Great start to the season!

The competition season got off to a great start this year with a win on our first outing with the new horse, Likeur (Lucky). We won the PSG qualifier at Manor Farm on 68.7%, we nearly abandoned going as the snow began falling as we were about to leave and it continued all though the warm up but he was great and only a few mistakes in the test kept us from reaching 70%.We also got a picture and write up in Horse and Hound so not a bad start to our season together!
Last weekend was the first Premier League show for us and also Charlie’s debut at Inter II, he proved that he was more than ready for the leap from PSG by coming 2nd and qualifying for the National Championships. He really showed his talent for the more difficult movements and scored a 9 for his two time changes. I’m really confident that my dream of training a Grand Prix horse from the start is going to be realised soon and all the experience I gained from training and competing Nemo is going to be much needed with Charlie.
Lucky had a much less successful outing this time, he was very tense on the first day and after hitting himself in the extended trot causing him to go very lame for a few steps he recovered but unsettled went on to make some mistakes. After working him again in the evening he came out much more relaxed the next day and warmed up well, so I was hopeful for a more settled test.....I couldn't have been more wrong! He came into the arena on fire!I really struggled to contain him in the extended trots and failed at times, the test continued with explosions in every movement,in the end I had to laugh as he was having such a great time!
We have done much reflecting since then and are hopeful that the change onto haylage earlier that week is the culprit so he is now on 'detox' rations until our next outing at the end of the month. Lets hope our 'schoolmaster' returns to normal by then!