West Wilts

I had Wish Upon A Star and Creevagh Cooley in the Open Novice and Acis in the Novice. 

Acis was having his last run with me as he has been sold to a younger rider. He has been with his new rider Hope for a couple of weeks and met me at the event so she and her trainer Gubby could watch him at a competition with me before Hope takes over the reins at her first competition. Acis did a super test and certainly hadn't forgotten anything in the two weeks he'd been away. He scored a 24.8

He then jumped a fantastic clear in the show jumping and stormed round the cross country and gave me a super last ride. We picked up 2.4 time faults which left us in 2nd place. It is sad to see Ace go but I wish Hope and Ace all the best together. 

Wish Upon A Star also did a fantastic test to lead the section on a 24.5. 

He then jumped a super double clear, he felt a lot less rusty than at our first run together at Aston and I feel we are beginning to form a good partnership. We picked up a few time faults which knocked us down to second. 

Creevagh Cooley was having a quiet confidence building run round a novice after her little mishap at Barbury. She jumped a super double clear and felt really happy and back on form. She now heads to Somerford CIC**. 

Hartpury CIC***

I had Persimmon and Ceylor LAN in the CIC*** at Hartpury.

Persimmon was having his last run before Blair European Championships. He did a good test and showed some great extended work, but we unfortunately made some little mistakes which were a little annoying but it was best to get them out the way before Blair! He scored a 43.1 which left us in 10th place. 

Watch our test here:

He then jumped a super clear in the show jumping and felt on great form. 

Watch our round here:

He gave me a great ride round the cross country, he was really looking for his fences and flags. We picked up 3.2 time faults which put us into 6th place. 

Watch our round here:

Ceylor LAN showed some super work in his test, his changes are still work in progress but he stayed rounder through them and was less exuberant. He scored a 45.8 which put us in 14th place. 

Watch our test here:

Like Persimmon, Ceylor LAN jumped a brilliant clear in the show jumping. 

Watch our round here:

He was great round the cross country and made it feel very easy. We didn't go flat out for the time as I didn't feel he needed rushing at this stage so we picked up 5.2, this left us in 13th place in an extremely large section.  

Watch our round here:

Aston Le Walls

I had Vendredi Biats in the Intermediate and Mo Cuiske in the Open Intermediate.

Vendredi Biats was doing his second intermediate and did a fantastic test, although he is still a little green at this level he is coming on all the time and showed some lovely work. He scored a very competitive 27.5. 

Watch our test here:

He jumped a lovely round in the show jumping and was very unlucky to have one down when he lost a little balance on take off down a related distance.

Watch our round here:

I decided not to run him cross country as it was on the firm side and he was running the following week at Somerford in his first CIC*. 

Mo Cuiske did a good test, he was feeling rather jolly and full of himself after his advanced debut a few weeks earlier. He scored a 34.1. 

He then jumped a good round in the show jumping but was rather too exubarent in the combination and was very unfortunate to have both parts down. He then jumped a super but due to the firmness steady clear round the cross country. 

Smiths Lawn

I just had BGS Captain Morgan in the Open Novice. He did another great test, he is incredibly consistent and very rideable in the arena and scored a competitive 27. 

He then jumped a super clear in the show jumping and made it feel very easy. 

He cruised round the cross country, he took everything in his stride and was bold and straight at all the accuracy questions. He finished inside the time so completed on his dressage score for 6th place. It was a great preparation run before his first CIC* at Somerford.