LK Equestrian

Chatsworth is our favourite event on the calendar - the scenery, setting, organisation and atmosphere all add up to make a totally spectacular event.

This year we went up the night before again, as although it isn't a particularly long journey, it's very up and down and round about once you hit the edge of the dales. Peter isn't the best traveller anyway, so if it's a long or tough journey we like to stop over to give him chance to get his 'sparkle' back.

We stopped off at Chatsworth on the way to the stabling to walk the course with Phoebe Buckley, which was really helpful. Phoebe also offered to help me warm up for the showjumping between her rounds which was lovely of her!

The dressage warm up was a lot calmer than Hambleden [I haven't had chance to do a write up, but we got a 69 dressage, one down showjumping, and clear cross country] and a lady who had been speaking to us at Hambleden even commented on how much better it looked. Peter was a lot softer and more willing, and was giving more through his jaw and poll. I had a little break, having a walk around and a chat, to just relax us both and give us a breather. I started warming up again, and unfortunately I hadn't left enough time to take his boots off, put my jacket on, put my number on, AND get him settled again, so we had to go down to our test with him not particularly through or soft, which was a little disappointing. I felt the test was reasonable - far better than Hambleden - but the judge had been marking harshly and so we ended up with 44.

I then headed up to the showjumping, which was proving influential. The thing about Chatsworth is that you jump in the main arena, with a grandstand and all the shops around it. This creates a very electric atmosphere, which can cause horses to lose their concentration or freeze - Peter did the latter last year. The course was pretty technical with related distances and dog legs, but I was hoping that having been in the arena before, Peter wouldn't be worried by the atmosphere and I could just focus on riding the course. Phoebe warmed us up really well, getting us coming to the fences and not flustering if it went wrong. I felt confident going into the ring, and Peter had a little 'uh oh' moment and started to tense up but I just patted and spoke to him to keep him calm. He then went on to jump a lovely clear - a couple of deep spots and one serious flyer, but he kept his toes up and left all the poles in the cups!

Next up was the cross country, which you can see a course walk of here with Phoebe. The time was proving pretty influential again, and there was plenty to do on the course. The water had been softened dramatically on last year, but the coffin was a true intermediate question, with two skinny triple brushes on a curve. Peter warmed up really well, and is now [two seasons after starting eventing!] starting to twig what the start box means, and was bouncing around like a loony! He left the start box like the hounds of hell were behind him, and gave me a stunning ride around the whole course. I was even stunned to stop my watch and see I was two seconds inside the time - one of only ten in my section to make the time! The round was fantastic to ride, and Peter made everything feel so easy. I ended up finishing on my dressage score - the first time at Novice - and finished 18th if you look at BDWP or 14th if you went by the onsite scoreboard!

After our not-so-smooth Novice run at Burnham Market, we decided to step down to the Novice at South of England to try a new bitting arrangement for Heffa for the cross country. I didn't fancy moving up to Intermediate on a sticky run, and trying a new bit for the first time.

We went up the night before as it's a fairly long journey - Multimap only put's it at three and a bit hours, but you always end up stuck on the M25 so have to allow so much more time!

We headed down Friday afternoon, to get there in enough time so that we could do some schooling, and walk the cross country course. There was nothing really on the cross country that I was worried about - having done the CIC* there last year, the novice seemed a lost softer. The only fence that had changed, and was tougher than last year, was the skinny log drop. There was a small skinny log, two strides to a very meaty drop down, and then one stride to a suspended log that was quite large. In the CIC* last year, it had just got the log and drop.

