Belton International Horse Trials - Junior Trial

How long since I have wanted to do a junior trial? I remember three years ago having such high hopes for Estella after France and then she tore a ligament in the field and we had to retire her and with that went my hopes for Juniors for 2012 and 2013. In 2013 came Danny a horse that I could potentially do Juniors on with 2014 being my final year of having a shot at it. Well Danny is a tricky ride and we spent 2013 getting to know each other and the winter building up our training for our first trial and there is still a long way to go and we can still improve in all areas but if for any reason I don't get any further, Belton will stay with me!

First of all Belton is in Lincolnshire which is near Nottingham = long drive! We had our dressage on the Friday and show jumping and cross country on the Saturday. Our journey was made longer because as you might guess we got a little lost around Grantham, mainly due to signs telling us one way and Sat Nav telling us another. Eventually a cyclist stopped us as he had seen us a few times going round and round in circles and thought we might need some help. Bearing in mind it was lunchtime, he did ask if he had seen us at 6am that morning - now I know we are bad with directions but we are not that bad!

When we eventually arrived at the event, we were not prepared for how big it would be, it really is like a mini Badminton. It was a beautiful venue but the nerves kicked in when I realised how many spectators there were! They kicked in even more when I realised the dressage arena was in the middle of the grounds with shops and spectators all around! When I warmed up I really concentrated on us and not on everyone else, he felt really good. He did a smashing test and I have to say at this point thank you Fiona Bigwood for helping me make him look like a dressage horse, he will never have those flash paces and he is long but he held is own up there and in a very hot section of  60 of the very best juniors and young riders in the country, my Danny was joint 6th after dressage!

After dressage we stayed and walked the showjumping and watched some but wish I hadn't as it was all going wrong for every rider I watched. It was tricky and a lot of people were getting cricket scores! We then walked the cross country and gave Mum heart failure!

Over night we stayed at Nicole Mill's yard, it was a prefect choice for Danny as it was quiet and small. Nick Gauntlett also had about 6 of his horses there too. We had a few issues like our leisure battery on it last legs and gas running out, but we had a spare which mum replaced, was slightly concerned on my return from the stables to see mum under the lorry with a spanner and hammer in her hand!

We were on first thing in the morning so early start and back to Belton. In the end the show jumping rode well. We did roll a pole  but it was at the triple. It was a long stride followed by a short and that was always going to be tricky for Danny and the pole was unlucky, it dropped after we had jumped the fence! There were only 10 clears in the whole section!

By the time it came for the cross country Danny and I were more than ready. I had a few butterflies, it was the biggest track that I have ever jumped and there were some difficult lines but it rode like a dream  (apart from a jump near to the end where Danny locked on to the wrong one, but we got it sorted in time) and only got 1.2 time penalties. There were tears of happiness at the end of the course. I saw Tina at the end and she was emotional too! You can watch the video of the round here. : Belton Int. Horse Trials 2014 - Harriet Upton 750 - An Eventful Life http://www.an-eventful-life.com.au/riders/rider-videos-belton-int-horse-trials-2014-harriet-upton-750#.U0riBzgPQO4.twitter via @AddThis.


I couldn't believe it when I heard the commentator announce the placings. I came 5th and was the highest place junior! Tears all round then and am pretty sure Mum cried all the way home! Great Withington is our next trial....

Day trip eventing to Norfolk!

We had braced ourselves for a tough weekend of early mornings and very long journeys. We worked out that we were going to have to be up at 2am Friday, 4am Saturday and 5am Sunday. But on Thursday Mum who was away on business got a text from Tina asking if we wanted a lift to Norfolk in the morning and considering Mum did not get back till 8pm the night before, it was a good job. However not wanting to wake our neighbours with a Lorry going up and down the drive we arranged to meet Tina at the petrol station at Buck Barn at 3am, you can imagine the manager's face when he saw us unloading and loading on his forecourt, Mum got a few questions about horse smuggling!

Well with me safely snuggled up in the back I got some kip whilst Mum supplied Tina with endless coffee, porridge for breakfast and conversation to keep her awake whilst driving. (They didn't have any trouble in that department). Of course any journey to an event is not complete without a detour and the odd missed turning. The M11 was shut so we made a detour apparently,  which was going well but I woke up when they had missed a turning. Anyway no trouble for Tina turning her 18ft lorry in a cul-de-sac and we were back on our way and we arrived at Great Witchingham in great time thanks to Pippa who phoned to tell us the way that she went, not sure we would have made it otherwise.



