I took Murphy & Rupert to try & qualify for the PC Hickstead Championships, which is a qualifier for the main
ring. But we found out on the day that only teams could qualify and 2 members of our team had pulled out leaving only 2 remaining members, & you have to have a minimum of 3. So we rushed round all day trying to find more members, we managed to get one more which meant we had a team of 3, so we could still take
part but we didn’t have as strong chance at qualifying because we couldn’t drop a score. One of the girls was on a young horse which had never jumped bigger than a 1m course and this was 1.10/1.15m, so she wasn’t sure how it was going to go. But she got round and didn’t get eliminated so we still had a chance of qualifying, but only the top 3 teams qualified. We came 4th so only just missed out.
Murphy had one down in the first round, but there were only 3 clears me & Rupert were one of them. So the 4 falters had to jump off, Murphy jumped clear and had the 2nd fastest time so was 5th & Rupert also jumped clear with the 2nd fastest time so was 2nd overall. Considering I’d only ever ridden Rupert once before this at another show in February I thought we did quite well & Rupert hadn’t been to a show since I last rode
him either.

Wednesday 22nd
Day 1- 1m Open.
The biggest course of the week in one of the scarier rings. You would think they would start of building a kind course and gradually get bigger/scarier through the week, rather than getting smaller & not such spooky fences.
Brook jumped quite a nice round considering the ground conditions, she was a bit spooky but she jumped everything and just had one down. A big improvement from last year where I fell off on day 1.

Thursday 23rd
Day 2- 1m open.
In a different ring to day 1, not such spooky fences. Brook felt a bit tired warming up & not quite herself, so I
went in expecting a pole or not to do as well as I did. She jumped clear in the first round although she wasn’t taking me to the fences, & then another clear in the jump off which was really good as it just started to tip it down as I went in, and strangely enough as I came out it stopped, typical. She had quite a fast time and was placed 6th out of 207. 
 
Friday 24th
Day 3- 1m open
Brook was back to her normal self & pulling me to the fences & jumping really well. She did a lovely clear in the first round really jumping big, so I went for it in the jump off, but she slid into the first fence of the jump off which was an Oxer as first part of a double. It was such a shame because she jumped a lovely clear after and had a fast time.
 
Saturday 25th
Day 4- 1m open
Bigger studs were put in after yesterdays slip, but she wasn’t happy & stopped at a similar fence where she slipped yesterday, I think she lost her confidence a bit because she never stops. She then jumped round lovely and didn’t touch a pole.
 
Sunday 26th
Day 5- 1m open
She stopped again at an Oxer as first part of a double, she really wasn’t happy & I think it was a mixture of loosing confidence, being tired and generally just had enough after 5 days of no grass! I think next time 5 days is too much, so a day off in between will be better. I cant remember the last time she stopped before this, so it was a big shock, but she’s had a bit of a break since we’ve been home & she’s jumping fine again, got her confidence back and absolutely full of energy which is really good.

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