Despite being abandoned on the Saturday, Bradwall was able to run on the Sunday and actually the ground held up really well. I had both Percy and Florence in the Open BE100, this was because they didn't have normal BE100 sections running on the Sunday but I'd got Cherry and Dudley entered there on the Saturday and can only take two at a time. Florence had a mixed day, she did a very accurate sweet test for 33, jumped the most fabulous clear Showjumping but had a couple of stops Xc. I think her run at Stafford has knocked her confidence. She was going really well but had a moments wobble at fences 9 & 10 but then really got going and flew home. I hope she has got over it after finishing so well. Percy was slightly on the bright side, he is capable of a really nice test but felt a little bit like he was about to pop. He got 33.5. He then jumped a rather exuberant Showjumping round but was clear and then cross country he was awesome. Very bold and eats up the ground. He finished 9th. :-)
Well after a 3.45am start this morning, mucking out 6, working 2, fetching 2 in and putting 3 out, at 6 o'clock Annie and I set off for Bradwall Horse Trials with Dudley and Cherry. We got as far as Nantwich when we had a text to say it had been abandoned due to heavy overnight rain. So about turn to sulk at home. Over coffee we discussed what we could do instead, when we had a phone call off fellow supporter Nicola telling us to get her horse in, we were all off showing!!!!! So we loaded back up and headed to Tushingham Arena. I took Dudley in the Retraining of Racehorses class for 3rd place. He then did the last of the Training Working Hunter classes for 2nd, having jumped a super clear round. We were beaten my Nicola on Mr Gus. Next it was Cherry's turn in the Novice Working Hunter. She was impeccable. Jumped a super clear and did a lovely show with a fantastic gallop up for 1st place. Not bad considering we don't do showing but it does make you think we could have had an equally as good day eventing :-( Frankie and I have been on a huge adventure over the last 12 days. It all started up at Somerford Park. I hadn't entered any earlier events as I had been invited to a European CIC** Eventing Team Training and Selection Day, which I thought it was worth me attending before I started my season, I didn't want to run the risk of having a little knock or something similar and not be able to attend. But I had entered Kelsall Hill Intermdiate, which was 5 days after the training day. So I had to prep him ready for that which included what was supposed to be a nice cross country schooling session, 6 days before the training day. So off we set one morning for Somerford Park. They have an amazing selection of fences there, its like eventer's paradise. Frankie was on flying form. pinging everything I asked him to. We did all the massive, bold fences and all the technical ones. There were just two left which I wanted to pop over and on route I decided to canter through one of the water jumps, this is where it all went wrong. We slowly cantered into the water, only for Frankie to loose his footing and gambol over, followed my me. It was a terrible shock for both of us. We were soaked from head to tail. I was gutted for Frankie because he hadn't put a foot wrong all morning. He had nasty grazes on both knees and I had a graze on my face and a nasty lump. Off we headed home, Frankie with water in his ears, me in soggy wet underwear with no change of clothes. |
Bonnie FishburnAmateur event rider Archives
August 2022
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