Just a very quick blog, the day after Withington on Jack we took Ross down to Stockland Lovell for a Riding Club ODE there. I was going to be doing the PN there on Belvedere but had to substitute Ross in instead after Belv's chiro appointment etc.

Getting there was interesting due to a horrible accident involving a motorbike and a horse trailer (returning from the event) so It was a bit rushed trying to get to the dressage. But that didn't seem to matter he warmed up beautifully and then did a really good test! I have to confess I was a bit disappointed to get 35 which was fairly average in the section. Last year we got 30.5 and the best dressage out of 40 people! But hey ho, such is life!
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Next up was the Show Jumping, he warmed up fairly well - no disasters anyway! Jumped 1, 2 and 3 fairly well. Came round to the double at 4, asked for a forwards stride and he slammed on the breaks. Represented and jumped the rest clear. So 4 faults for the stop and a very annoying 8 time penalties. Rather galling to finish on 12 in SJ on a careful horse that didn't touch a pole! I was gutted because I normally always get placed in the open (PN) at this event - 6th on my 14 2hh, 7th on Belvedere and last year - 2nd on Ross and 2nd on Rosie. Oh well!

Finally the Cross Country, I didn't know what to expect as he is so unreliable in this phase. I am pleased to report that we got around clear inside the time, but it wasn't the smoothest of rounds and was distinctly un-stylish! He didn't really feel in the mood for it!
So not the best way to end the weekend, but no major catastrophes! 

Finally I managed to get out eventing this season! It has taken long enough due to various horse issues and lamenesses etc. Unfortunately I had very early times so we walked the XC the evening before.
Jack warmed up fairly well for the Dressage but nothing brilliant. However when we were trotting/cantering around the outside of the arena he went around brilliantly about five times. Unfortunately once in the arena he became really tense which caused him to become very unsteady in his head and contact. We ended up with a score of 46.2 which I was very disappointed with. However when we looked at the scoreboard we realised that the vast majority of scores were in the 40's and that it was a stiff judge, so the score wasn't quite as bad as it seemed!
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Next up was the Show Jumping, I was actually quietly confident because recently I have been BSJA-ing him over much bigger courses and the novice track at Withington seemed quite small and straight forwards. True to form, Jack warmed up brilliantly, and then posted a lovely clear in the ring. Although I think we lacked a bit of energy at the beginning of the course.

Finally was the Cross Country. I was a bit concerned about the ground but after speaking to my trainer I decided to ride forwards to ensure that we remained in a  good forwards rhythm throughout the course. So off we set, popped over 1, 2, 3 and 4 nicely and then it was into 5 and 6 ab. A big drop roll top downhill to an open ditch brush combination. He popped through that really nicely and then up the hill and over a big table at 7. The next two fences were really nice and beautifully presented. Fence 8 was a big wishing well corner and then a turn to 9 which was a skinny wishing well. I was very impressed with how Jack went through this, we got a perfect stride over the corner and then again over 9. Galloped along and up over the step to rail bounce at 10 without issues and then galloped off through the woods. Flew out over the bursh at 11 and then it was onto the next combination - three big log piles on a 180 degree turn in some woods. He went well through there although we did get slightly close to the first element. The next fence was my favourite on the course, a very impressive very large table with drop/ditch, Jack was really forward bound up to this fence and flew it beautifully off a really nice stride. We angled the wall at 14 and went through the water (15 abcd) without any issues. Popped over a drop roll top at 16 and then it was the final combination on the course - two angled houses. We got a bit close to the first but he jumped them really nicely and finally we finished well on a lovely stride over the last. I kicked on, but didn't rush him for the time and we finished with 2.8 time penalties (7 seconds over).

All in all, a very good day - we just need to work on that dressage! However a double clear at our first event isn't bad going! In the end we finished 13th and without the 2.8 time penalties we would have been 7th! 
Onwards and upwards to Hambleden CIC* in a few weeks!

Well seeing as I have just entered Jack for the OIU21 at Aston Le Walls I thought I had better get some bigger SJ practise in seeing as I have never competed at that level before! So we took him to Allens Hill yesterday to do the 1m15 open.

