had a good day out jumping in the sunshine last Saturday when I took both Roxie and Milli to Felbridge. Roxie hasn't been out jumping since our few days away at Weston Lawns in April so she was happy to be out jumping that was for sure. We did the 95cm open and she jumped a super double clear in a quick time to finish in 2nd place! We were less than a second behind the winner and had I not steadied Roxie up to jump the double of uprights at the very end of the jump off we may have been fast enough to win, although a double of uprights is ones of Roxie's nemesis so I think if I'd kept up the speed we had she may have had one or even both parts down so clear and second place I was very pleased with. It was Roxie's 16th birthday last week and after all she has been through recovering from our fall I am pleased she is back out doing what she loves and competing, despite it being at the slightly lower levels she is still happy!

I also jumped Milli in the first class as I have decided to step her down a bit and let her have fun jumping around some smaller heights for a few weeks as she seems to have lost some confidence when out jumping outside. She jumped so well indoors through the winter around 1.10m and 1.15m but she just isn't as confident jumping this height outdoors for some reason - wouldn't it be so much easier if horses could tell us when things aren't 100%?! I' not 100% confident with the fit of her jump saddle at the moment as she has trimmed down a bit now so I think it is a bit low on her withers and after previous saddle issues she is very sensitive when something isn't 100% comfortable on her - I think it must be the small % of Arab in her breeding from her dad, Mill Law!! Anyway back to our round and Milli jumped a great, she felt much more like herself and after putting a front riser gel pad under her saddle I think we need a bit more flocking for it to fit her without additional pads. We did pick up an unlucky 4 faults when she tapped the back rail of a spread, the ducks playing in the pond by the fence spooked her and she went airborne over the fence a although only small she didn't quite make the spread! She was very cross with herself though and had a little buck and squeak after which is much more like the normal Milli I'm used to so hopefully we will be back out jumping the bigger heights soon 😊

The above pictures are from Felbridge Photography (www.fphotos.net).
I was there on my own so only managed to get pictures (please see images below) when I wasn't riding and unfortunately I don't have videos of our rounds either, but they were good rounds - not that I'm biased at all 🐴

We are out again this weekend, this time at Petley Wood Equestrian Centre for Roxie's British Novice 2nd rounds. Milli is also coming along to jump a round or two as well. Petley is somewhere I haven't been before and it is relatively local, 1 1/2 hours away so I'm looking forward to going there. I will let you know next week how we got on...wish us luck!

SG Eventing
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​I hope you are well and had a great weekend. Wasn't Badminton great?! I haven't yet watched the SJ from yesterday as we were out jumping ourselves but it couldn't have been won by a better man! Thoroughly deserved 😊

Yesterday we were out jumping at Codham Park Equestrian which isn't somewhere I have been before but definitely somewhere I will be returning to. The arenas are lovely, the team very efficient and friendly.....all in all a very well run event! Bit of a shame our results weren't as good though!

​We did the 1m warm up class first and picked up 4 faults after Milli had a spooky moment at the banners hanging on the fence at the end of the arena. With this we picked up a few time faults for the first part of the course too. The rest of the course she jumped really well though so I was looking forward to the next class.

Next we were having our first go at the Discovery 2nd rounds trying to qualify for the finals. Unfortunately it wasn't to be yesterday and Milli just didn't want to play ball! She just wasn't feeling herself and I think our few quiet months on the competition front at the beginning of this year is catching up and she has lost some confidence when jumping courses in the competition environment.

​Because of this and seeing as we had driven 2+ hours to get there I decided to jump her in the 90 Open for a bit of a confidence booster, fun round. She jumped a nice double clear but still wasn't her usual confident self so the next few shows we go to I will jump her around some smaller tracks so she can have fun and enjoy it again. I will be getting her saddle checked too as from previous experience she is a very sensitive little flower and I just want to make sure nothing is too tight anywhere!

I am hoping to be out again this weekend coming with Milli and possibly Roxie, then the following weekends Roxie has got her British Novice 2nd rounds before I may have another go at Discovery 2nd rounds with Milli towards the end of the month, providing she is back jumping like her normal cheeky self again! 

Please Click Here to view more pictures from Codham Park of us jumping plus a rather funny picture of her poking her nose into the living asking for a sweet after she had jumped......how could I say no to that face! 😂

​SG Equestrian
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