Saturday morning we warmed up for the dressage, and it was slightly daunting having Alex Hua Tian, Lucinda Fredericks, Sacha Pemble, and Sharon Hunt [on the GORGEOUS Tankers Town!] warming up at the same time as me! South Of England were running an Advanced Intermediate, using the Badminton dressage test, so a lot of the Badminton horses were there. It was amazing to see them all in the flesh and see the warm up routines and how each horse behaved. Heffa was a little unsettled in his warm up, but we took ourselves off into a corner so we could be removed from the main hustle and bustle! He seemed to settle the more we did, and eventually we headed down for our test. I thought it was a pretty reasonable  test - by no means perfect but a lot better than I would possibly have expected. I was then stunned when at the end of the test the judge got out of her car. The first thing that crossed my mind was I'd left his boots on. However the judge was concerned that Heffa had been tilting to the right through his test. He had just had his teeth done so there was no reason for this - it is just a habit he has formed. I ended up with a 45 - not brilliant but after talking to the judge I was actually expecting a higher mark!!

The showjumping in the intermediate had been causing lots of problems - the trade stands were all around the showjumping ring and because of the 'names' there were a lot of spectators. It gave it a bit of a spooky feel. The showjumping didn't look huge when we walked it, but there were plenty of related distances and I wasn't going to underestimate it knowing it had been causing problems in previous classes. Heffa warmed up really well - I kept seeing a forward shot to the fences though so Kerry was trying to get me to wait a little longer for a deeper spot. We followed Tina Cook into the ring, and Heffa was a little green as there were a lot of people watching. We managed to jump a clear, although he was very wonky coming down the related distance between two uprights as he was having a major spook!

We were really pleased with his clear as it was the first one of the novice showjumping. It turned out only six showjumped clear in his section. At least we know if the eventing lark doesn't turn out to be Heffa's forte, he can always showjump!!

The cross country was next, and he warmed up really well. We were in the new bit, which is like a tom thumb type with a pricker pad on the left to help our steering! We had a pretty faultless run cross country - much more under control and sensible. Heffa was really respectful of the new bit, and trying hard. I almost missed a fence out - the podium at the end, and had to haul him into it which unsettled him a bit, and he took charge through the final water - that was a combination of him being unsettled, and also knowing the fence from last year. It doesn't help he's bold with water anyway! We got 8.8 time which I swear is due to my wobble, and over setting up in places to make sure new bit was 'all that'!

All in all a successful day - Heffa now has ANOTHER point. Next stop is Hambleden CIC*, then Chatsworth - my favourite event on the calendar!

Easter weekend, we took Peter to Burnham Market for the Novice section. Again, Kerry came with us, and we also had my friend Louise grooming - many thanks to her! I wasn't dressaging until three-ish, so it was quite an elongated day.

Peter again did his best camel impression in the dressage warm up, and we both had a couple of 'I really don't want to do this moments' and I honestly thought there was no hope. Eventually he settled, and went in to produce what I thought was quite a sweet, accurate test. He wasn't flashy or hugely expressive, but it was there. I was very disappointed therefore to get a 40 - the marks were quite unimaginative, all 6's, one 7 and one 5.

We then had roughly an hour until my showjumping, so things were again quite sedate. The weather couldn't seem to make  up its mind, we had warm, windy, cold, rain spatter, everything bar snow I think! We went down to the showjumping and, like Gt Witchingham, the warm up was on a bit of a slope. Kerry popped us over a few fences, including a huge upright. I was trying to leave it up to Peter a bit more, but we both saw some awful shots, and I didn't go into the ring full of confidence really! Once we were in the ring, they rang the bell immediately so it was straight round to the first fence. He was a very good boy, the ground was getting very deep in places - particularly before fence two. I buried him to an upright, and he still got his feet out of the way. We just got a little bit forward to the final double, got underneath it, and just took out the front rail. I was a little disappointed as the round had been good until then.

