Woodhill Spring trial 2011

7:46am, Monday 26th of September 2011, by Simone Kann

The trial started out lovely and Sunny, Sunday came and the sky's opened!!!

They all work so hard up at Woodhill and you really feel for them when it rains.

Our horses were all really cool this weekend and we were really happy with them all.

The Pre novice we had Tom and Gaye McClunies Drumelzier who was feeling fresh for the first outing of the season, he finished in 4th and will head up to novice at his next start. Sheena and Dermot Ross's Alpha Romeo SW and Winston SW were in the same pre novice class and were 1st and 2nd after the dressage on 27 and 29, they both sj and xc clear with time faults so finished in 2nd and 4th. Donna was the first to go of the pre novices horses on Drumelzier so got a really good run on the going, before i got on Donna said to me "oh just watch out its a little deep in places out there"........ Alpha Romeo was about half way through the pre novice and all i was thinking was DEEP, i think yes it is DEEP!!! Particulary on the landing out the back on the hill. I came back and decided not to run Tarraleah performance horses Knightly Venture in the last of the pre novice classes. Knightly Venture was sitting in 2nd after the dressage with Balmoral Fiddlesticks hot on my heels on a 30. Donna never seems to stop entertaining me or people watching, what was it to be this time!!! Donna decided to give Fiddles a run in the mud, she canters down into the main arena..Fidddles spots a walking umberella and quickly shies away with Donna trying to hold a straight line as Fiddles back end dissapears and then does the slide for a few metres landing him and Donna on the floor(although Donna did land on her feet, Fiddles was not sooo clean) They get going and canter through and do the water complex and call it a day.

Paddy had Balmoral Boomerang entered in the Pre Novice but an absess caused him to swap horses onto Oliver and Brookes horse Robbie. He is an amazing little jumper that suits Paddy very well. It was a last minute decision but they both performed well and placed 5th behind Drumelzier.

The open novice Balmoral Sensation had a canter around and looked super all weekend.

The Novice class Balmoral Tangalooma had his first start and looked amazing, he is a little random at times but has a very good jump and  is a little cutey on the flat. He finished 4th after time xc.

In the Training we started Steve and Vicki Jacks mare Athens and Carolyn Jolleys gelding Tomohawk 11. They both did a really nice dressage both jumping double clean in both the sj and xc.Athens was jumping amazing, Donna comes through through the double, i was videoing and i could see something strange happening...a new style on Donnas behalf possibly....i wasnt sure but it looked quite random and something we hadnt practised at home AT ALL!! It was that the reins had come undone and as Athens was jumping so big Donna went into slip the reins a little on the oxer only to find the rein wasnt connected......so was busily trying to catch it back mid air!! The training division was held later in the day and the going was heavy and really boggy, Donna decided to use it as a schooling run on both horses.

Once again thanks to the McClunies for feeding/watering our Team on Saturday night.

This week is Te Rapa horse trials.