Just Tim at Upton today with three young guns all at the beginning of their eventing careers and all with a bright future ahead of them.
I don’t think that there were many other Paris bound riders that elected to run their babies at Upton! Tim has a unique mindset in that he never considers “what if”, he simply tries to make life as normal as possible in the build up to a Championship and if that means three green horses at Upton so be it!
Monbeg Crystal Clear (Kris) has had some runs this year with Cosby Green whilst he found his feet ( or not, as was the case at West Wilts when he fell over on the flat!) and Tim took over the reins today for the first time at a competition. A smart test for a 29 and a double clear with 6.8 time is a nice way to start his partnership with the 5 year old kris and he can now enjoy a little summer break.
Joining him will be Just Spotless who has had a whirlwind start to this eventing career in the last few weeks! The judges certainly loved him today for a 23.8, he rolled a single pole in the showjumping and ran clear cross country for 3.6 time and 6th place. In his three starts he has been 3rd, 7th and 6th with Tim so he certainly deserves a mini break!
Indy du Loir has been thwarted by Spotless in his last couple of starts to end up looking like the prawn on the homebound truck. Sniffing the air today he decided that it was perhaps time to show his true colours and, in what we are definitely taking as a good omen, he did a 25 and a double clear in time to take the win in his 100 section. Indy is nothing if not judicious in his timing! Todays lead photo is courtesy of Rachel Good, who owns him in partnership with husband James Good, Terry Miller and Julia Lukas and he is looking like he just about owns the Upton House Estate as he grazes above the valley. I have no doubt he will brag all the way home like an England football fan en route to Berlin from Dortmund and I guess he deserves it!
Quite bizarrely the only BE event in the whole country that is running this weekend is in Central Scotland! So that’s wrap on the one days now and the next time Tim and Jonelle head down the centre line it will be for the 2024 Paris Olympics.