So after last weekend, I was really looking forward to a nice quiet one with only Kent County to take the ponies out to.
After a ridiculously busy week at work, which involved a great opening night for one of the West End shows I am looking after, I couldn’t wait to go to Kent on Saturday and I didn’t have to leave for the show until 11am. What a lie in! Well that is to say that it would have been if I didn’t have to work the others before heading off to the show.
I love going to Kent County as it is my ‘local’ and I always bump into people I haven’t seen for a while. It reminds me of when I was younger and it was the one big show we did and always looked forward to.
We met Claire at the showground, who had brought Spud, Major and Jacob along for the Olympia qualifiers, and we could definitely tell Jacob was on board! Having not been out for a good few weeks, I think he was fed up of watching the others go out to play while he was stuck at home. It certainly was a good job we decided to get him out before the Royal International!
I got straight on to give Jacob a spin as his class followed Spuds so I wouldn’t have any time to warm him up. He was certainly pleased to be back out and after his first 15mins of excitement, he had worn himself out and was ready to go back to the lorry.
Major was up first and after last weeks poor performance I was hoping he would buck his ideas up. After a few little blips on the go round (he wasn’t keen on the loud motorbikes) we were pulled in fourth. Then he went out and gave a fabulous show — 100 times better than last week. I was really thrilled and quite surprised to be pulled all the way up to first place after the final walk around.
Although I thought he had done a lovely show you can never be sure what it looks like to everyone else and it takes a brave judge to pull someone up that far, so I was really pleased. Sophie, who loans Major, had also come to watch him so it was nice for her to see him pull it out of the bag.
Then it was on to work Spud in, while Sophie got on Jacob and walked him round until his class. It’s been a long time since Sophie has ridden after breaking her arm as her cast has only just come off. Spud was fifth in a very strong Connie/New Forest class and managed to not buck this time!
I then jumped onto Jacob, who was ready to strut his stuff — and he certainly did that. He was so pleased to be back out, he forgot how to walk or canter — he just wanted to show everyone our flashy big trot! We were initially pulled in fourth.
He came out and did a nice show, leaving potential for him to move up the line, but knowing Jacob like I do, I knew it was asking a lot for him to behave in the final walk round in his current mood. Sure enough, he decided to show how pretty he looked on two legs instead. We stayed fourth as he did eventually get over himself and remember how to walk. The judge commented that we would have been a lot higher if he wasn’t quite so ‘exuberant’!! I was just pleased to have him back out and strutting his stuff.
Then it was back on Major for the Olympia championship. It was a great championship and although he went well, we didn’t get placed. It did mean however that he has now qualified for the wild card class at NPS champs.
Although we didn’t qualify, we ended the day with a glass of bubbly as we thought it was a result worth celebrating!
‘Til next time,
Chloe
