Aston Le Walls big thumbs up from Team Upton

4am alarm call was a bit of a tough one after the week I had had and I didn't finish with the horses till 8pm the night before, having started at 6.30am. Catherine arrived at 4.45am and we had all three of the horses loaded by 5,15am. Mum and I went in the lorry, Dad and Catherine followed with the trailer. Exactly 2 hours and 40 mins later we were at Aston Le Walls, we couldn't have asked for a better drive.

We love Aston the ground is always fantastic, the jumps are different and well dressed and the event is always run so efficiently, I even like the fact they put the dressage tests in the programme and on top of all of that the start fee for the 90 and 100 classes was only £10.

Lisa, Judd, Mum, Dad and Milly

Michael from http://www.mdr-photo.co.uk/ and Lisa and Judd the puppy came to support us and take photos, poor Michael, everything ran early and he was constantly running to get to the dressage, sj or xc with very little time!




Arabella


Well she was a little exuberant and I did struggle to keep that contained in her dressage so the beautiful 24 of last week ended up a 34 but still very good for a 5 year old in her second 100. She then went on to do a beautiful double clear. Her showjumping was awesome, she wasn't about to touch a thing. She was a bit green cross country but it was big and had some technical elements with lots to see so who can blame her, she still jumped everything even though it may have taken a bit of riding! Absolutely thrilled.



Hector





Handsome Hector was truly awesome and absolutely on his game today. He pulled off the dressage test of his life a fantastic 28, he was so much mor relaxed and let me put my leg on without shooting off and then did a stonking double clear, he was very confident across the country. I was so proud of him, he has really put me through my paces at times but the feeling of achievement today was all worth it. I really do think he has turned a corner. He ended up third and we had Piggy French, Francis Whittington and Jock Paget in our section.


Boo
Boo's dressage was a 33.5 much better than last week and a bit more contained, she broke her rhythm a bit but didn't buck or bronk. Her showjumping is becoming much more controlled and she is starting to listen to me which considering she is 17.1 and I am 5ft 4, I really need her doing everything on my terms! She did have a pole but it was more the fact that she spooked at the people watching. Cross country was such a big ask, she has never done anything like this before and there was a huge gap between the 80 at Chilham last week and the 90 at Aston, it was full up with drops, a sunken road and a corner. It was the corner we had the run out at, I think I could have pushed her over it but I didn't want to risk destroying her confidence and ultimately her trust in me. She completed which, when we walked it we had serious doubts about so, so pleased with her.


To see all the album from Aston Le Walls please visit my website http://www.harrietupton.com/aston-le-walls---10th-august-2013.html

Thank you Michael Rogers for wonderful pictures and all your support.