Well, unfortunately the weather put paid to Kitkat’s (Another Breakfast) advanced run at Withington, but I must congratulate Bicton on their heroic effort to put on an extra day for us on Sunday.
They only got the go ahead on Friday evening, extremely short notice to try and put a full day’s eventing together. What an amazing and brave decision! Helen West (Bicton Arena manager) and her team did a wonderful job and I, along with everyone else who ran on Sunday, are so grateful to them.
The courses were fantastic and the ground amazing considering they had to cope with some difficult conditions on Saturday afternoon and Sunday. So a massive massive thank you to them and I really hope they get the go ahead to add 1-star, 2-star and advanced courses there in the future.
Kitkat jumped a lovely double clear in the open intermediate and I think I am finally finding the right bitting for him cross-country (pictured, photo courtesy of Tanzy Lee).
Myrtle’s the Friday star
I had Archie (Arise Cavalier) and Skippy (Abakala Flagmount) there on the Friday in the BE100. Archie did a bit of a wobbly test and still finds it quite difficult to concentrate the whole way through but we will get there. He then jumped a fantastic clear in the showjumping, a very spooky course, but unfortunately had a baby run-out early on in the cross-country. I was very pleased with him though, as he is still very green and got better and better as he went round, finishing really confidently.
Skippy did a good test for a 33. He then went very green and spooky on me in the showjumping, so we didn’t have the best round but flew the cross-country for a lovely clear. So, an up and down day for them, but you have to expect it with young horses and I wasn’t too disappointed.
Myrtle (In Vogue II) was also there on Friday in the novice. She did a beautiful test for a 27.5, by far the most consistent and soft test she has done with me. She followed it up with a faultless double clear adding just 1.6 time-faults cross-country. This was enough to leave us in 2nd place, whoopee!
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Getting the showjumping practice
Both our events have been cancelled this weekend, Mattingley and West Buckland, which is frustrating but nothing much we can do when the weather decides to be so miserable. I know these decisions to cancel aren’t taken lightly and it must be just as disappointing for the organisers, after all their hard work preparing courses, as it is for us, the competitors.
We are, therefore, going to turn showjumpers for the weekend and head to the 3-day show at The Dorset Showground with my 6 horses. It will be a chance to get some good showjumping practice in on grass, which will be very beneficial for all.
Rosie
Bicton Arena Friday and Saturday report and results in H&H out today (1 May); Sunday sections report and results in the issue out next week (8 May).
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Rosie Fry has been blogging for Horse & Hound since shortly after she left university to concentrate on eventing full time in July 2013. She is the sister of National Hunt trainer Harry Fry and helps school and exercise his horses when time allows.