Hattikins
Well-Known Member
Well this is long overdue, I confess to lurking for many months since my last posts...I shall blame a hectic 10 month university work placement (finally finished!) for this absence! I will keep this short and sweet!
I'm not quite sure where to start but as ever Jack has been a superstar eventing, he was 3rd at Isleham with a 24.5 dressage and DC, won at Larkhill with a shocker 20.5 dressage and DC, we had a lovely second trip to Badminton Grassroots though a repeat of 2 years ago wasn't meant to be despite a good 29.8 dressage and a clear show jumping but we still had a wonderful time
He has then gone on to jump two double clears at BE100 which we were chuffed to bits with.
Here's a couple of videos of him having a whale of a time XC schooling at Littleton manor last month:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlGaJg0T45s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl2Qm1gsQ2A
We have had fantastic support from Ian Bareham and Sam Penn at Golden Cross who had him for 2 months at the start of this season to rid him of his Christmas flab (there was plenty!) and Sam has continued to help me on the flat and over fences, generally getting my brain in the right place!
My second love is showing though I’ve never done more than local level and a couple of agricultural shows, so having spent so much time eventing this season we felt it would be a nice interlude for Jack to turn his hoof to showing for a bit this summer. He has done a handful of local worker classes and CHAPS coloured classes though we've never taken it very seriously! Last year we had a wonderful time at the Hickstead Derby Show where he finished 5th in the CHAPS Non-Native Coloureds and qualified for the main arena, this year yet again he pulled his socks up and despite having evented the day before he pulled out a 6th placing and we again had the pleasure of sharing the Hickstead main arena with the likes of FMM and the incredible Dinger! Galloping in front of packed Sunday crowds is something I will never forget!
Please no button pushers these were all taken my Dad who managed to make it to this event being only 15 minutes from home!
So after a fun outing at Hickstead, we headed to Bury Farm yesterday for Search for a Star. We have taken him twice before, once in 2010 at Wellington for the Riding Club Show horse Class where he finished a respectable 7th in a massive class (we were all nose to tail in the arena it was so packed!), then last year he pulled out a two 4ths at Bury Farm in the Workers and the RC Show horse class. We took the time last year to speak to Richard Ramsey and David Bartram after the class to find out where we could improve and took plenty of tips back with us. I was in two minds as to take him this year as I felt the entry fees are so high to finish out of the top two again would be a waste of time but encouraged by Mum to enjoy him for what he is I entered him a few days before the closing date.
To cut a long story short, he finished 4th out of 10 in the workers again, which we thought was a bit of a shame as he didn't put a foot wrong and David Bartram gave him good ride marks which was a massive improvement on last year, but clearly he isn't what they are looking for. Popped him back in his over night stable as they had decided to split the 21 strong RC show horse class into two sections due to it's size and we were in the second section. Into the ring for our section and he worked very sweetly in the go round to be pulled in 3rd initially. He skipped his way through the trotting poles and over the two fences with his usual neat style and stepped back into the line up for a kip! This time David Ingle rode him, giving him a lovely ride and dwarfing him with his incredibly long legs! With all horses ridden and run up they then kept 3 of us in the arena and bought the top 3 from the other section back into the arena. We were pulled in in no particular order as the judges conferred. To my complete shock Jack was then pulled forward first and in doing so has qualified for HOYS!! Sadly no photos yet as haven't seen the pro ones and in the heat of the moment Mum never got round to digging the camera out!
I honestly do not know what this pony isn't able to turn his hoof to, he is the consumate allrounder. I'm so lucky to have him and it's something I have to be reminded of on the days it does go pear shaped, because despite his diminutive 15.2hh gypsy cob x gypsy trotter frame, he continues to surprise us!
That's all from me, a longer update than I had anticipated! The fridge is full so take your pick of treats!
I'm not quite sure where to start but as ever Jack has been a superstar eventing, he was 3rd at Isleham with a 24.5 dressage and DC, won at Larkhill with a shocker 20.5 dressage and DC, we had a lovely second trip to Badminton Grassroots though a repeat of 2 years ago wasn't meant to be despite a good 29.8 dressage and a clear show jumping but we still had a wonderful time
He has then gone on to jump two double clears at BE100 which we were chuffed to bits with.Here's a couple of videos of him having a whale of a time XC schooling at Littleton manor last month:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlGaJg0T45s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl2Qm1gsQ2A
We have had fantastic support from Ian Bareham and Sam Penn at Golden Cross who had him for 2 months at the start of this season to rid him of his Christmas flab (there was plenty!) and Sam has continued to help me on the flat and over fences, generally getting my brain in the right place!
My second love is showing though I’ve never done more than local level and a couple of agricultural shows, so having spent so much time eventing this season we felt it would be a nice interlude for Jack to turn his hoof to showing for a bit this summer. He has done a handful of local worker classes and CHAPS coloured classes though we've never taken it very seriously! Last year we had a wonderful time at the Hickstead Derby Show where he finished 5th in the CHAPS Non-Native Coloureds and qualified for the main arena, this year yet again he pulled his socks up and despite having evented the day before he pulled out a 6th placing and we again had the pleasure of sharing the Hickstead main arena with the likes of FMM and the incredible Dinger! Galloping in front of packed Sunday crowds is something I will never forget!
Please no button pushers these were all taken my Dad who managed to make it to this event being only 15 minutes from home!
So after a fun outing at Hickstead, we headed to Bury Farm yesterday for Search for a Star. We have taken him twice before, once in 2010 at Wellington for the Riding Club Show horse Class where he finished a respectable 7th in a massive class (we were all nose to tail in the arena it was so packed!), then last year he pulled out a two 4ths at Bury Farm in the Workers and the RC Show horse class. We took the time last year to speak to Richard Ramsey and David Bartram after the class to find out where we could improve and took plenty of tips back with us. I was in two minds as to take him this year as I felt the entry fees are so high to finish out of the top two again would be a waste of time but encouraged by Mum to enjoy him for what he is I entered him a few days before the closing date.
To cut a long story short, he finished 4th out of 10 in the workers again, which we thought was a bit of a shame as he didn't put a foot wrong and David Bartram gave him good ride marks which was a massive improvement on last year, but clearly he isn't what they are looking for. Popped him back in his over night stable as they had decided to split the 21 strong RC show horse class into two sections due to it's size and we were in the second section. Into the ring for our section and he worked very sweetly in the go round to be pulled in 3rd initially. He skipped his way through the trotting poles and over the two fences with his usual neat style and stepped back into the line up for a kip! This time David Ingle rode him, giving him a lovely ride and dwarfing him with his incredibly long legs! With all horses ridden and run up they then kept 3 of us in the arena and bought the top 3 from the other section back into the arena. We were pulled in in no particular order as the judges conferred. To my complete shock Jack was then pulled forward first and in doing so has qualified for HOYS!! Sadly no photos yet as haven't seen the pro ones and in the heat of the moment Mum never got round to digging the camera out!
I honestly do not know what this pony isn't able to turn his hoof to, he is the consumate allrounder. I'm so lucky to have him and it's something I have to be reminded of on the days it does go pear shaped, because despite his diminutive 15.2hh gypsy cob x gypsy trotter frame, he continues to surprise us!
That's all from me, a longer update than I had anticipated! The fridge is full so take your pick of treats!
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