I had Persimmon and Zidante doing the Advanced and both were fantastic.
Persimmon was only doing his second Advanced and felt fab, he did a lovely test with only few green mistakes to score 29.5 to sit in second place. He then jumped a super clear round a big track in the show jumping and felt fabulous round the cross country. We picked up a few time faults as he is still green at this level and I wanted him to have a confident giving round. All this was good enough for him to finish 2nd.
Zidante was a super star again, she did a good test to score 31.2, she broke in her first medium trot which was unlike her and was a bit of a shame, but I was pleased with the rest of her test. She then jumped her socks off in the show jumping and felt brilliant cross country, she added just a handful of time faults to her dressage score to win her section convincingly. I couldn't have been more pleased with both the horses and how they went, I feel very lucky to have such wonderful young horses to produce up through the grades.
At Bicton I had Mo Cuiske and Caeleste doing the Novice and Very Special Z competing in his first Intermediate.
Caeleste didn't perform as well as she can in the dressage, she got a little tight and tense when she could hear horses lunging and lorries arriving behind the hedge, but not see them!! She scored a 39 which was disappointing, but she made up for it with two fantastic jumping rounds. Watch our performance here:
Mo Cuiske did another fantastic test, he is really getting the hang of the dressage now and is far more confident in what he is doing. He scored a 28 and led his section, he then had a very unlucky rail down, it was a real shame as it cost him the win. He sailed round the cross country and made it feel very easy to finish 4th. Watch our performances here:
Very Special Z was great in his first Intermediate, he did a very mature test for his inexperience at this level. He scored a 30.9 which left him in 3rd place. He then jumped a lovely clear, round a large show jumping track and was great round a strong cross country track. He was very bold and straight, but we just went slowly as it was quite firm. Watch our performances here:
I had Togo De Kerser running in the BE100, Caeleste in the Novice and Mo Cuiske, Ceylor LAN and Very Special Z in the CIC*.
Togo De Kerser did a lovely test to score 29.5, he is strengthening up all the time and showed so lovely work. He then jumped to fantastic clears to finish 7th.
Togo De Kerser - photo courtesy of Wj photographic
Caeleste was a star in only her second Novice, she showed some really nice work although she is still green at this level and scored 30, leaving her in 3rd place. She then jumped a very grown up clear round the show jumping and absolutely flew round the cross country giving me a great ride and won her section comfortably. Watch her rounds here:
Caeleste - Photo Courtesy of Ultimate Images
Ceylor LAN did a very polished test in the CIC*, he didn't show quite as much expression as in France, but I was still very pleased with him and he scored 46.3. He then jumped a great round in the show jumping and was very unlucky to have one down. He then stormed round the cross country feeling very grown up. We didn't go too quickly as he is rather large horse for twisting around the woods! However this performance was still good enough for 7th place. Watch our performance here:
Mo Cuiske was a star in his dressage and showed huge improvement on his last CIC* test. He scored a very competitive 46. He jumped a lovely round in the show jumping and was unlucky to have one down when he jumped into the treble too big! He then stormed round the cross country and felt fantastic, picking up just a few time faults to finish 4th. Watch our performance here:
Very Special Z was the star of the weekend however when he won the CIC*. He did a very smart test to score 43 and lead his section. He then did two foot perfect jumping rounds, feeling fantastic. I was chuffed to bits with him as this was only our second outing together. Watch our performance here:
With Sapey being canceled Ann and Nigel Taylor very kindly managed to put on a very last minute event at Aston. I huge thanks must go to Aston Le Walls and their amazing team as there were a lot of horses in desperate need of a run. I know I was hugely appreciative to get my Novices out.
I had Mo Cuiske, Bondi Beach and new ride Very Special Z all doing the Novice. Mo Cuiske is really beginning to understand the dressage now and keeps getting better and better, he scored a 28.5 and did some lovely work. He then jumped two immaculate clears, one in the show jumping and one cross country, we picked up 0.8 of a time fault for 2nd place.
Bondi Beach was out quite quickly after Larkhill as he had been a little cheeky there and I felt he could do with another run. He was fantastic and produced another very good test to score 28, he then jumped a super clear in the show jumping and didn't show a hint of cheekiness. I then took him reasonably steadily cross country and picked up a few time faults for 4th place.
Very Special Z was produced beautifully by Vicky Tuffs and I am very lucky to now have him to ride as Vicky had to sell him. I have only had him a couple of weeks, so can't take the credit for how he went at Aston. He did a very nice test to score 31 and sat just behind the leader who was on a 30. I feel there is still lots to come in this phase as I am still getting to know him and felt I would probably ride a couple of things differently next time. He then jumped really well in the show jumping for a clear and was brilliant cross country, giving me a great ride. We picked up 0.4 of a time fault and 2nd place.
I had both Zidante ad Persimmon in the Advanced at Weston. Zidante was pleased to be back out after Fontainebleau and was quite full of herself, however she managed to contain herself in the dressage and did a super test, she was very accurate and did some lovely changes. She led her competitive section on a 26.8. She then jumped beautifully in the show jumping, giving them all lots of air, but unfortunately had the very last fence down. It was a real shame as it is most unlike her and she jumped so well, but the ground was a little tacky and I think she was a little slow getting her feet out the ground. She then gave me a great ride round the cross country and flew round to finish second.
