A Quick Trip to Barbury

Yet another busy weekend for Team DE that started with a 2.30am alarm for Lauren as we headed down to Barbury with both HHS Dassett Class and SVS Dassett Enterprise in the Novice.

SVS Dassett Enterprise was dropping down level following some XC issues thanks to what we suspect is uncomfortable feet. He has new style shoes and some super pads, so we were hopeful for a happier horse. He certainly moved well in the dressage and scored a competitive 31. He followed it up with a spot on clear round SJ and headed out feeling great on the XC. However, we had a very abrupt stop at a rail into a hollow and to our horror, my air jacket blew up! Luckily the noise was simultaneous to the banging as SVS Dassett Enterprise sat on the rail, but it certainly gave me a fright! Once removed, I decided to give it another go, and although cautious, he did pop into the hollow, so we carried on. There were several more drop fences, and he did seem to grow in confidence, so we are hopeful that the stop was more psychological and he is now more comfortable. He has an entry at Upton House later this week, so we will see how he fairs there.

HHS Dassett Class also performed well in the dressage to score 30. Sadly 3 rails fell in the SJ – both the second and third fences came down as he stared straight through the fences at the upcoming grass bank, which is quite a test for Novice horses. This is the first year I have known the Novice in this technical main arena, but it is good experience I guess! A water tray by the exit also fell, resulting in 12 penalties adding to our score. However, he made up for it XC and was exceptional given his lack of experience. He cruised around a tough track without any hesitation and I am so delighted to feel him start to understand and enjoy this phase.

With both horses successfully done and dusted in the morning, I rushed off to Shropshire for my cousin’s wedding and abandoned the team for the rest of the weekend…! Bad boss!