“With the New Year now well underway, we took the two now rising seven year olds, Bracks (Headmore Boadicia) and Dante (Headmore Downtopia) out for their first outing of the year. They had both had a break from competing after they had finished qualifying for the winter season and we always take them out a few times before the winter regionals.

Hot hot hot!

We took them to Crofton Manor and I had my suspicions that I may have some rather fun rides as they hadn’t been out for a while! Dante was on first doing two elementary tests and, although he didn’t do anything wrong, he was quite hot as he was very pleased to be out again. His first test was a little bit on the hot side, and I think that I rode the worst 15m circle of my life, and we finished with a score of just under 66.55% and second place, which was fair for the test!

We then had our second test, which started off well in the trot work but in the canter work he got hotter and hotter until eventually he boiled over so, rather than worrying him further, I retired. I think that he just needs to go out a few more times now as he found it all a bit too exciting where he hadn’t been out for a while... but at least he enjoys doing it!

Bracks keeps improving

I then had to jump off Dante and straight onto Bracken for her two tests. In her first test, the elementary, she was also a little bit on edge due after her break from competing so we had a few little mistakes and ‘miscommunications’. This meant that we finished on just under 66.87% and second, which, again, was fair. However, she settled down for her second test, the medium. There was still some room for improvement as we were both a little ring rusty and she is still quite green at medium, but she scored 68.92% and won. We would have scored more if my last halt hadn’t been quite so awful, but that score with a less than perfect test isn’t bad!

At least they have both had their first outing of the year and, hopefully, next time they go out it won’t be quite so exciting and the plan is, by the regionals, we should all be well back in the swing of competing!”