Straight after Blenheim we headed to Pontispool on the Monday with Mo Cuiske in the Open Intermediate and BGS Captain Morgan in the Intermediate Novice.
Mo Cuiske did a super test, scoring a 9 in the process. He scored 31.6 which put him right amongst the top few.
He then jumped a superb clear in show jumping. I was delighted with his round as he had got very nervous jumping at Blenheim in the big atmosphere at the weekend. So it was great to have him back to his normal self so quickly.
He then flew round the cross country and made it feel so easy. He was foot perfect the whole way, we picked up a few time faults to finish 3rd.
Having not ridden BGS Captain Morgan for a week he did a super test and hadn't forgotten any of his training. He scored 31.4.
He then jumped a brilliant clear show jumping.
He gave me a great ride cross country and was extremely unlucky to pick up 20 penalties at the water, he jumped down the two steps into the water well then pecked badly on landing, unfortunately I went up round his neck and neither of us were in a position to jump the fence in the water a few strides later so I had to turn a circle to reorganise ourselves! It was such a shame as he didn't do anything wrong.
Ceylor LAN did a super test and the biggest atmosphere he has ever competed in. He got a little tight about his changes, but his over all balance particularly in his canter was much better and he is getting stronger all the time. He scored a competitive 44.4, which put us in 13th. I was a little disappointed with his mark and there was quite a difference from one judge, one had him in 7th, one in 8th and the other in 27th. Had the latter judge been even a small bit nearer the other two he would have been going into the cross country in an even stronger position.
Watch our test here:
The cross county wasn't the most technical track that he has ever jumped round, but it was big and very long and hilly so a real stamina test. Ceylor LAN was fantastic from the first to last fence. He kept a great rhythm and jumped out of his stride. He got a little tired towards the end but kept jumping beautifully. He finished 5 seconds inside the time and moved up to 6th place.
Watch our round here:
He trotted up brilliantly on Sunday morning in the fog, like Persimmon at Vlair I have him a little jump in the morning, he felt super, not at all tired and nice and loose through his body. He then jumped in the afternoon and put in a foot perfect clear, he gave himself plenty of time in the air and didn't touch a thing. His faultless round elevated him to a fantastic 3rd after horses ahead of him made errors. I was absolutely delighted with his performances over the three days, he finished the highest placed Brit and highest placed 8 year old! He has had an outstanding season making the move up to 3* feel effortless. To have won and finished 3rd out of 100 starters in his two CCI***'s really is quite outstanding. I am incredibly lucky to have such talented horses currently coming through the grades.
Well what can I say, Blair was an amazing experience and brilliant competition where Persimmon couldn't have gone better. We were asked to be pathfinders and run first for the team. This was a huge honour, but also a massive responsibility!
We were fourth to go into the dressage arena on Thursday morning and at that point the leading test was a 48. Persimmon was fabulous and rose to the atmosphere and occasion. He did some amazing work, including completely square halts to start and finish the test with. He felt expressive and concentrated, so it was a huge shame he was a little late on my aid for our last change. He scored a 36.9 which put us comfortably in the lead at that point and I couldn't have been more delighted with him. Nicola was our second team rider that day and she to did a stunning test, which by the end of day one put the team into the lead! William and Pippa produced great tests on the Friday, but the Germans were at the top of their game and produced to stunning tests to take the lead at the end of the two days of dressage.
Watch our test here:
Cross country day dawned and it was very rainy and wet, the ground up until that point had been perfect, so it was a huge shame that the rain had to come in. Luckily I know Persimmon performes really well in the rain and mud so I set out onto the cross country full of confidence. He gave me a brilliant ride round a tough, hilly, stamina zapping course. He was near on foot perfect everywhere, we had to go a little steady at times down the hills as the ground had got very slippy and we had to take a long route at the last water on team orders. This cost us quite a lot of time but he finished full of running and just 20 seconds over to pick up 8.2 time faults. This moved us up to 5th going into the show jumping. Unfortunately it was a mixed day for the other team members, Pippa did a brilliant job on her young horse Sandman to jump clear, Nicola was having a great round, but has a very annoying 29 at the double of corners and William retired Bay My Hero when he was struggling with the conditions. The course caused a lot of trouble and even with our problems team GBR still managed to retain the silver position.
Watch our round here:
Persimmon trotted up brilliantly on Sunday morning, then had a little jump school early on in the day before the show jumping got under way. He felt great in his body and not at all tiered from his exertions the day before. After jumping him in the morning I was full of confidence that we could jump well in the afternoon. Persimmon warmed up brilliantly and went into the ring on springs. He easily jumped his best three day event show jumping round ever, he gave everything feet to spare and felt amazing. He jumped a super clear to clinch team Silver and individual 4th, we missed the individual bronze by an agonising 0.1 but I couldn't be more delighted with Persimmon and our performance together. He tried his heart out for me all week and was a complete star.
