my first Intermediate event...

So far this year I have taken my event horse (Louis) to many different locations to compete in British Eventing Novice classes and successfully competed at two one stars. Today was a momentous moment, as I rode round my first Intermediate track, which is significantly bigger than novice.
It took us an hour and a half to get to Salperton Horse Trials, and I spent the entire journey wishing the rain would stop by the time we arrived. My wish was granted and the rain held off while I was competing!

The Intermediate dressage test consisted of simple changes, shoulder in, medium trots and canter, rein back and lots of ten meter circles. The arenas were on very good level ground, which allowed the movements to be executed with impulsion and accuracy, resulting in a great score of 26.8!

Unfortunately the next phase, the show jumping, didn't go to plan.... we picked up a cricket score round the tricky course which caught out many riders. Although I was a bit gutted, the cross country was next and I firmly focused my mind on getting round.

The course was set on rolling parkland, there were many up to height tables, hedges, gates and walls to jump, but also technical combinations such as a double of narrow brush corners down hill. The jumps were all beautifully dressed with flowers and there was even a carved wooden turtle jump before the water.
Louis had a great run around the course and finished clear.

It was a great feeling to successfully complete the cross country and I certainly got a buzz galloping round!

Wellington Premier League

The six year old dutch mare Cleopatra II, aka Daya, competed at Wellington Premier League competition, she was entered in the British Dressage National Six year old class. We didn't enter her because we thought she would win, because usually the horses entered in specific young horse classes are extremely flashy and extravagant movers. Daya has great paces, but isn't as obvious a winner as the other horses whose car comparison would be a flashy Ferrari.


The day of the competition didn't start well, before we loaded Daya on the horse box Judy (Daya's owner) and I went on a hack on two Milo (an advanced medium dressage horse) and his half sister Mabel. Mabel has just started her education as a dressage horse, she is four years old, and had previously been extremely keen to work. However summer is here (sort of) and the green grass is extremely lush in the field, so her work ethic has somewhat deteriorated.  She took the opportunity to be extremely naughty and rear repetitively on the road stopping the on coming traffic.

Having survived a horrendous hack we set off in the horse box with Daya. Our next set back was two hours of traffic on the M25. We were running so late that I had to tack Daya up while the horse box was moving, which is rather tricky while trying not to be squished against the walls when driving around bends.

We made it with sixteen minutes before our allotted test time, which is not an ideal amount of time to warm up for a dressage test. When you warm up you are trying to make the horse loose, relaxed and supple, so the mad dash from the lorry to the warm up ring wasn't very helpful.

Luckily Daya coped, and she produced a calm, smooth, rhythmical  test which couldn't be faulted.
Much to mine and Judy's astonishment she won! This means she has qualified for the Hickstead International Show for the finals! Just shows how a seemingly bad day can make a miraculous recovery.