Eridge Under 18 Novice

I rode my dressage test within an inch of my life all in sitting trot and even in the medium trot!

I came out of the test feeling extremely pleased, it flowed, I was accurate for once and Estella and I were really connected and as one! But the judge didn't like what she was seeing and didn't give me an overly good mark - 35.5. Small gripe coming up - as a junior and this was the under 18 class, I am constantly learning, if a judge is going to put 6's on my sheet they should explain why! I need to know. Only comment on my sheet was "nice mare, needs to work over her back more". I now have no idea what to work on. (gripe over)

Taking comments from other people that watched it, they felt it was harshly marked, hey ho. You win some and you lose some. I have decided not to change what I am doing - since I don't know what I should be changing and to see if I can get more constructive comments next time.

We did the best Show Jumping we have ever done, ok before we may have gone clear but it certainly wasn't pretty! This time I did it in a snaffle, I have been training in it and it really does seem better than the Pelham. Only one minor hiccup, Estella took a hold on one of the fences and ran herself into trouble, just tapped it and it came down, but the rest of it was really good and flowed well.

We did a superb cross country with time penalties but everyone had them. There's fit and then there is Eridge, have you seen the size of those hills?! Stella was extremely fit and she did her best and so did I!

Final position 9th! Would have liked to have been a little higher up the order but we will take a placing.

Next event will be my first CIC 1* at Brightling - watch this space to find out where my second one will be, can't tell you yet, do not want to jinx it - now that is exciting!