First
of all I just want to apologise for the lack of blog posts since Houghton Hall. Back in February I was asked to write for an on line horse magazine, Everything
Horse UK. Understandably they did want me to use the same copy as my personal blog which of course I
honoured, but unfortunately I did not have not had the time to do both. However
they have very kindly said that they are happy for me to do both, so here is a catch up on all
the articles I have done. From now on, you will see me blogging on here at
least once a month. Happy reading!
March
April
May
July
August
Harriet
Upton Blog: Eventing has its ups and downs!
Eventing
has its ups and downs! Crickey what a busy month I have had.
I went
to Upton House with Hector, Boo, Arabella to do the Novice and also took Rosie
to do the Pre Novice, they were amazing. Boo, Arabella and Hector all did
double clears and ALL got a top 10 placing, I couldn’t have been happier with
the way they went, they have all got so confident, its so rewarding to feel
them coming on.
Rosie
is coming on really well but she is just having confidence issues in the cross
country, she is amazingly careful and sometimes she over jumps the XC fences
and slightly scares herself but this is all in the learning, she will start to
understand that she doesn’t need to jump as big.
So
many of you may know that I tried my first advanced on Danny at Aston Le walls…
I was so excited to go up another level, he did a 37 dressage test which I was
so happy with because it was the first time I had ridden a dressage test at
this level, it had flying changes and everything! We then went onto the SJ
phase and I have to say it was massive, but we rose to the challenge and he
jumped a cracking round, next up the XC phase and I was feeling a little
nervous! I thought come on Harriet you can do this, anyway we started out and
it was going really well until… we got to this combination of two skinny
brushes with very big ground lines almost like a concrete water tray with rocks
and mini water fountains, anwayyyy we came round the corner and went to jump
the first one, he spooked and jumped it enormously, I wasn’t expecting it, I
sat back and slipped my reins, it was a long four strides to the next brush, we
just couldn’t meet it. I felt I could have helped him more by putting my leg on
a bit more but I think I was feeling the nerves. I was so annoyed with myself.
So I have booked into Wellington to give it another go and this time I am going
to nail it.
Boo
was placed 4th at Borde Hill in a very wet Novice class, there were
4 double clears in total, Boo being one of them but the hunting last season
really paid off. She was so sure footed and actually seem to enjoy the mud and
the rain!
The
highlight of my year so far with the horses is when I took Hector to his first
intermediate at Aston Le walls he was amazing, he gave me the most amazing ride
cross country, I was just so proud of him, he had such a hard life before his
owner Sarah brought him from Ireland, he is a sensitive soul and since being at
Upper Barn has gone from strength to strength and really started to put his
trust in me. The reward when I went through the finish of the cross country was
just the most amazing feeling!!!!!!
Very
happy jockey.
I also
became a show jumper this month! Now registered with British Showjumping.
Hector did really well in the Foxhunter and Rosie clocked up her first double
clear in the newcomers, cant wait to do more.
Next
outing is Wilton Intermediate with Danny, Smiths Lawn with Arabella and Rosie
and then its Boo and Hectors first CCI*
Next blog due first week of September and there is a lot to catch up on...
