Well what a whirlwind June has been!!
So much has happened I'm not really sure where to start.
The month started with a rather soggy first BYEH class of
the year at the Yorkshire sport horse show with Gott You J. Ghost
is super inexperienced and it was a pretty tough class with a lot of experienced combinations, so I was just happy that he was a good boy and put on a
good show. When we were called back into to the top 10 and ended up finishing
5th - I was over the moon. With Bramham now only a
week away I did start to wonder if could I push his training a little more in preparation for his big
day and his biggest ever test?
Our next stop was Messingham Show, one of my absolute
favourites. It's one of those shows that is a fabulous experience for any horse
and the atmosphere is always happy and best of all the sun always shines! It
was a brilliant day, Carlensky jumped her last double clears for the 2017
regionals and Gott You J had an educational round in preparation for the following
weeks big one. It was a great experience for him jumping in the big grass arena
with bright fences and a buzzing crowd. Ebolensky made her first serious
competition a good one by finishing 2nd in the Foxhunter. It was then onto
Arena uk for three days to potentially get my Foxhunter double clears with her
for the 2017 regionals. Never in a million years did we think that we could get
them all in less than a week but she rose to the challenge, true to her
determined nature, she is just fab!!
Now to focus on Bramham, after sitting down and analysing
the videos we worked a plan out to push Ghost a little more in the run up to
the show. Our aim was for him to do his best and for me to keep him
focused so he could put on his best performance. His training went perfect all
week and I was feeling confident that he was as ready as he could
be. The field at this show is always the biggest of all and never in a million
years did I think he was ready to even win a prize. He just hadn't had the
experience that the rest had; the rest of the field had already had a full
season doing the job. Ghosts's size, 17hh, meant we didn't even ride him as a 4y/o because he was like a foal on stilts! As I bathed and plaited him in the morning we had
the conversation that I would be seriously satisfied if he just did a
respectable dressage and jumped a good round.
The whole show was really relaxed for me with only having
him there, so before I tacked up I managed a spot of shopping and socialising.
Once I was on I got focused on the job, he warmed up great and felt amazing but when he went in the ring he found another gear! I always knew it was in
there but at previous shows he had gone into his shell, but what a day to realise
that you are gorgeous and show it off! I'm sure he reached 18hh as we did our
dressage, I was so proud of him as he put all our training into every stride,
then he jumped the round of his life, I was thrilled!! For me he had done
exactly what we brought him to do and most importantly he had a smile on his
face. He enjoyed it and had taken the huge atmosphere in his stride. When the
scores came out I was ecstatic to be in with a shout at the top 10. We had
already achieved what I wanted so to be in with a chance of a prize was a
bonus. In the top 10 he knew it was important and he strutted his stuff like a
pro to be pulled in second. As I sat there I kind of knew we were on a good
enough score for a Burghley ticket but when they announced I was the winner it
was one of my proudest moments. The ringside went wild with applause, it's so
special when there are so many friends and well wishers genuinely willing you
to do well and that they are so happy with you when you do them proud. If there
was one of the BYEH classes I could have wanted to win it would have been the
5y/o at Bramham and to be able to say I have done it is just unreal. Even now
thinking about it puts the biggest smile on my face and what makes it that
touch more special is that it was so unexpected we went thinking it was just
going to be a great day out!
The success made Ghost quite a celebrity and this win
triggered lots of interest from some pretty big names and although I'm sad to
say that he has now been sold I'm pleased to say he has gone to a professional
that will give him every chance to become the star he looks every inch set to
be. I am very honoured to have started this horse on his road to big things and
he has been one of the easiest, most pleasurable personalities along our road
together.
A quick snap back to reality and off to Willow Banks the
following weekend. Ebolensky stepped up a class in style winning the 130 open a
great warm up for her newcomers regional. Carlensky was the superstar this
weekend though winning the British novice regional at her first attempt and she
won it by 4 seconds. When I planned my
jump off route my aim was to get a good forward rhythm and not take a check,
that's exactly what I did and Carlensky was great - she is obviously quite a
speed machine as this was her first real go against the clock. I'm just hoping we
can do the same in the Discovery regionals. From willow banks we made the
long journey with Ebolensky to Keysoe. I have to admit to thinking it was a
long way to go with one horse for one class that was going to be our biggest
ever test! Leni didn't let me down, she was outstanding!! We finished 5th and
gained our masters ticket round what was the biggest track we have seen
together, it was a huge confidence boost and now I'm really focused on working
hard towards a HOYS ticket with her.
I now have a quiet few days to relax and then start
putting plans into motion for the next set of big busy shows. I have just
acquired some lovely new young horses for an exciting new owner so with a
couple of new faces over the stable doors I'm sure I'm going to be plenty busy.
I've also just stepped into the unknown world of being an
owner, it's not something I have ever considered but
with a super talented and rather large 4y/o who proved himself a bit feisty for
me, I'm pleased to say I have handed the reins to Noah Brook for the foreseeable
future. This horse is a very exciting prospect and I'm excited to be competing but from
a very different viewpoint.
With July full of Dressage and jumping regionals I'm
hoping everything continues to work to plan so that I have plenty of positives
to tell you about next time.
Sam x