The event is lovely, its quiet, ground was good, the course quite old fashioned, it flowed well,  the fences were all solid, well built and educational  and I would definitely go back there. Michael Rogers from MDR photo drove hours just to come and support me, it was actually lovely that we went with Tina as Michael got to spend the day with her too. Danny did a super 29.1 dressage, so much better than last week. We did a clear sj and a cracking clear xc but he did help me out at one combination, if he hadn't of done that we may have been in trouble. I loved spending the day with Tina, having her warm me up for show jumping and then being able to talk over the cross country course, it was just what I needed for my first Intermediate this year.



I am pretty sure most people would think I was making this up if I told them that I went on a day out eventing and Tina Cook was Chauffeur, Pippa Funnell was personal Sat Nav and Lucinda Green.... well she sold us some carrots out of a van. (She did I promise but that's another story)!

We arrived home at 8pm. I have to say a huge thank you to Catherine to did the horses for me and got Boo washed and spruced ready for the next day and to Megan who plaited, it made the turnaround for us so much quicker. We were indoor by 9 ish, Dad had made us steak and chips and in bed for 10pm ready for our 4am start!

Aldon is that in Hampshire or Somerset?!!!

Despite going out and celebrating our friend Marcus Gorman's 50th birthday Mum still managed to get up at 5am to feed the horses. We kind of have a routine show mornings. Mum gets up and goes straight out and feeds and skips out, I get up get ready, go out and get the horses ready, rug up the others and turn out, Mum comes in and gets herself and food for the day ready. Usually that all happens in sequence, occasionally it all goes a bit wrong. This morning owing to a little bit of a hangover from Mum it may have gone a little awry but we were on the road by 6.20am, 20 mins late far better than Tina who was out with Mum and was 50 minutes late leaving! Thankfully I had asked Gary Stevens to drive and help out, so Mum didn't have to drive!! Unfortunately I told Gary that we were going to Hampshire, an hour and half into the journey, Gary asked exactly where we were going and was a little shocked when Mum said Somerset.....whoops! Sorry Kate if you were expecting him back sooner

When we got to Aldon (in Somerset) once again Micheal and Lisa from MDR photo were there to support me, we met Micheal at the cross country and walked it together,

Once again we made it to all three phases in good time, lets hope this continues all season!

Our dressage unfortunately was nothing like our practice with Fiona Bigwood a few days earlier. Danny was tense and on edge, I played it quiet but that meant he didn't go forward enough, I think it may be our worst dressage score to date but I am not worried about that, I know I can get that back with him, he just needs few more outings to relax.

The showjumping went well and he was clear. I was so pleased with this as this is the phase we have been working on in our winter training, it has been our weakest phase as a partnership but today it felt awesome and all that work has paid off.

When we turned up to cross country it was a little overcrowded but Tina was waiting too so we walked and talked to pass the time. When I eventually went it felt so good, we went round in a great rhythm and met everything right. I still got lots of time penalties but I think it will be at least one more outing before I try and be a little more competitive. I know he is fit though, Aldon is really hilly and he was hardly blowing.

Isleham Rocks!

Well the first event of the season beckoned, we chose Isleham as we heard they prepared the ground early, it is flat, the ground is usually good and they always run. All of those things were right. It was the perfect event to kick the season off.

Our journey was straight forward, if a little long but we arrived in bright sunshine. Micheal and Lisa Rogers from MDR photo also came along to support and take photos. (Thank you)

I hope we have started the season as we mean to go on because 1. We did not get lost 2. We arrived in good time 3. I got to all my disciplines on time and with plenty of time to warm up  4. I stayed on  5.Mum stayed upright !!!

I was pretty pleased with the dressage. We got an average score of 32, my centre lines could have been better, the medium canter was in danger of becoming a gallop but actually all in all I played it safe and I was pleased, he wasn't tense and we were quite accurate.


The showjumping caught some people out, luckily I saw Alice Dunsdon and was able to talk through the course, I was pretty ok with most of it but the last double looked tricky and not many people met it on the right stride. Alice told me to square it off and it rode like a dream. We went clear and I was pretty pleased with the round.

