The heatwave we have in the UK is starting to weaken but it’s full on in Poland with 36 degrees today for cross country proving to be challenging. Strzegom brought the start time for the Long classes forward and they started the 2L at 6am. As you can see from the course map it is not easy to fit a 4L into the cross country area!
Even more of a mission for Tim was the timing…with 2 horses in a small class of 9 in the 4Long it was always going to be tight but I don’t think he has ever ridden the first at 9am, finished at 9.11 and then found himself setting out on horse no. 2 just 31 minutes later! That is quite some feat for sure.
The Highlander (Ivar) was the pathfinder and he made a superb job of his first 4 long around a track that suited his style of cross country with its endless technical questions and varieties of arrowheads, shoulder brushes and corners. Tim didnt press him for time but they stayed in a superb rhythm and, honest pony that he is, Ivar never looked left nor right and came home with some 20 time and found himself in the lead when the leader after dressage withdrew.
Plenty of drama as the next few horses out didn’t make it through the finish flags and then it was Garcon (Tibo) who did do Boekelo at the end of last season but was yet to come home with a clean score sheet at the level. Today all his arrogance came into play on the positive side as he answered every question with ease and looked like he really did come of age. It’s a twisty track with several compulsory flags added to make the distance and he looked the most rideable he has ever been around a big course. Had he not been unlucky enough to just tip the MIM clip on the last combination, a triple bar down to, yep, you guessed it, a skinny into the last pond to pick up 11 penalties he would have been some way clear in the lead with just 14 time. As it is he sits in 3rd in a much depleted field of 5 which will come forward to showjumping tomorrow morning.
Only mad dogs, Englishmen and a Kiwi out in the midday sun as the 3Short got underway and Tim and Centari (Carter) had the track much to themselves as the few spectators had retreated to the shade under the trees. Carter is NZ bred and a beautiful stamp of a horse and so far this season he has jumped a few Open Novice classes so it was quite the step up back to three star for him. I think it is safe to say Carter revelled in his trip around Strzegom! Ditches, drops, coffins, skinnies….he takes them all in his (massive) stride and jumps with a neatness that belies his long legs. He looked pure class and seemed to enjoy the weather conditions like a true Kiwi would. They added just 6.4 time without even trying to shoot up the leaderboard from 22nd to 3rd and the 3S have a horse inspection tomorrow morning before showjumping which is fairly unusual for a Short class but good experience for Carter.
Plenty of time for horses and riders to rehydrate before tomorrow and another great day out on the cross country for Tim.
Below: Skinnies and Skinniers!
