Some three months on since my last blog and I’m having a super season with both Duffy and Max, with lots to share.
Being selected to represent the Northern Squad at the Frickley 2019 National U18 Eventing Championships with Duffy back in July was an awesome experience and a key milestone in my eventing journey.

Despite a nasty fall earlier that month at Speetley when leading our U18 section, we delivered a confident double clear to complete our first big event together and overall THIRD PLACE podium finish for the Northern Team.

We had a great week which included a bit of partying (well lots if honest), varying weather conditions from a heatwave, to what can only be described as Glastonbury with horses, with major down pours along with buckets of support and encouragement from our amazing U18 Co-ordinators and Coaches.

A huge thanks must go to all our sponsors, the event organisers and the army of volunteers, but especially Millbry Hill Country Stores for supplying the squad with stunning jackets for the trot ups. We all looked super smart.

Another sporting high was Max (my other horse) and I being selected for the British Dressage Northern Squad at the British Dressage Youth Inter Regionals at Keysoe, Bedfordshire followed by the Sheepgate British Dressage U25s National Championships at Boston in Lincolnshire. Team 10th at Keysoe out of 44+ teams and another 3rd place podium finish for the team at U25s Sheepgate, with Max delivering a very smart test on day two of 72% for 7th place individually.

Max loves strutting his stuff between the whiteboards and is turning into quite a showman! Our first experience of the BD Petplan Equine Area Festivals did not disappoint, 4th place overall and WINNING our U21 section, put us through to the next round (Finals) at Manor Grange Stud, securing another 4th place overall, just missing out on our ticket to the nationals next year, fingers crossed we get a wild card!

In between all this stressage, I’ve had good eventing runs with both Max and Duffy. Max securing 2nd at both Warwick and Skipton and just outside the placings at Solihull and Duffy taking the WIN (which she was well overdue) at Bold Heath, Cheshire in our Open Class and 3rd last weekend at Allerton Park, Knaresborough.

With only five weeks left of the eventing season and the nights drawing in, its all systems go, it’s tough but its well worth the hard graft!
That’s all for now.

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