Lauren Shannon’s eventing blog: enjoying a cheeky weekend off
I have to say, there isn’t an awful lot to write about this week as I managed to have a cheeky weekend off in the throes of the season!
I escaped up to the Lake District at the weekend for my partner Tom’s sister’s wedding. It was great to have a weekend without early mornings, although I didn’t manage to sleep past 7am (I think in the eventing world we class that as a lie-in).
The horses all had several days off after I finished Weston Park last week. They have been competing every weekend since Oasby, so after five events on the trot, I think they deserved a little rest! A week with no tough questions did them the world of good; they all look brilliant and are ready to crack on again.
It was a shame then that I had a couple balloted out of Hambleden this weekend. Crunchie (Kilcannon Watlings Crunch) and Holly (Riffala Du Buisson) will still go, to contest the intermediate and the novice respectively. It may sound sad but I’m very excited to go not just for the event, but to stay away in my truck on Saturday night! It will be our first time staying away in the big girl, and I’m like an excited schoolgirl. It’s these little things in life I suppose…
Back to this week though, and I’ve had dressage lessons on all the horses with Judy Bradwell. Judy has been helping me for the past few years, but it was the first time she’d seen Quality Purdey and Holly working. She was very complimentary about them and they worked beautifully.
Badminton final scores
Louie (Zero Flight) is still galloping and swimming in preparation for the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials, which scarily is only two weeks away! It’s really crept up on me this year, normally I wake up thinking about it weeks before, but this year has just been too busy. Can’t complain I suppose, especially not after having a weekend off! Best get back to the eventing…
Lauren
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Full report on Hambleden plus Badminton preview in H&H out next Thursday, 25 April.
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Event rider Lauren Shannon blogged on Horseandhound.co.uk from June 2011 until September 2014. Born in Brighton, she lived in America from the age of three to 16, returning to the UK to go to university after she finished school. After university she worked for Mark and Tanya Kyle before setting up her own yard in Leicestershire. Her best result to date was finishing 9th at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials with her top horse, Zero Flight.