We got there quite early so hung around watching the newcomers until it was time to go. I walked the course and it was a nice but up to height course with quite a few set at 1m20 and three or four at 1m25. In the warm up I was very much concentrating on having a big energized canter (what I was working on at Tor's) and I think we managed to keep it up in the ring. He did a superb little clear, just getting deep to an oxer when he had a bit of a spook! Other than that we hit everything pretty much spot on and he just pinged! He is such a springy little pony!
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We then decided to enter the Foxhunter which was basically up one hole. I walked the course and some of it was 1m20, some 1m25 and three or four set at 1m30. Nice and big then basically! Set off really well over one, two and three but unfortunately he was disunited round to a one stride double at four and I didn't sort him out quick enough. We ended up right underneath the upright in, had that down and almost fell over, but amazingly Jack sorted himself out and managed to jump out clear! Picked up the reins and flew a 1m30 upright, came round to an oxer - again ended up dissunited but jumped it brilliantly. Went down the next line really well and then round to number 9. I came round the corner had no stride and fired him instead of waiting, consequently we had it down and then bowled on to the last double with Jack being rather exuberant! So I was a bit gutted with how I rode it because I messed it up for Jack in a number of places and in reality I should be going clear at this height with him. But hey ho he jumped brilliantly and I was really pleased with the 1m15. I think I was just a bit more nervous for the Foxhunter!

Well seeing as Jack was no longer competing on Saturday at Weston we decided to take Belvedere to Allens Hill for some BSJA. We decided only to do the Discovery (1m) because Belv hasn't done any competitions for ages and I haven't jumped him much at all over the past two months. We had a really nice time, the weather was fantastic (actually it was too hot!) and we bought some nice things. A fly rug for Jack and a very smart leather head collar for Belv and Jack to share! Anyway, back onto why we were there - Belvedere did a lovely sweet round and went clear. I missed him to fence four but he picked up and other than that it was really quite acceptable. Pictures from the first round can be seen below.
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I was secretly hoping for a clear in the jump off too but I knew it was unlikely because Belv has never been good once he has already jumped a round and although I don't think either of us did anything particularly wrong we had two down. I think the last fence was my fault due to our approach but the earlier pole was possibly just him being a bit lazy. But it was a sweet round nevertheless. Videos from both rounds a photo from the jump off can be seen below:

This morning we took Belvedere to Tor's for a dressage lesson. I was on him to begin with and although the walk wasn't brilliant he was doing some very nice soft trot work so that was good. Then Tor got on him for the first time in over two weeks and had a play and softened him up nicely. Put me back on board and did some work in walk, trot and canter trying to keep him soft and relaxed but up together and working from behind. He went very well and Tor seemed very pleased with it all. So that was all quite successful. Afterwards we then showed Tor the BSJA video and she said I should be very happy with it. 
Video of me and Belv in our lesson today -

And just to finish of Belv's very busy weekend we took him to Gadbury cross country course for a little play after the lesson. Tor was also heading over there with some horses so gave us a pelham with normal metal mouthpiece to play with (we think the Vulcanite pelham may be a bit too chunky in his mouth). In fact one of the horses Tor had belonged to a friend of mine who was there watching, so it was nice to see her! Belvedere went really well - better than he normally goes when XC schooling actually, I think he was quite happy to be out and about! Tor also got to see what an epic XC machine he is! 


Finally, on a good note Jack looked sound trotting about in the field earlier so I am going to give him a little ride in the school tomorrow and see how he is. If all goes well I will enter him up for Hambleden ON and Aston Le Walls OIU21!

What shall we do first, the good or the bad.  Let's start with the good. Well last week I took Jack with me and went to work at Tor Brewers. Unfortunately the week was slightly disrupted as Tor had had a fall the weekend I arrived and knocked herself out! So she wasn't feeling on top form. However she helped me with both Jack and Belv everyday and they went really well. We mainly concentrated on jumping as I had yet to jump Belv and Jack's canter needed work. On Thursday Tor drove me and my ponies to an arena in Gloucester and I jumped courses on both of them. They both were FANTASTIC and Tor seemed genuinely thrilled with how they went. We now have Belvedere at home and even though Tor hasn't sat on him for about 2 weeks things still *touch wood* seem to be going okay!
Here is a video of me riding Belvedere yesterday morning.

Onto the bad news. On Thursday afternoon Jack was shod, the following day he was lame with heat in his foot and leg and some swelling around his tendon area. The shoe was taken off and hoof tested and it was clear he was very sore on the inside of his foot. So we left it off, tubbed and poulticed it for a number of days but he still seemed very lame and the heat and swelling was still in his leg. So we went to the vets and they nerve blocked his foot, but he was still lame after that thus suggesting his foot wasn't the problem. So we scanned both his front legs looking at all his tendons and ligaments etc but thankfully they all seemed fine and dandy. However that leaves us with a bit of a mystery as to his lameness. We have him on antibiotics now in case the heat and swelling is from an infection in his foot that has gone up the leg. The action plan is to leave his shoe off for a few days, put it back on, give him a quiet week and see how he is. However that means we will have  to withdraw from Weston on Saturday!