"Although I have worked hard for this and really believed I could do it, when the decision was finally made and I was told I had made the squad it took a while for it to sink in!"
After the U18 championships it was back to reality I only had a couple of days to get used to the new horse on the yard Peanut and then we were off to Tweseldown with four, Peanut, Boo, Arabella and Hector. It was a Hectic day helped enormously by Emily Bennett who is Ken Spencers groom
and Lisa Sparrowhawk who as well as being a good friend is an Equestrian NLP Performance Coach (handy)!! We had a great day some average results but Boo got placed and all the others ran well.
A week later we were off to Nunney International Horse Trials with Hector and Arabella, they ran brilliantly coming in at 6th and 7th within 1.5 points of each other. It was Arabella's first Novice and she did a stunning double clear. I will never forget the shock and disbelief of the tragedy that happened very shortly after I had finished and what a tragic day it turned out to be for the eventing world.
Rackham was next up for Boo and Peanut. We moved Boo up to the 100, she was so bold xc, got confused at the sunken road but went second time but took the one strides as bounces and generally gave stewards and commentators heart failure. This was mine and peanut's second event and we had had a couple of weeks to get to know each other resulting in a 29 and a double clear for 5th place.
Eridge the week after and another double clear for Peanut and another top ten placing, Boo was also really good. Her 40 penalty points xc were purely from the fact she over jumped and I didn't want to haul her round to the second part of the jump, we circled and approached it properly.
Barbury International was our next port of call with Danny, it was the final selection trial before the long list. What a fantastic event. Michael and Lisa came from MDR photo and captured the whole day on film. Danny felt on top form, Antonia Brown warmed me in for dressage and showjumping. Danny's dressage was just brilliant, rider error in the show jumping meant that Danny had to take over for a bit but he got us clear and then he did a beautiful clear xc in the time. It was an exciting finish and we ended up in third place. Absolutely over the moon. We didn't stay for the party, I knew I had 2 competing in two days time and wanted to get back to ride them. But next year.....
Here is the video of all three phases
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIuKhNw6pw4
On the Monday we received a letter from the Head of Selectors inviting me and Danny on to the long list for the Junior GB team.
On the Tuesday I was back at Tweseldown in the Novice with Arabella and Hector, Arabella did another beautiful double clear for a top ten placing. Hector did the most beautiful dressage and then the heavens opened and an hour and half later we had completely different ground, poor Hector slipped everywhere and rolled a few poles I decided not to take him xc as I didn't want to shake his confidence as he had been running so well.
The end of that week we were running at Brightling - huge thank you to Brightling and in particular Sarah Hayter, we put Hector on the wait list for the 100 to give him a run and the morning of the event they managed to get us in. So we were now three up for Brightling. Thank you Carolyn Gorman and Ellie Thorman for all your help. Peanut had yet another top ten placing and double clear, Hector ran really well but was HC so couldn't be placed, Boo had a stop at the ditch but went second time but again was really good.
And then it was Aston le walls, Lisa Sparrowhawk came with us (thank you Lisa for getting up at 2.30am)!! First up the Novice on the Friday with Hector and Arabella. Both did brilliant dressages, but we had had a horrendous journey m40 closed, huge diversion, it was the hottest day of the year, they were exhausted when it came to the show jumping they both rolled the poles, they just could not pick up their feet, they went xc both clear but very slow. The really did try their hearts out. Back late Friday night, afternoon off Saturday and meal out in the evening to take my mind off the following day - the final GB selection trial before the final squad announcement........
Sunday arrived, we left early so that we could do the course walk with Caroline Moore. Lisa, Grandad and Michael and Lisa from MDR came too, it was great to have their support. I was very nervous before the dressage and Antonia who was warming us up kept telling me to breath, the thing is I usually leave my nerves behind when I get in the ring and that is exactly what happened. I was so pleased with the test. It is not one I can practice a lot because it is in a long arena. Danny did brilliantly, next time we need to improve the halt and the leg yielding to get even better marks. The show jumping was proving tricky for quite a few sections before us and about two thirds of my sections had poles down but yet again Danny was a pro and he did a beautiful clear we went straight back and got ready for cross country. I had decided not to ride for the time as I wanted to make sure he didn't sustain any injury or have a mistake that could take us out of contention. We did a nice forward, rhythmic clear, without overdoing it and ended up in 3rd place. Really could not have wished for a better run in our last trial. Out of 8 completed runs this year Danny has got 6 double clears.
