After a weekend with mixed results at Tooradin Horse Trials, we were back at it again, this time heading to Greenvale for Avenal Horse Trials, with just Geisha and Hughie competing. Everything came together incredibly for Hughie, who led the event from start to finish, taking out 1st place and best performed off the track thoroughbred. This makes it two wins from his four eventing starts, not a bad track record! Geisha did her best test to date, cracking the 60% in a 1* test for the first time, a milestone for her. She then proceeded to zip around the cross country all clear, and jumped a great show jumping round, with just one rail down. She did her first ever event at this horse trials last year so it is amazing to have her now doing 1* without any trouble! She finished just out of the placings. I also took a new young thoroughbred I have along for the outing. His first outing since racing, Woody thought it was all rather exciting and didn’t spend much time with all four feet on the ground, however after spending a good few hours on his back each day he did begin to settle down!
The following weekend was an incredibly busy one, with me competing 6 horses at Shepparton (NVSJC Grand Prix Show) on Saturday, moving house on Sunday, and then back at Shepparton with 4 horses on Monday! Not exactly your typical weekend! Woody had his first competition and trot and popped his way around the 60cm and 75cm, proving to be brave and careful – though still quite (or shall I say very) full on in the warm up. He thinks it would be fun to try and get rid of me at every possible chance! Luckily he hasn’t succeeded yet and hopefully soon I will be able to channel this great cat-like athleticism he displays into his jumping!
ESB Irish Lust (Lusty) and I had an eventful warm up, first off I had an amazing save when she decided to buck for about 30m after the practice fence! Luckily it was in a straight line and so I stayed on (only just!). I was thankful to still have white breeches, when only 5 minutes later, she misjudged a fence and fell over on landing, with me having to leap off to not get squashed! There goes the white jods! However we both picked ourselves up, got jumping again and managed to jump around her first 1m track where she showed lots of scope. Later in the day she did a clear round in the 90cm.
Hughie jumped a clear round in the 1m class, and another clear round in the main arena in the 1.10m. He always seems to get a little worried on the main arena so it was good to go back for the jump off to be in there again and give him a cruisey round. He had one down but I was super pleased with him. And Geisha jumped a clear round in the 1.10m but unfortunately had one time penalty so didn’t get to the jump off! To round of the 6 horses there was also Penny Ward’s mare Barcelona who jumped around her first 90cm for a clear round, and Rockmount’s Carronade who jumped his first 1m track with confidence.
Sunday was a massive day, moving house…. We have relocated to a different property, only 5 minutes away from where we were but still a lot of trips back and forth! More to come on this later!
And Monday we were back at Shepparton for a much cruisier day, with 4 horses with just one class each. Carronade and Lusty jumped well in the 90cm. And Hughie and Geisha were both amazing in the 1.15m Championship!!! Both double clear to finish Geisha 7th and Hughie 8th. Geisha did some great nippy turns and was cleaner at this height that ever before, but just doesn’t cover the ground the way the bigger horses do! And Hughie, who I wasn’t even trying to go fast on seeing as it was his first 1.15m track and he is still very green, cruised around like and absolute pro to finish just behind Geisha! I am so lucky to have found this special horse!!!
We got home very early from Shepparton which was perhaps not a good thing because I still had time to ride another 6 horses!
