In my last blog I set a goal of winning at least one class with each pony at the BSPS winter championships. Well we achieved our goal in spades, coming home with championship sashes for each pony.
The show didn’t start particularly well as I arrived at Arena UK on crutches after getting bucked off at home on Tuesday. I was feeling very frustrated as there is a lot of walking required so being on sticks was less than ideal. In her first gold cup class on Thursday Alice did an OK dressage test and clear cross-country round for 3rd place. This took her through to the evening so she was very pleased. But then it all went a bit wrong when she jumped the first fence backwards!
On Friday show hunter pony Annandale Maria continued her winning run with a 133cm section win and championship in the Royal International SHP section. Many of the top 133cm ponies in the country were in the class, including last years HOYS champion and Royal International winner, so it was a fantastic achievement. Alice also won the 122cm section with Hightopps Jazz (pictured below right), but picked up an unfortunate pole in the Royal International nursery stakes class, which was disappointing as it was a super jumping round.
Saturday was a really busy day so I decided not to run Maria as her class clashed slightly with Lemington Nougats‘ (pictured top) novice 133cm working hunter pony class. Hightopps Jazz remains unbeaten in SHP classes this season and took the winter winners 122cm class and winter winners SHP championship. He really is a little star. He had also qualified to do the novice nursery stakes class as he jumps for fun, but we decided to run Nougat instead as he was there having just jumped the novice 133cm course.
Having jumped 3 clear rounds I was hopeful of a lovely evening, but could not have expected Lemington Nougat and Alice to win 3 classes in a row: restricted and novice nursery and novice 133 WHP. I asked Alice how she felt and she said: “actually a little embarrassed”. Nougat went on to stand mini WHP champion and restricted novice WHP champion, so it really was an embarrassment of riches for the pair.
Alice Homer catching up with Horse & Hound while on a break in Cornwall
The BSPS shows at Arena UK are an absolute pleasure to compete at. The stewards and judges are so kind to the children and very accommodating with any questions you may have. I would like to pay them back with some help once Alice has finished in these classes.
Sadly I am still on crutches so I missed my Spring Horizons horse show on Easter Monday. The horses are a little later coming out this year due to one thing and another, but we hope to be at the BSHA show on 3 May assuming I can walk and ride by then.
At the moment we are having a few days in Cornwall to stop me racing round on my crutches, although I have got quite quick on them now!
Loraine
