The great Newsprint.
Posted: 08/08/2011 Filed under: General News 8 Comments »Hope I don’t bore you to death with this one, but I have to tell you about the love of my life, who happens to be a dark brown gelding called Newsprint or Barry to us.
Barry showed, once again what a cross country machine he is, when he made the time around the very tough, very steep course in the British open championships at Gatcombe on the weekend. This class is famous for being hard to make the time and each year only a few make it. I rode in the advanced class here in 2004 and have always wanted to come back with a horse like Newsprint and give it a go.
He did a beautiful relaxed test and even did his flying changes clean and on the markers, the one chink in his armour, that movement.
I had one down in the show jumping and it was all my fault. I was so angry with myself for letting him down, he always wants to try to please in this Phase by jumping a clear round. (Sorry Baz).
Because I know him so well, he is such a pleasure for me to ride on course these days. I don’t need to use the reins I don’t need to use my legs I just think it and it’s like he can hear me. I don’t even know why I wear spurs on him. He is such a freak galloper that when I thought he was tired near the end of the course, he thought I meant go faster and shot off after the 3rd last fence and found an extra gear, quite amazing! I had to slow him down though because we had done more than enough to make the time and we were able to slowly canter the last few fences to finish the day in 5th place.
Wilton
Posted: 02/08/2011 Filed under: General News 3 Comments »If you’re thinking the reason I haven’t blogged in a while is because I have my mate Hamish staying over here with me. You are absolutely correct. Not because we’ve been going out to bars and having too much fun, but because his blogging skills are so far superior that I have blog envy and writers block! However if you want to see how I live here in the UK or need to know more about what I’m up to just visit his site: http://www.hamishcargill.com. For a far more informative read.
We backed up and went to Wilton Horse trials on Sunday. The event that we were not to expect much from because it’s just a local one good for getting the young ones out. Well of course it has a beautiful setting and standard with British events a huge house or mansion as I’m not allowed to call them. I thought it was great and just down the road.
Lani finds intermediate eventing boring
Leilani did not believe me when I said she is having a run in an intermediate class, she did not think this event was good enough for her at all. Of course she was super and I loved every minute of my cross country ride on her .
JB Calypso was so good in the Dressage and the Cross Country that he managed to get a sixth place even though his ShowJumping score was not as good as it can be.
Underdiscussion received an award for best Dressage score of the day with a 27 penalty points and enjoyed a nice slow run on cross country , saving his energy for Hartpury coming up in 2 weeks.
Kinnordy Rivaldo and I parted company at the last fence on the cross country would you believe. Which was a real shame because he was sitting pretty for a place. We are both ok though and I promised him I wouldn’t ride him like that again.
Barry and Tiger grazing after having fun XC schooling
Posted: 02/08/2011 Filed under: General News Leave a comment »