Next up was a quick change to the cross country, which in typical Burnham Market fashion was big, bold, and technical in places. He warmed up really well, keen, but not out of control. Peter was a bit of a wally at the start box, hyping himself up and bouncing around. I ended up starting my watch a bit late, as was struggling to hold him AND press the start button! He came out of the start box well, flew the first two, then turned really well right through the woods. Flew the hayfeeder at 3, then I rode him in more of a forward canter to the corner. Normally I hook in to technical fences, but I need to learn to trust him more. He popped the corner well, although my lower leg looked abysmal - I will say I hit the flag so it's not normally that poor! We got a bit of a dodgy stride into the rail at 5, but he came back to me really well on the downhill approach to the upright house at 6. He was fine at the angled roll tops at 7, flew the water and skinny brush out at 8, and was running amazingly all the way across the top of the hill. We came to the skinny at 12, and he came back fabulously well, and popped it like a gem. However, he landed running, and I left it up to him and just used legs and weight to steer him to the skinny barrel at 13. He ran straight into the bottom of it, didn't get his legs up, and chested it. It could have been really nasty, but somehow Peter got the landing gear out, and with stickability to rival that of Andrew Nicholson, I somehow stayed on. Even the commentator said he had no idea how I stayed on! We carried on, but it had really unsettled Peter and I and my brakes just disappeared. We completed the course - clear, with 4.4 time - but it was a really scary moment that knocked us both. However, we looked at the results board and Peter was in with a shot of a placing - he was 3rd fastest in his section so had pulled up the rankings a fair bit! He ended up finishing 7th, so got a rosette and another point! He's now gone from 6 to 7 - he's no long 'Six Pack Pete' but 'Peter '7-up' Piper'.

We made the decision a couple of days later to drop down to Novice at South of England rather than run intermediate, and review our braking situation. Although this was really disappointing for me, I trust Kerry's advice and hope that the new brakes result in a better round at SoE in the Novice.

To finish on a high though - at Burnham Market I picked up a new supporter. Kan-Teq produce the Kan bodyprotector - designed with motorbike technology to offer superior protection, anatomically shaped for the ladies shape. I really look forward to working with Wendy!

Last Saturday we headed off to Great Witchingham in Norfolk for the first JRN of the year. I was really pleased that Kerry had said she'd come with me.  We've had a couple of cracking lessons, but I was worried that I'd resort to old methods in the competition environment.

The dressage warm up was pretty horrendous - Peter still doesn't have the knack of the new system, so we spent 30 minutes in a giraffe like state with Peter adamant there was absolutely no way he could possibly flex like that. Eventually we got him to settle, and he did some nice work, but we weren't getting a real medium trot out of him. He went in to produce a sweet test - nothing flashy, a little tense in places, but accurate, for 39 in a harsh marking section. He was left just outside of the top 10 after dressage.

Next up was the showjumping. I don't tend to do a lot with Peter at Gt Witchingham as the warm up is on a bit of a slope. He jumped some fairly meaty oxers and uprights well, and we went in bang on time. Peter jumped the first one huge, and went on to do a really nice round, getting me out of trouble when I buried him at a huge vertical. I was really indecisive on my approach to the treble, so we took the first element out, and got one time penalty. I was pleased though, as a lot of people were getting faults.

The cross country at Gt Witchingham is always quite meaty - last year I walked the course and it terrified me! This year, I still thought it was meaty, just not as terrifying! It was pretty identical to the same course I did last year there, so it was more a case of riding him for the straight routes, a clear, and considering the time. I took him direct everywhere, and he made it feel really easy. We went direct at the coffin, and he popped through really sweetly, never wavered off his line. There'd been a lot of debate regarding the water, and the majority of people were going long. Kerry and I made the decision to go straight, and Peter being so bold with water he just flew through. We came home with 12 time as I took him a  bit steadier for the first half of the course. Overall we finished 13th, which I was really pleased with, and we got some cracking pictures and video!

Peter survived the ballot for South of England and so therefore will be definately running in his first Intermediate! We're getting plenty of stressage in with Kerry to help tune us up so we don't look like total novices, and it's going really well. Hopefully she'll be coming with us as well which will help us [and my nerves!] no end. We have two runs in between, Gt Witchingham JRN, and Burnham Market Novice, then hopefully a schooling session at Grange De Lings to do some practise! Cross your fingers for me please!

