I’m quite happy to be inside writing a blog instead of outside in the newly-chilly weather!
We had a great weekend at Osberton, where it was blisteringly hot. We arrived on Wednesday, so my groom Jenny settled Gentel Lux into her stable and then we trotted up in the afternoon. Lux took a good few rides to settle (she’s still young and finds it all quite exciting) so she had three rides on Thursday and two before her dressage test on Friday.
She did a great test – the first half was lovely and calm. Then we did counter canter – and that was just so exciting! Lux showed off her flying changes, which meant trying to pick up counter canter again from walk on a half circle. To be fair, she coped with it well, but that frazzled her mind and I never really got her back to me. She did a 61.8, which I felt was deserved.
The team at Osberton managed to do a lot to the ground on the cross-course to make it very rideable. Lux was a star all the way round, absolutely launching me into the last water! She flew round, finishing nearly 20sec inside the time despite the heat.
Sunday morning was busy getting ready for the trot-up, which went by without a problem. Lux didn’t jump until 1.15pm so I had plenty of time to get everything from the weekend packed away and do some last-minute sunbathing!
Lux jumped absolutely amazingly, never looking like she would even touch a fence. She was one of only three double clears in the Lycetts seven-year-old championships and moved up from overnight 11th to 8th. I was over the moon with her and she’s off in the field now for a nice holiday.
I did manage to
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accidentally pick up a new puppy on the cross-country course at Osberton – obviously when I was walking! Spot the Jack Russell rolled down a hill to my feet and I was sold, so we’ve brought him home.
He is currently spending all his time learning bad habits from my other dog, Baxter, and chewing anything that could be important (invoices) or embarrassing (underwear). So hopefully we can all make it through the last two events of the season together, Oasby and Aldon!
One more thing before I go – I recently did an interview with American-based eventing website Eventing Nation, which now live, so check it out here.
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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.
