Well, with Weston Park JRN Championships next weekend we have been busy preparing!

On Saturday we took belv Showjumping at Summerhouse. We just did the Discovery as we wanted to get a good round in even if it was small, rather than a big round going pear shaped. He jumped very well, but just was a bit careless at one of the last fences and so we got 4 faults, and therefore didn't get into the jump off. But he went well.

On the way home from the SJ we stopped off at the Pincus' for a lesson. I decided to use the Market Harborough so that we could have a relaxed and happy lesson where we could practise movements rather than a tense and upsetting pointless one. He went very well with the MH and did some good work.

Today we took belv for a short and light SJ lesson with Brian. We changed belv's bit to a Vulcanite Pelham to see if he went any better in it. And it seems that he likes it a lot. He was more round, more collected and happier in his mouth. We need to practise with it for a while though before we use it in competition as it is a very different feeling. Very pleased with how he went in the lesson.
Also Brian said that I rode with ''great empathy'' in the ring (RE my BSJA at Summerhouse) and he also said ''next year will be a big year for you!!''

Recently we discovered some Gallops right on our doorstep so on the way home from the SJ lesson we took him for a gallop. I walked him down the gallops and cantered back up to warm up and then trotted down and galloped up twice, and to cool off I walked him down and cantered up at his own pace. He went quite well but I found it hard to gauge his fitness as there were so many factors affecting it. E.g. fairly deep sand surface, thick fur coat, hot day, no adrenalin etc.

Finally, just an update on his cut, it is doing very well. Have a look for yourself:

(Click to enlarge)