Area Eventing Report

Last weekend we headed to Hambleden with Area Eventing Team members from the Flamstead. We had a couple of individuals in the 90 and a team in the 100 plus one individual entry in the Chairman’s Cup, a relatively new class.

The day started with the 90 class and both Maisie Carvill and Rodger and Jess Rainbow and Fred, who rode lovely dressage tests to gain scores of 29.8 and 35.2. Unfortunately the day didn’t quite go to plan for either of these riders, and the tricky show jumping course on very slippery ground which caused a lot of problems caught them both out, so neither riders got to go cross country.

In the 100 class we got off to a great start, with Olivia Fisher and the lovely Moose scoring a fabulous mark in the dressage of 27.1, closely followed by Erin Neale and Sophie and Holly Hudgell on Henry both on 28.5. Hattie Goodman back from university took over the reins from sister Izzy on Blue to ride a pleasing test for 36.2 in what would definitely be Blue’s least favourite discipline!

We went into the show jumping in the lead as a team with some very promising individual placings too. Unfortunately Moose just got a bit quick in a related distance and ended up having one pole down, as did Blue while Erin produced a super clear on the talented Sophie. Holly’s horse didn’t jump his best in the show jumping and picked up a few faults, but as a team we were still in the lead with 3 of our 4 riders taking up the first few places.

The cross country was a testing track, with a lot of skinny fences positioned off tight turns, and after a lot of rain, the ground was slippery and the course needed very accurate riding. All our Flamstead riders rode fantastic rounds, all clear with just a couple of time faults between them for the team to take the win, qualifying for Champs. This is the first time Flamstead’s name has been on this trophy. Erin finished 3^rd individually, less than a mark off the winner, with Olivia in 4^th just one mark behind and Hattie in 5^th then Holly in 8^th.

In the Chairman’s Cup we had Josie Reid and the talented Beano. The Chairman’s Cup is a 105 class with a 110 dressage test, a bigger show jumping round and then a 100 cross country course, with a couple of extra trickier fences. Josie rode a lovely test in the dressage to sit in 2^nd place on a score of 29.8. She then lowered 2 show jumps, but there were very few clears, before flying around the cross country effortlessly inside the time to leave them in 2^nd place and also qualifying for Champs.

What a fantastic day for our Flamstead members in the 100 and Chairman’s Cup. We now have a team going to Pony Club Champs at 100 in show jumping and Eventing, not something I think Flamstead have ever had before, what an achievement.

Well done girls from your very proud coach

Georgie