Zidante pinging the open ditch - photo courtesy of Alex Colquhoun
Persimmon was making his Advanced debut and did not disappoint. He was a little green in his changes in his dressage as they are not yet established, the rest of his work was very good and he showed some lovely work to score 30.7. He jumped very good round in the show jumping, but fought me a little into one fence and unfortunately had one down. He then was superb round the cross country, making the step up to advanced feel easy. We picked up a few time faults to finish 9th, which I was thrilled with for our first attempt at this level.
Persimmon flying the double of corners - Photo courtesy of Fiona Scott-Maxwell
At Larkhill I had three rides in the Novice Ceylor LAN and two first timers, Caeleste and Bondi Beach.
Ceylor LAN was having an easy run after Fontainbleau CIC* and thoroughly enjoyed his day out. He did a lovely test and led his section on 27. He then jumped a beautiful clear in the show jumping and flew round the cross country making nothing of it and won his section and his second Novice this season already! He has now upgraded in points to Intermediate, which is quite an achievement for a six year old right at the start of the season. However he will stay doing Open Novices and CIC* for the next few months as I don't want to rush him up the grades.
Caeleste excelled herself in her first Novice, she showed a touch of greenness in her test and broke in her second medium trot as she miss understood my aids, but she still scored a competitive 32. She then jumped like a pro in both the show jumping and cross country to finish on her dressage score and come second!!
Bondi Beach did a fantastic test at his first attempt at this level and led his section on a 28. He then was some what naughty in the show jumping, he jumped a fabulous round and was really pinging up until the last fence. As he was jumping the second last the next horse entered the arena and he felt it would be a good idea to join it, I however did want to finish our round and not make friends with the other horse. So after having a little debate as to who was right we jumped the last fence and completed our round, with rather a few time faults and some penalties for his disobedience. He is a very talented horse, but has a few of his own ideas at the moment, but I am sure with more outings and education he will get there. He made up for his cheekiness with a lovely clear round the cross country.
Bondi Beach showing his great technique - Photo courtesy of Tanzy Lee
Whilst I was out in France we heard the Somerly was going to have to be cancelled due to all the wet weather, so I was extremely lucky that Burnham Market was able to fit four of my Somerly horses in. I took Caeleste and Bondi Beach to do the BE100, Mo Cuiske to do the Novice and Persimmon to do the CIC**.
Persimmon was great in the CIC**, he did a very expressive test to score 40.9 and led the large section. He then skipped round the show jumping with a lovely clear and was fab cross country. He was very bold and straight at all the accuracy questions, including some very skinny fences from the Olympics coming out of the sunken road. We picked up 5.2 time faults, but because of his great test this was all good enough for Persimmon to win his forth CIC**on the trot, quite an achievement for an eight year old.
Caeleste is really getting the hang of the eventing game. She did a lovely test to score 25 and led her section, she then jump a beautiful double clear to win comfortably. She will now step up to novice.
Bondi Beach also led his section after the dressage, he scored a 28.5. He then jumped two lovely clears in the jumping phases, but picked up a couple of time faults as I am just teaching him the relax and take his time cross country. Unfortunately the time faults dropped us down to second, but I was really pleased with how he went.
Mo Cuiske did a very consistent and accurate test to score 30. He is coming on in this phase all the time and is really improving and understanding it more. He jumped a very exuberant round in the show jumping and was very unlucky to have one down. He then jumped a lovely clear round his favourite phase, the cross country.
I had Zidante making her first team GB appearance at Fontainebleau in the Nations Cup team. We were fourth to go in he team, so had our test on the Friday. Zidante was an absolute star, she tried her hardest for me, didn't get tense at all and did, what I felt was her best test to date. We scored 40, which was good enough to put us into 4th place.
The cross country was a stiff test for so early in the season, with lots of accuracy questions and big waters. She flew round and gave me a fabulous ride, she was super at a the tricky corner combinations ad felt very grown up. However, we did manage to score an unfortunate 20 penalties at the last water. I over rode the drop in, not taking in to account how much braver Zidante had become since last year and she jumped in too big and we missed the arrowhead that was in the water four strides later. It was a real shame as she didn't even see the arrowhead as I didn't manage to get her anywhere near it, I am sure had I of been able to have kept my line she would have gone clear. It was a huge disappointment to have had this error, when we had been given such a great opportunity, but Zidante came home well and as far as she is concerned she thinks she did a lovely clear, so she is happy!!
The show jumping was big and square, with a tight time, but Zidante skipped round it beautifully and finished well within the time. I was thrilled with how she went and coped with the whole event and am now looking forwards to our next big outing.
Ceylor LAN was competing I the CIC* and at only six and the beginning of the season, this was quite an ask. As I was going out with Zidante I felt it was worth taking him as it would give him valuable experience and if I felt the track was too much too soon for him I would only dressage and show jump him. However the track was lovely, it was educational, not too big, but with plenty of fair questions.
Ceylor LAN excelled himself in the dressage and did an extremely grown up test, his only real errors being not halting square, so we will have to work on those!! He scored a 41.3 which led the 104 strong field!!
He then jumped an immaculate clear in the show jumping, but unfortunately had two time faults as I took him a bit wide on the turns as I was trying to keep is balance and rhythm, he is such a big horse I just felt he needed to be given a bit of time. This was still good enough though to keep the lead.
Ceylor LAN gave me an excellent ride cross country and was super at all the accuracy questions and the big waters. He found twisting though all the woods tricky so we lost a bit of time through that section and picked up 1.2 time faults. This unfortunately dropped us to 3rd place, missing the win by 0.7 of a penalty, but I couldn't have been happier with how he went and his result. Before leaving for France I would have been happy just to have given him experience and gain a qualifying result, so gaining such a good placing was fantastic.
