Hi All! I'm back after what seemed like a very very long and quiet winter, but I'm about to chat about the fantastic start to the eventing season Neyo and I have made, with three events and three double clears! Over the winter I kept Neyo on Medium Energy which I was put on for the feed trial last summer and to my relief Neyo has kept a perfect weight and is very healthy! He is currently living out 24/7 with breakfast and dinner, a slice of haylage and he couldn't be happier :-)
After the horrendous snow over christmas, I decided to get going and sort out a plan for the Eventing season by upping Neyo's workload and starting the beloved interval training. All I kept panicking about was Neyo's fitness levels for his first event of the season (Aston Le Walls UA90) as well as the ground conditions due to the amount of rain we had at the end of February, but luckily for me it was dry - still cold though! My dressage was tense but accurate in my opinion, unfortunately the dressage judge wasn't so keen! With a disappointing score Dressage, even though I went double clear inside the time, I didn't get placed.
The first Affiliated BE90 event I did this year was Munstead at the end of March, being the first time I have competed here I wasnt sure about how the ground conditions would compare to other places. We rocked up at the crack of dawn, I walked the course and then warmed up for my dressage. It wasn't until I got into the warm up that I realised how excited Neyo was to be at another event! A couple of control issues later and a long walk on a long rein I thought it was time to do my test. Neyo pulled it out of the hat again, with a very accurate test marking 31% leaving me in the top half after dressage. Neyo jumped another double clear inside the time without looking at a thing, even at a particular jump where I couldn't make my mind up, whether to play it safe for the long route or risk everything on what I would call a PreNovice styled fence. You wouldn't believe how many problems the xc course caused! I was ecstatic to hear I came 3rd :) happy days!
Still on a high from Munstead results we arrived at Twesledown UA90 on April 15th, and boy was it busy! Neyo was wild in the Dressage warm up but yet again performed accurately in the actual test. As I halted and saluted the judge she asked me to go to her car, there was me panicking thinking I must have done SOMETHING wrong, but all she did was ask if Neyo was a warmblood! If that doesn't get your heart pumping I don't know what will. We were second after the dressage on a score of 31.5% following the leader with 30%. Getting a fabulous double clear inside the time bumped me to first place finishing on my dressage score and followed by 36% at 2nd place so couldn't be happier with my convincing win.
What a great start to the eventing season 2011, with a fit and healthy horse I couldn't ask for more :) I have lots more events entered and look forward to keeping you all updated! Don't forget to check out my youtube page with all these events uploaded! It is 1989hayles1989.
Hayley and Neyo x
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