The whole squad went to stay at a stables nearby, we had such a great evening, all the parents did a joint BBQ and we had our last supper together before the announcements the following day.
I was up at 5am (actually neither Mum or I really slept) to feed Danny, we had the trot up at 6.30am, then the physios came an looked over the horses and then the long wait. We were finally called in and told who had been selected. I knew I had had a good season with Danny, I knew we had been consistent but I still hadn't dared think that we might be selected. Such an amazing feeling, we went out a celebrated that night (I daren't tell you the time I got back)! But the very next morning (well 3 hours later) I was back out riding the other horses and focussed for our next event with them.
Europeans is 14th - 18th August Bishops Burton, Yorkshire. Before then I have team training in Nottingham, 3 horses to compete at Chilham, then I go to concentration and from there straight to the Europeans. I will be blogging for British Eventing on the run up and the actual competition and will post the links from here. So for now goodbye and see you on the other side.....
Day 1
Dressage, I was first on (obviously), to be honest I was a bit nervous, I don't usually get nervous but I think first on and felt I had a lot to prove . It was a solid test, he was much more in front of my leg and jaw was not as tense. The medium trot work could have been a bit more balanced but I was pleased and it was an improvement on Aston 2 weeks ago. So with a whole day ahead of me, we walked the course again, had lunch, a little afternoon kip and then I got back on Danny to stretch his legs. Another rider briefing, another walk of the course, this time we did our minute markers, by now I had got a bit nervous, then about 9pm Tina called, half an hour on the phone to her made me feel so much better, I promptly fell asleep straight afterwards. I know I am incredibly lucky to have someone like Tina to turn to. So another early night as I am SECOND ON. Final dressage result 46.2, 11th after the first phase. .jpg)
We got up at 6 to feed Danny and I wanted to get on at 8 to give myself a good 40 mins to warm up, all was going well until I tried to knock myself out in the lorry. Took me a few moments to recover from that, then we were off! Caroline helped me warm up and right on time 9.02 we were on our way. To say his was strong was an understatement, even though the course was not as big as some we have done, it was technical and caused a lot of problems. some of it was not pretty but we went clear inside the time. Yay! Yay! Yay! Lots of icing and washing off and walking, we satisfied the fei vet and team vet and went back to the stable. Next trot up for team vet and physio at 2.30pm went well and we spent the rest of the time in the sun, walking Danny in hand. That evening the juniors had a hog roast and we watched a film of the pony Europeans at bishop burton, which is where the junior Europeans are being held this year. Actually a really great evening, finishing with a final walk of the show jumping course, I would describe it as technical with some large fences. Final result after cross country 8th place going into final trot up.
My last blog was left on a high from Belton with Danny, he was then kicked in the shoulder by a naughty horse on a hack, which then had to be stapled, he wasn't lame but it was in an awkward place and so was on walk work for 5 days, then the following trial at Withington was cancelled and we rerouted to Bicton - IN DEVON! Danny didn't feel right in the dressage and nor in the show jumping and he was just a bit off, we didn't chance him cross country so came all the way back (7 hours as we had a blow out), it turned out to be a corn, so few more days off and then back on track with fitness for Aston Le Walls. Our dressage not amazing we got a 35 but to be honest we had been concentrating on fitness work and my lovely dressage trainer Fiona Bigwood also had a horrific accident which put a halt to any training and then a beautiful double clear, (although we nearly came a cropper at the water) coming 9th in the section and 3rd top junior there so we were over the moon.
And finally Yara who I used to ride for David Foy has had a foal, a beautiful colt called "Harry"! He is the cutest thing.....
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!
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
