Affinity Bay (owned by Felicity Norrie) competed at Addington Summer Regional Championships in the Advanced Medium Open and Prix St George classes. As always Addington had very large competitive classes with a great atmosphere. We arrived Monday mid afternoon and stabled over night. Finn was very happy with his stable and made some great friends next door...although it is always painful to watch your horse who has been having regular physio treatment and been primed for the event literally climbing the walls with giraffe neck to communicate with the horse over the wall...
Finn's first test was the PSG on Monday evening....we arrived with plenty of time and I decided to take Finn for a leg stretch then put him away for a few hours before getting on again to warm up for the test.
Finn warmed up very well, producing relaxed half pass, changes and pirouettes in the canter and his trot felt great.
He started his test really well, he scored good marks from most of the judges for his extensions, half pass, eight meter circles and shoulder in and was mainly on 7's and 8's for all of these movements.
His extended walk was good and relaxed with large but correct walk pirouettes. The canter was rather excitable which meant a costly mistake at the end of the four time changes and one unbalanced pirouette as well as an 'exuberant!' extended canter. Over all Finn did a good job and scored 65% which placed him middle of the class. We have lots to work on but there is so much that has improved over the last year. Onwards and upwards!
The advanced medium test was blip free to score 67%. The trot work was more conservative than the day before but you cant have the expression and a safe test (yet!). I was really pleased with Finn's changes which have become so secure and he was really with me in the canter work.
He was very pleased with himself- and was rewarded with copious amounts of Polo's!! He finished just outside the rosettes in 11th place.
At Last!
Louis and I had been entered for Aston Le Walls for months....and we got to compete! Our first British Eventing Novice since Louis injury earlier in the season.
Aston has changed so much since I last attended. The course has many new elements, combinations and the ground was perfect. The shopping village was impressive, with live music, many food choices (I opted for a pizza from a funky red pizza van with stone bake ovens) and the atmoshere wasn't dampened by the constant light rain. I considered myself lucky to only have light rain as usually it is a given that when I go eventing the heavens open and the rain pours down.....
Louis did a good dressage test to score a low 24 penalties, the show jumping was good apart from a silly rider error through a combination. I dithered and in hindsight I should have just pushed on for a long stride! Other than one blip in the show jumping the rest of the round was good and Louis cantered side ways down to the start box for cross country. He gave me a brilliant ride and finished with a clear round ! We had a few hazardous moments on course.... which were caused by flocks of ducks! Louis just charged strait towards them with me wailing as I didn't want to run them over! We nearly had squashed duck when they were perched on the steps I was rapidly approaching to jump down! Luckily they scattered just in the nick of time.
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