Not quite so baltic at Barbury today as the wind had dropped which made a huge difference and although we didn’t see much sun today it was still so nice to be dry. There had been some overnight rain which merely made the footing even more perfect and at the end of today, when some near 600 horses had jumped in the main arena, the ground was still as good as at the start.
Tim just had the one novice today, The Highlander ( Ivar), having his first start of 2025 in the ON section. Ivar did his usual lovely test for a 27, rolled an unusual pole behind in the showjumping and had a lovely school around the cross country to add 14 time and a great first outing.
Jonelle had three novice rides with Faerie Good Golly being in the ON section as having upgraded to intermediate at Le Lion d’Angers. Golly failed to wow the dressage judges for a 32 but jumped her customary double clear with her enthusiasm on view for all to see. Jonelle’s comment after cross country, “you should have to pay to have that much fun” kind of sums up Golly, she is simply so much to enjoy! Golly is so like her mother Molly…a proper working class attitude to life.
Faerie Usain (Maude) did wow the dressage judges in her novice section for a 22.5. Maude is so different to Golly in size, shape and attitude and she is like a moody teenager at times who just wants to sulk in their room. Jonelle works through this in the warm up and by the time Maude goes in the rings she is then the teenager who has been given a late pass and she is the true professional! Maude jumped a beautiful clear round over the poles and then cruised cross country adding nothing to her score to finish in 2nd spot which is a very nice way to start her season and her best placing at novice to date.
I like it de Rohan (Kiki) is a new addition to Jonelle’s string, acquired on the way home from Pau last October. Kiki is a chestnut mare with three white socks and a big white blaze and is a most unusual choice for Jonelle! Having said that, once you see Kiki move and jump she is actually pretty special and she also has a really happy go lucky attitude which isn’t so chestnut mare at all. Kiki didn’t seem to have much in the way of steering in the warm up, more of a drag racing attitude whereby straight lines are no problem but corners are….but, in true Jonelle form, she trotted down the centre line and the judge smiled and she produced a 21.5 on her debut on British soil. A double clear with just 2.8 time left her also in 2nd spot and another rosette and smiling owners. For Jonelle, a definite Girl Power sort of day for sure.
Tim had swopped onto his intermediate rides and Chio 20 was his first although he was running HC as there was no OI today. Chio is the original brat pack lad and none of us envied Tim hopping on but he and Chio looked very much on the same page in the warm up and Tim kept him as far away from the cross country end of the riding in and Chio found no excuses to drop him. To be fair to Chio it doesn’t come out of nowhere, he does wait for an excuse but he doesn’t try too hard to ignore one when he finds it! All that power produced a lovely test though and a 30.7 was impressive for his first start of 2025. Garcon ( Tibo) is such a dude with his “pretty” head and he is much more polite under saddle than he is on the ground and he flicked his toes for a 29 in his section.
Gloire de Marchenval (Louis), AKA ‘Perfect Pete’ continued his trend of winning the dressage even at his first intermediate, leading his class on a 29. The showjumping track was similar to yesterday’s intermediate with a few different fence placings and Tibo ran a bit deep for 4 faults, Chio jumped a lovely clear and Louis stepped up with ease with another clear round.
All three horses relished the going and climbed the terrain with the ease of being based on the side of a hill at Chedington. Chio looked impressive as always with an easy 16 time, Tibo put his short lived start at 4*Short at Lignieres firmly behind him with a lovely confident clear round and 14 time and Louis scampered around his first intermediate with consummate ease for 19 time as Tim helped him with he step up.
It was a Boys Power day for Tim.
Shout out to Cosby Green as well who rode Illico de l’Esques (Nico) for the first time and finished 10th in his novice section. Cosby came back from cross country with the biggest smile and pronounced herself in love with Nico which is pretty damn cool and fun to watch as well.
That’s a wrap for Team Price at Barbury with some 22 horses from Chedington competed over the weekend. Huge praise for the Barbury OC, the best going ever in March at any event and a great blast for horses and riders.