2005

AREA 10 HORSE TRIALS AT ARDINGLY
14th May 2005

Our grateful thanks to Julie Ramus and June and Tony Cross for fence judging all day - the briefing at 9am and the last horse not going cross country until 5pm. However the Novice finished at 4pm but the results took until 7pm to eventually be correctly given out.

Once we had settled the horses into their stables and unpacked a few things we walked the cross country course. Very long technical course with a couple of long stretches of water to go through.

Kirsty plaited Franco, then we all walked the working hunter course before settling the horses for the night and doing our B-B-Q and a bottle of wine or two!! Finally getting our heads down at about midnight after checking the horses for the last time, only to be woken by thunder, lightening and torrential rain at about 3.30am, which went on for about an hour right over our heads! 6am came very quickly with Vanessa up and about plaiting Bertie and getting ready for her working hunter class at 9.30am.
Vanessa and Bertie did extremely well, there were 20 in their class. They jumped a great clear round, one of 13 clear rounds to be called back into the ring for the showing/in-hand section. They went on to do a lovely show and he went well in-hand and they came 10th.

Kirsty and Franco's class started about llam and they also did extremely well. There were 32 in their class. They also jumped a great clear round and were one of only 6 clear rounds. To make up the 10 finalists they had 4 people that had 4 faults back into the ring as well for the ridden showing/in-hand section. Franco decided that he couldn't control his excitement any longer when they were called back into the ring for the ridden showing/in-hand section. He squealed and threw a bit of a wobbly - Kirsty sat well. He behaved himself and didn't put a foot wrong when the judge rode him - thank goodness, and he went well in-hand. They came 2nd and qualified for the Championship at 3pm.
Unfortunately this clashed with her cross country time of 3.20pm so she had to go early at about 2.15pm (bearing in mind her working hunter class didn't finish until 2pm) so that she wouldn't miss the Championship. Meanwhile Vanessa was mucking both stables out and collecting up all the bits and pieces from the stables as these had to be vacated by 2pm!!

All a bit of a rush to say the least but Kirsty and Franco did a good clear cross country but were 'TOO SLOW' He would only trot through all the water obstacles and not canter and as it was such a rush poor Kirsty had to really think where she was going after jump 6 and luckily made the right decision and remembered the way. Then Franco decided to spook at a very large tree (Monster) just laying there in the middle of one of the fields and knapped a little bit. But over all he went very well and they did a clear round in approximately 6 minutes and incurred 24 penalty points. There were 90 entered and Kirsty and Franco came 55th and got a rosette for being clear.

By now it was 2.5Opm and Kirsty and Franco were due in the ring at 3pm. There was me un-tacking and changing the bit, Vanessa taking his boots off, washing his legs down and tidying him up and Kirsty changing yet again and composing herself for the Championship! This went very well but they missed out this time.

End of the day, all extremely tired and hungry but all extremely happy.

Whilst waiting for the XC results the horsebox door slammed shut and we were locked out!! Luckily two men in shining armor came with tools and a crowbar and broke in. We loaded and settled the horses, had a bite to eat, loaded up the horsebox and then made for home at about 6pm.
Good journey home stopping once - parking in an articulated lorry park asking a man in a booth to watch our lorry! Got to Battle Barn at 10.30 pm.
We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would love to go back next year! ! !
Kirsty, Vanessa and Pat.

11 Junior Teams competed although unfortunately none from Battle

Senior Teams

Team

Little Chink

Team

Little Chink