Watch our round here:
His brilliant performance is down to his talent a lot of hard work not only from me, but my fantastic team that is always 100% behind me. I must say a huge thank you to his owners Jane and Frank Inns for entrusting Percy with me, Emily Slater my head girl, Eilir Whiting and Nina my working pupils, Jo Jones who helps part time, Grieg Elliot my super farrier, Marnie Campbell the horses Physio, Winston Williams and Maggie Turner the chiropractors, Liz Brown and Spike Milligan the vets, Nick Buton and Tracy Robinson who help me on the flat, my super sponsors, Toggi, Champion, Mole Valley, Topspec, Woof Wear, Wow Saddles, Equiclass, Aqueos, Flying Changes, Yeoman Haylage and Kate Negus. UK Sport Lottery Funding has made a huge difference to me and the support team at Blair was second to none. And last but not least a huge thanks to my ever supportive family, Ben King my husband for putting up with everything and being there when I need him, my mum Jane Boggis who is always there for me and a huge help with the horses, my dad Peter and my crazy siblings, Charlotte, George and Lucy.
I had Mo Cuiske in the Advanced, Vendredi Biats in the Intermediate and Wish Upon A Star in the Open Intermediate.
Mo Cuiske did a super test and is beginning to find the more advanced movements a little easier. He scored a competitive 32.
Watch our test here:
He then jumped his socks off round a tricky show jumping track and produced a fabulous clear, which moved us right up with the leaders.
Watch our round here:
Unfortunately the cross country didn't quite go to plan, I set out with every intention of riding a fast clear to try and put us well in contention of a top placing but I ballsed up! I came off the turn to fence 2 and ride forward for a long one I thought I'd seen, then three strides out I decided that maybe that shot wasn't there, so I hooked and hooked until we were at the base of the fence and in an impossible place for Mo Cuiske to take off from, he tried to get out of the way, but couldn't and had a very understandable 20 penalties. I was so cross with myself as it was entirely my fault, so I gave myself a kick and then Mo Cuiske absolutely flew round the rest of the tough track and made it feel like a pony club course. I was delighted with his performance but appalled with mine!
Watch our round here:
Vendredi Biats did his test late in the day after a lot of rain so unfortunately the ground had deteriorated a lot in the arena and it was very muddy. He did some fantastic work though and coped well with the ground, he got a little stuck in the mud at the end of his test and broke into canter, but other than that he was great and scored a 9 for his entry and one also for his simple change. He led his section on a 25.7.
Watch our test here:
By the afternoon the show jumping ground had got very muddy and the course was casing a lot of trouble, but he jumped his heart out and put in an exceptional clear.
Watch our round here:
He then flew round the cross country and felt super, but he had an unfortunate 60 penalties at corner combination. He jumped the first element well, but slipped on the turn of the dog leg to the corner so we missed it, as I felt he had done nothing wrong and the run out was purely down to him slipping on the approach I didn't correct him before coming to the fence again, unfortunately as he has never had a run out before, he thought it was a great new trick so ran out the second time. This time it was very uncalled for so he had a good smack and then jumped through the double of corners brilliantly and stormed round the rest of the track.
Watch our round here:
Wish Upon A Star did a lovely test, but got a little stuck in the mud at times. He scored a competitive 30.7.
He then jumped very well in the wet ground and was very unlucky to have a fence down. We didn't run cross country as we didn't feel the ground was suitable for him.
I had Vendredi Biats and BGS Captain Morgan in the CIC* and Creevagh Cooley in the CIC**.
Vendredi Biats was a star in his dressage and really enjoyed doing his test in a long arena for the first time. He did some lovely work and is strengthening and improving all the time. He scored a very competitive 42.1.
Watch our test here:
He then jumped an immaculate clear in the show jumping and found it all very easy.
Watch our round here:
By the time we went cross country it was raining rather heavily and although Vendredi Biats loves the rain and the wet, it was very slippy so we had to go a little carefully round the tight corners. He gave me a fantastic ride though and felt very mature and grown up round the track, we picked up a few time faults due to the wet ground and moved up to 4th place. In doing so he was the highest placed six year old in the 100 plus starters and gained his all important Le Lion qualification.
Watch our round here:
BGS Captain Morgan produced a very polished and mistake free test to score 40.7, which left us right up with the leaders.
Watch our test here:
He then jumped a lovely round in the show jumping and was extremely unlucky to have his first ever pole down with me.
He to went cross country in the slippy conditions and jumped a great clear, but picked up some time faults to finish in 10th place.
Watch our round here:
Creevagh Cooley did some lovely work in her test and is begining to find the two star movements a little easier, she was a little cheeky in one canter transition, but other than that she did some very quality work. She scored a competitive 46.7.
Watch our test here:
She then jumped a super clear in the show jumping, she was very happy to be out and felt back to herself after her little mishap at Barbury.
Watch our round here:
She then flew round the cross country and made it feel very easy, I thought after her round we should finish with a top placing but unfortunately when I went to look at the score board I had been eliminated. I had know idea why as she had gone so well, so I spoke to the TD and he informed me I had jumped the wrong side of a flag. I did knock a right flag down, but as I hit it with my right foot, I couldn't see how we hadn't gone between it, also it was at part B of a combination and had I jumped the wrong side of it it would have been physically impossible to have got to part C, which they agreed I had jumped, so after much discussion they decided that the jump judges decision was final and that I was eliminated. I was extremely disappointed for Creevagh Cooley and her very supportive owner as she had gone so well.
