Sophie Jenman’s first Badminton Horse Trials: 9 days to go and counting

9 days and counting! Al (my Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials ride Geronimo) has had 3 outings this week. On Wednesday I went to Pyecombe Showjumping (below), where he jumped a double clear in the 1.20m. He popped round as if it was nothing.

I like to jump bigger than I do when I’m eventing so I feel more comfortable and confident on the big occasions. So I jumped the 1.30m, he jumped clear but had a pole in the jump-off. Even so it was a great day and I feel it has set us up well for the showjumping at Badminton.

On Sunday I took Al to Chilham to have a school in the dressage warm-up area, as he had behaved so badly at Pulborough the previous week. I’m keen to keep up the dressage practice away from home so that hopefully we will get some level of concentration at Badminton! In between those 2 outings we had a trip to the gallops where he felt fit and well.

All 3 of my rides were placed at Chilham, with Fedorian winning a BE100 (above, picture by www.spidge.co.uk) finishing on his dressage score of 22. He is a very impressive 5-year-old, so chilled but really raises his game at a competition. He has come such a long way in the 6 months that we have owned him, I feel he would now benefit from a break. So I have decided to give him a month off now and then bring him back for some 5-year-old classes and maybe a novice later on in the year.

D Marilla was on great form and was a respectable 6th in the BE100 (right, picture by www.spidge.co.uk), I was particularly pleased with her dressage mark of 27. Aithne was 6th in the novice, I had a fabulous ride cross-country on her, it was a testing course and caused a lot of problems.

Badminton final scores

The drawn order for Badminton is out and I couldn’t be happier with my number of 48. I should have a Thursday afternoon dressage and I’m not around the famous Brits so hopefully it will be slightly quieter in the main arena for my dressage. On the Saturday I should be able to watch a few go cross-country before I have to warm up, but won’t have the dreaded wait where I would start to over think the lines I’m taking cross-country.

I received my Badminton car passes and information pack in the post earlier this week. It has now hit home that it’s only next week we’ll be packing up the lorry and making our final preparations. Perhaps time to sort out my trot-up outfit — which is always complicated by the fact I have to ride Al to and from the trot-up area because of his bad behaviour.

Next week’s blog will be coming from Badminton!

Sophie

Sophie will be blogging daily from Badminton from Wednesday next week, so keep up with all her blogs here.

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