Keysoe Winter Classic and CSI show.

After Aintree, we cracked on with Keysoe Winter Classic which was a fantastic show for me !! 

The hi-light of my week was History, not only jumping double clear but we came 7th !!!! I was thrilled, especially after the disappointment at Aintree. I’m not happy if I can’t stick to my original plans. 

We also took 3 of the young horses, they also jumped brilliantly with both Cornet Royale PS and Messengers Blue PS double clear and placed both days. I feel that the winter classics helps the progression of the young horses as there is a bit more of an atmosphere to a normal show. It’s good for them to practice at these shows. For me it’s more about jumping nice clears than winning classes. 

Jabrun LVP was clear in the fox and placed, we also stepped him up to the Winter Grade C which was a 130cms class and he jumped super bar one unlucky fence down.

This show has given me a nice base line on what I want to work towards, my main thing is the readability, particularly Jabrun and Messengers Blue. I need to work on getting Cornet Royale more relaxed in the ring. 

After this show we managed to get a training day with Corinne Bracken at Wellington. This was a very beneficial. We worked loads on the flat with transitions, especially for Jabrun and Viva Blue Resort, to get the hind leg under them more. Trot to halt, halt to trot. Canter to trot then working with a big canter and collecting it to a shorter one but with your body as your aid and less of your hand. This really helped as I then found jumping Jabrun a lot easier. 

After a great training session I had time to beaver away at home before heading to the CSI show at Keysoe. This is a show run under international rules. I planned to jump the young horses in the age classes then to potentially jump my first Longines Ranking Class on History. 

Both Messengers Blue and Jabrun jumped the age classes. They were fantastic producing consistent clears and being placed. 

Unfortunately due to the rules Cornet Royale had to jump the CSI**, you can only have 2 young horses in the section. 

However this didn’t worry her, she jumped a super clear on day one and then even stepped up to 125 on day two and was clear again. 

History jumped the first day as a schooling round before jumping the Rankings class. This class is 145cms, he jumped super all the way round to have the penultimate fence which was the last part of a combination. Unfortunately we just made a bit too much ground in the middle, he was jumping so big which resulted in him having the third element down. 

However I couldn’t of asked for more!! Its so rewarding producing your own horses, I love the feeling you get when you have them exactly where you want them! 

I’m still ecstatic from our achievement. 

Still the hard work continues, we plan for a few more winter classics and hopefully in the new year maybe another crack at the Rankings Class. 

After the International show it was a great time to crack on with the babies !

We started 4yr old Hugo and have found out he is a little stubborn. Luckily he’s a super jumper. We are riding round the school …. Of sorts and have now popped a couple of fences ! 

The other 4yr old, Arlo, is taking a little longer. He likes to think he is a racehorse so when he is scared he takes off like a Ferrari!! We decided we needed a little more help with him so we have Abbie Jackson coming in to ride him, she is doing an amazing job, she has him walk, trotting and cantering round our small sand pen. This is a massive achievement, hopefully in the new year we will have him out in the arena and popping a few fences! Can’t wait to see what he does ! 

«