Chilham - 2/3 May 2015

Great weekend at Chilham Castle, great event with such friendly people and always a bonus when you have Chris Kirby starting you XC! It was a busy weekend with six horses.

Chris Kirby - Starting off Cullawn Warrior (Ollie)

Photo: Team Leroy Eventing

Early start Saturday morning with the alarm set for 3 am with the snooze button going off until 3.30 am - I'm not one to get out of bed straight away! James loves me when my alarm goes off every 6 mins! 
Luxury - an extra hour extra in bed! However, waking up to rain puts a downer on the day! 

Had three horses in the BE90 Bea aka Galwaybay Timberlina, Penny (Doucette du Seigneur) and Mouse (Cavaliers Molly Moot). 

Bea was first to go with a better dressage of 28 still feel its our weakest phase but she is improving every time and did a super double clear just raking up 3.6 time faults. We would have got around in time if we didn't have a problem with trotting through water instead Bea walked through and just went completely green on me, still, at least we went in the water this time! I was most amazed that we WON! 

Penny also did a super dressage of 26 and had an annoying 4 faults but super clear XC inside the time with another winning score! Mouse was next, our first event together. I ride her twice a week for her owner Jo. We had a great score of 25 dressage and a great double clear but wasn't quite a win with our 4 time faults so we ended up 3rd which was great. 

The next event for these three girls is Tweseldown.

Off we went home to plait Holly and Ollie and unload and re pack lorry for Sunday.  

Sunday

Esther aka Poppinghole Patchwork was in the BE100 we were meant to do the BE90 but got balloted but got onto the wait list for BE100. The rain didn't help our dressage scoring a 36 just got a little keen in canter sure she knows jumping is next!!! Show jumping we had one down. XC I had a little tumble at fence 13 but carried on to finish. 

Esther (Poppinghole Patchwork)

Photo: - Jayne Louise Golding

Ollie was a little keen warming up dressage but kept it together for 26 in the BE100+ he never let's me down jumping a clear SJ and a strong XC round but we did manage to pick up 3.6 time faults. Need to look into a slightly stronger bit! We came 3rd on a score of 29.6.

Ollie - Keen XC!

Photos:Team Leroy Eventing

Holly was super scoring a 22 dressage with a 10 for up the centre line and halt amazing horse! A cracking clear SJ, so I thought we were back on form. She had been funny at home all week kicking her stable to bits so we had to move her. So wasn't sure how today was going to go. As she felt great SJ I went XC. She was little tricky at the beginning had no brakes which isn't fun. We had a stop at the water jump, I tried to re jump but she didn't want to know so called it a day. Had a lovely walk home!! Its much better when your galloping through the finish though! Will get her bloods checked this week.

Chilham Park - 4/5 August 2012

My next event was Chilham Park where I took Ollie in the Novice, Juno in the 4YO and Tango in the BE90.

Tanog had a good day and came 3rd with 29.5 dressage, 1 down and clear XC.

Juno had a 35 dressage, 1 down SJ which is pretty good for her and then off to the XC which is her weakest phase - started off flying around and she was taking me to all the fences then came to a ditch palisade which I knew she would look at (and she did!) she's not keen on ditches.  She had a stop there then came round the second time and went to go but then decided in the end she wouldn't and I fell off - inflated air jacket!

Ollie was the next day on the Sunday.  It was his first Novice run as Brightling was cancelled.  He had a 34 dressage, fab clear round SJ and started the XC brilliantly jumped everything foot perfect until the water.....

Photos - Spidge Photography

As you can see he stumbled on landing and we both went down so near the end!  I was really disappointed as he was going so well.  It was a pretty bad fall but we were both very lucky and just a bit stiff!

Chilham Park ODE - 15 May 2011

I had 3 to ride at Chilham. I took Tango & Bobby and I also rode Beau for Marilyn.

It was a long day as unfortunately a rider had a fall on the XC and was taken away by Air Ambulance. This put everything back by over an hour as the Dressage, SJ and XC had to be stopped whilst the Air Ambulance was on it's way and wait for it to take off and clear the area.

Hopefully the lady involved is out of hospital now, I did see an update on Facebook which said she had no broken bones etc and was being kept in for observation.

Beau won his class he had a 31 for dressage, the best in his section, one pole down and finished on 35 penalties.

Tango had a 34.5 dressage, he wasn't concentrating too well after his wait on the lorry! Clear SJ and unfortunately had one stop at the water. I was still pleased with him though as apart from the stop he had a good round.

Bobby had the best dressage in his section, 29, clear SJ but unfortunately we got eliminated XC. The course was up to height and it just wasn't our day, which is a shame after how well he went at Ardingly!

Beau - 1st, best dressage in his section

Tango - unfortunate stop at the water but otherwise a good day!

South of England - Saturday 9th April

Second outing of the season for Corby & Holly was SOE.

After my fall with Holly in the SJ at Goring (see previous post!) I thought it was a good idea to see if I could move classes with Holly from the Open Novice to the Open BE100. Sarah Robinson the secretary for SOE was great and sorted this out for me. Holly went well with a 28.5 dressage and a double clear we ended on our dressage score in 3rd place. Holly felt great and just like the old Holly again. She's entered for the Open BE100 at Nurstead then I'll do a couple of Open Novices then we should be back up to Open Intermediates.

Photo: Pip Simpson

Corbster had another good day too. He had a 34 dressage which is unusual and he did feel like he went better then that, but was very good again giving a nice double clear, 2 time penalties XC put us in 5th place. Pippa Funnell won the class on one of her Billy Stud's horses - Billy Crackle. Corby is also entered for Nurstead in the BE100.

Busy week this week, schooling for Marilyn, Debs & Anna. Hopefully XC at Lodge Farm on Wednesday. Taking an RVRC clinic on Saturday at Lodge Farm and then the Ardingly Riding Club Unaffliated ODE on Sunday. I'll be riding Tango, Bobby and Debs horse, Cracker. Will update blog to let you know how I got on!

I'm going to be doing a few more unaffilated ODEs locally with Tango before he's signed up for a half season BE. I'm lucky that there are some good ones that are run in the area, Ardingly, Chilham, Pulborough, Borde Hill and my Riding Club Rother Valley, Sevenoaks RC also run great ones just to name a few!