Le Lion D'Angers Young Horse World Championships

Persimmon having only started eventing this year did fantastically well to be one of only three British horse's selected to compete in the six year old championships. He was early to go on the Thursday morning and did a lovely test and coped very well with such a big arena, he scored a 51 which I was a little disappointed with. This left him in equal 3rd over night and in equal 9th after the second day of dressage.

He then flew around the cross country on the Saturday morning and did a lovely clear inside the time round a tough and technical track. Sunday morning dawned and Persimmon was nice and bouncy and not at all tried after his exertions. He jumped well, but unfortunately had three down, they were all going towards the grandstand and crowds. He had them all down behind as the crowds worried him and he got tense and tightened his back. He finished jumping well and will have learnt a lot. I was thrilled with his performance and am now really looking forwards to next season with him.

Zidante was competing in the seven year old championships and was a star!! She did a lovely test, she was very relaxed for such a big occasion and was very accurate only making a single error in her rein back. This was good enough to leave us on a 44.1 and in equal third going into the cross country.

The course was very technical and caused a lot of trouble with 32 of the 68 competitors faulting. Zidante was fantastic however and jumped a very grown up clear inside the time to take the lead over night!!

She was again fantastic in the show jumping and really should have finished on her dressage score, but due to rider error she had the first fence down!! I took a little too much canter away from her and gave her too much to do over the spread so she had the back rail behind. This woke me up and made me ride a lot more forward and like my normal self. I think I let everything get to me. I was thrilled with the rest of her round and was over the moon when I looked at the score bored on my way out the arena and realised I had still won even with my error!! As I was busy warming Zidante up I had no idea how the others had jumped and didn't realise that I had a fence in hand. What a relief and what a way to end the season!!

Zidante really deserved this win as she has been so good and consistent all year so to round it all up with a three day win and becoming the Seven Year Old World Champion is just fantastic for her and all her connections.

Watch her cross country and show jumping by following this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q30Z21BHqqg

Zidante 7yr old World Champion

Larkhill BE100

I had Amsterdam and Ballingowan Echo out again at Larkhill. Amsterdam was again on great form and did another beautiful test and scored a brilliant mark of 21!! He was then very unlucky to have one down, but went brilliantly across country and ended the season on a win!!

Ballingowan Echo went very well and did a very nice test, but the dressage judges seemed to disagree and scored him 34.5. He to had one down which was a shame, but the course was a bit too small for him! He then jumped a lovely clear in the time cross country and finished just out the top ten.

Ballingowan Echo

Amsterdam winning his last event of the year!

Calmsden

Amsterdam was back doing a BE100 and was on great form he did a lovely test to score 26.5 and jumped a super double clear to finish 2nd.

I had Ballingowan Echo a new ride having his first run also in the BE100. He is owned by my good friend Ibby Macpherson who also owns Ballingowan Diamond. He went very well and did a nice test to score 33, he to went on to jump a lovely double clear to finish 5th.

Amsterdam 2nd in the BE100

Ballingowan Echo 5th in the BE100

Osberton Lycetts 6yr Old Young Horse Championships

Persimmon was a super star yet again. He did a lovely test to score 47.9, I was a little disappointed with his mark but thrilled with his mistake free test. It was still good enough to leave us in 3rd place going into the show jumping.

Watch our test by following the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTPvkeYCFEM

 

He then jumped a superb clear to move into the lead going into the cross country. He flew round the cross country inside the time to win and become the new Lycetts six year old champion!!

 

Watch our cross country by following this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg4aNz0o9NE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxze-ept41E

 

 

Bricky

Amsterdam was competing in the BE100 and went brilliantly. He did a great test to score 27.5 and lead the section, he then jumped a fantastic double clear to win on his dressage.

Gatcombe CIC* and CIC**

Zidante was competing in the CIC** and Persimmon was doing the CIC*. Both of them were stars and mirrored each other through out the competition. Both did great tests and scored 45.3 and then both went and jumped immaculate double clears, with a handful of time faults. Zidante finished a fantastic 2nd and not to be out done Persimmon finished 3rd in his CIC* section, so very consistent ponies!!

Although thrilled with both horse's I was a little disappointed not to have won one of the sections as they were both very kindly sponsored by Whatley Manor and you won a two day spa break, perfect for a relax and refresh at the end of a long season!!

Purston Manor

I just had Amsterdam doing the BE100. He did a good test to score 32.5, I was a little disappointed with his mark, but pleased with his performance. He then had an annoying two down in the show jumping just by being far too interested in the shoppers in the trade stands!! He then jumped a great clear cross country.

