More Pictures from Milton Keynes

Architpe - Owned and ridden by Jordan Daniells.

But on this occasion and a few others ridden by myself whilst exams are on.

Both horses are based at my competition yard and both of the girls have lessons with me.

Ballycullane Dundee- Owned and ridden by Taylor Daniells

Again I am riding him on this occasion whilst there are exams .

26th April- Milton Keynes PN Plus

Back into the truck again, and thankfully a later start than normal and not too much of a trek to get there!!

Everything packed into Julie Daniells lorry along with her daughters two horses, Ballycullane Dundee and Architype, and my Cresslough.

The dressage went well on all three horses, despite only realising a couple of days before the Pre Nov plus had one of the most difficult Novice dressage tests possible. Rein back and counter canter... what were the babies going to think!

A crash course in rein back went much better than i anticipated and they all picked it up really well considering! Likewise for the counter canter, all three horses managed to complete this movement on both reins without changing and coming out of the arena!

Ballycullane Dundee did an accurate test, and hollowed slightly in the rein back, just needing to work on his 'Elevation' to score the higher marks.

Architype also kept his cool in the test especially when being asked to do some particularly difficult movements. His rein back was better but he just needs to seek the rein out a little bit more and avoid coming too tight in his neck in the canter.

Creeslough also did a calm test his rein back needs some work but he did it well considering it was the first attempt that morning- Although we did have a little practise the night before, stood in the middle of the yard with me on the floor continuously saying "Back..back...back" whilst attempting to push him backwards. It wasn't quite the same when i was actually sat on him!

The Show Jumping was bigger than normal pre-novices as it was a PLUS. so it had a combination of novice fences aswell. All the horses jumped well, Ballycullane Dundee and Architype both jumped clear and Creeslough just had the one down.

The XC course was nice and had a combination of new fences with the old. A particularly difficult double of boxes four fences from home that didn't jump all that well for some horses.

All three horses jumped round clear inside the time, leaving Ballycullane Dundee to finish 8th , and Architype finishing 10th. Sadly the pole down for Creeslough was expensive and put him out of the placings.

The dressage marks were rather odd in the section- the judging was particularly harsh in the morning with some people scoring 50 plus, later on in the day the marks were much lower. Although i thought all three horses should have had marks in the 30's they were in fact the 40's. Personal judgement i suppose but we were all pleased with there tests and that's what matters.

24th/25th April- Withington Manor

SATURDAY - A great performance from Pembrey Perzaz today.

The lovely track in the Cotswold proved challenging on stamina and boldness for the horses. The ground was good considering the lack of rain.

Pembrey Perzaz did a fantastic dressage scoring 32, Then jumped a great double clear although we got quite a few time faults due to me taking her a little steadier as she has run twice in close succession this put us into 12th place. We were all very pleased with her and she is well set up for the Intermediate at Hambleden after doing double clear on the last 3 outings!

Divilabit and BonneAmie both have done their day before dressage today, Bonne Amie did a rather bouncy and extravagant test with a couple of mistakes to score 40.
Divilabit did an accurate test with consistent shoulder In's and good counter canters to score 35.

SUNDAY-

Bonne Amie was brilliant today and jumped fantastic, although the ground was rather slippy following the small amount of rain we had this morning, this didn't bother her and she jumped clear, She kept up the good performance in the XC and also jumped clear, She jumped the rail with step very well, this fence i was a little concerned about as the step was extremely close to the rail, a short bounce stride which i was concerned she would jump all in one! As she has such a big jump and would find it easy.

Divilabit didn't cope quite so well with the slippy going and slid into a rather large double of spreads, He then had one down after this. He jumped well enough but was just a bit green at times.
XC he was rather keen and took everything on despite a corner on top of the hill, which took him rather by surprise and he had a run out early on in the course. He then jumped the rest of the course with ultimate boldness resulting in a decision to change the bitting for the XC phase.

20th April - Sapey in the sun!

Yet another early start, this time a 5am driving out the gates!

Tell me about it was doing his first Novice, Pembrey Perzaz having another novice run before Withington and later on Hambleden intermediate. And the two babies getting some more experience around a Pre-Novice track.

Defiantly some major improvements made to the course this year, slightly changed route to previous as we ran up the hill on the XC for a 2nd time before finishing. Both courses were fully up too height and asked so good questions to the less experienced, aswell as being a challenging track for those nappy ones and the horses that would rather stand by the lorry.
The Show jumping was the usual spooky but not too huge and the dressage in its usual place.

Pembrey Perzaz did a pleasing test but didn't get the greatest mark, she really excels in the tests with harder movements, she then jumped another double clear and finished just out of the placings.

