Bonne Amie and Divilabit would have made Cavort proud at Blenheim!

What more could i have asked of Bonne Amie and Divilabit at Blenheim - apart from the obvious!



The weekend of Blenheim went well and the two horses proved that they are real 3 star horses now, and just need polishing over the winter ready for a competitive 2011 season and i am so excited!



Bonne Amie was rather unsettled for the beginning which became apparent in her dressage the phases that she struggles most with. Felling rather tense in the build up and finding the zig zag half pass a real challenge and hard to get her head round.

In past tests with the more straightforward movements that in the past she found hard, she has been much more settled as they now come much easier for her.

After a winters "half pass" training we will crack it!

As a result she was rather on edge for her test along with the atmosphere it all got a bit much, still getting a qualifying result but not the mark i was hoping for.



Divilabit much more chilled and rose to the occasion, a little too much when he buck in both of his changes which he usually finds very easy! There were a few mistakes which were to be expected with both horses so young and newly upgraded but i was pleased to even be there!



The cross country was nice, flowing and bold and very well built. The hills in the course i knew would take its effect on some horses so i was expecting to have to ride them every inch of the way.

But first was the show jumping on Saturday afternoon. After an eventful XC day for the CCI competitors its was the CIC 8/9 yo show jumping in the main arena that kept plenty of the public in to watch.



Bonne Amie was first to jump and as usual she performed to the crowd, loving every minute of showing off and clearing some fences by feet, Sadly she had the first part of the triple down, which had been the particular fence to be causing trouble.



Divilabit also show jumped his best, feeling confident and not at all phased by the height he had just two down on the tricky course.



After walking the XC again I was happy with the lines i would be taking, and Lucinda (green) was a great help with this.



Going in reverse order meant that Divilabit was the first of my two rides, He felt brilliant warming up and i was hoping this were to continue.. which it did! He took on the track like it was a Novice, taking me into everything even fence 6.. The massive Open ditch hedge! and wow how he jumped it!

He was accurate through the dew pound and foot perfect in the arena, We were up on the clock and he felt amazing!

Towards the end of the course after a number of tricky jumps and hills, he was still going well.

At the last combination i played save, being the second last from home i didn't was a silly mistake, still taking the direct route.. the only choice i had he flew through and before i knew it, we were home! Just incurring 14 time faults i couldn't have been happier!



A quick change over to Bonne Amie and she too warmed up well, a little on the lively side after riding Divilabit but that's how she jumps her best!

She too taking on the fences as if she had done it all before, some times thinking she knew best!!

Again making it a fantastic round with little errors of misjudgements it couldn't have felt better. She was speedy through the main arena and bold into the water, making nothing of the hills. Again coming to the last combination i took plenty of time to set her up as she bounced through and out, I has pushed her much more over this track than at Hartpury as 3star fences were no longer new to her and she just kept jumping out of her rhythm finishing with few time faults.



An amazing weekend and two amazing horses that i am very lucky have! bring on 2011!

Bad luck ponies - look forward to hard core dressage over the winter!

Thank you so much to everyone for their help and support, Mum for turning them out in tip top condition and Jordan Daniells (my working pupil)for all her help over the days i was there as well as in the build up to it!

Amazing!