By the time we came to XC we were in our stride and it just felt great to be out Danny rode like a dream, we had a slight sticky moment  going into the water, where I nearly got jumped off and I very nearly got wet, but I regained my balance and we carried on to finish the course in style! We had oodles of time penalties but we were not riding for time as it is too early in the season to be pushing him.

We were joint 3rd after showjumping but slipped to 8th on time penalties.

Roll on Aldon Intermediate Novice!!

Many thanks to http://www.mdr-photo.co.uk for the pictures

All the motivation you need before your first event of the season

As you know I have been training hard all winter, we live on top of a hill, the weather is harsh and the wind has been incredible but we have hardly lost a days training and now my first event is a couple of days away, I am excited and motivated beyond belief, I am not expecting great things early on in the season, I just want to give my horses confident runs. This week I received this letter out of the blue from someone I have never met. I won't embarrass her by putting her name on there but I was so touched and if I ever need a confidence boost, I think I will read this.

"Hi 

I know this will probably come across as very cheesy and out of the blue but I just wanted to say how much I look up to you as a young rider trying to make their way in this tough and selective sport. Not only do I view you as a talented rider and horsewoman but I also see and appreciate your hard work and your work ethic. I remember seeing an interview of yours from fit to ride and how you said that you don't go out to competitions to win as such but see them as 'training' and believe that the results will come when the foundations are solid and have been put in place when both the rider and horse work together well on the day. I also share this view and I have always struggled with it because of how patient you have to be, I am constantly saying to myself that I must be disciplined and school all of my horses slowly and correctly in order to get results when it matters at the higher levels as our basics will be so solid and there is no point in rushing a nice young horse for the sake of a rosette at a 90 or 100 etc. I wanted to wish you the best of luck for this season and beyond and I really am rooting for you to have a great junior year as well as your young horses putting in further quality rounds at the lower levels because they seem lovely types. 
All the best fellow aspiring event rider "

Debut in British Eventing Life Magazine!

Ramping up for the season!

Training and fitness has been ramping up here at Upper Barn pre season.

Rocklodge Nasdaq (Hector) has made a very welcome return (in his brand new rug) and has settled right back in as if he never left. Mum looks forward to her cuddle with him every morning and he has come back better than ever, he is much softer and working really well. He will be ready to event by the end of March and we will start doing some dressage in the next week or so. He has now been clipped so is ready for action!


Our baby Dramatic Effect (Boo) is just fantastic, we have been out winning dressage shows, getting placed and qualifying for the British Eventing JAS finals, she is jumping clear rounds consistently. However her time back on the cross country at LMEQ was somewhat tentative, I am not worried, she is such a fast learner and next visit I know she will fly round. Cannot wait to start the season on her.


Fitness training has involved a lot of water work due to the nature of the flooding, but we have to get on with whatever weather we have, these horses have to be ready for the season. But as you can see this week the weather finally got to me and Danny and whilst it was raining and howling gales outside we hid in the stable and went to sleep!




Joe is still with us but his owner Eliza has gone off to learn to be a skiing instructor and then will go travelling later on in the year so Joe now has Megan Rogerson riding him. I am still going to compete him occasionally. He came 4th and qualified for the JAS championships with me and came 1st in his first showjumping competition with Megan. He is looking fantastic at the moment and I hope he does well at the championships at the end of February. He will do his first BE event with me at Tweseldown. We send photos to Eliza every week to keep her updated.

Danny and I are off to Junior Training this week at Aston le Walls, we have also been showjumping training with Ronnie Healy, we have a comprehensive plan for the season. He has had all his pre season vet checks, legs have been xrayed, he has been shod up to Xray and he ready to go. Our first dressage show was interesting, well to give you an idea. He and Boo were in the same class, he should have walked away with it but Boo beat him and he was barely placed! Naughty boy. Our aim next time will be to stay in the arena and contain our medium canter instead of flat out galloping down the longside!

In addition to my own horses I am still working for Carolyn Gorman, schooling the pointers, I have a few people that I teach and a couple of other horses that I ride. I have also been asked to ride for a couple of other people which I hope will start soon and when I do I will let you know who they are. (I am very excited).

Sadly I will be saying goodbye to my groom and good friend Catherine. Catherine and I have worked together for nearly a year. I will miss seeing her everyday but she will still be coming in to cover when we need her. I would like to thank Catherine for everything, come rain, wind and the little shine we have had she has been there for me.