Regal Romar jumps the Turtle in the water at Haras Du Pin. Photo: psvphoto.com
As I write this my second (and very long overdue, sorry Alison) blog, my season in England is drawing to a close. Many of my friends over here are about to embark on big show runs to Europe for great Three Day Events like Boekelo, Le Lion de Angers and Pau but unfortunately my horsepower is not allowing me to do that this year. Very jealous!
It has been a very busy month of eventing comparatively to the rest of the year. I took Heather and Alan Cato’s Call Me Al (Al) and The Otto’s and my parents Regal Romar (Ronnie) to France for the CIC** at Haras du Pin. I had done my first Intermediate with Al the previous weekend where he had really shone, producing a 78% dressage test and clear cross country with just the first fence down in the show jumping. Unfortunately we were not so successful in France where he tripped in the water jump and went down on his knees and nose and tipped me off. The water jump caused 15 falls in the 2star so there must have been a hole in the base, which is very disappointing. Ronnie climbed 70 places (!) after a below par dressage test with a super double clear jumping performance but we still didn’t go home with any prize money … Great fun event though.
Team Prestige (Me and Alice Montgomery) in front of the Chateau at Haras Du Pin
I do have one more event in the North of England this week - Osberton Three Day Event, where I have Al and Ronnie in the CCI**. I am also lucky enough to be riding Di Brunsden and Peter Cattell’s lovely 5 year old Sancero who Mark Todd usually rides. Mark is away at a 3star in Europe so I get to ride him in the 5yr old Championship. I am hoping to finish the season off with a bang as Al, who I think is a really smart horse, has been steadily improving and had a really good double clear at Gatcombe CIC** last weekend. And Ronnie is doing some really good work on the flat at home after a visit from Richard Otto put us back on track, as I had been really struggling with his dressage all year!
With the team after a great double clear in the CIC** at Gatcombe with Call Me Al
Since my last blog there has been much misery in the camp unfortunately. I missed out on going to the Olympics as Orient Express suffered a leg injury at the New Zealand team final selection trial at Barbury Castle. This was a gut wrenching blow and really knocked all of the people who make up my team for a six from which it has taken us a while to come back from. It really was the last straw in what had already been a disastrous season and I was at a loss as to where to go from here. Do I stay in England and try to ride out the storm? My three Advanced horses that I brought to England all out of action … Or do I go back to New Zealand and regroup and rebuild a team of horses again, try to get a business up and running in NZ and make some money? It really was a tough decision and both seemed to have some major downsides. I agonised over the decision and eventually decided to head back to New Zealand, but I didn’t feel confident about the decision.
The light bulb moment came when I was given the opportunity to rent a small barn and a cottage at Mark Todd’s yard that he had just bought near Marlborough in Wiltshire. This was an opportunity too good to turn down and I made the decision that I would stay in England for the next two years at least. Being able to base with and train alongside a legend of the sport like Mark is very exciting and I can’t wait to get my team back on the road next year now. We are still waiting to move in though as Mark has bought rubber that was used in the Olympic stables to put on the floors in my stables and we are still waiting for this to arrive!
Dinner on the ferry on the way to Haras Du Pin!
I am also looking forward to heading back to New Zealand in October where I have some young horses that need to be sold following my decision to stay in England. It will be good to get home and catch up with everyone there.
On a sad note we have to say goodbye to Lydia Beales who has been my fantastic and faithful groom over the last 18 months. Lydia is heading back to her partner in New Zealand next week. The last 18 months we have shared some great highs, like winning the World Cup Eventing Series and placing 6th and best of the Kiwi’s at the World Equestrian Festival Aachen. Jumping double clear around Burghley with Incognito is also one of my career highlights. But we have also had some very depressing lows, most notably being so close to making it to the Olympics but missing out due to Blue getting injured. Lydia has been a rock throughout and I really don’t know if I could have done it without her. She will be very hard to replace! I am lucky enough to have Emily Dunn, who is very experienced, looking after the horses while I am back in NZ but will be looking for a new show groom next year. If there is anyone out there who thinks they could fill Lydia’s large shoes please get in touch!
Till next time,
Clarke
