I’ve been slow to start our competition season this year. Partly because everything still felt uncertain and there didn’t seem to be any hurry to dash about until I was sure that I, the horses and the team were ready. Partly because J.Donk (bless him!) generally takes an event or two to calm down at the start of a season and as I quite like having steerage I wanted to get his excitement/my brakes sorted with xc schooling before we started forking out for Affiliateds. And also, I guess, because schlepping about in the mud and the rain at those early events didn’t really appeal as Intro runs for the two 5 year olds that I was planning to present first.

That was my thinking anyway.

Reality instead saw us with two easy D/C placings at our first un/affiliated at Horseheath (JD, Elmo) and then being towed through the mud onto the Aston Le Walls lorry park with the babies during which hailstones fell, xc warm up included its own water jump practice fence, and the shrinkability/opacity of my smart Holland Cooper breeches was well tested. (@HollandCooperEquestrian came up trumps - all was well!). Luckily though the organisers ignored the weather, as did the horses who recorded D/Cs all round, and thus we were successfully, and schleppingly in spite of my planning, launched on our 2021 Season!

Since then it’s been all action….

As I write we’re just back from Houghton Hall. We had four horses competing in seven classes over the course of a fabulous five days.

5yos Tequila and Jake stalked their way through more activity/colour/people/flag’age than their recently lockdowned experience could ever have imagined and on in to the Main Arena for the Nexgen 5yo Young Event Horse class. Impressive jumping efforts from both and a placing for Jake were thrilling, but what was really interesting was the different reactions these two young horses had to their first Big Stage:

Jake - ‘What’s going on here, heeeelp Mum, TELL ME WHAT TO DOOOOO’

Tequila - ‘What’s going on here, heeeelp. MUM, EFF OFF - I KNOW WHAT TO DO’

It’s why I love youngsters; and perfectly illustrates the difference between mares and geldings!

Donk performed beautifully in the 4* Combined Training - a brilliant addition to the Houghton schedule which enabled him to have an outing, soak up the atmosphere, get his dancing shoes on and enjoy the day but without the (expensive) CCI run which our steady season start would have made more experiential than competitive.

Elmo and Donk then returned for BS classes on the Saturday - both relishing the atmosphere and the opportunity to jump big jumps on beautifully prepared grassland. One pole each over a couple of rounds but enthusiastic, good jumping which I couldn’t fault even if the scoreboard’s irksome little 4 a’piece could.

And finally Tequila (33, D/C) and Elmo (30, D/C, 3rd)returned for the Unaffiliated ODE at the end of the International. Dressage in the international arenas with full boards and shrubbery, Show Jumping in the Main Ring with banners and bunting, Cross Country intertwining through the International courses through the Park. Unbelievable experience for inexperienced horses. Thank you Houghton for laying it on - pleeeease repeat next year! In which case we’d certainly be back with the next crop of babies - and would also leap at a repeat offer of free overnight stabling ahead of the Unaffiliated Monday. What an opportunity to get youngsters used to staying away from home - without the attendant pressure of a large entry/stabling fee as well as that of performance. Hats off to the organisers - blooming brilliant idea and thank you!

Great results all round, and a happy host of sunkissed supporters - it’s what we do that aforementioned schlepping for!

See you next month and thank you for reading,

Polly x