We started back quickly, with Crunchie (Kilcannon Watlings Crunch) and Quality Purdey doing the intermediate on Thursday last week at Aston-le-Walls. Crunchie did a lovely test, and a great cross-country round, but a silly two down in the jumping. She didn’t really deserve either fence, and jumped amazingly, but she is a big mare and still developing, so we can forgive them.
Purdey was competing in her first intermediate, having competed in her first two BE100s last season, and done her five novice clears this spring. She did a nice test, marred only by some spooking at a marquee very close to our arena flapping away in the wind! She then jumped a nice showjumping round and a fabulous clear cross-country. She will now aim to run at Barbury CIC** in July, provided a couple more intermediate runs go well. I couldn’t be happier with her!
Holly (Riffala Du Buisson) was in the novice at Aston, and she did a great dressage and a super double clear. It was a shame then that I decided to miss out the penultimate fence! I cannot explain why I missed the fence out, I knew where it was, I knew I needed to jump it, and all I can fathom is that I came out of the last water thinking about getting in the time, and shot round the corner to the finish. I definitely saved time, but didn’t save face!
We went back to Aston on Sunday, for their unaffiliated competition. Jess, my working student, had her horse Tiny (Jamacain Me Crazy) in the pre-novice, and he jumped a great double clear to finish seventh. I had Billy (Belimo Nique) there, for his first play around an event. He is a new project, owned by Watling JCB, and he is proving to be a real servant. He did a great dressage and showjumping, with a green cross-country round. He’ll now head to Rockingham alongside all the others this weekend for the BE100.
Badminton final scores
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
I also took Holly and Crunchie to Moulton College this week, to use their water treadmill. Both mares are still weak over their backs, so we are going to see if a six-week plan, devised with Moulton’s help, will do them good. It was great to see them working, and I was shocked how relaxed and easy both mares found it! It’s just another way of trying to get the best out of the horses, and I can’t believe how many people sing hydrotherapy’s praises. Here’s hoping we see a difference!
Lauren
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Full report of Aston-le-Walls in H&H out tomorrow, 16th 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
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.
