Read Laura's Blog
Saturday 20th December 2008 - WORLD CLASS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
Back in November we had the selection trials for the World Class Start and Potential squad.
We had to take an experienced horse (Hunters Legend - new ride- 12yo 3* horse) and a young one (Gargallo - ex-racehorse - 8yo just started re-training him to be an eventer).
On day one we all had an interview and then had to ride infront of selectors as a 'free ride'...we could either do a few jumps or just flat work.
On day two we were put into groups of 3 and had to do flat work, then swap onto someone elses horse.
After this it was straight into a course of showjumping.
With the young horses we had a course of fences and could warm up and do whatever we felt we needed to on them.
Both horses were great, I was particularly pleased with Hunters Legend as I had only ridden him a few times.
A couple of weeks later, I got a letter through the post saying I had been reselected onto the squad...Fantastic news, as it has helped me so so much over the past 4years.
Roll on 2009 season!!!
Tuesday 2nd December 2008 - EXCITING NEW RIDE FOR 2009 season
HUNTERS LEGEND, owned by Heather Butler, will be a new ride for the 2009 eventing season.
I have started riding him at home and will be taking him showjumping and to some dressage competitions this winter... Next year he will be aimed at Bramham CCI*** Under 25 Championships.
Fingers crossed it will be a successful partnership!!!
Tuesday 14th October 2008
Vancouver contested the PAVO 6yo Championships today.
He did a nice test to be lying in 6th after dressage.
He jumped a lovely double clear but unfortunately picked up 4 time penalties which dropped him from potential 2nd place to 10th
I was pleased with this result as it was quite a big ask for this rather inexperienced but very promising young horse!
Sunday 12th October 2008 - NEW UNDER 21 CHAMPION
Fernhill Sox has kept up his winning record at 3Day events when last weekend he was the only horse to complete on his dressage score in the Under 21 CCI** championships.
He only lay 4th after dressage with a score of 44.3 after producing an accurate test but slightly boring as there was little atmosphere compared to his last couple of outings!!
He rocketed to the lead after the influential cross country produced only one other combination inside the time.
On the final day the pressure was on and only a clear round would do... Sox came up with goods and never looked like having a fence!!!
Sunday 21st September 2008 - Deauville - World Finals
What a finish to the weekend, Sox was the only horse to have a clear round in the show jumping, yet again he was awesome.
We finished in 13th position which was a fantastic achievement.
A huge thank you to everyone who made this event possible for me!
Laura & Sox
Saturday 20th September 2008 - Deauville - World Finals
After the Dressage I am in 18th position with a score of 52.8.There are 37 competitors from all over the world and Clayton Fredericks leads the field on 36.1.
The other GB riders scores are as follows, Pippa Funnell 41.1 3rd,William Fox-Pitt 50.0 9th, Joanna May 50.02 11th,Rodney Powell 52.0 16th,Julie Tew 53.0 20th & Polly Stockton 56.3 26th.
The cross country course looks quite tricky with lots of arrowheads. I will post another update after the cross country.
Saturday 20th September 2008 - Deauville - World Finals
Fernhill Sox jumped superbly around the x country course which is set inside the racecourse, the course was very challenging and after taking one long route we finished with a clear round and 16.8 time penalties to remain in 18th place overall on a score of 69.6.
Only 3 riders went clear within the time and the huge corner at the 4th fence caused lots of problems, William retired here and 8 other riders failed to complete the course.
Clayton Fredricks still leads on 40.9, Pippa is in 4th place on 45.9, Polly 11th on 60.7 & Julie 23rd on 88.6.
The experience from competing at this level will be so beneficial to my future career.
Wednesday 17th September 2008
PHEW what a week. Fernhill Sox was absolutely awesome at Blenheim CCI*** over the weekend. To achieve a dressage score of 36.9 at that level was fantastic and to be in 2nd place at the end of the dressage behind Ruth but ahead of so many senior riders was beyond my wildest expectation. We were both fired up and ready for the next day's cross country when word filtered through that the organisers had been forced to abandon due to waterlogging. The ground was saturated and they had no option.
Anyway home and then the phonecall to say Fernhill Sox and I were heading to Deauville for the World Finals this week. We travel down today for what will be a huge challenge and a very stern test, horse and rider are still in excellent form so fingers crossed. I will try and update the diary whilst I am away.
Sunday 31st August 2008 - ALL CHANGE!!
Firstly I have to apologise for not doing any updates recently!
There has been an awful lot going on at the moment... We have moved yards which is very exciting! It is only 5mins down the road from the old one which means I am still riding for Mr and Mrs Hambro.
The next thing I must comment on is the Olympic trip, what an experience!!! It was fantastic to have the opportunity to fly out and not only visit the Equestrian venue but to be taken to the team GB holding camp in Macau and then onto the Olympic village in Beijing. The whole trip was truely amazing and an inspiriation!
Onto the horses, they have all been going well. Fernhill Sox was selected onto the shortlist for Young Rider Europeans after another successful run at Aston le Walls Open Intermediate, finishing in 2nd place on his dressage score of 26.2
So off to training last Tuesday, but then on Tuesday night the phone rang, it was Yogi Breisner. It was bad news, the team in the BE office had been double checking the rules and had found that Sox wasnt qualified for the europeans. Unfortunately the FEI has different rules to what was in the BE book so this hadn't been picked up in time! So a quick change of plan that evening and we are now heading off to Blenheim CCI*** in 2 weeks time. He had his final run yesterday in the Young rider final trial as he was already entered and needed the run, he was fab, did a 31 dressage, double clear adding a few time faults. He finished 2nd by 0.1pens.
Its now full steam ahead for Blenheim!
17/07/2008 OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE I have been slected to go to the Olympic games for a week as part of the 'Britains Olympic Ambitions 2012 Programme'. There have been 3 athletes selected from each discipline to travel out to Hong Kong to visit the Equestrian venue and then fly to Beijing and experience the Olympic village and stadium where all other disciplines are staying and competing.
I am over the moon to have been chosen and am very excited about the whole thing.
Definitely an opportunity not to be missed!!
16/07/2008 EXCITING NEWS. After Fernhill Sox's successful double clear and 8th place in the Advanced-Intermediate section at Salperton Park a few weeks ago, we have been put on the short-list for the Young Rider European Championships. There are 12 selected riders on the list. We have a final trial at Gatcombe Park in September and the team is selected after that, so fingers crossed we can deliver another good result!!
13/06/2008 BAD NEWS. Rayef was not himself on the cross country, he still managed to jump clear round 25 of the 29 fences...unfortunately he didn't really read the trakhener in the woods correctly and the front end came up but as he went to push off his hind legs they fell in the ditch leaving him to clamber his way over and sending me straight over his head. He had a very bruised and cut stifle. Thankfully our vet Mark Lucey was up at Bramham and checked him over. Although he trotted up sound Mark wanted to come and investigate a few days later after the pain killers had worn off. Yesterday he came and scanned him and as so often with horses...it was devastating news. He found that Rayef had stretched some fibres in his tendon. So poor Rayef is on box rest and unfortunately out for the year. I would like to thank Mark for his thorough assessment as hopefully we have caught it before too much damage is done.