I have finally just got chance to sit down and write a report about Oasby!

Last Friday and Saturday we were at Oasby Horse Trials, run by the team at BEDE Events. Friday we were competing with Peter in the Novice, and Saturday we were competing with Baby Pony [Cal], in the Intro. Tally was meant to be in the Pre-Novice on the Friday, but we had to withdraw him due to an infection in his tendon. He is  now well on the way to full recovery though! I'm not sure I could cope with him any longer on box rest!

So, on the Friday we headed to Oasby with Peter. Last year he started with a Pre-Novice, this year due to our aims, I had to start him at Novice. I was a little daunted, but he's been showjumping well at 1.15m and 1.20m BSJA this winter, so I felt prepared. He warmed up for the dressage quite sweetly, and did an 'okay' test. I was expecting 39-40, so was a little disappointed with 41.5. However, I can see where I lost my marks, and I think a lot of dressage lessons are in order to be more competitive!
     We then went back to the lorry and did our tack change for the showjumping. It was quite a twisty course, not paricularly big but there were two fairly meaty oxers and a big upright at the last. I had seen a lot of poles falling through the morning, and after our warm up was expecting a cricket score! Peter kept pulling me into the bottom of the fences, then having to haul himself out from a deep spot. In the end I 'winged' him into a fairly meaty oxer, which made him think and back off a bit more. We then went in the ring, and did a really nice, rhythmical clear. The only bit I did wrong was I saw a long shot into the downhill double at 8. Luckily he's honest and scopey, so it wasn't an issue.
     Next was the cross country. When we took Peter schooling at Oasby in February, it was like holding onto a tank! He was so keen and strong, even the novice fences weren't backing him off. He warmed up really smartly, and came out of the start box full of running. He was straight as a die at all of the skinnies, including the two wishing wells on an angle. As it was first event of the season, I wasn't too worried about time. We came back clear, albeit with 16time, so finished on 57.5. However, Peter has started the season with a double clear and another point, taking his total now to six!

Baby Pony was on the Saturday, and we weren't quite sure what to expect. We arrived with plenty of time to spare, so I tacked him up and took him for a wander around the showground, just so he got used to all the sights and sounds.
He warmed up very sweetly for his test, but when we went down for the dressage test itself, he put in a monumental spook at the white boards. I suddenly had a panic that I wouldn't even get him in the arena, let alone through the test! However, he went on to produce an accurate test, albeit it a little green and gangly, to score 38.5. We were thrilled with his score, and he gained 5 7's in the test.
   Next was the showjumping, which we knew would be his strongest phase. However, as he was used to competing at 1m BSJA, we were concerned he may try and team chase the intro fences. Although he was keen, he jumped well and came home with a clear round, and yet again I was heading to the crosscountry on my dressage score.
   The cross country was quite possibly going to be Cal's downfall. Although he had cross country schooled, a full course, with flags, time and the atmosphere, was going to prove totally different. He warmed up well, jumping rather large over the warm up fences in his greeness. As the starter counted down I walked him in and out of the start box just to get the idea. He left the start box a bit reluctantly, and was a bit backwards going into the first fence. However, once he realised he was jumping, and getting to go faster, he was absolutely fabulous! He was very keen, and straight at all the fences, including a double of skinnies, a step up and down, a corner, and of course the water. I didn't hassle him for the time cross country as it was his first event, so we came home with ten time penalties. However, had he finished on his dressage score he would have been sixth, which shows potential.

Many thanks to Nico Morgan and Adam Fanthorpe for the wonderful pictures.

