Dressage win at Bury Farm EC

Winning our class at Bury Farm

Annie's second ever dressage outing was another great success, completing two tests with glowing judges reports, despite my ear infection successfully making me feel queezy throughout!

Test 1 was PC level D, which we completed with a score of 69% - an improvement on our score of 64% from the 4th November and a huge success considering this was only our second competition at this level.

As a bonus, this good score ended up winning us the class! Hooray! Our first dressage placing, and it was a 1st! This proved a fitting end to that level of dressage, as we now move onwards and upwards to the dizzy heights of Prelim.

The second test was Prelim 7, not the simplest test for a debut at Prelim level but what better way to learn thatn throw yourselves in at the deep end! Annie performed brilliantly, and tried her heart out. We finished on a score of 62% placing us 11th in the class. The judges comments were very supportive and complimentary, and an audience member wanted to adopt me so she could take Annie and I home... which was nice (I think!), if a little creepy!

Craig and I getting Annie ready to head home after our tests - notice our new landy?!

Annie is currently enjoying a couple of well deserved days off to frolic in the field and generally rub herself in the mud, before we go back to the drawing board and analyse our Prelim performance. We will be completing Prelim 7 again on the 8th December at the very grand and slightly daunting Addington Manor EC, and we are hoping to improve on our score by 5%. Depending on whether we are ready by then to attempt some more difficult movements, we might also be competing in a Prelim 12 class. Prior this however we are due to do some showjumping on the 2nd December at MKEC in Hanslope - weather depending.

A little about us

This is a blog to keep everyone updated on my British Eventing training, competition results and plans for the 2008 season.

I train at our home yard, Tilbrook Farm in Bow Brickhill, Buckinghamshire during the week and compete at the weekends supported by my dedicated team of helpers - my long suffering partner Craig, along with Mum and Dad. My dedicated dressage coach is BHSII SM Alison Kenward (www.freestyledressage.co.uk/about), for showjumping and cross country training I use the talents of both John Mears BHSII and Esther Evans BHSAI (www.evanseventing.com). I have recently signed a 2008 sponsorship deal with public relations agency, Friday's Media Group (www.fridays-group.co.uk), and would like to thank them for their continued support and backing into 2008.

My talented mare Animation (Annie) is currently being prepared for her first BE season, having previously had a highly successful career as a professional showjumper. She is a 17 hand Belgian warmblood mare with bucket loads of attitude and courage. She loves to compete and has a peculiar addiction to pears, and my peanut butter sandwiches! In her spare time she likes to chew through fences, squeal at her friends and play football. If you ever come to visit her, she is always partial to a few extra strong mints.