Nick at Burghley Photographer: Nico Morgan
We left Chescombe Farm - home - to drive to Belton with 17 horses, two dogs and my seven-week-old son, Henry. Surely nothing could go wrong?
Only six of the horses were for me to ride - Astier Nicolas (French Rider and member of their 2013 European Team) and Tiana Coudray (USA team rider in London 2012) are based with me and Viktoria Carlerback is over from Sweden to prepare for Badminton in England.
Belton is a lovely country estate hosting a big CIC3* that is a great pre Badminton gauge of how your winter training compares to everyone else's... they also hold a CIC2* and most National classes - lots of tests to learn and courses to walk...
On day one I led the National Novice until the last rider of the day knocked me into second... I'd have settled for second at the beginning of the day but having been so close to winning, suddenly I feel like first loser!
My 2* horse went very well and got his long overdue qualification for a CCI2 - event horses seem to spend their life jumping through qualification hoops and he had been balloted out of two classes last Autumn. Hopefully he will now head to Ireland for Tattersalls at the end of May.
My 2* horse Cairnside Sir Alex
Grand Manoeuvre is planning his first assault on Badminton and the weekend's CIC was his last run - he was seventh at Blenheim and with Yogi and Tracey Robinson helping, we have had a busy winter practicing our circles and sideways! I was delighted with him (and I didn't think I did badly either!) but our mark of 45 (70%) was good but not good enough. Luckily Yogi and Tracey were both there to tell me how badly I did... Must try harder... NO - that's the problem - stop trying so hard and just let him do it! That told me!
The Court Jester stepping up to 3* did a great job for a 47 despite attempting the Hokey Cokey when I was trying to circumnavigate a flying change.
That night, my wife Amanda and I decided we would take Henry to stay in a B and B and leave the girls in the lorry - not what we normally do but apparently a new baby isn't conducive to everyone getting a good night’s sleep. Turns out we were the lucky ones - the "local" stables were a 50 minute drive away and their evening included being pulled over by the police and scratching one of the lorries - two separate occurrences but both stories for another time. We walked into town, got takeaway pizza and watched re-runs of Dad's Army on TV before the best night's sleep since Henry was born!
Our new son, Henry
In the morning we had an early start with an open horse having a run – a precocious talent, this guy does his upmost not to conform in at least one phase each week - today it was the show jumping but little did I know that his three down was going to be the best round I jumped today! The Court Jester got stage fright and sent five poles flying (not a qualifying result so we didn't run xc)
With Grand Manoeuvre I have been getting a few show jumping time faults and Yogi and I have been working hard to make him quicker between the fences - I think I over did it. Not the warm up for Badminton I was hoping for! With this being his last spin before his 4* debut I ran him anyway - he was awesome and made a tough track feel very easy. Can't wait for May!
I've spent the drive home trying to find jumping shows for next weekend - I will remember how to jump!
It's now 9pm we are still not home. As it's our Easter holidays I've got a busier than normal week teaching - I've got to be three hours from home by 8:30am in the morning to teach the area Pony Club show jumping (do as I say not as I do!) and Cross Country training before driving home to ride a few under lights, before four hours in the other direction for the next areas Pony Club Day
And so it goes on... Lucky I like to be busy!
Nick
