27/09/2026
Sooooo, you know when they say Eventing form does not always reflect the day? Stand by: with no runs since summer at Little Downham we were determined to get another in. Kelsall Hill it was. The alarm timings say it all (ignore the odd headings - I didn’t pay the vet at 3.45 am). Arrived Kelsall 8ish and bombed around xc. Looks wonderful I thought. Had tight times in fact, VERY when it’s the best part of a 15 min hack to and from dressage . Did a respectable 29 dressage with eyes on stalks but brain intact (his). Dashed back for sj. Hopped off to watch eg: learn the actual course. Found a poor rider absolutely sobbing her heart out as she had been eliminated and it had all got too much. Spent time with her and then had none left to watch /
Learn the course. Quickly saw 1 horse go and thought 💭 “yep got this”. Jogged back to get my horse as they were tannoying about sj collecting ring being empty and it was nearly my time. Trotted back to warm up and was asked how quickly I could be ready 😳 jumped a few fences. Went in jumped fence one beautifully and thought (or didn’t 🙄🤦♀️) “who’s pinched fence 2”. Literally had no clue where it was and no it wasn’t obvious! Did a circle wanting the ground to consume me. Eventually found it, woke the horse back up who by now was more embarrassed than me. Jumped the rest of the course clear. HOWEVER, form says 4 (for my classy circle)+ 11 time for being a dick. Off we go to XC. Go to the start (officials and volunteers there: AMAZING 🤩). If you know Damaskus you know he likes xc start too much and turns into something that could be on acid/ co***ne. They let me go asap to help keep his brain cells aligned and the warm up area safe! Came out the start like he was in the Epsom Derby. I have lost a lot of weight this last year and I genuinely think he thought, he had no body on board. I politely said whoa, he not politely said no. Fortunately he was jumping incredibly even with his jaw crossed and off with the fairies 🧚. UNTIL we got to an easy peasy AB on a left turn and he did a total fly by ✈️. He knew instantly that when I pull on the left rein it has a purpose and so apologetically came back and jumped perfectly. He was very polite at the next two fences too, then his whoopie mission re set in and we finished the course jumping perfectly but doing more meters per minute than required. With our run by and re present we had still only had 0.4 time 😬. One of those days on paper, fun in reality!
