Charlie looking very dapper in his new suit
Sydney three day was a blast and I won … the best dressed at trot up! I always knew that Hugo Boss suit was a good investment. On the horse front, Shamus’s dressage in the CCI3* went well with a satisfactory test by our standards, plenty to work on but I couldn’t complain too much being placed 13th out of 18 in a very competitive field.
Knowing the Barrel wasn’t quite fit enough or fast enough to make time I pushed him, but well within his limits, so was happy with 10 time penalties and enjoyed an otherwise smooth cross country round. For the first time in I don’t know how long I didn’t move up at all after cross country. It’s so rare to have a clear round at 3* and not move up, but looking at the top ten they were all super competitive (Elite and A squad listed riders) and very quick around the Mike ES track.
Nice neat knees through the water complex
Going into the showjumping, I knew the course was a tough ask for a tired horse, yet Shamus coped really well and although we had three rails down, I know I can improve his fitness and my riding to (hopefully) get a better result come Adelaide. The Sunday of Sydney was my 21st birthday so what better present could I wish for than getting my qualification for Adelaide 4*.
I caught up with some sponsors at Sydney and got to show off our new rug
While most horses were enjoying a few weeks off before the start of their spring preparations, Shamus was given three days before being called in, by my step-dad, as a lead pony at the racetrack. I doubt many top level eventers would be able to stand still in the middle of a racetrack at 5:30 in the morning while the rider holds a stop watch in one hand and observes horses galloping with binoculars in the other. Many would find horses galloping past at 800 metres a minute far too exciting but Shamus is very cool about it, even when he has to get up next to a wild young one to help it get onto the track. My step dad calls him the Rolls Royce of lead pony’s and I should hope so with all the flatwork he gets from me!
One day an three star eventer the next a lead pony!
After returning to his old job for a week he was back in the paddock and will resume work after the Equestriad one day event, which is held at Camden this weekend. So without him I’m left with two in the preliminary and one introductory horse at Camden. All have good performances at their levels and I’m hoping this will be their last start at this level before moving up. Along with riding three, Shannon, one of our agisters will be competing at her first event in more than a few years so she is looking forward to having a clean round on her Clyde x Samson. Lara Dombrovskis, who owns one of my preliminary horses is competing her own ex racehorse in the introductory class. They made some great progress while schooling at Silver Hills last week making ‘George’ more rideable on cross country. So I will be out and about helping Shannon and Lara or at least I’ll be out there just to make sure they have enough time to plait up for me.
After all the stresses and strains of being an event rider (and a Uni student) it was good to take five minutes out and sit in this massage chair at Sydney - why should it just be the horses that get all the good massages!
Till next time.
Charlie
