Holly Burton's latest blog update: Back in to the swing of the season

Well the snow has finally gone and I'm pleased to say that we have now had two outings in the last fortnight. We first went to some unaffiliated show jumping to pop round the 3ft3 and 3ft6. Considering we had only popped a cross pole in one session since October, I wasn't expecting amazing results! He was a tad 'fresh' in the warm up but he knew his job once he got in the ring and put in a super double clear winnnig the class which had a lot of people in it! In the 3ft6 he spooked at a banner on the way to the first fence so we took it at a bit of an angle having it down.

On Tuesday (16th March) we went to evening BSJA. We entered the 1.10m and the 1.15m amatuer qualifiers. In the 1.10m, he put in a lovely double clear but I messed up a vital tight turn in the jump off which put us down into 5th place. The 1.15m I thought was a normal 1.15m class however a new rule means that in actual fact the first half is 1.15m and the second half is 1.20m, with the jump off at 1.25m! I had already entered when I realised this and was a bit daunted as I didn't feel he was fit enough for that big! He proved me wrong however by jumping another fantastic double clear and coming 2nd. Tinto never stops amazing me with his honesty - I don't know of many horses who would jump so well when they'd only been (gently) back in work since Ferbruary after being on snow-bound holiday for 3 months before!

I have just enterered our first BE of the season - Kirriemuir. We have entered the novice as usual, although I'm yet to do some cross country (mid-October was the last one he did)... so shall have to book a course for some practice soon. Kirriemuir is never one of his better events, the cross country runs right beside the dressage arena's so Tinto is like a coiled spring in his test, especially as its his first run of the season he's always very fresh there, although it does mean he thunders round the cross country at lightning speed! Otherwise, aim-wise there are Highland Show BSJA qualifiers coming up next month which I hope to do depending on the class.

My next blog will likely be after Kirriemuir so I'll fill you in then!