A big team in Ireland with some 10 horses spread between Tim, Jonelle and resident American Cosby Green. It’s a moot point that any country above the jet stream ( that would be the UK and Ireland ) is having September/October weather whilst most of Europe basks in a proper heatwave. To say I am jealous is beyond understatement but the cool, cloudy and wet conditions are also apparent in the land of the emerald green grass.
Not the easiest of journeys outbound as it’s not much fun to discover at 2am that half your paperwork to leave the Uk and enter the EU is not in order. Some swift action by Jonelle to wake up the boss of the shipping agency responsible resulted in the Maxi, Trailer and 2 x 2 horse trucks eventually boarding the ferry and potential disaster side stepped.
Rumour has it that on arrival some of the horses attempted a Colditz style breakout which resulted in a very funny message from Team Manager Megan Hodder and the culprits shall remain nameless until at least the end of the event in order to have the time to redeem themselves.
Jogs this morning preceding dressage which is unusual but not un-heard of. Generally in Ireland the jogs are as reliable as they are in the UK with ground jury’s taking the view of inspecting the horses and listening to the treating vet if they have an issue. Whilst the rest of the long format crew skipped though the jog Cosby Green and Jos Ufo de Quidam (Ufo) were inexplicably sent to the hold box and then eliminated on subsequent re appraisal. It goes without saying that Team Price do not present lame horses, nor do they expect such a decision based on no evidence of unlevelness at all! It’s a bitter blow to Cosby and her owners who have flown over to watch Ufo compete and she, along with one other eliminated rider from the jog, are at a loss to explain it.
It’s quite a decent Kiwi contingent out at Mallow and the 4*L is led by Sam Lissington and Ricker Ridge Sooty GMZ on a 27.1. Jonelle and Hiarado ( Jools) sit in 6th on 31 and she just pips Tim and Viscount Viktor on 32.2 in 7th. Jonelle said that whilst Jools’s changes were short they were not late which is a massive improvement and she was pretty happy with their test as a reflection of where they are right now. Tim was really happy with Viktor as well, he said he made 2 big mistakes in one flying change and a scramble coming back from the extended canter but he was impressed with the good bits and feels he is right where he needs to be at this stage in his career. The 4*S was marking particularly hard with Jarillo ( Milo) at the head of affairs on a 30.5, Clarke Johnston with his Puhinui winner Aces High 2nd and Jonelle and Senor Crocodillo ( Diego) bringing up 3rd on 31.2. Tim was delighted with Milo and said he just gets better and better everytime out. And certainly no sun at Mallow, unlike Millstreet, so no refections of himself in the judges box!
Tomorrow sees the 3*L horses strutting their stuff in the dressage and then it’s a big jumping weekend for all. It would just be so nice if Summer returned!