Photo credit: Ginny Rusher, Tim and Viktor
Five rides each at Kelsall Hill with a mix of intermediates and advanced horses running in the I and OI classes and both Tim and Jonelle had 8am dressage tests. Due to the fact that Kelsall ran the 3*Short class first they did have the luxury of doing 5 tests then 5 showjumping and 5 cross country runs which is far preferable to numerous changes of clothes and the feeling of starting again when they are split.
The dressage is a bit of a hack away and the times were tight enough but as they commented at the end of the day, a 10 minute trot in a straight line as a pre warm up is actually no bad thing at all. It was raining for the dressage but not like the horizontal stuff of Chard at all, just the typical April showery rain that inevitably gets you pretty wet as well. Weather steadily improved throughout the day but it was windy and cool and much more like the usual April event apparel was required!
Tim and Jonelle both had a mix of green and experienced. Tim had Garcon ( Tibo) who is midfield, The Highlander ( Ivar) , second intermediate start, Vitali, Badminton and Burghley extraordinaire, Viscount Viktor , 3 five stars under his belt already at 11, and Chio 20, 4 star Long established.
Jonelle had Senor Crocodillo ( Diego), heading for his first 5 star this summer, Capitaine de Hus Z ( Alvin), experienced 4 star, Chilli’s Midnight Star (Ollie), experienced 4 star campaigner, Faerie Usain ( Maude), first time intermediate and Faerie Good Golly also first time intermediate.
Tim very nearly had 5 double clears but Ivar copped the first fence in his intermediate showjumping so that spoilt that social media post he was planning. All of his horses were exceptional in the dressage with Viktor on a 24, Ivar and Vitali on a 25, Chio on a 28 and Tibo on a 33 in a section that didn’t have many in the 20’s.
Jonelle was also on fire with all her 5 scoring 70% or less: Alvin was on a credible 26, Ollie on a 29, Diego on a 29, Maude on a 26 and Golly on a 30.
Jonelle did say that all credit to Maude, she won the gold star for the day as for the first time ever she rocked up to the dressage and went to work as opposed to being generally uncooperative and not on side. The score spoke volumes, to be on 74% at your first intermediate is impressive.
The rest of the crew all show jumped clear apart from Maude who picked up 8 faults at fences 4 and 5. Jonelle blamed herself as she said it was a short 4, Maude is a big horse and she thought she probably rode in a bit soft to make the distance easier and Maude ended up with both rails but came home super careful.
Its a fabulous track at Kelsall Hill and both Tim and Jonelle were quick to praise the footing, the course and the chance to ride a proper rolling and undulating course that really sets up horses for their next big event. The one odd thing was the first water which was a silver birch upright rail before a drop down into the water followed by a skinny brush on the way out. Bizarrely the green horses jumped in brilliantly, often nearly overdoing it for some spectacular leaps, whilst the really experienced horses ( Diego, Ollie, Viktor etc) sort of paddled through it in a messy way. Viktor and Tim very nearly parted ways as Viktor negotiated it like a trotter (but kindly popped Tim back in the saddle by dint of his keeping straight and bopping TP on the nose). It seemed like the true advanced horses were suspicious of such an innocuous drop into water whilst the green babies launched into space with the gusto of youth.
10 horses, all in the top 12 in their sections. Maude and Golly picked up their first intermediate points with a 3rd and a 5th and Jonelle was delighted with both of them. They were both pure class for their first starts at the level for sure. Tim was happy that Ivar has abandoned the need for a parachute at fences in his second intermediate run and has learnt so much in a week. Chio came to play with his game face on which is good, Tibo is proving his pretty boy looks are substantiated with real talent, Vitali was pure class as always and Viktor was mostly losing concentration around an OI when he has done 3 five stars already. That’s no surprise!
Jonelle was happy with Ollie, Diego and particularly Alvin who just keeps delivering.
So that’s a wrap on the spring one days and we head into 5 star season now. The 4 horses in quarantine ( Happy, Milo, Jools, Falco) are now safely at the Kentucky Horse Park and Tim and Jonelle fly out of Heathrow tomorrow afternoon.
The best links to all of the Kentucky action are via Eventing Nation. They have ride times, live stream, jog info, anything you would need to know.