Just the one ride for Jonelle up at Thorseby which is unusual but since they have a big Easter weekend fair geared up for families she planned to make the most of that with Otis and Abel to keep her occupied. Knowing Jonelle she probably added in a 10k run and various other tortuous exercises in her quest for supreme fitness as a sideline.
Chilli’s Midnight Star (Ollie) definitely appreciates having Jonelle all to himself. They cemented their partnership across the pond at Maryland last autumn having had a few spats along the journey to get to 5 star. If you put an opinionated little man up against a small feisty girl there is always going to be some conversations to be had but they certainly are on the same page this spring and they had a great final prep run for their Badminton debut.
They do love to make the advanced class very much the bridesmaid to the 4*Short at Thorseby and whilst the FEI horses had dressage in the lovely walled garden the advanced arena was wedged into the lorry park with the novice horses. Ollie has rural roots so wasn’t particularly bothered and was very obliging apart from his flying changes which were somewhat earthbound for a 32.8.
Saturday morning saw the advanced horses start showjumping at 8am but not in the lovely big main arena, they had roped off a space on the side of the hill and dispensed with such frivolities as fence decorations. Ollie didn’t mind in the slightest and jumped a really scopey careful round to prove he really is a man for all seasons….just as at home in the 5 star main arena in Maryland as on the side of the hill under some trees at Thorsesby!
Good ground at Thorseby this year compared to the bog it can sometimes be in a wet year but still a few bits of soggy ground after what seemed like the longest wettest winter ever. It’s not the bold and open type of track that Ollie loves but he was considerably more polite than his tearaway youth would have suggested and he and Jonelle had a foot perfect spin around the course to move up into 10th spot in a huge section with a smooth clear adding just 14 time. It caused plenty of trouble all around the track and included the man made Irish bank which Stuart Buntine is so attached to and so many horses simply misjudge no matter where he sites it! Grappa Nera tried to jump it in one a few years ago but it was no problem for Ollie, there were some tricky combinations that he pinged through with ease and all in all it was just a solid last outing before the Big B.
Anyone that reads the results will see Tim scored an impressive 1 / 2 with Vitali and Global Quest (George) but no write up this week as Tim requested his last run before Kentucky be “incognito”. So I have (literally) no words.
Photo credit Nikki Axon, breeder of Ollie and joint owner with Mel Halstead, Mel showing off her posh hat!
