Well, we just popped down the road for a little outing at a local event on Ross (Cloons Master Plan).

He warmed up brilliantly for the Dressage. Absolutely fantastic, he is very good at dressage but I have never felt him go this well. Really good from leg to hand into a nice even contact. As I was waiting about to start my test a girl galloped flat out across in front on all the dressage arena's about 6 meters away from A while people were doing their tests. I could not believe it. I have never seen anything like it in my 8 years Eventing. It was disgraceful and I confess I gave her a bit of an earful about it. Unbelievable! Onto Ross' test. It was lovely; not quite as good as he was warming up, but very pleased. I was hoping for something in the 20's and we got 23!!! Very Pleased!

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Then we had the Show Jumping, he was incredibly strong warming up and I had very little breaking power! Just before I went in the ring he started pissing around and napping slightly so I was very concerned he was going to throw in the towel in the ring. However I needn't have worried as he put in a super clear, he didn't even consider napping. Now the pressure was really on for the XC!

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The Cross Country was very big and technical for a pony club intermediate (BE PN equivalent) but as he has gone round Gadbury so many times I was worried but not terrified about it. Although this was more technical than he has done for a long time. So we set off, flew 1, 2 and 3. 4ab was a skinny drop log down a small slope to another skinny. He has jumped this exact combination hundreds of times; we came round to it, perfect stride and speed, leg on and STOP. For no reason I could make out he just stopped. So I came round, represented and he went through foot perfect. He then flew 5, 6, 7 and onto a very big bounce of steps up at 8ab which he was brilliant through. We came down to the water at 9abc. A very very big roll top then into the water and out over the skinny. Perfect stride to the roll top and once again STOP. No reason. Went through fine on the 2nd attempt. Galloped around to the hedge, gave him a smack and he jumped huge. I nearly got jumped off. Popped up the step one stride to skinny hedge at 11 well and cantered down to the brush palisade three strides to skinny tipple brush at 12 so that my brother could take photos. Brilliant through that and galloped over the spread at 13, skinny house at 14 and box at 15. Great through the coffin at 16 and nice over the last at 17. So 40 penalties. Ross is such a depressing horse. 23 dressage, clear SJ and for no reason 40 XC. If he ran out I would understand as he isn't the moist reliable XC but unnecessary stops are horribly annoying. Blooming horse! He could be so good, and we could do really well BE if he wasn't so silly!

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