Dusting off the dancing shoes

With a new saddle for Gilly and the qualification period for Summer Regionals open, I entered two elementary tests with Gilly. I was supposed to compete Kasper in a PSG on Saturday but with a twilight (working till 6pm), a Parents' Evening till 7:30pm on Thursday and Tinker booked in for a lesson on Friday it was never going to happen, so I withdrew at the beginning of the week and entered Gilly. I was pleased with our results, a consistent 65% in both tests with a mistake in the first and a rather sweaty and tired horse in the second due to desperately needing his THIRD clips this season. I was torn between clipping him on Saturday and risking a frisky naked 6 year old or a slightly sweaty horse; sadly I should have chosen the first option so it is another weekend of clipping.

Tinker also braved the cold winters' night to have a jumping lesson at Jayne Smarts. With her excellent training, he has come on leaps and bounds which has given us both so much confidence. Jayne also asked me about my 'long term plan' which made me think about the season ahead for him. Our aim is now to to be jumping confidently courses of 80cm unaffiliated to progress onto BSJA in the Spring and enter some Hunter Trials which will put us in good stead to enter some BE80s. The reality of whether I can maintain all three elements with enough fitness will depend on the Winter and how ready we will be by Spring- however we will do our best!