Felbridge May 2022

It seems as though we are constantly at a show at the moment, but whilst you can train and train, the best way to get truly competent in the ring is to get in the ring! All three horses are now qualified for the Newcomers Second Rounds, so I am going to have a proper crack at these for the first time for 11 years, starting at Wales & West on 20th May. To this end we need to up our game and all four of us need to get sharper in the ring!

Felbridge manages to up its game every time we visit. The new arena has lovely modern fences and we had two days of courses built by Ben Townley, who is a fantastic course builder. There's a new seating area round the new ring now, and some super swanky plans coming too.

On Saturday I had three horses in a Foxhunter with only 35 entries (April & Mark were truly fantastic helpers, but actually it was a demented idea - all mine!) Arietta was first to go, so I had plenty of time to warm her up, and the collecting ring was quiet. She jumped a really lovely clear, I rode disappointingly to the last - but she was a star! I then didn't really have enough time to get Khalissy going well on the flat before jumping her, and saw a wickedly long one to the first fence, which made for a rather wild round and two down. Askeaton jumped last, and went beautifully, albeit for one down, which is most unlike her.

As there were less entries on Sunday, I moved Khalissy to the Newcomers, she jumped a really lovely clear round, so I felt the day was off to a great start! Not entirely right! Askeaton jumped early in the Foxhunter, a lovely round again for one down - making the point that she's not actually a machine. I had plenty of time to warm up Arietta, who, given that this was her third show in 5 days, was incredibly fresh. She jumped the first fence well, was incensed that I tried to fit in the correct number of strides to the second, and saw it at the last minute, spooked massively and stopped! She then actually jumped round well, but was a little bit strong accounting for one more rail. I was a little bit disappointed, as it's a bit two step forwards, three steps back with her at the moment. But she's lovely, and big and green, and probably fitter than she's ever been in her life, and I just have to work harder to get the keys to her properly.

We had a nice quiet Bank Holiday Monday, and the horses have been to the treadmill at Toad Hall Farm today, so hopefully we've all eased out any tired muscles and are ready to get working again.