Sunday 26th of March 2023
Willa Newton

Willa Newton: Dealing with disappointment

After the MEGA high of Houghton and the continued role of double clears the following weekend at Little Downham, sadly the rest of June did not prove quite so successful.

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Moonlight Dance in action

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It was a huge honour to be part of the new ERM series at Bramham and what a competition. Neelix felt fantastic – perhaps too well – and after a disappointing showjumping round we decided to save him for another day and not run him cross country. A huge blow for all of us, but is is just too much of a risk to run him these days when we weren’t going to be competitive. But we will be back, and having now had a taste of what can only be described as the best thing ever to have hit eventing, I am desperate to have another crack at another ERM class.

The events come thick and fast so you don’t have time to dwell on the disappointments.  So it was onwards and North to Hopetoun.  A fantastic venue and a brilliantly run event with perfect ground! So near, yet so far, is the only way to describe it. Neelix was rerouted following Bramham and his dressage and showjumping was back on track with a vengeance to lie second. I was having a brilliant cross country round until the third last where it all came to an end far too soon and we hit the deck. Luckily we were both ok and will live to fight another day but it was incredibly frustrating and disappointing. 

 

However, as we proved, fortunes can change in an instant and that’s what we found at Hopetoun. Chance Remark and Moonlight Dance managed to lift the team spirits however. Austen (Chance Remark) finished 7th in his first run at this level for a while and Moonlight Dance was 3rd in her first international in the CIC*. A great result for this special mare who I have high hopes for.

The final weekend in June brought a victory when Georgina Jelf’s Erythronium won the BE100 at Keysoe. So at least we finished on a ‘high’ and let’s hope that continues..

It has definitely been one of those months but the most important thing is that the horses are all ok. So it’s now onwards to July’s excitements…. Let’s just hope the weather calms down and normal service can resume. When the weather has been as unpredictable as it was in June, I always think it’s just so unfair on all those event organisers who haven’t been able to carry on!

Until next time, Willa

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