What a wild ride 2020 has been and yet we’ve been working hard and have been getting the results and I’m excited to try to finish it strong.
VIRGINIA HORSE TRIALS
All three horses went to Virginia Horse Trials for various reasons, including needed fitness runs on the hills. Forty and Harbin got their needed CCI3S qualifiers. Forty was great in all 3 phases. I’m still getting to know him but it gets a little better each time. Harbin was fresh in the dressage but overall felt stronger in his body and the quality was better. He was prepared for the competition but hadn’t competed since March so some rust in the SJ. He has yet to find a cross country course hard which is exciting- he is officially a 3* horse! Junior was spooky in the dressage but his bad is still pretty good and he was 5th on a 28 in a stacked division of successful 5* horses. After a clear SJ and a XC with a little time, Junior won the Advanced Intermediate and earned a “congrats” text from US Team Coach, Erik Duvander.
RIVER GLEN
After VAHT, we travelled to Alex Green’s farm to base before River Glen. Harbin and Junior got some work done on the hills. Forty was the lone competitor for River Glen. We put in an improved dressage test to sit second after dressage. After VAHT, I got his pictures and noticed his breastplate was too tight so I tweaked that and he was the only clear SJ round in the whole division to sit 1st overnight. As badly as I wanted to win, I decided to take care of his legs and he finished 2nd in the CCI3S!
UP NEXT
I feel as if I’ve changed my plans 100 times this year but i hope/plan to take Forty to the CCI3L at Great Meadow in 2 weeks. Harbin is entered for a dressage show and Junior is entered for the Advanced at Chatt Hills. Wish us luck!