Wellington!!

Saturday BE 100
3am in the morning is not a time for getting up but with all the horses to do before we left at 4.30am we were left with little choice. As it happens the 4am starts of the previous events stood us in good stead and we all woke up at 3am no problem and we  were actually on the road for 4,15am - a first!

It was a day of beautiful moments and moments of pure naughtiness from Hector and Arabella.
Hector's dressage was not as good as it can be which was annoying but that's Hector boy he can be absolutely brilliant in his dressage or a right pickle and will just spook and canter just cos he can, I think it is to stop be getting complacent! So it wasn't a brilliant mark 38.
But this  gorgeous boy always tries to redeem himself in the jumping and he did a fab double clear, couldn't have faulted him, his xc round was spot on, it was causing so many problems but not for Hectorrrr! What a clever man, I wanted to pop him over a few Intermediate xc fences he felt that good!
Arabella was just as cheeky in the dressage, I had her until I asked for a canter and she leaped forwards and slightly took off with me on the circle, I did have to try hold back my laughter, she then proceeded to buck when she could and she wouldn't walk, she kept jogging and then in the trot she kept doing medium trot, so errrrr her score was something else ...cough...48...cough... Oooppppps
She wasn't any different in the SJ, the warm up, well I cleared the whole place, she took to bronking, bolting and spinning, it was hilarious, such a naughty girly! So she went in the ring and wanted to do anything else but concentrate so we had a silly pole.
But once again she definitely redeemed herself in the xc and did an awesome clear, absolutely  fab, it was such a stiff course and I do sometimes forget Arabella is only 5yo but she didn't half rise to the challenge! Fabulous horse!!!!!

Sunday - Intermediate finallllyyyy!
It was Danny and my fist intermediate and I was so nervous!!
Our dressage was an average test, I did not realise how unfit I had become in a test situation, having not done many tests in sitting trot for a while, it was so tiring! But Danny was a good boy, he found it very boring but I was still pleased with our mark... 35.
We then went to walk the cross country course with Pippa Hawksfield who came to watch me and help and Georgie Wood who was also competing in the Intermediate. I was feeling quite confident walking round the course until we came to one combination... It walked slightly odd on the striding and was on a tricky line, so we asked the fence judge how it was riding in which she replied, ' I would tell you but no-one has actually got to this point' Georgie and I had a little laugh turned to our mums who were a lovely shade of white!
Anyway we finished walking the course and I was feeling very excited and up for it.
The show jumping was big, mums heart had already stopped slightly at the xc but then she saw the SJ and dad had to hold her up.
I was feeling nervous about the SJ because Danny is so tricky to ride in the SJ he gets very bold and jumps absolute massive which makes the distances shorter.
He jumped well but he was very tricky for the first 4 fences being the complete opposite and backing off everything, he is such a monkey! But I managed to get our act together and finish the round with a lot more fluency and style. So we ended  up having 8 faults.
Cross Crountry now this was what I was looking forward to, he is a machine cross country, I just have to try keep a lid on his over excitedness cause he has been known to take out strides when I don't want him too and if any of you saw his round in the olympics its not just me he does it to! But he was absolutely spot on, strong but so awesome, I couldn't have asked for a bertter first Intermediate, lots to like and lots to learn from!!?

Thank you to Carolyn, George, Pippa, Lisa and Paul who came to help and supported me!!