Event Update: Chatsworth International

The Dodson & Horrell Chatsworth International Horse Trials, May 2016

It was a weekend of mixed emotions at Chatsworth, amazing highs leading the 1* dressage to disappointing lows, missing the win due to a run at the Queen Mary Bower complex.

I’m absolutely gutted that posting a leading the CIC1* dressage of 40.0 and jumping an awesome clear round in the show jumping (one of very few) LAWA (Torres) headed to the cross country nurturing a 3 point lead Torres went very green to pick up 60 pens and very gingerly jumped in to the water on the 3rd attempt.

Up until that point and for that matter after he was just fantastic, I can only think he has given himself more of a fright at Belton than we first thought as he’s the most straight, brilliant, bold and genuine XC horse you could wish for, gutted doesn’t cover it as he so deserved a win 🙁

CHARLES RR (Charlie) warmed up for the Advanced dressage beautifully in his new double bridle then had some very stroppy moments when he realised he couldn’t go at the speed he likes to go (gallop!!). So a disappointing mark for him which is so so so so SO frustrating as he should have been leading with the quality of work he consistently produces.

Thankfully Charlie came out on Sunday all guns blazing and was total class jumping round Chatsworth Advanced to finish in the Top 20!

He jumped his best round to date in a huge main show jumping arena with hundreds of people watching him.  Incurring a silly 4 faults after going into orbit over an oxer then just getting a little tight to the next. His first ever faults at Advanced show jumping!

Cross country he was urrrr … shall we say, ‘excitable’!!!  So we took it very steady and used it as an educational round… Pretty cool he can just canter round a tough advanced in the same rhythm and be so bold and straight.

After a bit of an emotional Saturday we finished with a huge smile, thank you Charlie! Next stop for Charlie is Tattersalls, IRELAND for the CIC3* (I can’t wait!!!)  while Torres heads to Rockingham International next weekend.

Huge THANK YOU to Mummy Hawker for being there on the really low days as well as the good ones…

and Thank you to Tim Wilkinson, Eventing Images for yet more beautiful photos!