Sunday 9th of February 2025
The Kitty King Column

Abandonments, Badminton and all set for Chatsworth

The British weather continues to play havoc for eventers and organisers and getting crucial runs is proving almost impossible for many. For Kitty King, it is all about the consistency when she does get a run.

“We have had an in and out start with abandonments due to the weather but on the whole the horses have been performing really well.

Ceylor LAN secured his first win of the season in the AI at Lincoln and I was really pleased with his test. He followed it up with a solid double clear at Burnham Market and did a lovely test to finish 11th. I am really pleased with how he is progressing in the arena although I was a little bit disappointed with his dressage mark at Burnham. 

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© Liz Knowler

We did the CIC 3* at Belton and he is just improving all the time. He did a super test to score 41 and jumped a wonderful double clear to finish finish 8th.  I was delighted with him as it was a really strong field with over 120 entered.  

He continues to be very consistent and has come out really well this spring and he is developing the way I had hoped.

Persimmon started a bit later than the others as his first event of the season was due to be Tweseldown and then we had a nightmare when he bruised his foot before Lincoln. Because of that we changed from the 3* to the OI at Burnham Market and he did a solid test and went double clear to finish 5th.

He also went to Belton and ran in the 3*. He was a bit fresh and feisty in the dressage and scored 45, which was competitive enough but not as good a test as he can do. He jumped a lovely double clear on what was only his second run. 

We went steadily enough cross country and picked up 10 time faults to finish 20th. He will have a few more runs before Bramham including the Eventing Masters at Chatsworth.  Next up for Ceylor LAN will be Chatsworth for the CIC and then the plan is to run at Bramham

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© Liz Knowler

Eventing reinvented

The ballot has now closed for the 1st leg of the exciting new Event Rider Masters at the Dodson & Horrell Chatsworth International Horse Trials, and I’m very excited to have got in and drawn the 4th highest ranked rider and the highest ranked female!

I’m looking forward to visiting Badminton as a spectator – it’s always really fun catching up with friends and sponsors. It was never my plan to enter. Our priority has been the CIC route and preparing for selection, which we won’t know until July so we have to keep improving, consolidating what we have been working on and keep them going well in order to hopefully catch the selector’s eye.  

It’s key to get good dressage results and make no silly mistakes in either of the jumping phases.

Badminton bound

I haven’t competed at Badminton for a few years now but feel for the riders whose preparations don’t go to plan. It’s a huge disappointment when you plan for something, especially as big as Badminton, and it doesn’t happen and I’m keeping everything crossed for the riders, grooms and owners that nothing scuppers their big day in these final days of preparation.

At home we continue to keep everything very much the same as last year. We have had two stay aways in the lorry, which has kept the dogs happy. Last weekend we all woke up to a bit of a shock with the snow at Belton but the ground was perfect on Sunday and the organisers really did pull it out of the bag for us.

As riders, we were very appreciative that the organisers held their nerve not to cancel the whole event. They managed to move things around and make it work for us and we were very lucky as competitors to get a run.

We had a good weekend Bicton with Vendredi Biats winning the intermediate and Virage Des Falaises followed up his good novice win at Gatcombe with a win at Bicton as well.  

It’s been a frustrating start to the season for everyone, no more so than for the organisers, and we are raring to go and get out to some of the bigger events. Chatsworth will be very exciting so watch this space!”

Kitty King

Heading to Chatsworth? Click here to plan your trip.

 

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