A Win for Louis

Well I said I wanted to get some better results and coming first in an Intermediate does not come much better than that!

Kellys Lad (Louis) did a good test with just one mistake, doing a flying change coming back to the track in the second counter canter.  We have been doing changes with him occasionally at home, so they are well established for when he needs them, unfortunately he enjoys doing them a bit too much!  He still scored 30.5, which was one of the best in the section.  He posted yet another clear in the showjumping, this phase has become very consistent for him now he is more mature and can sit himself back in his combinations.   He gave me a lovely ride round the xc, only having one hairy moment in the double of corners when he slipped quite badly in the middle of them, but managed to hold his line and jump, clever boy!  He finished full of running and getting 0.8 time.  Needless to say I was absolutely delighted that he won as he so deserved it as he is so talented.  He also got his picture in the Horse and Hound and will be the lead story in Eventing Magazine!

Louis -  Richmond Intermediate

Louis next event will be Belsay where he will run in the Intermediate Novice, and then to Catton Park for the OIu21.   Sadly, I cannot make it to Houghton for the Junior Championships as it clashes badly with my GCSE's and this will put me out of contention for the Junior Europeans this year, but thankfully I still have next year.   He has also qualified for The Festival of Eventing at Gatcome in Novice and the Intermediate sections, but he will compete in the Novice as that runs as an Intermediate anyway.

Pi my young strawberry roan gelding, has come back into work after tearing a blood vessel in his foot.  We have no idea what happened to him but he did it in the field.  He is currently doing a bit of flatwork and has jumped a few small fences, we are hoping he makes it to the 4yo classes now he has missed quite a bit of time off, but he is showing all the signs that he will be ready in time.

Pilgrim my 5yo bay gelding is coming along well.  His dressage is very good and he has developed better self carriage.  He is showing a much better technique over a fence and is starting to use his neck.  He has been cross country schooling a couple of times with some positive results, and he will need a bit more time in this phase.  He has been entered for the Burghley Young Event Horse class at Yorkshire Sport Horse next.

Congratulations to Philippa Wittrick for a great double clear on Billy at Richmond Horse Trials and her first BE placing!  Keep it up.

Phoebe Powell and the Eventing Team

A Rather Late Update!!

It has been a while since my last update and I have had a few outings not all of them sucessful!

Louis made his Intermediate debut at Weston Park in the OIu21 section.  He performed a rather tense test due to the Selectors all being parked close to the arena with all of their doors and tailgates open, but the Judge obviously liked him as he scored 33.6 which was a top ten score on the board.  The next morning we were back for the showjumping and it was a rather twisty track very up to height and in a rather small space.  He jumped well just having an unlucky 4 faults.  He jumped amazing around the cross country taking all the direct routes and finding it rather easy, he got a few time faults, which you would expect at this stage and he finished in 11th place in a strong section.

Next for him was Belton International.  This is probably my favorite event and the cross country would suit Louis with his big bold jumping.  He did a lovely test, probably his best this year, but the Judge was not so keen scoring him 36.4 and putting him about half way down the class before the jumping.  Again, it was back next morning for showjumping and cross country.  The showjumping was as always at Belton was up to height and beautifully presented.  He did a spectacular clear in a section where there were very few clears!  Then off to cross country where as usual he was jumping boldly and bravely, even taking a stride out in the combination under the trees to the corner.  He found the water complex easy and it had caused some problems for a lot of horses, but his boldness was to be his undoing as he had a double of very narrow dog kennels under the trees and he jumped the first massive and I couldn't make the turn to the second so we ran out.  I then represented him badly and he ran out again.  On the third attempt he jumped it well and finished the course full of running and enjoying himself far too much!  It was gutting as he would have been well placed and he had jumped so well round the cross country, he still doesn't find the fences big enough to back him off!

Our next outing was the TCN** competition at Kelsall Hill.  This was entered to enable him to get his qualification for CCI** in good time for Osberton.  He did a fairly nice test but there was a bit of tension and as it was scored Internationally he got 51.1.  Again he did a gorgeous clear in the showjumping.  We set off cross country feeling full of confidence and he was jumping amazing.  Unfortunately his flash strap broke as he jumped a table and it was hitting him in the face, this was not something he could deal with as he is a very sensitive horse!  I jumped the A element to the water and I noticed that his bridle had come off over his ear on one side where he had been shaking his head so I had to pull him up before the B element.  I couldn't believe our bad luck, I pulled his bridle back on and took off the flash before representing him to the drop into the water which he then refused, poor boy, he had got himself a bit upset.  I then gave him a bit of encouragement and he jumped in and carried on round the course taking all the straight routes and finding it easy.  It was so unfortunate as he would have easily gone clear and got his qualification.

Lastly, I took him to Burgham to do the TCN**.  This was a last minute decision as he had not gone clear at Kelsall Hill.  He did a good test with a good score of 34.6, for some reason this was not scored Internationally.  He did a cracking showjumping round and went clear.  Unfortunately this is where it ended as he set off cross country thinking he was mint and jumping far too big and that again was his downfall as he jumped a fairly big drop into the water and jumped me off by pecking on landing!  So that was that.

It is such a shame as his results don't do him justice as he is the best horse I have ever ridden by far and he has the jump to go to the top level.  He just needs to not be so enthusiastic as he keeps getting himself into trouble!!  Anyway, his next outing is the Intermediate at Richmond and I am hoping for a less eventful outing!

Louis Burgham

I have also been riding a friend of mines horse, Sir William V.  He is owned by Philippa Wittrick and she has been doing her exams.  I did two BE90's with him and he was placed 4th in his second outing at Northallerton with a lovely double clear.  Philippa will now take back over as she has passed her exams, but I was pleased to have the ride on him.

I have also been sent a mare from a yard in Shropshire.  She is called Taggi and is a 17.2hh Holstein.   I thought she may be too big for me but she is not strong and is very level headed and is not wide to ride.  She has showjumped to Newcomers but has never done cross country and her dressage training was non existent and she is used to going in a fairly strong bit.  I have had her 3 weeks now and she absolutely loves cross country and her training sessions have been very sucessful.  Her dressage is really starting to come and she is a great natural mover with a very good canter.  She did an unaffiliated ODE and came 5th and performed well in all 3 phases.  She has now been registered and been entered for her first BE90 at Belsay on June 1st.

Anyway, I will blog again soon, hopefully with some better results!!

Phoebe Powell and

the Eventing Team