Toffee and Louisa made the trek north to compete in the CNC80 class at Pukemarama this weekend. I had commitments here on the farm with a mare arriving to be bred to Brennan so I was unable to go and I haven't found any purchase worthy photos so I am afraid this will be a words only blog about the day.
Toffee had a five minute warm up for the dressage, which is pretty much her ideal warm up as she's very good at just getting on with the job. Louisa was really happy with her test and even had fellow competitors on the sideline congratulate her on a lovely test. Unfortunately the judge didn't quite agree and she scored a pretty average 38.20 and into 11th place. Interestingly, at her first Horse Trial at the very beginning of the season, she did a very tense and tail swishy test and scored a 32.10 and at Dannevirke she did a lovely test for a 22.60. Dressage, so subjective!
Show jumping followed, clear and within the time and again, it sounds like compliments were made from the sidelines - I wish I had been there but apparently I have some video to look forward to.
Cross country - this is what it is all about after all! Toffee is still pretty green when it comes to cross country. Her first horse trial she was withdrawn after the Show Jumping because we decided to err on the side of caution when the weather was deteriorating rapidly and she had produced a less than ideal and exceptionally green show jumping round. So, this was only her second XC at a HT and her third ever (she had a green run around Dannevirke last year where the water was her undoing) and what an absolute star she was this time! Clean and clear and finishing JUST out of the placings in 7th (class of 32) and the youngest horse to finish in the top 10 - Go Toffee!
South Wairarapa PC are running an Express Event this coming weekend and Toffee will have one more go at 80cm before moving up to 95cm. Her first 95cm run will most likely be at North Wairarapa PC's Autumn ODE in March. Exciting!!
And, because we have no event photos, here are some photos from a lesson with Sally Clark last month.
