Blenheim Report

Last week saw 4 of our older members head to Blenheim to compete in the Eventer Challenge at 1 metre.

We won this competition last year, so were returning as the reigning champions! It was similar to last year, in that it was a very tight optimum time which the girls could be 15 seconds under, but not a second over. The course was very twisty in a small grass arena with 8 show jumps, followed by 8 cross country fences, including a water jump they had to pass through twice before jumping an up to height set of planks as the joker fence, off a tight turn as the last fence. For every show jump they had down they picked up 4 penalties, except the joker which was 6 penalties.

Isabel Goodman was first to go for us on the super competitive Blue. Nobody had finished within the time when she went into the ring, so a speedy round was necessary. She took a tight turn to the last show jump, but unfortunately Blue didn’t lock on to it and they picked up 4 faults. This seemed to knock his confidence and he wasn’t his usual forward self following this, so she very sensibly decided to call it a day.

Josie followed her into the ring. Beano jumped his socks off, and apart from getting the wrong stride to the third show jump and having it down, he didn’t touch a fence, and was inside the time to finish on a score of 4 faults.

Isobel Morton was third to go for Flamstead on the lovely Kassius. They flew around the course making it look easy, only to be sadly caught out by the joker fence, but finishing inside the time, so adding 6 faults to the Flamstead score.

Last to go for us was the ever consistent Erin and Sophie. They had show jump down early on, flew the cross country fences, but like Isobel were caught out by that evil joker plank at the last, so finished on a score of 10.

This left the Flamstead team in 9^th place out of over 25 teams, still a very respectable result around a tricky course. Blenheim is such a fabulous event to compete at, one of my favourites. Hopefully next year we will be able to send teams to represent Flamstead again.

On Sunday, Erin returned to compete as part of a mixed team with Vale of Aylesbury. Battling the terrible weather she jumped a beautiful clear…apart from missing the final fence! She turned back to complete but incurred 4 faults. Despite this, the team still placed 6th – well done!!