The weather has been good and some rain means the ground has softened off a little.
Burgham Horse Trials
Our next event was Burgham, a new event in Northumberland. We walked the course on arrival and thought it was a well designed course, making good use of the hills and water features. We new the showjumping would be a test for a 5 year old as it was next to the busy BSJA rings so there was lots of distractions.
Kelly's Lad was having a run in the BE100 section and we were hoping he was back to his usual self after Buckminster Park. He performed a very nice dressage test, one of his best, although the judge only awarded him 39.0, which sounds a low score, but was 5th in the section. He coped very well with the atmosphere in the showjumping with a lovely clear round. The cross-country was a decent course and was a big enough challenge for him with two waters to negotiate. He did a confident clear and finished within the time to complete on his dressage score and finish in 4th place overall. I think he will be easily ready to upgrade to Novice in the near future. His next outing will be the 5yo class at Skipton.
Cholmonderley Castle Horse Trials
Next outing for Donnermere (Beanie) was the OIu21 class at Cholmonderley Castle. This was Beanie's first attempt at Intermediate cross country and it was at an event we were unfamiliar with, so we had no idea what the course would be like.
When we walked the course we thought it was big! But not having walked many Intermediate courses, we were not sure how big it was for the level. We made a decision to take the alternative at the open ditch at fence 11 (this was like the Cotesmore Leap at Burghley, and not much smaller!) and probably at the water as it was causing mayhem, even with experienced horses and riders at this level.
Anyway, first the dressage. He performed a quite nice test, making a couple of small errors, but on the whole not bad, I was especially pleased with his leg yield as he has improved a lot in this movement. He scored 35.0. Most of the board was around the same mark, so the dressage wasn't going to be the deciding factor in the placings.
He showjumped a nice round, just having 4 faults, which was my fault, as I buried him at an upright.
The cross country started well, until he had a run out an A,B,C combination at fence 4, which was a bullfinch with a tight 5 stride turn to a very narrow tall triple brush, to a steeple chase fence. He has never had a run out before and he got a bit upset with himself. He jumped it fine second time, but he felt not quite on the job for the next few fences. At fence 9, he jumped a hanging log on the brow of a hill and ran down the hill to a large brush corner on the turn, which looked like a maze of flags from Beanie's point of view! He had a run out at this also, then after he jumped it, I decided retire him and call it a day.
Reflecting on it, the course was just too big for his first Intermediate, and lots of riders, who were much more experienced were struggling to get round without a penalty. The U21 Trainers said it was a big course and not unlike a 2*. I was pleased with his first two phases though, and as long as we choose the right course next time out at this level I am sure he will be fine.
Beanie will now go cross country schooling, and then its off to France for his 1* mid August. I will let you know how he gets on.
Phoebe Powell and the Eventing Team
