Sophie Wells’ blog: on our way to Hickstead

We are currently on our way down to the Hickstead Premier League and Para Summer Championships as well as a big selection trial for our Europeans this year. It feels quite odd not to be driving. We have five horses on board, so my transporter friend Mark Perry has come to pick us up in his nine horse lorry.

Emma Kent has been training with us for a few weeks, so we are dropping her home on the way past, and the rest — Reece, Noki, David and Ed — are going to Hickstead. It did take quite some organising to get packed for four horses, and exercising six horses before we left was interesting. Thankfully the girls on the yard are great and Becca is coming with us to groom.

I’m entered to do the inter II and grand prix with Noki, and the special if he feels up for it. Reece is doing the inter I and the para classes to get him used to competing three days in a row, as he got quite hot by the last day in France. David (Forever Himself) is going on his first big boy competition, as he’s never done anything this big before. Fingers crossed he trusts me!

David did his first prix st georges last week in preparation. He coped well, with a few green moments, but he’s definitely ready for this level now. He’s been quite tricky in the past — he’s quite a nervous horse — and he slightly misused his brain, but hopefully that’s turning around now.

Hopefully in my next blog I can update you on how we did at Hickstead…

Sophie

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