Sun, Storms & Success at BRC National Horse Trials Championships

TGM

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I must admit it was a relief to finally get to this Championships with the correct horse as daughter qualified on her horse last year, only for him to go lame with an abscess on the very day we were due to leave. To save letting the team down she ended up borrowing her dad's 17.1hh hunter instead and ended up with the surprise result of individual 10th in the Junior 100 with a double clear!

This year she was in the new 100 Plus Open class - which is now open to Juniors and Seniors alike - which meant that it was run as a long format three day event including roads and tracks and steeplechase. So first up on Friday morning was the trot up - Pop was very full of himself and bounced along enthusiastically giving the vets no worries about his health or soundness! Then we had to wait until the afternoon for the dressage - they performed what we thought was a very nice test bar a break in the medium trot, so were rather disappointed to get a score of 35.5. The rest of the team had mixed fortunes with scores ranging from near top of arena to bottom! However, disappointing scores were soon forgotten after an evening in the local pub where much alcohol was consumed!

It rained most of Friday night and much of Saturday morning, but seemed to be clearing up for the afternoon when the team were due to start their roads and tracks. We went over to watch the beginning of the XC phase for the 100 Plus and it was immediately apparent that the first water complex was causing a lot of problems. There was a log and small step in, then a jump in the water, then an angled skinny on the way out. If horses entered the water too hesistantly or riders lost balance down the step, then they often stopped at the jump in the water. On the other hand, if they were too fast through the water they often incurred a run out at the final element! However, I'm glad to say our first two team riders went through very neatly, even though many others were racking up the penalties there.

Daughter was last to go in the class and as we headed over to the roads and tracks we noticed the sky getting darker and darker. Then as daughter waited patiently by the start, there was a huge rumble of thunder, a flash of lightning and then the heavens opened and the rain came bucketing down. I thought they might stop the proceedings at this point, but no, so daughter started off on the roads and tracks with lightning flashing everywhere and rain lashing down! Thankfully by the time they finished Phases A, B and C, the storm had finally passed on, and the sun started to come out, although Pop's tack and daughter's clothing were absolutely saturated. They passed the vet check, had a few minutes rest, and then it was off to the XC start and they were off. Not the best jump over the first, but after that they got into a rhythm and were jumping nicely over the next few fences on the way up to the dreaded water complex. Daughter rode very determinedly and Pop negotiated all three elements easily, to a huge sigh of relief from the rest of the team! Off over the middle part of the course and finally they came back into sight up the hill, popped smoothly through the second last (a tricky angled combination) and then over the final obstacle to finish clear within the time! Sadly we discovered one member of our team had to retire on the cross country, but we were still left with a team of three all with XC clears.

After another enjoyable night in the pub, it was up early again to get horses plaited and polished for the final trot up. Happily, Pop was none the worse for his endeavours the day before and passed with flying colours! Then a long, long wait for the show jumping in the afternoon, which was being run in reverse order of placings. As there had been so many faults incurred on the cross country course the day before, daughter had jumped up the leader board to lie seventh in her arena and was therefore one of the last few to show jump. Of our remaining team members one was clear whilst the other had a couple of poles. Finally it was time for daughter to jump and I must confess I couldn't watch, the suspense was so bad! Pop was still in XC mode and was rather fast and furious but despite rattling one fence, he left them all up and was clear! This pushed them up to 6th place individually in their arena, and the team ended up seventh.

So absolutely delighted and particularly proud that daughter has managed two double clears at the National Championships on two different horses in two consecutive years!

A pic from the XC at the third element of the water complex:

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and a video of the water complex and the final bit of the XC:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8wKZ428RDQ&feature=youtu.be
 
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Lolo

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I have a massive soft spot for Pop, as he has the same sire my sister's 14.2hh did and he reminds me a lot of her (despite being tall and ginger, rather than small and bay!). Same effortless lollop XC and easy way of jumping- it just never looks like an effort. Well done to him and your daughter, what an achievement.
 

Rosiefan

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Congrats to daughter, Pop and the team :) The thunder storm sounds absolutely foul but good on them both for not getting distracted.
 

TGM

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As Admin have for some reason deleted my legally purchased photo, here is a still from the show jumping:

brcsj_zps8354fa1e.jpg
 
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