Pontispool

I had Zidante and Bonne Amie both doing the Open Intermediate. The were both very good girls, Bonne Amie did another good test and scored a 31.4 to be right up with the leaders. She then jumped a great double clear to finish 3rd.

Zidante lead the dressage on 26.8 and jumped a great double clear. I didn't go to quickly as the ground was on the firm side and she was due to run again four days later in the CIC** at Gatcombe. Even with her few time faults, it was still good enough to finish 2nd. So all in all a good day for the girls!!

West Wilts

I just had Starlight running in the Intermediate Novice. This was her first run for a while as she has been put in foal. She has had her 60 day scan so the vets were happy for her to run without causing any risk to her foal.

She was having the run with the aim of gaining 2 or more points to up grade her to advanced. Although she was a little short of match practice she was a star and did a lovely test to score 28.6. She then jumped a fantastic double clear in the time to finish 2nd. This was the perfect result as she won 5 points and up graded to advanced. She is now going out in the field to be a mummy and we are all really looking forwards to May!!

Burghley CCI****

High Havoc was doing his first ever CCI**** at Burghley and made it one to remember, not always for the best reasons!! He did a great test and scored very well in his trot work, he even received a 9!! His canter is still a little green at this level and he had a little break in his walk, which kept his final score down. He scored a very respectable 50.3 which left him in the top quarter.

Watch our test by following this link:
http://www.youtube.com/BurghleyTV#p/u/159/rBzEqIPZavE

High Havoc then was absolutely fantastic cross country and flew round, you would never have known it was his first attempt at this level. He was near on foot perfect the whole way round. He had a few time faults, due to me managing to stop my stop watch only a minute into the course!! It wasn't the most technical course, but definitely the biggest track I have ever jumped round. I now know for sure that I have a true four star horse which is very very exciting!!

                                                 The biggest cross country fence ever built!!
Watch our cross country round by following this link:
http://www.youtube.com/BurghleyTV#p/u/82/X_rwc7eOfas

After everything going so well in the first two phases I really was hoping for at least a top twenty finish as High Havoc is normally such a reliable show jumper, rarely having a pole down. It wasn't to be however. We were one of the first to jump after the lunch break and during a massive down pour. The ground became very slippy and wet on top. High Havoc warmed up well and went in the arena feeling good. He jumped the first three very well but disaster struck at fence four, as he went to take off he lost his back end and slipped through the fence sat on his bottom. As he is such a careful horse this shattered his confidence, both in himself and the ground. He jumped a few more but really wasn't happy and making the ground up through the treble and had another stop, which unfortunately eliminated us.

So it was almost the dream debut, but not quite. After having a few days off I gave High Havoc a jump at home to check he hadn't lost his confidence too much. He jumped very happily and is now having a well deserved holiday.

Highclere

I had Bonne Amie, Zidante and General Opposition all doing the Open Intermediate. After the dry weather and hard ground we had a bit of a contrast at Highclere with the heavens opening!!

Bonne Amie went very well in our first OI together she did a nice relaxed test with a couple of mistakes to score 31.4. She was then very unlucky to have one down due to getting stuck in the mud in the treble. She then went very well cross country to jump a lovely clear with a few time faults due to the ground being so wet.

Watch Bonne Amie going cross country by following these links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDF9NIMy32I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu6_Qa1Qh5U

General Opposition did a great test to score 28.2. Then got very stuck in the mud and had a couple down which was a real shame. He then had a very uncharacteristic 20 penalties on the cross country after struggling up the distance through the step combination.

Watch General Opposition going cross counrty by following the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKFfS8TceDY

Zidante did the leading test of the section to score 24.6. She then jumped her socks off in the mud to jump a great clear. I decided not to run cross country as she was late on in the day and the ground had become rather heavy and deep in places.

Somerford CIC*

After Persimmon's great Intermediate debut he then went to Somerford to compete in his first CIC*. He was a star yet again and did a fantastic test to lead the section on 44.4. He had a very unlucky fence down, which is unlike him.

He made up for it cross country though and flew round inside the time to finish 5th.

Watch Persimmon fly through the water by following this link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPM5FIYSKIc

Aston Le Walls

I had Zidante doing the Open Intermediate and Persimmon doing his first ever Intermediate. Both went brilliantly with Zidante redeeming herself some what from a poor performance at Gatcombe. She did a great test to score 31.8 and jumped a super double clear to win her section.

Persimmon was an absolute star, he also scored a 31.8 and jumped an amazing double clear with just a few time faults to finish second. This was a fantastic result for his first Intermediate and even more of a great achevment considering he is only six.