the rain, and scored a good 34.0.  He is becoming very good in this phase and should score some high marks in the near future!  He show jumped very boldly with a lovely clear round and taking a stride out of the last 5-stride distance!  Now for the bad bit... He set off boldly on the cross country taking confidently to the first 4 fences, but as he turned to fence 5 he saw a very scary igloo and donkey (fence decorations) about four strides away from the fence he slammed his brakes on and whipped round with me and I promptly fell off him setting off my air jacket for the first time!!  He ran off up the course and was caught by Lyn Cottingham (our Regional Junior Co-Ordinator) who I am supposed to try and impress!!  Oh well these things happen with green 5year olds.  Anyway I got back on him and he wouldn't go anywhere near the fence and I was eliminated for trying..... never mind there's always another day.

Louis was taken back to Richmond the following day on the schooling day and I had a lovely ride on him around the cross country and he jumped fence 5 fine once he had time to have a look at it!

Floors Castle Horse Trials:
This was the day we were waiting for- when it all comes together on Louis!  We set off very early Saturday morning to Kelso in Scotland to compete at the picturesque Floors Castle. 

First was the dressage with Louis... it didn't set off to the best start when he spooked across the other competitors arena before he started his test when the judge got out of her car.  Thankfully when he started his test, he did the best test he's done this year scoring a fab 29.0 (second best in the section)!   He showjumped fantastically well for a clear round.  We were a bit worried about how he would do the cross country after his bad round at Richmond.  The course was much bigger and bolder, but we thought that may play to his strengths as he is a very bold, big jumping horse.  We needn't have worried though as he did a fantastic round, not missing a beat at any of the fences and absolutely loving it!  He finished on his dressage score, which turned out was good enough for him to take 1st place!!!

Next morning we took Beanie from the stabling back to Floors for his first Intermediate Novice class.  He did his best dressage test for a while, and he had to do an Intermediate test which is a little more difficult, so we were delighted with him and he scored 36.4, which was a good mark in the section.  The showjumping was at Intermediate height and he coped well and just had an unlucky 4 faults at the treble.  He ate up the cross country and found it easy finishing with no time faults.  He finished 11th in the section which was good for his first attempt at this class.  He is now ready to try an Intermediate class.

Next for Beanie will be the CIC* at Brand Hall Horse Trials and then Skipton for the ONu18(Q).  Louis will go to Skipton next for the BE100 and then probably Buckminster Park for the (5yo class).

Will post next after Brand Hall.

Phoebe Powell and the Eventing Team.

KELLYS LAD BE100u18- RICHMOND

Northallerton and Bradwall Horse Trials

Hi everyone,
I've had a very busy weekend at Northallerton and Bradwall Horse Trials.

Northallerton Horse Trials

Saturday was a lovely day and I had Kelly's Lad (Louis) in the BE90 at Northallerton.  It hasn't rained for ages and I was a bit concerned about the ground conditions, but I needn't have worried as the organisers had done a really good job of the ground and it was the best they could have made it in the circumstances!

Louis did a really good test and he is showing lovely work in this phase scoring a pleasing 33.0.

The showjumping was quite small for the level that he has been doing at BSJA, but he jumped a good rythmical clear round and I was really happy with his performance.

The cross country was a lovely course with a mixture of woods and fields and it was a very encouraging course with plenty of variety and an inviting water jump.  After his round at Eden Valley Louis was obviously feeling very overconfident in this phase and I had a little problem with the brakes on the far field, having to circle to give myself more time to set up for the double combination and get him to listen to me!!  I am going to have to have a rethink on his bitting before Richmond!!

He finished clear with 2.8 time faults and his final total was 35.8 putting him in 7th place.  I was very happy with his performance overall.



Kellys Lad- Northallerton Horse Trials 2011

Bradwall Horse Trials

After an early mornings start we headed the 3 1/2 hour drive to Bradwall in Cheshire for Donnermere to compete in the ONU18. 

After walking the course I thought that it was quite a technical course and more to think about than some novices!  I decided I would take all the straight routes as it would be good practice for him upgrading later in the season.  But first the dressage ...

After a good warm up I headed out across the field to the dressage arena and started going round the edge.  Cue a very hairy and (in Beanie's opinion) scarey dog who obviously likes to eat small horses in his spare time, appeared and walked around the field with his oblivious owner!  Beanie performed probably the worst test of his career (and of all time) as he couldn't take his eyes off the dog and wouldn't listen to me at all.  I managed to complete the test with much embarassment and post test amusement (I didn't find it funny at the time).

I tentatively looked at the scoreboards before jumping and to my amazement I had scored 42.5 (which was one of the scores towards the bottom on the board but certainly not last!!)  I now felt more optimistic about the jumping phases.

The showjumping was quite up to height and quite airy jumps but he did a fantastic clear round and got a round of applause.  It was one of our best showjumping rounds.

He flew around the cross country giving me a great ride, taking every straight route on course and finishing well within the time. He pulled himself up the board to finish on his dressage score and 11th in the section.

Richmond is next for Beanie for the ONU18 (Q)

Phoebe Powell and the Eventing Team