South Suffolk Show Success!

Hello everyone!

Ah what a wonderful mix of weather we’re having lately.. Really sunny and finally lot’s of rain! I’m sure, like us, you’ve been doing rain dances to get the weather gods to bring us rain to stop the concrete ground!

Georgie is just a couple of weeks of giving birth, bless her, she’s in the final furlong ready to foal! (As they say) so I’ve been hacking out Beanie after work and Ollie has been schooling him. Team Orange have really been mucking in to keep him going!

We had our first ‘big’ show of the season this weekend gone in the form of South Suffolk Show held at Ampton Racecourse near Bury St Edmunds. We’ve attending this show before and with nice big rings and it being well organised we thought we’d return again this year. Last year Georgie and B were second in the thoroughbred ridden show horse class so this year, with Ollie on board we thought we’d see how we could get on. Plus it’s a good trial run for the Suffolk County Show which is held two weeks later. Always well supported by local ROR and TARRA horses and there’s always a good lot of stiff competition so we had our work cut out.

Due to, sadly, the rain not arrive in time, and the ground still being extremely hard we decided not to take part in our pre-entered working hunter class so instead of getting in the ring at 8.30am (!!!) we had a slightly later start and were able to be a bit more relaxed.

We left in plenty of time to arrive as traffic getting into the event can be busy and we wanted to make sure we could get there, tack up and give B a walk round to take it all in. He’s a nosey horse and likes to see where he is you see, so it gives him plenty to look at and take the edge off.

B worked in well and was very chilled and happy so after a little while of plaiting up and getting him ready it was time to make our way over to the ring for the class.

With another well supported year, there were approximately 10 in the ring and all turned out beautifully so it was going to be no easy task to win.

B had stayed in his good mood and Ollie was riding beautifully so it seemed they were going well together. The ring was nice and large so the horses had quite a lot of space and not end up on top of each other, so with a nice active walk the judge asked for the usual trot, canter change the rein and do the same again on the other rein. We all waiting at the side of the ring watching nervously to see where we they would be pulled in and were very pleased to be pulled in second by the judge.

I made my way into the ring to groom and help get B ready for the judge to ride. He’s actually ridden Beanie before at Royal Norfolk last year (where parachuters descended into the ring next door for the Queens Birthday celebrations) so we wondered if he’d remember him.

Shortly after taking the first horse out and came back and got on B. It was just a small time into his ridden show that the Essex and Suffolk Huntsman and Hounds passed by our ring on the way back from their parade in the main arena, and B happens to know very well what Hounds and their man in the scarlet coat means and had pricked his ears. The judge, very considerately, asked Beanie to stop his show and watch them as he went passed. B being the absolute star he is stood solid as a rock and didn’t move until they had moved on, so the judge asked him to go back to doing his show and he did gladly.

Shortly after all the horses had been ridden, B was presented and trotted for conformation judging. A task made difficult by an uphill run and lot's of grass cuttings so Ollie's little legs had their work cut out! 

Everyone then remounted and walked off to be pulled out for placing. I stood nervously watching from the side of the ring, waiting and watching the judge like a hawk. I audibly squealed when B was pulled in first! They had done it! Ollie and B in their first big show together had come away with the red rosette. We are and were all so pleased for them both as we knew B had it in him and just needed him to have his sensible head on.

We now have a positive view going into Suffolk County Show and hope for good, fair judging and a more importantly a nice day out! It’s only 2 weeks away now and we can hope that Georgie doesn’t give birth around that time and can either be a little earlier or wait until afterwards!

Have you all started your season yet and if so how have you been getting on? Well I hope!

Now we’ve had some rain I’m excited to go for a canter when I ride B tomorrow, finally! B has been raring to go for one. Kick on!

Sophie x