We started of the year with Figtree Pocket One Day Event. Red Hugh and Precision Flight were pretty fresh and it came through in both their dressage tests finishing 11th and 12th. Cross country morning was a lovely cool day and both horses went really well around the course with Red having an unfortunate run out at the ditch and log (rider error) and Flight going clear with only a few time penalties. The showjumping course built by Graeme Watts was in my opinion too testing and not relevent to the cross country course. I think he also forgot we were jumping out of sand which adds height to the fences as well. Anyway Red had to be scratched due to losing a shoe cross country and coming up quite lame. Flight was a champion with one rail down and finishing fifth overall.

Next we were off to Toowoomba Royal. As usual Toowoomba surprises us with its unpredictable weather. While a nice sunny day at home it was pouring rain at the show. So we got our horses ready and tramped around in the red mud to get to the ring. Cuchulain was first up in the stallion class which he won and then he won champion stallion or colt. Good start for the boys. Cahir won the gelding class and Cuchulain went on to win Supreme Champion. Next was the ridden class. Cuchulain had not been out in some time and had also stood his first season at stud in between all of this so I was expecting some pretty wild behaviour but with only a few "whoopsies" in the warm up he went on to do a beautiful workout for the win, second to Cahir and third to another Conqueror King horse owned by Tania Marsh and ridden by Barb Hatcliffe, Cu Roi.

I decided to enter Conqueror King and Red Hugh in their first Elementary Dressage test at PRARG. They have both been ready for a while but I have a lot of trouble doing sitting extended trot! Anyway they both rose to the occassion finishing 10th and 11th against some very stiff competition only four percent off the leader.

Then we were back at Toowoomba for their One Day Event with Red, Flight and King on the new truck which we have only had the chance to use twice before the EI.

All went well in the dressage particularly for King who finished second after the dressage and showjumping. The cross country course had a few new fences and everything looked really nice. Sean and I were looking forward to the next day. We had a warm, comfortable sleep in our new truck and spent the night pointing and laughing at the poor souls in their horse floats because it was cold!

Red was first out in the morning. He was a bit tense but once we left the start box he was switched on. He jumped into the water great and kicked on up the hill over the very big ditch then up to the dich and brush where we took the option. As we turned left after the fence Red lost his footing in the deep sawdust and came down on top of me! My first thought was what IDIOT put sawdust there! Anyway we were both OK. The ambulance came and strapped up my sprained ankle and the cut on my head. I was more concerned for Reds confidence and getting back to the start to warn Sean! As it turns out I didn't make it back in time and Sean along with four other horses fell at the same fence. Well that's eventing. So it was all up to the big fella to save the weekend and in his usual cool style he ate up the course and won the class and a rug!

We love Kooralbyn event. Its our home grounds and the horses know it really well. It's also very well run so a pretty stress free weekend. We decided not to take Red as he was still not right after his fall but Flight and King were up to the challenge. Flight did a beautiful test but was a bit harshly judged to end up 11th. King knew what he was here for and did not settle until half way through his test where he scored some sevens and eights to lift his score and finish sixth after his clear round showjumping.  Flight  flew around the cross country clearing a very tricky pyramid and the big apex. She had one rail showjumping and finsished 7th overall. King also went clear cross country and had plenty of time to canter home nice and steady to move up to fifth place.

So there is a bit of a break now for the eventing but plenty of Showjumping and dressage to go to.