Tell Me About it, did a really nice test scoring 39 which we thought was a little harsh although not truly established in his medium trots or extended canters he went well.
Having a slight play with bitting early on in the week proved that for the show jumping we need something a little stronger, getting extremely keen and the bigger height not seeming to both him in the slightest, he had three rails down due to getting a little bit onward!
XC he was a complete machine, despite being held on the course he quickly picked back up into a good rhythm to go clear, as he took on ever fence with boldness, he gave me a great ride.

Now to the babies...didn't they do well! a very spooky course for them.

Argentinus did a consistent dressage scoring 31 and lots of 8's! then going double clear and just picking up 1.6 time. He felt like a pro and didn't seem to look at anything.

Creeslough did a nice test but not such a great mark as before, then jumping well in the show jumping with one small blip at fence 3 a spooky filler which had been the boogie fence all afternoon. Picking up 5 in the SJ, Then certainly making up for that in the XC going clear over some very scary things some of which he hadn't jumped before!

Very pleased with all of them today, and i feel they have really learnt from their experiences.

11th April - Highs and Lows of Eventing - Weston Park

It really does just show how character building Eventing can be.
Last October Double clear with both Bonne Amie and Divilabit in the CCI** - Pretty much the same track as Weston Advanced in April.

I had both horses in the Intermediate, Divilabit did his usual accurate but not particularly flashy test which we all felt was rather harshly larked with a 44, He then show jumped well having 2 down on the particularly testing course, which had been causing many problems then XC he had a silly run out at the stream crossing, the furthest part of the course, we were faced with two corners the first set just back from the brow of a down ward slope and the second part set on the top of the incline after a stream crossing.
There was quite a few people stood here when i came to the fence which distracted Divilabit - as he is rather nosey and finds it hard to concentrate so early on in the season, anyway he jumped the first part well and spooked when running through the stream and completely misjudged where the second corner was, knocking the flag down and running by it, So we then went to the alternative which he flew and went onto complete the course well. But sadly picked up 20 for that fault.

Bonne Amie did a very promising dressage test which we were all really pleased with, she stayed calm and performed all the movements, she scored a 37 which we were pleased with and was a vast improvement on Gatcombe!
Next to her show jumping - Didn't she ping! the little rubber ball jumped very well on what was beginning to get sticky going, She had one down that she just tipped and jumped fantastically.
XC she was going well, taking everything in her stride and jumped well down the log drop to the corner and over to the carrot box, Sadly at the sunken round we came unstuck, going to take off she saw the step at the last minute and really backed off, then tried to jump in slow motion and left a leg and we both fell, thankfully Bo was fine and completely un fazed by what had happened.

Her first fault on her record in a long time, but i guess it was just one of those things that we have to learn from.

Withington here we come..

9th April- A fantastic Training session with Lucinda Green

Today we went to Boomerang for the first time XC schooling, We took Divilabit, Pembrey Perzaz and Architype, a new horse bought for Jordan Daniels to compete.

Lucinda Green met us there and was going to see me on all 3 horses and give me tuition with the 3 of them.

The first horse i rode was Divilabit - Rather excited to be out he pranced around and took a while to settle , everything was very exciting for him!

Lucinda started the session with an accuracy and focus exercise getting us to use more leg and less hand to negotiate 6 skinny narrow poles on blocks. these started on a circle then were moved onto a straight line, the distance was not measured and what ever stride you had, you had to deal with it.

Divilabit found this quite easy when he got the hand of things, locking on to each jump.

We then moved on to some real XC in particular ditches and trakeners. I was told a number of exercises of keeping a secure seat and allowing the horse to work it out for them selves.

towards the end of the session i put a course together around the spooky track, which involved plenty of steps, ditches and water.

Divilabit jumped brilliantly and found it much easier to concentrate when a course faced him, Jumping plenty of skinnys and spooky fences.

Next i rode Architype, a 6yo gelding. He has a bit of a freight from the ditch at Portman last week so our main objective was to practise these. We began the session exactly the same, with the skinnys and the odd striding which he coped extremely well with, The more challenge he had the better he worked.

We then moved onto the ditches where he put up a bit of an argument but then gave in and completed all the exercises well, He then did a course and jumped most of the bigger jumps that i had already done before. He showed endless scope and ability and we were all very pleased.

Lastly i jumped Phoebe, She found the first exercise particularly hard as sometimes gets over keen and thinks she knows best when she doesn't!!! Soon she began to realise it would be a good idea to listen to me and life would be alot easier.

