Floors Castle Horse Trials
Floors Castle Horse Trials
Floors CIC 1*
Saturday, 16 May 2015
What a fantastic few days getting to experience my first international competition. Classy was as always, fabulous and deserves a gold medal.
Arrived on Thursday morning to walk the XC, after 5 fences I realised I was walking the wrong one (thankfully!) and finally walked the correct course! The course looked fun, up to height, and fences were placed on making use of the undulating ground at Floors Castle.
tacked up and headed up to dressage to meet the FEI vet team, handed my passport over, and trotted up then went to warm up. I was in awe watching the pro's warming up around me and should have spent a bit longer going through my test - can you over learn a test? I think so, I managed to miss the last 20m half circle in counter canter. Idiot rider!! Anyway we still had fun, Classy loves every minute of being at an event!
Headed over the the overnight stabling provided by Floors - due to the race course being full we stayed at a lovely place (thank you Penny) and Classy had an enormous stable! The sun was splitting the skies yesterday morning and as we had a leisurely start, the Eventadors had a great walk around the field and Classy had a good pick at grass with the sun on his back.
On arrival the event was in full swing, and we walked the cross country once more to make sure I knew it properly. Headed over to SJ warm up and popped a lovely round, but I made an error in the related distance from the triple bar to have a pole, and the last two fences (planks and combination) to come out with 16 faults.
Tacked up for cross country and headed off to XC warm up. Watching Oliver Townened warming up making full use of the position of the warm up fences, and having a chat with him about a couple of fences on course, I set off to the start box. The usualy 5-4-3-2-1 and we were off. I need not have worried that Classy wasn't fit enough, he flew round jumping fences on angles, and popping through tricky lines to come home clear, picking up only 1.6 time faults (my fault for missing a minute marker).
We both came home grinning I think, and with a qualifying score to use towards qualifying for Hopetoun CCI1*.
Love Classy, such a dude
Photo credit - Grossick Photography and my hubby (dressage pic)
Following on from a good run at Dalkeith and Warwick Hall, we decided to try a 1* international!
I must thank my sponsors for their support!
Grossick Photography for always being there and for taking awesome photos!
Ranshaw WOW saddles - my position is improving!
Borders Chartered Vet Physio - for keeping and eye on myself and Classy
Murray Farmcare for their support of our season by providing Classy with feed.