Top of the morning to you. September has flown past with a flurry of competitions for us all. I had an outing up to Richmond to do the BE100 where the Leprechauns were out in force causing havoc on the cross-country course. Fence 9 took its toll on many a combination but I am pleased to report the Young Master and I flew round finishing with no time penalties and sneaked into the rosettes in 10th place. An annoying pole in the show jumping dropped us down but the Old Girl was pleased so that’s good news for all of us and plenty of yummy fibre beet to continue supplying me with slow release energy.
The following weekend the Pocket Rocket went to Frickley to do her first BE80. I gave her advice which of course she didn’t need and she became rather over excited at being at such a grand party. Consequently, the dressage has much to improve on, the Leprechauns need smiting in the show jumping but in true Irish fashion she flew round the cross country oblivious to the soggy ground that others found so daunting.
The Legend went off the following day to the Festival of the Horse at Sledmere where he was taking part in junior show jumping. He arrived home having won yet another class, the only double clear no less, qualifying again for another championship! This is of course why he is a legend and a testimony to the qualities of fibre beet which is clearly so good for the golden oldies (but don’t tell him I called him that!).
Determined to show the old boy he isn’t the only one who can win classes I arrived at Escrick Park the following weekend ready to do battle in the newly launched Speedibeet Super Series. Classes start at a metre, up to one ten for pony club members aged 13 years and above. The York & Ainsty South Pony Club ran a good show with lots of my friends taking part. I had a bit of a giddy moment meeting up with Comet again and in a bid to impress her with a nifty turn in the metre five completely forgot the route I was going… whoops… The Old Girl had a few choice words to say to the Young Master about that and we redeemed ourselves with a win in the metre ten.
Our next outing was a local trip to Bishop Burton for another BE100. Being a student at the college I know the Young Master often feels added pressure to do well there so I was determined not to let him down. He felt unusually relaxed in the dressage phase so I responded in a similar fashion and we received much praise from everyone including the judge! I felt good for the show jumping, having had a little session with the Old Girl earlier in the week… she does know how to build a grid to help us get our knees up and make a round shape, so we popped round posting a clear. News filtered back that the cross country was causing a few problems with a tricky corner downhill to a skinny brush. Leprechauns had been sighted taking great delight in spooking many combinations. The Young Master was instructed to keep the magic whip in the left hand and take no chances. We sailed round for a great clear but I must confess to finding the going heavy, the result being a fair few time faults. This was good enough though for 5th place and a delighted back up team.
I have a couple of easy weeks now before the last event of the season at Norton Disney. The dentist is coming and a routine physio session is booked. Wannabe and the Pocket Rocket have Askham Bryan next week and of course The Legend has a Championship looming at the end of the month. So, don’t forget to check in and see how we all got on and remember to keep munching the fibre beet which is full of so much goodness.
Bye for now,
Billy Bank
