Eventing and Pony Club demo.....

  Louis started the event season in April at Hambelden International Horse Trials.....
He scored a 32.5 dressage and had a few poles in the show jumping but gave me a fantastic clear cross country.

Louis XC at Hambelden International

 Louis had a lot of time of last season due to a knee injury he got while eventing so we made sure that before we started eventing this season we went cross country schooling with Jonathan Chapman too blow away the cobwebs. We have been training at Milton Keynes, Parwood, Attington Stud and more recently Tweseldown with Jonathan whose expertise really helps when tackling the trickier combinations. We focus on making sure that the horse is jumping independently and the rider isn't interfering to much as it's very important cross country that the horse takes responsibility for the jump as there are no poles to be knocked down! The rider has to make sure the horse has a good approach and the canter has enough energy and not see a stride and hold the horse back/push too much. Everything has to be in a good quality canter with rhythm.
Our second British Event was Chilham Castle. I had never been before but last year my brother went on his event horse DrumBeat and loved it. I was not disappointed! The course was up to height, technical, up and down hills, utterly beautiful and very well maintained.
We arrived 15 minutes before the dressage thanks to an enormous amount of traffic on the M25...luckily we had many hands to brush, tack up and stud up so within 5 minutes we were trotting over the grassy estate to find the dressage arenas. Louis excelled himself and did a lovely test to score 16.5 penalties! He then jumped a great clear show jumping and flew clear round the cross country! Louis was on top form and I was looking forward to our next event Aston Le Walls....
Unfortunately Louis got a splint on his right fore so he had too have a month off work but touch wood we are out again in a few weeks

Louis XC at Chilham Castle

                                                     

  The area 12 Pony Club Dressage Regionals have just taken place at Middle Grove farm hosted by the OBH Chilterns and Louis and I were asked to do a test to start the competition and get the Judges 'eye in'. As I was warming up I was having flash backs to 2012 when we got a wildcard to the Pony Club Nationals after our area test featured some freestyle movements and we ended up 4th. Louis then went on to win the PC Open Nationals overall and it is an achievement I will never forget. I had been to the Nationals many times but it had never all come together in one test on the day...until 2012. I was so proud of Louis for keeping his cool in a 20x40 grass arena....perhaps after his semi final test in the morning and his dressage to music test (where he somewhat disgraced himself)  he had given into the fact that we really had travelled to Cheshire JUST for dressage and no cross country was on the cards. When we left Cheshire we felt like bank robbers with all the prizes we received- the Pony Club really knows how to celebrate!
Our demo test at the areas this year went really well (other than an excitable walk). Louis scored
 9's for his free walk, leg yields and circles. The OBH Chilterns were very kind and gave me a voucher for my favourite shop Classic Dressage....I'm sure I wont have any difficulty spending it! Thank you!

cheesy music hiding some of the mothers commentary!