Tattersalls - weekend update

We have just got back from a happy trip to Tattersalls, where all the horses went as well as I could have hoped.  In the 6/7YO 1* The Graduate ended up in a very creditable second, he gave me an excellent ride cross country which he found nice and easy finishing comfortably inside the time, and he apparently had the lowest heart rate of the day finishing which is quite a credit.  He then came out on show jumping day feeling good and jumped an excellent clear to move up to second.  It was an excellent result for him and will have done his Autumn bid to go for Lion d’Angers no harm at all.  He has now got to step up to the 2* world which he is hopefully more than ready for.

Shannondale Percy was also super on the cross country, finding it all very easy and finishing comfortably inside the time.  It was also good for him to go the extra distance and end up and do the 8 minute course, it is the furthest the youngsters will ever have gone and will have done them the world of good for the future.  He also came out of the cross country very well and jumped a lovely round of show jumping.  He was unlucky to have the third part of the treble down, and it was simply one of those things – just life!  He only dropped down the order one place which was a real credit to him in such a competitive section.

Oratorio and Little Fire were both a bit under par in the dressage, which was a bit unexpected.  Both horses were quite wound up by the 1* commentary and were on their toes on Friday.  Little Fire actually felt quite tense in his test which he has never done before.  So their scores of 47 and 50 were well down the order.  Cross country was an excellent day and Oratorio came up with all the answers and was very straight and genuine.  It was great to have him in that frame of mind after his annoying run at Rockingham.  However we did have a few breaking issues which was quite dramatic and is something I will have to sort our for the future.  He has never been strong before and I am hoping he never will be again!

Little Fire also gave me a brilliant round making it all feel very easy.  He finished comfortably in the time and at the end looked like he had done nothing.

It was a very good course of Ian Starks, very inviting and forward going, but perhaps in such good conditions it was a little straight forward?

Both horses also came forward to Sunday in good shape and both jumped super clears show jumping to move a little way up the order, Oratorio moved up to 9th - it is always nice to finish in the top 10.  And Little Fire was very excited and coped so well with the atmosphere, jumping a lovely clear but with a couple of time faults caused by me dawdling around. 

So the horses hopefully will have come on a lot from the Tattersalls experience, it was as always a brilliant event and a great fun week.  The team at Tattersalls are one of the best and really could not go to more trouble to look after the owners and riders.   Dora and her team should be massively congratulated, and I hope they have all got nice holidays coming soon.