Im not really sure where to start with all that has been happening recently! Regionals are now over and I am thrilled to have three horses qualified for the National Championships in September. We took Divine to Somerford Park Regionals for the Elementary and I have never felt her go better than she did on that day! Unfortunately her owner, Lorna was unable to be there but I am glad we got it on DVD so that I can show her how fabulous her horse was! Her previous owner, Hannah Esberger-Shepherd was there with her team and it was lovely to have a huge amount of support from them and a massive cheer at the end of my test! After the Nationals Lorna will take back the ride and move on up through the grades.
We then took Feine Dame and Show Boy to the Addington regionals, as I could do some training with Emile Faurie beforehand and then he could help me warm up! With the hay shortage we have been experiencing recently, I made the brave move of putting Feine Dame onto haylage. Never again! She was straight back onto hay as I could feel within two days of the change, how much sharper it made her! She is so sensitive that we have to work to keep the balance right with her all the time – even down to me making sure I don’t look at her the wrong way when I go in the stable!
All was well and settled until we came back from competing Sunny (Show Boy) and someone had kindly decided to put a STALLION in the stable behind Feine Dame! I have never seen her so in love and so in season in my life before – great! We quickly moved her but by then I knew I would have a hard task getting her on side for her tests. Warming up for the Medium, she was so tight through her body, all I could do was try and supple her with lateral work and get her in front of the leg. When we went up to the arena for the test, thankfully she lit up and came more on side, though she wasn’t a patch on how I know she can go. She came out with a high 67% and 7th place and thankfully we are lucky enough to have received a wild card for the Nationals!
She warmed up much better for the Advanced Medium, though a little tired in the test after all her earlier antics, so she still didn’t produce her amazing work but it was good enough to get us a high 69% and 3rd place, qualifying directly for the Nationals this time. I decided to be brave and do our first prize giving together and (after walking in on her hind legs), she managed to do a very bouncy big canter and show off how amazing she really is!
The horses have had a quiet week at home this week. They have all had their backs and teeth done and a general MOT before we head off to Emile’s for some serious boot camp before the Nationals. I have been having fun cantering around the big track we have in the field, and the school work has consisted of mum sitting in the corner shouting at me while we really work on the nitty gritty of my position. It’s amazing how much the horse can alter when you adjust ever so slightly, sometimes with good results and sometimes I have shot across the school as a result, mainly with Feine Dame! I find that on Aristo I try and find extra strength through slightly collapsing my tummy, when really I should switch my core on and sit up straight to find the power! (Aristo qualified directly for the Inter II Champs from Sommerford Premier League, by the way!)
Finally to end my blog on a cute note, we picked up the foals from the stud yesterday and had great fun getting them settled in at home. ‘Hugo Boss’ (the coloured one) and Dior (mummy) are doing really well - Hugo is a very cheeky chappy who I think will be a bit of a handful! ‘Asbo’ (mummy) and ‘Evie’ (baby) are doing great too, Evie is showing some exciting movement when she plays so fingers crossed for her! I hope you enjoy the pictures!