12.3.10 Oasby (1) Nov PETER PIPER  Fri 1014 Fri 1054 Fri 1126  [No.23 Sec A]
12.3.10 Oasby (1) 100 TALAVERA II  Fri 1238 Fri 1328 Fri 1412 [No.205 Sec F]
13.3.10 Oasby (1) 90 CVS SPELLBOUND Sat 1220 Sat 1538 Sat 1620 [No.567 Sec O]

Well, it has been a very exciting week this week, but some parts must still be kept under cloak and dagger! However, the one bit I can reveal is that I have been selected as part of the 'Promising Young Rider [Eventing] Squad' on the Leg Up For Talent scheme. I have been selected along with the top class riders Laura Collett, Emily Llewellyn, Dani Evans, and Tom McEwen.

I know I am not the same calibre as these riders, but I hope to emulate them at some point within my career. The Leg Up For Talent scheme is in association with www.yedsearch.com and The Little Black Book, and aims to give a 'leg up' to promising young riders. To be grouped with riders of that level is a privilege, and I hope that I can prove myself.

If you wish to support me, by doing it through the Leg Up For Talent Scheme, your company will be awarded a full years advert in The Little Black Book, and an advert on Horse & Country TV, which has a audience of 250,000 people per month.  If you are interested, please do not hesitate to contact me.

A seriously late report, I know, but we've been wickedly busy the past week and the weather's turned again.
Last Saturday we went to Arena UK for the JAS qualifier. Peter had done a really good job at Solihull, and narrowly missed qualification, so we were hoping a second shot at Arena UK would prove  fruitful.
My friend Louise came up from London, and we met Tor at Arena UK, so mum had a day off! Louise and Tor played photographers / pole pickers / rug holders and anything else that I couldn't do!
Peter warmed up really sweetly on the flat outside, and felt really easy to work with. We then went in to the indoor to pop some fences, and he was getting a bit deep to them all, but jumping well. We finished on a fairly meaty oxer, then waited our turn to go in.
As we went in, Peter's eyes went out on stalks, and he gawped at everything bar the fences. The fact we regularly BSJA at Arena UK seemed to make no difference what so ever! Started to jump around the course, and Peter seemed to be really un-focussed and not in front of my leg at all. I just sat quietly and rode the elephant that seemed to have appeared underneath me, and pretty much carried him around the course. We got a style mark of 31, 4 down showjumping, 2 down cross country, and time penalties. It wasn't until after my round that I realised I hadn't put my spurs on, which would explain why he wasn't sharp  off my leg.
We only had a 40minute gap between our Novice and Open times, but we popped him on the lorry with his thermatex and went to have a look at the open course and the first rider in. It suddenly seemed quite big!
When I warmed up second time round, I put my spurs on, and had a totally different horse underneath me! Peter went in and jumped much better than he had the first time, our rhythm was much better but he was still a little green. We had a couple down and a time penalty, but our style mark was 25. I was a little disappointed as felt that was quite harsh, but it seemed the finer, thoroughbred types were getting the higher marks, so I think possibly that the Peter wasn't quite the judges type. However, we finished 15th in the Open.
Here are some pictures, thanks to Tor!

Let's try and kill 3 birds with one stone!

My Arena UK JAS times are better than my Solihull ones - Peter is the only one going this time, and Arena UK is just up the road!

141 OPEN     PETER PIPER LAURA KEELEY   Sat 1552    
124 NOVICE  PETER PIPER LAURA KEELEY   Sat 1505

My Oasby numbers and sections are as follows...

12.3.10 Oasby (1) Nov PETER PIPER Keeley, Laura Section A, No 23
12.3.10 Oasby (1) 100 TALAVERA II Keeley, Laura Section F, No 205
13.3.10 Oasby (1) 90 CVS SPELLBOUND Keeley, Laura Section O, No 567

And thirdly...

Peter, Cal and Tally all went stressage schooling on Monday at Laughton Manor as the field is just too wet to ride in. They all went really well, considering they've not been schooled properly since before Christmas. It was Cal's first stressage session with me, and  he went sweetly, although I think I need to do some more bit fiddling. We have a couple of snippets on video, but unfortunately our camera is now well and truly dead so there is no hope of redemption. The bank account will be taking a hit!

Cal

Peter