Everyone has a favourite event and our rider/blogger Angel writes about hers; Hartpury International

Well everyone it is a hot one this month! The grass continues to grow and the events continue to flow… The ground is perfect for those of you competing out on the fields this month, not too soft to slip and not too hard on the ground, perfect for clear rounds, I’m not even trying to rhyme anything either!

Summer here at last!

So what has been happening this month for us? Well, Tom Tom has been enjoying the grass very much, however he wasn’t very conditioned, and I decided to put him on the conditioning cubes, they worked a treat and he was strengthened, tones and conditioned in no time, no doubt he also had endless amounts of energy but isn’t too hot and fizzy!

No doubt everyone has a particular event they are excited to see, mine is definitely Hartpury International! How can you not like it? Every large event has an atmosphere that just makes you feel like you are at home and that is where you are meant to be. I remember going to Chatsworth international and watching as the crowd’s heads moved with the horse over every jump, I loved to watch all the dogs getting to know one and other and going on an adventure to each of the different stalls filled with my horses favourite treats… what we don’t always admit to ourselves is that no matter if you promise yourself that you won’t buy a single thing, you end up going past he perfect bridle, saddle cloth, boots, cross country colours, next thing you know you have 5 new matching outfits for you and your horse… oops how did that happen?

Loving my new Fulmart Feeds cap

Every event has its ups and it’s down, but one thing going to an event does do is inspire you to be the better you! I remember watching Charlotte at London 2012 winning the gold, that summer I spent 6 solid week doing dressage pretty much every day with no stirrups, thinking one day I could be just as good, and although I’m not quite up to that level just yet I did become a better rider for it and that summer taught me a lot. One thing everyone should do is find something that gives you that drive to want to improve and do it! You don’t have to be the best rider in the world to improve, but it’s those of you, who might not be the best, but put the best effort in, and that will eventually pay off and you will come out on top. My top tip for this summer is to make sure that every time you get on your horse, no matter how big your aim is or how small, you give you self an achievable goal and work to achieve it, the difference might start off small but soon you will see the huge difference it is making.

Angel

Ellen prepares for Frickley representing the North at the National U18 Championships

Another busy month has gone by as I have been intertwining my A level exams with the management of the two boys: Kidogo King and Fernhill Finnegan.

The main event of the month was the selection process for the National U18 Championships, where the different regions across the UK compete in both a team and an individual event held at CCIJ* level. (CCI meaning that it is held as a three day event, and 1* meaning over show jumps 1.15-1.20m and xc 1.15m). Each region chooses the best 10 combinations at Novice U18 level, with the best four scores at the end of the event counting towards a final score.

At the end of my last blog I mentioned that Kidogo and I had been long listed for this team. The long listed attended a two-day training camp at Northallerton Equestrian.  Our weekend started with a run through of the test we would complete at Frickley.  This was marked by a judge and we were given feedback to work on. Those who know Kidogo will back me in saying that he far from enjoys his flatwork and lets me know it every time we school, however, he can complete an accurate and competitive test when I ride him properly. In the sweltering heat it became very clear that my decision to avoid sun cream was a very poor one, as I still carry ex-burn marks with me now! The heat made our show jumping session in the afternoon a short one, and after popping two good rounds, we decided it was time to wash down and get out of hats and jodhpurs. During the day I showed the selectors and team coaches my plan up to Frickley, including 3x7 minute canters for Kidogo every 5 days give or take, as the course at CCI can be up to 9 minutes long!

The following day saw an escape from the sun as I had a flatwork session in the indoor school with one of the team coaches, working to improve my ability to optimise every mark -  my favourite bit of advice being, “make your first stride your best stride”. We also had the opportunity to work with the sports psychologist from Northumbria University, and talk through how to maximise performance on and off the horse.

After anxiously waiting a week I received the news that Kidogo and I had successfully been selected to represent the North at Frickley at the end of July!

My AS exams drew to a close on the 26^th June, and just 5 days later we headed to Aske Horse Trials. Both boys had rusty runs on the Novice and Open Novice. Kidogo pulled out a solid performance and although I didn't give him the best run, he still managed to finish 8^th in the Open section. 

Finnegan did a green test on the flat with some mistakes as he started to expect rein back and walk to canter, however his most mature show jumping round annoyingly did score him a pole. A gap in his training was highlighted on the cross country when we came to the last combination; a double of angled corners.  He just didn’t quite understand it and had a disappointing run out at each. I bet you can guess what we worked on in my next two jump lessons! I do think that he has now got the hang of them as he posted a double clear with his best dressage test to date in the BE105 at Northallerton this weekend, with his highest placing finishing 2nd. Only 0.1 behind the leader.  If I had been one second quicker on the cross country, and we hadn’t decided to grind to a halt when spooking at a fence judge at the last fence, then we would have had the win but unexpected spooking is a very Finnegan thing to do! 

Northallerton was Kidogo’s last run before Frickley where he did a solid double clear but had to go HC as he is now a Grade 1 horse having accumulated too many points over his 10 seasons of eventing. He did think it was intermediate when we jumped the entirety of the stream instead of cantering through it.

Next time I hope to round up on Kidogo and my experiences at Frickley and see how Finnegan performs as he goes to his PC Area eventing at Open level (BE novice) in a bid to qualify for the PC Championships.

Ellen