Last week I was given some of the most exciting news, Mum had found out that Brighton Rock II (Elvis) and I had qualified for the Novice Restricted Championships held at the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe for coming 3rd at South of England horse trials earlier in the year. I am absolutely over the moon that Elvis and I have achieved this! Couldn't have asked for a better morning!
Last weekend it was the turn of Jamboree's (Jambo) first Intro event at Mattingley Unaffiliated horse trials. With leisurely lunchtime times, Edward, Mum and I travelled up with Jambo in the morning and I got straight on to do my test first. Jambo is lovely as she does not take very long to warm up and went very nicely indeed! I was pleased with her test and I think she tried very hard and responded to my aids very well as she is obedient. We scored a very respectable 24.5 which was one of the best in the section!
Afterwards I ran round the cross country very quickly to make it back in time for my show jumping. I thought the course asked enough questions of her with trakheners, two water complexes and some drop fences. First of all however we had to get round the very spooky show jumping which had meerkats, waves and walls and lots more! Jambo was a superstar and didn't look at anything. She is also a careful mare so we jumped a lovely clear round. Setting off on the cross country I knew if we could get clear inside the time we would have a good chance of a placing. This was her first Intro course but she jumped round easily and nothing seemed to phase her at all. Later on when we went to look at the score board I was delighted to see we had gone clear inside the time to win!!! I was thrilled with Jambo's performance and for her owners, the Irwin family who knew how talented this little mare is. Extra carrots for Jambo that night!!
Jambo's video can be viewed here and an album of photographs can be seen on my Facebook page.
This week we enjoyed a little break to visit the South Of England county show to do some retail therapy and support the Crawley and Horsham Hunt in the inter hunt relay. It was lovely weather and nice to catch up with friends and I also bumped into the new owner of Sam who said she was getting on very well with him which was lovely to hear.
On Thursday we found out that Strike Up The Band (Twiggy) had been accepted into section N at Berkshire College off the waitlist. This meant last minute preparations for Twiggy's first BE100! We were not so thrilled when we found out she was very last to go of the day and that I wouldn't actually be going cross country until 6.40pm (and Berkshire is about an hour and a half away + m25 traffic). Nevertheless I was very pleased to be out eventing again and enjoyed the challenge of stepping Twiggy up a level. She did a very calm, relaxed and accurate dressage test which was rewarded with 30 penalties. The show jumping was causing lots of problems as it was in a tight arena with many sharp turns. I was not so happy with our round as I did not feel she ever properly 'settled' around the course but she didn't do anything wrong bless her. We were so unlucky at the bogey penultimate fence which fell so late I thought we had cleared it! I was confident going into the cross country, although it was her first BE100 she is good cross country and is a very scopey mare with lots of ability. We did jump clear inside the time, however she was slightly green this time as I could tell by the way she jumped. We were very pleased with her as she has literally only done one BE90 before this! Keeping with form, Twiggy and I finished 8th again! Great to have another top ten placing.
We made it home just after 9pm and finished up evening stables and unloaded the lorry all ready for the next trip out. Monday morning, Twiggy had the physio and it was great to see that she was in very good form considering she had run the day before.
Twiggy's video can be viewed here.