Brook has qualified for Scope Festival in the 1.05 adventurer class for the 3rd year running! However we have decided not to go this year for many reasons. 1. The expense 2. The long journey (6 hours) 3. I did very well last year winning the 1m class and got into the main arena 4. Brook has also qualified for the Main international arena at Hickstead the week after Scope, so we are going to save her for that as she has never been in the very prestigious Hickstead arena, which I am very excited about!!

Trig has had up's and down, a very good run @ Hickstead Derby meet gaining 2 newcomers double clears, jumped his first few 1.20 classes with only a couple of poles down, now trying to qualify him for the amateur championships & Hickstead main arena, but with a combination of still getting to know him and pushing the right buttons we're almost there with a new Bit & techniques he is soon going to shine!

& Not forgetting mini me (Tazmin) the future star! Well she has been beating me at the local shows! Tazmin has also recently attended her first ever showing show, which she has been doing brilliantly at, winning the Working hunter class & 3rd first ridden! She has also had a few great wins on her pony poppy & jumped her first ever 80cm class on Fern (the pony I have been producing for the last year for a client) they came 6th with a near double clear (just missed the 2nd part of a double in the jump off)! 

I have also had a good time showing winning the m&m WHP @ Kent County show, aswell as winning and going champion at local shows!

Tazmin took Poppy- her new pony, their first ever show together & Poppy's first show in a year and half! In the bottom hole class 1, I had to lead them round as poppy was extremely exited when she got in the ring and span hundreds of circles and couldn't possibly go in a straight line! They did a lovely double clear & in a timed jump off came 2nd out of 8! In the 50cm they managed to do it all by themselves & did another perfect double clear to finish 5th out of 10!

Well another good year at Aintree National Amateur Championships. Brook qualified for the 1.10 but was also able to jump the 1.05 & the accumulator. Trigger qualified the 90cm & 1m & was also able to jump the 1.05.

Day 1 Thursday 
After a 7 hour journey the night before and staying in a strange stable both horses were a bit tired, especially trigger as this is only his 5th away show and he hasn't done a lot of long distance travelling. 
However it didn't show too much in his first class the 90cm jumping a lovely double clear but sadly just outside of the top 25 qualifying places. Although we didn't go slow at all and took a few tight turns, they just fly like you have never seen and turn off 1 stride! It really is the best of the best at these championships.
Trig was then a bit tired for the next class, this was the first time he has done 2 classes in 1 day, which was a bit of an ask after the journey and the big difference in height for him, but he went really well and just had the last fence in the first round of the 1.05
Brookie then jumped a great round in the 1.05 with just 1 down in the jump off!
In the 1.10 again just 1 down in the jump off, but this time was in the top 25 qualifying places!

Day 2 Friday
Trig had the 1m qualifier and had an unlucky 4f in the jump off! I didn't jump the the 1.05 on him as thought he was too tired and too much to ask.
Brookie did a lovely double clear in the 1.05 to be in the top 25 qualifying for the finals! In the 1.10 I didn't have her canter good enough and had a pole early on then when it came to the 2nd part of the double she couldn't get out. After that I rode better and finished the last half beautifully.

Day 3 Saturday
Brookie had qualified for the 1.10 final, but I decided not to jump it as we haven't been back on track for that long and didn't want to ruin how well we've both been doing. So instead saved her for the accumulator in the evening, which didn't go to plan! She was raving mad in the warm up kicking horses and bucking! It was all or nothing, you had to go clear and the joker, in a very fast time to be in with a chance at all. So we set out at top speed which went well up to fence 5 which was a very tight 1 stride turn on the angle ready to turn back to the next fence, she just clipped it in front, but I kept motoring in case we were still in with a chance, but had the next fence which was very unlucky and fell late, she just landed on the back rail. Managed to keep fences 7 & 8 up, but then had the last fence before the joker a big oxer, she had 2 strides off a tight turn and just couldn't pick up! I then galloped to the joker which again she just tapped it behind, everyone thought it stayed but unfortunate it fell late.
Trig jumped the 90cm qualifier and I really went for it in the jump off, and was very surprised at such a big horse doing every turn, the winning pony did and only 2 seconds behind, but unfortunately had the last 2 fences down! However still qualified as fastest 8 faulter in the top 25 excluding those already qualified from the previous day. I then jumped the 1m as didn't know he had qualified until later on, so was still seeking to qualify for Sundays final in any class! I went for a steady double clear which was good enough to qualify in top 25 excluding those already qualified!
We chose not to jump the 1m championship as he would be too tired by then.

Day 4 Sunday
So both horses qualified in both classes they were entered for! What more can you ask for! 
Then they both went one step better and got through to the jump off in the final!
Brook did a lovely double clear to finish 7th in the 1.05 championship against the fastest & best from all over the country!
Trig unfortunately had 2 down in his jump off or the 90cm, but he was extremely tired!

Very good weekend overall.

We took Brook as a last outing before Aintree, to jump round something small so we were both extremely confident and ready for the big week! I just jumped the 1m class, and did a lovely double clear to finish 2nd!

I also took Joey a 5yo we have for sale, who has only ever done 2 shows before at 60 & 80cm, so this was his first BSJA show which was quite a big leap! I jumped the British Novice which is 90cm on a ticket as he isn't registered and he did a beautiful double clear, if registered would have finished 2nd, out of a big class of 50!

I took trigger for his final run before Aintree next week. He did a lovely double clear in the British Novice & WON! Only 2 more double clears to get now. He then did the discovery and was clear into the jump off, I decided to really go for it to see what tricks we would be able to pull off at Aintree & how he would cope, & lets just say he isn't quite ready for that yet! He managed the turn but couldn't get his feet out the way with the speed & had 3 down!

Brook's first outing after having her back treated, she still tried it on in the 1.05 but I was ready for it, so managed a double clear & just missed out on 5th place.
I then did the 1.05 & was clear into jump off, she was flying and turning off 1 stride which was excellent then I went blank to the last & asked her to go down a 3 stride in 4 which she couldn't do, but we're getting there & hopefully 1 more outing before aintree & we will be back to normal!

Taz (my cousin) rode Moose (Alex's pony) & had an unlucky 4f in class 2- 2ft. Then lost her stirrup over fence 1 in the next class 2'3, but still carried on & stayed on at number 2 until she went round the corner & as I went to help her stay up, the pony spooked away from me so she did end up on the floor! but got straight up & back on & over no 1 again!
Dan rode Pedro in the 2ft & 2'3. In the first class he was double clear & 5th! In the next class he had an unlucky 4f in the jump off but was 7th!
Alex rode moose in the 2'6 scurry & was 2nd. He then did the 2'9 & had a stop in the jump off but jumped some lovely rounds!
I rode Roxy in the 2'6 scurry & had the fastest time by 7 seconds but 4f! In the 2'9 4f in first round.
I also rode Princess at her first ever show. In the 2' she had an unlucky pole in the first round, but jumped great not spooky at all! in  the 2'6 scurry she did a lovely clear but wasn't placed!