I ended her session by jumping round a course and she really did show her true scope and boldness! she was accurate and keen yet still manageable.

It was a very good days training and all the horses went well.

6th April - Portman with 4 PN babies!

A rather early start for us this morning, the 3 horses going from our yard all dressed and ready to go and we drove out just after 3.30 this morning! Lovely!

Argentinus, Tell Me About It and Creeslough off to contend their 2nd event of the season, and for some their 2nd event ever!!

New horse Architype owned by Jordann Daniells was also doing the Pre Nov with me.

All four horses did sub 35 dressage tests, Argentinus and Creeslough did their personal bests!

Going into the SJ with strong positions, Creeslough jumped a clear, Argentinus had one rail down through lack of balance and over enthusiasm. Tell Me About It, jumped another clear round and made nothing of the rather sticky ground.
Architype had two rails down, but everyone was pleased with how he jumped.

On to the XC, A lovely course that asked its questions. First out was Creeslough- After a rather interesting start at the first fences, negotiating the photographer and a small child playing beside the fence throwing some toy, Creeslough thought this was a little out of the ordinary and was very spooky and too busy looking at the child rather than the fence meant we had a stop, Turning his round to re present rather a FATAL rider error of jumping in fact the Novice hedge! whoops. thankfully the fences judges didn't notice untill the end of the course.
He then jumped well around the rest of the course but sadly we were eliminated.

Tell me about it, Flew round the course, rather strong today so a change in brakes is needed, something up from a snaffel now, Especially before his Novice at Sapey.

Argentinus was on top form for the XC today jumping a beautiful clear making nothing of the track, He was bold and confident and loved it!

Architype didn't want to play at the 7th fence today, so back to some XC schooling before Jordan takes him to Eland Lodge, Where i am sure he will be fine!

2nd April - Burnham Market - Cheeky 2*horse round a novice track and a great D/C from the little mare.

Rather a wet trek up to Norfolk, Doubtfull that it would be running after the rain we had during the week prior to the event. We arrived at Burnham Market with Pembrey Perzaz and Divilabit who took the place of Rising Midnight on this occasion.

The ground was holding up surprisingly well and as always a lovely atmosphere at the event normally i would be here doing the Advanced or 3 star which i have done on many occasions with Cavort.

Divilabit was first to go in his run round the Novice, for a bit of fun for the both of us. Rather above himself and being a little cheeky. He did an average test and jumped a lovely clear SJ,

XC he was rather full of himself and didn't always have his brain in gear which showed when he had a silly stop going into the dew pond water, thinking that the small log in, was not worth concentrating for! Naughty Pony!!! But he had fun!

Pembrey Perzaz went very well, she did a pleasingly test with just one or two mistakes but genuinely worked very well. She then jumped a great double clear and finished up 6th. A fantastic result for her first run of the season.

28th March- Rather a challenging time at Gatcombe

After having rather a tough time in the build to Gatcombe, not helped by a rather sore leg from a fall i had on the Wednesday before the weekend. I had been taken off in an Air Ambulance with a suspect broken Fema - Thankfully nothing broken meant i could go ahead and compete the 4 horses on the Sunday at Gatcombe.
After two dressage lessons with my trainer Rhett Bird - on Divilabit and Creeslough i thought i would be OK to compete.

All the horses went well in the dressage, Bonnie Amie did her first advanced dressage test which was lets just say...interesting, she just about kept a lid on it... after a few disagreements and airs above the ground.
Chilean Boy did a lovely test and got one of his best marks to date. The test flowed and his movement has really improved. His shoulder in still needs more work for the higher marks.
Rising Midnight did a pleasing test although not as good as the one from Twesedown, a little bit unsettled at times in the contact. but still scored 32.
Divilabit, did his usual accurate test, his shoulder In's were of consistent angle and his simple changes were nice. He is not a big moving horse and really struggles with the medium trot which was where he lost his marks.

On to the show jumping, Chilean Boy jumped fantastically having only one rail down which was a real shame. He feels on top form and couldn't have jumped better.
Rising Midnight had two down but jumped well, and our partnership is ever getting stronger.
Divilabit also had two down, a little bit keen, and flattened over a couple.
Lastly Bonne Amie in the AI section had three down but couldn't have tried harder. Rather excited to be out again she just covered up too much ground in the combinations, which is something i have been working on maintaining, rather exuberant at times it makes the distances rather hard to ride.

Sadly XC, my leg began to hurt which meant i could not ride the horses to my full ability so i pulled up on rising Midnight after a couple of stops which was unlike him, i also pulled up part way round on Chilean Boy, I then decided to withdraw the other horses and save them for another day.