Aston Le Walls

Aston event runs to help the riders, they don’t ballot  and  the course is nice, the going is good and they are so efficient, which is a good thing  when you run one thousand horses over 3 days there isn’t much room for error.

The competition is steep, Kinnordy Rivaldo did a good test,  SJ clear and XC clear and inside the time, I had a super ride. But this was still not good enough to place him in the top 10, I couldn’t believe it. He has bigger fish to fry though, when he goes 2** next weekend at Wilton.

I was kept busy on  Friday with Haruzac, Underdiscussion, Newsprint and Calypso all doing the advanced dressage while Ken did all 3 phases in the space of 2 hours. However it all went smoothly, with all 4 of them doing good tests. On the Saturday the ShowJumping was a tough track made harder by the heavy over night rain making for dead going. And it showed how light the gear was when the great Newsprint and even Mighty Haruzac both had 3 rails down! Calypso jumped well to have 8 faults and Underdiscussion jumped one of the few clears of the day.

The Course was a pleasure to ride, the ground had dried out nicely by the afternoon and all 4 of my boys ripped it up. Reminding me once again what a powerful team of horses I have at the moment,  I wish things could stay like this for ever.

Underdiscussion finished 3rd in section L and Calypso also finished 3rd in his class. They have all pulled up sound this morning  and are looking great. It was an excellent run for all of them and  great preparation for the up and coming events.

Riding that many at a show and having it all go well was a good feeling, it felt like home thanks again everyone!

Videos from Aachen

Press on the video below you would like to view.  Once you have watched the video in You Tube  – USE THE BROWSER KEY (usually arrow in top left corner) TO RETURN TO THE BLOG and view another video.

Dressage

Showjumping

Cross Country

Photos from Aachen

[

Lani the Professional

I am naturally putting a lot of pressure on my self to do well in my new surroundings. So even though I felt I could have had a better result at Aachen. I was so impressed with the way the beautiful mare Leilani handled her self, I just had to blog about her.

She behaved like a true professional. In the dressage, it was only little things wrong that lost us marks on some movements. She tried so hard in a much more atmospheric arena than at WEG.

Then after walking the Show Jumping course, it was quite special for me to find her standing waiting patiently in between Hickstead the olympic champion stallion and another top ranked Show Jumping horse Ninja,  while  they were waiting to receive awards for the grand prix class held right before ours. Worried she wouldn’t be able to focus after talking with such stars, Lani winked at them both, trotted away, then warmed up so well and coped with the sheer size and pressure of the massive Aachen Show Jumping stadium, I couldn’t believe it.

For the Cross country warm up, she was quieter than I’ve known her and walked around the start box staying totally composed. I started to worry that she  ok,  until she heard the count down and she got right up on her toes and flew out of the start box, like she knew exactly what she had to do,  except for one moment at the last water jump, where I lost my head and nearly did one less stride to the rolltop in the water. She helped me back into the saddle, finished fast and pulled up sound and then back in the stable carried on eating her dinner that night like she had done all week.

She then took the long trip back to the UK including the rough ferry crossing, all in her stride.

Leilani is a hard worker and a real trier, I’m lucky to have the ride on her.

Barbury is a great event

Well what a great two days I’ve had! Ken (Kinordy Rivaldo) finished 6th in the Open Novice, he didn’t do as good a test as he can normally do but I sure had fun riding him around the amazing 1* course. He show jumped great and was just a pleasure to ride. I was a little disheartened yesterday after Underdisscussion did a great dressage test in the wind and rain, because I expected to see him further up the leader board. He scored a 45 and the leader (Sam on Real Dancer) was on a 40. I started to doubt myself thinking I could be a bit out classed over here. Today however he showed off with a great clear round in the ShowJumping and moved even further up when he became one of only a few horses to go inside the time on the tough 2** track. We finished 2nd in a class of 110 horses. So I am extremely happy with him.
Unfortunately England will have to wait to feel the wrath of Haruzac, as I had to withdraw him from the 3*** class because of a skin irritation that has made his legs inflame. His time will come.
I dragged Lani along today for an outing. She was completely off her tree! And I’m so glad I didn’t have to do dressage in that arena with the 2** XC running. I don’t know how they do it?

Off to Barbury

I’m taking Mel and Ken off to Barbury in the morning, Mel in the CIC 2** and Ken is in the open novice. It is meant to be a great event and I’m so looking forward to it. Lani got selected for Aachen the following week and she is going great so I hope we go well!

Sandhills Tiger arrived in our care today fresh from America. He was happy to catch up with his old friend Newsprint.

Tiger catching up with old friends

Glad to have him here and looking forward to have his rider Hamish come to stay when we make an assault on Burghley.

 I will update you on how the weekend goes.

Purston manor

Sorry I have taken so long to post about my first competition. I have been up to see the test event at Greenwich. Wow it is a very exciting place. Situated right in the city, it does remind me of Adelaide 3 day event. The course twists and winds its way through the park lands with the city sky line as the back drop. The big difference is a very very steep hill in the middle of it. London horses will have to be very fast and very fit!
Purston went as well as I could of wished my first event to go. Mel and Ken were great, I think they realized the importance of making a good impression on their new rivals. They were in the open novice and were 1st and 2nd in the dressage. Ken just jogged a bit in the walk but other wise a good test for a 29. Mel got the lowest score of the day with a 20, and they both show jumped great so I decided to stop showing off and took them both slowly on cross country. All in all it was a great event and very exciting to be competing in such a different scene.

Recent photos

Having fun XC schooling Lani

Barry having lesson off Rod Brown.

Back to my roots

Really enjoying having Amanda around to help share the work load! Firstly 6 horses may not be that much work to get through at home in Aus. But with them in boxes here and all the double handling of horses while they are put out to the paddocks makes 6 horses on your own very hard work. How ever all is well. Took Lani, Newsprint, Mel and Ken up to squad school yesterday and today had some great lessons off our Aussie coaches (Prue and Rod) just like going to SIEC. Did some XC schooling around an amazing schooling course which has to be said is better than any thing Australia has ever dreamt of. and instead of having Hamish and Christine in my Jumping lesson I had Pall Tapner and Lucinda Fredricks with me.
I then hurried home to plait Mel and Ken, ready for their competition tomorrow (first time plaiting a horse in 3 years).

The other day I pulled the edges of the arena in with a shovel. After I did one long side and looked up to find Aaron and Jack had not been there to do the other 3 sides of the school. I suddenly realized how good I have had it. Thank you to all the fantastic staff I have had over the years, I  know now I couldn’t have done it with out you.

Ps. Jack how the hell did you manage to plait Ken so easily all those times?