It seems like forever since my last blog, when I had just picked up my ticket to the 2017 Badminton
grassroots championship with Dayton at Skipton.
The British Showjumping Championships at Stoneleigh was
next in the diary and the ever consistent Carlensky didn't disappoint us, she
finished 8th in a super fast class out of over 100 starters. An early start the
following day saw us head off to Bold
Heath for the first of two shots at the British eventing 4y/o qualifiers with
Coon Freddie. He put in a very respectable performance to finish 4th which was
a good warm up for his other shot the following week at Shelford. Again at
Shelford he put his best foot forwards in the jumping to finish on a great
double clear but unfortunately he was a little wayward in the dressage - and it
was extremely costly. Carlensky made her first ever BE appearance at this event
and she was a total trooper, she did a beautiful dressage test to finish with a
score of 27 and absolutely stormed the showjumping and cross country, we were
so proud of her and hoped this would be a good springboard for her into the
world of eventing, with her impeccable showjumping record we feel she is a
candidate for the very top.
The following week was looking fairly quiet so I decided
to enter two young ones for an unaffiliated event. Everything was going to plan
until a phone call on Saturday morning saw a change of plans and me heading off to
Cumbria with a catch ride for the BE5y/o qualifier. Thankfully Beth did a fabulous job
standing in for me with the young ones and they had a great day out. My day in
Cumbria was successful finishing in 5th place and scoring the horses best
ever dressage score of 29!! After the success of the weekend we decided the
horse deserved a last shot at qualifying so we headed off to Keysoe the
following week. Again we finished 5th, a little frustrating not to qualify but
the horse was such a star. For a 5y/o to cope with a change of jockey and
put up such good performances is lovely and I feel he is a serious future
talent. I'm hoping his normal jockey is fit and well so they can have a
successful start to his 2017 season.
Billionaire started his run up nationals at Manor Grange
Stud the following weeks he had an amazing show and felt absolutely his best
ever. He won both his tests with over 75% so what more could you ask of a final
preparation.
Then the first of the big days arrived; Burghley! Every
year when we qualify you think you have a long wait for the final but with our
hectic schedules the final just seems to arrive in two minutes. We had a
fabulous day and even though Coon Freddie had only been with me a couple of months
he was fantastic. It was the first time his owner Joanne Pullan had seen us
compete together so the pressure was on. Freddie did a perfect job
and we ended the day finishing in 7th place. Being just a 4y/o and not having done a huge amount we felt this was a very creditable finish and a great way
for Freddie to end his 4y/o season. He is now resting in his scruffs and will
return to competition work in November.
Frickley Park Horse Trials was up next and with 5 horses running over the two days it was
always going to be hectic! On Saturday Suzanah Franks awesome pony did his last
BE of the season and
made it a good one finishing in 8th place. He improved on his first outing by two places and improved his dressage
score by three points. He headed home from Frickley with Suzanah for a well
earned holiday and some fun time with his owner ahead of his 2017 season.
Overwater Emi did me proud, Jasmine Watson took the reins and did a brilliant
job, she did a stunning double clear and is another to end her 2016 on a real
high note. Carlensky started things off well the following day to lead her class
by quite a margin but a green error cost us on the cross country. I was so
proud of her as it was he first BE100 and only her second event. Dayton was on
top form, unusually for the big guy the dressage judges weren't charmed by him,
I'm not sure quite why as he felt outstanding. I can't complain at him as he
did everything I asked and then he flew cross country as always, we had
concerns about the championship format and him showjumping last but he was a
hero and did a fit perfect clear which left us 9th, admittedly I was
disappointed, not with Dayton but I couldn't help feeling a little robbed, I
know I sound like a brat but you can't help how you feel when you know you and
the horse have done a good job.
After the craziness of eventing it was time to calm
things down for the BD national championships with Billionaire, he was
fantastic! We just missed a prize finishing in 11th place but I cannot complain
one bit, the competition was tough and to even be there is huge. I feel I
have learnt a lot and to be in the same collecting ring as Carl and Charlotte
is just an honour. They are amazing and so inspirational!! I really really hope
I get the chance to qualify and compete at the nationals again!
After some time out for a freshen up Ebolensky was back
in the ring in style at the Arena UK championships. She qualified her
championship finishing in 8th place in the outdoor ring and then over what
proved a seriously tough course indoors we finished 5th with a brilliant double
clear. With HOYS just around the corner it's a great to have her feeling on top form.
A very early timing meant a 3am start to head off to
Aske International Horse Trials for my last BE run of 2016. With HOYS and a
holiday all happening in the space of a couple of weeks I was sad to be finishing the
season so early, especially with the sun still shining, but I can only fit so
much in. Dayton and Carlensky gave me a fabulous finish, both double clear with
Carly having her best ever XC!! I will now hand her reins over to Noah Brook as
we feel a couple more runs will really set her up to come out in the novice
sections in 2017. She will continue her training a little longer but the big
dude Dayton is now on a well deserved holiday. We finished with a
fabulous win with a dressage score of 19, our personal best as a partnership. I
can't ask for any more, he had made massive improvements this season and is
feeling his best ever.
So the time has come, extremely quickly, to focus on
what's going to be my biggest ever achievement so far in my career. Riding at
HOYS is everyone's dream and I've been lucky enough in the past with my amazing
old horse Tamara to go in the amateur classes and win a prize!! But this
time it's a professionals class, the pressure is on... But the aim is to enjoy and I would not want to be going on any other horse than Ebolensky. We have been
together from the start and we totally believe and trust each other, wish me
luck everyone and I'll keep you posted on how it goes...
Bye for now
Sam x
