Frankly Amazing strutting his stuff to get a massive 81.55% 😍😍
Rosie strutting her stuff at the Home international Advanced 105 😍😍
Rosie
Great to be back out competing again even if it was sweltering hot. Elliott was really struggling in the heat, especially in his music test but came away with two scores a fraction under 68% with quite a lot of mistakes. Rosie was really chilled and won the advanced medium with 70.68% and then won the music with 73.33%, fingers crossed she can keep up the good work and chilled nature for the National Championships next week. Thanks to Jess for doing a good job trying to keep us all cool and videoing their tests 😊
Firefly III
Another successful day at Topthorn with my lovely young homebred mare Firefly. She is gaining more confidence at competitions enabling her to really start to move more freely. She is super consistent with another two plus 69% scores, just losing concentration or having a baby wobble a couple of times. Such an easy temperament taking everything in her stride.
One time changes
A fab training session Hayley Watson-Greaves - WG Dressage Rosie learning her one time changes for the first time. We had great fun with "flip flops" and even managed a "flip flop flip" at the end 🤣🤣 volume up for a laugh.
Rosie is such a superstar doing them first time I asked
Keysoe regionals
Regionals over, not our best competition unfortunately but that’s my fault for going on holiday right before so not giving them the best preparation. Rosie who is normally hyper and a bit of a stress head at competitions was asleep, even standing still beside the lorry (unheard of), possibly because she got dragged out of the field at 3.45am so hadn’t had her beauty sleep. She went in first and did a polished test in the medium with no real mistakes but just lacked the power and expression needed against some really super horses. On the positive side she did allow me to ride her and was very settled. She finished 11th out of 42 and with only 1% between 5th and 11th place, it was so very close, I was still proud of my homebred, home produced mare.
Sparky was really not on form and his usual happy self, not sure why as he had felt ok, even if not his best the week before so will see how he goes over the next few weeks. I then worked to sharpen Rosie up for the advanced medium but unfortunately overdid it and had a bit too much energy, pleased that she did all her changes well though.
Thanks to Ruth Hole who got up at silly o’clock to get them both looking super smart and my mum for supporting me and Jess at home looking after everyone.
Now to work them both towards the Music Championships in a couple of weeks and we’ll hopefully get back into competition mode.
Homebreds
So proud of Elliott (Dynamic Justice), my half Welsh boy. He finally relaxed and went forward in a test, still a couple of costly breaks in the canter when he was distracted and tension in the walk still but plenty of 8's and a win on 68.6%. Starmaker was his usual happy self, not his best music but a good Medium test and win on 69%
Great, well run competition as always at Easton and Otley College Equestrian Centre
Firefly
Another super homebred starting out. In the gales the week before last we took Firefly to Boyton Hall for only her second outing from the yard. She was foot perfect, at times the wind was so strong I couldn't hold the camera still 🤭 For those that followed Flammenbob she is his full sister by Flammengold out of Mystic Mayfly and she obviously has his unflappable temperament. The first test she gave the white boards and flowers a wide berth as they were very scary but in the second test she was a pro and finished first on 68+% so very happy but also so pleased with how she coped in such strong winds, She was given lots of confidence from First Choice Dressage's groom and rider of our youngsters Ruth Hole 😊
My ride Elliott, Dynamic Justice, also went well in a strange place a few mistakes in both tests, in the second test the markers actually blew over!! Scoring 66% and 68% and two wins. It was great to also see Flammenbob doing well out competing after selling him last Spring
