Category: News

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Osberton Young Horse Championships

It was a really educational couple of days for Belle at Osberton, for her final event of the season in the 6yr old CIC* Championships. We were also aiming for this event with Oli, but sadly he didn't get off the waitlist so he just came for the ride and to get some schooling practice in at a big event.

It was Belle's first international and in the dressage she really took it all in her stride, soaking up the atmosphere of a bigger event. Her test was rhythmical and mistake free, so I was slightly disappointed with our mark of 35, but it was still a respectable score.

In the show-jumping there was a lot for her to take in, with the ring being right in the centre of all the marquees and trade stands, so she did go slightly looky, but did well to just have the 4 faults.

Onto the cross country and again it was a big track with lots to look at. At the start of the course, Belle did go quite green and we had a unfortunate glance off at the corner coming out of the water. However, we put this behind us and she grew in confidence during the second half of the course and came home really well.

Although not the perfect result on paper, I was really pleased with Belle's performance. It will have brought her on heaps and it was a good end to a great 2018 season. I have now turned her out in the field for a well earnt break and am already looking forward to 2019!

6YO Championships 2018
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Moreton Morrell

A VERY wet day at Moreton Morrell! With MW Congo Diva (Panda) having her first grown up BE run and we also had new addition Piccolo V, both getting started in the 90.

Panda has come on so much this summer, she did a very sweet test, confident clear show-jumping and only one mistake cross country due to a bit of a spook! It was a massive step forward and we were all really pleased with her.

Pickle hasn’t been with us long and showed huge improvement already, doing a great test. He was a bit taken aback to jump in the mud, having an uncharacteristic two down, but very assured cross country to finish 8th.

A great day, even though it took us all a while to dry out!

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Blenheim

Our second big aim for Hugo after Badminton - Blenheim in the CCI***.

He has been so awesome all season and I always love competing this horse.

First up was trot up on the Wednesday. I was particularly looking forward to this one as I had some great outfits from fantastic new supporter Whitmore & Ivy. I wore an amazing read jacket for our first runway performance and all went well.

Dressage went ok, he doesn't find this phase particularly easy and just showed some tension in the walk. However, it was by no means a disaster and we scored 38.

Cross country day was definitely the highlight. Hugo really loves this phase (as do I) and we have an amazing time coming home clear inside the time. He has been brilliant in this phase all year and never lets me down.

We trotted up on Sunday, this time in an lovely blue cape from Whitmore & Ivy and then re-grouped for show-jumping. Sadly, this time, the effects of Hugo's mammoth cross country effort, slightly took their tole, and we rolled a couple of poles. However, this didn't take away from his brilliant over all effort and the week we had.

The 2018 season with Hugo has been really memorable. From completing our first Badminton to then doing four double clears on the trot, including storming around Millstreet CICO***. He will now have a well deserved break and I am already looking to 2019 with him.

Cross country
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Goring, Gatcombe and Swalcliffe

Great time at Goring with Dernhatten Oak, owned by Mia Ashfield, Billy Citreon owned by Emma Davis and our own Leacarrow Watermill. They all went double clear with good dressage tests which meant three top 10 places. It is so nice when everything comes together and it was a great team outing. Huge thanks also to Lorraine from Whitmore & Ivy who came to visit and gave me some of her lovely collection to wear at Blenheim in a couple of weeks. I can’t wait to wear the stunning jacket and cape and  I am really excited to be supported by this fantastic British brand.

Next up was Gatcombe with our two six year olds Merdianway Grafs Pride (Oli)and Leacarrow Watermill (Belle). Again they put in really solid performances. Good low 30s tests, an unlucky last fence down for Oli and a super clear show-jumping from Belle. They then both flew round the cross-country, but didn’t overly push for time as they are still both relatively young and heading to Osberton 6 year olds in two weeks time. But all in all it was just the run the needed to set them up for their last event.

It was a busy weekend as the following day we headed off straight to Swalcliffe unaffiliated (with minor lorry drama first thing!). New addition Pickle excelled himself finishing 3rd in the 90cm. Our young horse Panda was having her first event and did really well considering but just needed a bit of encouragement cross country. However, we completed and she will come on a lot from doing her first event. It was great to also have our liveries Emma and Eleanor out competing who both put in great performances.

 

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Millstreet

A great trip over to the wonderful Millstreet International, with Fernhill Now or Never (Hugo) in the CICO*** and 6yr old Meridianway Grafs Pride (Oli) in his first international young horse class.

We had a good trip across and both horses settled well after Hugo persuaded Oli that the temporary stables wasn’t going to kill him!

Oli was up first. He tried really hard in his test, but it is still very much work in progress at the moment so he scored 39.4. In the show-jumping, he had never jumped in such a big arena with so much atmosphere, which slightly got to him and he had a couple down. However, he saved the best till last with the cross country and bar bucking me off in the warm-up (!!!) he was mega and gave me a totally awesome round. His next big and final aim for the season will be Osberton at the end of September.

We had a fabulous week with Hugo. He stared off with a fair test of 37.3, and then jumped a mega clear inside the time cross country and then a faultless round show-jumping, he is such a brilliant jumper. Due to his double clear we rose an incredible amount to finish in 11th in a big competitive class. I was so pleased with him and he now heads to Blenheim for the CCI***

Huge thanks to all the team at Millstreet for putting on such a great event, we loved our visit and hope to do another trip across soon.

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Double Winning Day!

Great day at Aston Le Walls unaffiliated.

The beautiful Billy Citreon owned by Emma Davis won the 90cm section completing on his dressage score of 33.

Nick Hill’s game little stallion Tizzard then rounded off a great day by winning the Novice section.

Huge thanks to all the team at Aston for all their work to put on this event.

Billy show-jumping
Tizzard cross country

 

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Aston

Today was Fernhill Now or Never’s turn at Aston and it seems our good week has continued! He jumped another fabulous double clear for me giving us lots of confidence going into Millstreet International Horse Trials in couple of weeks.

Butter wouldn’t melt…
Hugo & Kate
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Homme Horse Trials

Lovely day at Homme. Dernahatten Oak, owned by Mia Ashfield, came 8th in his first BE100. In the novice little miss consistent Belle did another double clear and Oli got the gold star for a mega cross country round . A huge well done to our lovely livery Eleanor who did a fab double clear in her first ever BE100.

Lecarrow Watermill cross-country:

Meridianway Graf’s Pride cross-country:

Dernhatten Oak cross-country: