Lauren Shannon’s blog: it’s my responsibility to know the rules
I know my last blog had a bit of a depressed feel to it, and I’m sorry to say the rest of last weekend did as well!
After nearly missing my CIC** dressage at Barbury Horse Trials, Gentel Lux and I managed a very respectable 55.6, but it turned out that I needn’t have rushed. I took my passport to our trot-up on Friday afternoon and was informed that I couldn’t continue in the competition because my vaccinations were “too up to date”.
I was not aware that there was a rule which prohibits competing within a week of having a horse’s flu vaccinations done. I hold my hands up that it is totally my responsibility to know the rules, but I have somehow managed to never have this issue before! And having said that it is my responsibility, I did try and think very hard of someone else to blame it on, especially on the four-and-a-half-hour drive home.
Unfortunately, I didn’t find anyone else to blame it on, so it was onwards and upwards to Buckminster on Sunday. I had “Smartie” (Smart Lady) and “Robbie” (Ballyengland Twilight) in the novice and a student’s horse, Little Louigi II, in the BE100.
Smartie and Robbie each had 20pen on the cross-country, but Robbie can be forgiven as it was only his second BE event. He jumped really boldly into the water and then was so busy concentrating on the tradestands that he didn’t realise there was a fence out the water! I re-presented and he popped straight over, so I think his baby moment can be let off. Louigi did a lovely double clear for eighth place as well.
So on the plus side, I said there were some exciting things in the pipeline last week. Firstly, another new horse has joined us on the yard. “Freja” (The Snork Maiden), a nine-year-old Swedish warmblood mare owned by Sarah Newbold, is going to be competing at BE100 this season. She is a lovely mare who has really settled in at the yard and is a great addition to the team.
Also, I have just secured sponsorship with JCB Watling, and we are going to have a joint venture in a young horse. I have found a horse which I think will really be a star of the future and she is being vetted later this week, so all being well I can introduce her next week.
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We aren’t out eventing now until Aston-le-Walls, where “Louie” (Zero Flight) is having his first outing since Badminton, so lots of galloping and dressage lessons until then!
Lauren
Full report of Barbury in H&H, out tomorrow, 14 July issue.
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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.