We are just back from our first event of the new season, having lost our local event at Stilemans we had a rather long trip up to Isleham in Cambridgeshire, but it was well worth the trip as the courses and the ground were fantastic, although proceedings were a little delayed on Sunday morning due to the hard frost, but the team worked so hard to get things put right, and full credit to them for their efforts. We travelled up on the Saturday and stayed overnight, as we had a nice early start with dressage for Flynn at 9am. After working in nicely he did a rather disapointing test getting stronger and more rude throughout and getting a deserved mark of 40. He did however redeem himself somewhat with a lovely double clear, in what is just his 3rd start at Novice level and his first run since he fell in the water at Pulborough last year. So with 10 timefaults added as I didnt really push him this early in the year we finished a respectable 8th.
Next came Lite My Fire, having her first ever 'proper' party. Lulu can be a very easily distracted person but was extremely well behaved and grown up and performed by far her best dressage test yet, followed by a clear round showjumping. Unfortunately things didnt go quite to plan across country when she ran out at a very simple fence because she didn't like the look of the pond next to it! But I think given some time and more experience she will become quite a nice little lady.
Last of all came Tigga, who put in by far the best performance of the day to win the intro section, finishing on his dressage mark of 32.5, he feels much more sprightly this year and for the first time was really attacking round the xc phase, so I'm quietly hopeful that we will really build on what he achieved last year.
This next week will be a busy one as we have a Nick Turner clinic to look forward to on Tuesday, some dressage training on Brooke with Mary-Ann on Wednesday (I'm very much looking forwards to trying out our new saddle) and then on Thursday the two big boys Brooke and Smurf are headed to Tweseldown for the OI, on Friday, Flynn is out for another Novice, then on Sunday its back again for the babies in the Intro, plus a new ride, Brockley Star as his owner Vicky Whiteman is out of action for a few weeks with a fractured collarbone. Also at Tweseldown is one of our previous Golden Cross residents, Rembrandt III with his new owner Louise Edwards so very best of luck to them.
So until next week, bye x