One of many, many nice horses we saw all day – Catherine Witt’s (ring a bell? Parklane Hawk?!) Model Behaviour ridden by Francis Whittington. I was going to say he was my take-home horse of the day, but it was impossible to pick just one. Let me preface today’s report with an apology and an excuse: I’m sorry for the appalling pictures – Lily, Harry and I went to Aston-le-Walls on the spur of the moment armed with my phone and my mother’s very small, basic point and shoot. Luckily however, the always glamourous Rachel Wakefield from Uptown Eventing was there and got lots of lovely shots, which as usual, she’s shared on her facebook page, so do like the page and browse through the pictures from today, and other great English, and European events that they go to – Thank you to Uptown Eventing for such a nice service and beautiful pictures!
Colleen Rutledge was the first person I bumped into, and I was delighted to spend most of the day with her. We watched some show-jumping together and then wandered out onto the cross country. Colleen is wonderful – positive, cheerful and upbeat company and can find a proverbial silver lining in everything, even in all the rain clouds that have flooded England and put a damper on all her plans lately. It was only when we saw a horse completely misjudge and crash into the second of the steps up on cross country, cannoning his rider into it, quite a heavy fall, and then remount, circle and approach it again, executing it perfectly second time around that I saw a tiny ruffle in her feathers! After Colleen realised that this was BE Eventing, the one fall and you’re out rule only applies under FEI rules and in the US, she looked at me and said, “Now I really want to move here!” Otherwise, she seems totally unflappable and I had a lovely afternoon with her, it just went by far too quickly. The credit for the photo above, surprisingly goes to Harry. I caught up with Colleen briefly on tape, more for her family’s benefit than for anyone else and talked to her about Shiraz (Luke’s) plans and driving in England.
Please click below to continue reading– many more photos and interviews!
I think Lily and Harry helped ease her homesickness, much easier to ignore other people’s children squabbling and whining and appreciate your day solo! This is what happens when you let your 8 year old son have the camera:
The Naked Lady Jump!
Mary King sailing over said Naked Lady on MHS King Joules. Mary made Lily’s day, once again, by remembering her name and saying hello – Thank you, thank you Mary!
Jakarta was incredibly impressive in the show-jumping with Piggy French, and then annoyingly we dawdled and missed him on the cross country. Massive props to Nigel and Anne Taylor, and to all the organisers and volunteers at Aston le Walls – the event was a victim of the weather last week several times, but ran at the last minute without abandonment insurance but with enormous appreciation from all the competitors. I caught up with Nigel, who rode for GB himself, in a rare quiet moment.
There were 300-odd competitors (you know my maths!) in four full Intermediate sections, two Open Intermediates, and two Novice Regional Finals. This means that riders (and spectators, ahem!) don’t have time to chat, or dilly-dally, and the entry list read like a who’s who of International Eventing. (Piggy French, William Fox-Pitt, Elizabeth Power, Paul Tapner, Bill Levett, Oliver Townend, Jock Paget, Lucinda Fredericks, Francis Whittington, Samantha Albert, Mary King, Nina Ligon, Daisy Berkeley, Sam Griffiths, Pippa Funnell, Bettina Hoy, Aoife Clark, Kitty King and Rodney Powell in no particular order and I’m sure I’m missing many more.) Happy Times and Sam Griffiths looked very at home in all three phases and took home top honours in one of the Open Intermediate Divisions , here they are in the show-jumping. (You can check out all the scores from all sections here)
Fellow Aussie Bill Levett was in action on several rides, as was Kiwi Jock Paget on lots more nice Clifton horses, here he is on Clifton Pinot
Matthew Wright had a good day, he seemed to be everywhere, but it was especially nice to see him out again on Park Pilot, his lovely coloured horse, now 18 years old but he bounded round today for second place in one of the Open Intermediates. Bettina Hoy (Germany) and Aoife Clark (Ireland) had to share 3rd place after an identical dressage score, clear show-jumping round and identical time cross country. I was sorry to miss Aoife who’s now a local to this area, but I saw Bettina show-jump and xc on Designer 10 and he is very nice. I caught up with her later for a quick chat before she got on Michael Pollard’s stallion Querdolan Vitarel.
The grey stallion is indeed quite a handful and I was glad I gave them plenty of room as he came bounding off the trailer – I’m not sure which might end up being more annoying, the coltish behaviour which Bettina explained is worst when he first arrives because he used to travel to do live covers, or the constant terrible jokes about bollocks from competitors who happened to pass by; Bettina handled both with a sense of humour, grace and aplomb! Speaking of stallions, Chili Morning went very well today for William Fox-Pitt, and that will be an interesting partnership to watch develop.
Perpetually busy, Bettina is also aiming her top horse Lanfranco TSF for Houghton next weekend and then Bramham.
Daisy Berkeley’s Donen Dusted waiting patiently to show-jump; I didn’t see him go, but I did see her ride the fantastic Springbok – want him too!
Kitty King on Bonne Amie
Lucy Jackson; her trainer Gill Watson told me her Rolex horse ‘Sprout’ had arrived home safely looking terrific, in fact looking as though he’d hardly done a thing, and would be coming back into work soon. While I wait (all night, I fear) for the videos to upload, it bears repeating what a a wonderful job the entire team at Aston le Walls did to make today happen. The competition ran as smooth as silk all day, the going was superb and everyone was incredibly happy and grateful to be running again, and they even managed to bring out the sunshine! Despite taking the second water out of the cross country because it had become quite deep, the course had a bit of everything on it – skinny brushes in combinations, a coffin, an owl-hole, drops, the double steps up that caught out a few while we were watching, as well as the naked lady and some lovely plain galloping fences. Once again I’m struck at the sheer depth of talent eventing in Britain at any time, both human and equine – I literally couldn’t pick one horse out today, I would have had to have brought at least 20 home. Also, the organisation, not just today but in general, is a work of genius, slotting multiple horse riders into one day, and then getting everyone into corresponding rings on time (by the time the horse before you jumps the last fence show-jumping, you’re already approaching the first fence) and the cross country ran on very tight intervals between horses.
Many thanks and congratulations to everyone, and looking forward to a much longer stay in England this summer, with my own camera! Also, an Eventing Nation Get Well Soon to Max Whittington who, despite being under the weather, was still out supporting his dad, and still far better behaved than both of my kids, and if I remember rightly was also faster than his father cross country in #fantasybadminton! Go Max and Go British Eventing!
Another of Harry’s masterpieces!
