Update from Annie Joppe...
Well it has been party time here at Watergate Endurance; after all, it is the season for parties. Now these, although dress-up occasions, are purely horse-based. The first of these was the Endurance GB Awards which followed the, very important, AGM. It was a fun-based evening with lots of friends and indeed the south-westies took up a whole two tables. Obviously, it was made even better when the SW won many of the main awards of the evening and the table was overflowing with rosettes and beautiful trophies.
About 10 days later was the Horse and Hound Awards so another dress was needed. This is an annual event where some of the top equestrians and general superhero horse people receive awards (some on behalf of their horse). This was quite a glamourous affair with a champagne reception followed by a wonderful dinner and awards ceremony, then dancing the night away to the Chip Shop Boys.
Back at base I have been really pleased with my new Bespoke All-in-One supplement for the horses and in particular with the inclusion of No Fill for Dilmun who always struggles with puffy morning legs when he starts to come in at night. Not so this year, no bandaging needed and lovely slim legs in the morning.
Chiara has now been in work for about six weeks as has Wizard, although to a lesser extent. Walking work has now been completed and we have moved onto light schooling and a little hill work mostly in trot. I think that maybe at last I’m making a breakthrough with Chiara’s schooling as she is beginning to ‘uncurl’, take a contact and slow her rhythm periodically. I am finding this quite challenging but in a good way now that there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, it is the season of howling gales and driving rain (most days) which means that many prospective training days have had to be postponed to the rare quiet days. We will get there eventually.
Chiara and Wizard (ably piloted by friend, Katherine) went to the local Christmas pleasure ride. Wizard’s excitement knew no bounds, from leaping up into the trailer to determinedly keeping up with and trying to overtake Chiara all the way round. It is so heart-warming when a 25-year-old is obviously enjoying life so much, in part due to being fed on VeteranAid. It was a slow ride as neither horse had been in work long and it was cold and wet, but I think Chiara learned a valuable lesson that we are not necessarily going to go fast every time we go somewhere!
We have had a chance to review our 2019 season and, although the failures seem to stand out for me, in reality there were high points too and lessons learned. Chiara did very well in her 2* back in April to come 3rd without exerting herself and we completed two good graded rides winning a trophy along the way. However, the failures were the big ones: her first attempt at a 160km 3* and another 2* as part of the British team in the Nations Cup in August. We have learned some things from these, at the 3* Chiara was in season and not eating, drinking or resting – not only during the competition but for the whole two days she was there! She was back to her usual self at the Nations Cup and performed pretty well settling into a comfortable rhythm but we were unlucky with a flint puncturing her pad and going into her sole.
Fantom, too, failed his 3* which was definitely the fault of my strategy borne out of necessity and never to be repeated. However, he had a happy outing later on with Dilmun cruising around a short graded ride on the moors: a good end to the season.