Check out the latest update from one of our fantastic sponsored riders, Sarah Gadd. Photo Credit: Ultimate Images
“Just wanted to give you a quick results update after a very busy weekend at Firle Place International Horse Trials with both horses competing. It was my last chance to try and qualify for the Lycetts Young Horse Championships with Milli and although we didn’t qualify I am so pleased with how she has gone this year considering her young age.
We got a dressage of 31.5 and then jumped a super clear SJ, just as the rain started. By the time we changed clothes and boots it was chucking it down! Milli didn’t seem to mind and she jumped a great round, going straight over all the difficult fences and jumping into the water, which s something she hasn’t done before! However we were caught out a fence 9, a simple log fence with a tight turn on landing as after the tight turn there was a field full of black and brown cows which Milli thought were obviously going to eat her! Bless her.
Although I am disappointed that we didn’t qualify this year, I am so pleased with how well she has evented, especially as she is my first home bred event horse that I have produced from scratch myself! Roll on 2013……….
I had hoped to get Roxie entered into the 1* at Firle but the closed the 1* entries early resulting in there only being spaces left in the Novice sections. Roxie travelled to the event really well, and was much more settled when we arrived and warmed up for the dressage really well. She continued to stay calm and performed a lovely test to score 34….5th after dressage in a big arena! GREAT 🙂
She then jumped a super round SJ, partly due to the purchase of a new SJ saddle purchased last week. She stayed in a lovely rhythm all the way around and all the grid work exercises I have been doing over verticals has made her much neater over the fences. Unfortunately we finished with 8 faults as she didn’t jump wide enough of fence 10a, taking the back rail down and the rushing slightly so tapping 10c as well…..how annoying! A lovely round turned into 8 faults at the last fence!
Anyway, now for the XC and after her being slightly too enthusiastic at Chilham I decided I would let her run at her own speed but not push her too fast as she tends to get a big adrenaline rush and not listen then! She was very polite and made the course feel easy and we took all the direct routes everywhere.
When I went to the score board I saw we got 6 time faults for going too fast…..it didn’t feel fast but where she was very polite and didn’t waste any time preparing for the fences as opposed to her fighting with me at previous events! I think sorting her hormones out with the FriskyMare plus has worked amazing results and I can’t thank Global Herbs enough for making such a fantastic supplement!
This was a great run for both horses and Roxie and I are definitely ready to take the LEAP up to Intermediate level…..how exciting! We are out net weekend at Goring Heath for the Intermediate Novice so a last chance to practice Intermediate dressage and SJ before we make our Intermediate debut at South of England in a few weeks time :)”
Follow Sarah on Twitter @sarahgadd
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