Welcome to Ross' diary where you can find out what he has been up to.
June 2010
Hexham horse trials was next with the three chestnuts again! Upan was upgrading to his first Novice where he did a nice test but lost a few marks due to the ground where it suddenly dipped across the centre line but a 33.8 mark wasn't too bad. He then went a jumped a fantastic clear round in the show jumping. Cross country was a bit of a drama though not on his part as he was brilliant but we got penilised for jumping the wrong side of the flag at the corner which I still believe we jumped the correct side. We then had to wait what would have been a minute whilst the fence judge put the flag back on the fence but he popped it no problem and flew round the rest. So I was disappointed for him as he shouldn't have been penilised and got loads of time penalties because we had to wait for the fence judge but pleased he performed well. Ryals Ballinzar was also stepping up a level doing the NRF which is a qualifier for the nationals and is an intermediate dressage and show jumping test and a novice cross country. She tried her best in the dressage but we were a little out classed but I was pleased with her so a score of 41 was a little disappointing but it will take time for her to be more established at that level. She jumped amazingly though going double clear! Shivering Wreck was wild in his dressage test and scored 45!! But I was really pleased because usually when he is in that mood he will knock a lot of fences in the show jumping but he went in the ring and jumped clear which I was over the moon with. Cross country was next and they had beefed the course up this year but he made it look like a BE100 course until we nearly got a dunking in the water! He pecked on landing and we nearly got wet but he found his fifth leg and I clung on and he picked himself up and just popped the 'c' and 'd' elements. Even not going for the time as there was no point after such a poor dressage we were only 2 seconds outside of it. So no rosettes but were still pleased with them.
May 2010
Well we have finally been to an event where I took a new ride Upan who has show jumped but was taking his first steps in eventing. We went to a local unaffiliated at Streatlam Park which was beautifully presented and one that I will return to in future years. Upan was doing the open which was a big ask for his first run but he excelled himself with a 27.5 dressage test and then went double clear to finish 2nd, a great achievement for his first run. The weekend after Streatlam was Richmond our first affiliated event. I had Upan doing the BE100 and Ryals Ballinzar was doing the Novice. Upan did his usual smart test for another 27.5 mark and then went double clear to finish 3rd missing first place by only 1.5 marks. Ryals Ballinzar did a 34.8 test but had a really unlucky pole in the show jumping but went clear inside the time cross country to finish 2nd by only 0.6 penalties, so a very pleasing day! We were then off to Floors Castle with Upan doing the BE100 again, Ryals Ballinzar in the Novice and Shivering Wreck was having his first run in the OI. Shivering Wreck did a nice test for him with a mark of 34.1 and then did a lovely double clear to take 3rd place, Upan in the BE100 did yet another 27.5 test but had a unlucky pole in the show jumping at the first fence where I think I just didn't have the correct canter but after that mistake we jumped a lovely round and then he flew round the cross country to take 2nd place. Ryals Ballinzar was next in the Novice and she did a pleasing test to score 34 and then went double clear but let the side down as she finished out of the top three but still took home some pennies and a 7th place rosette.
March 2010
The season didn't get off to a great start with Witton Castle being canceled and then Titlington canceled the week after but this meant more dressage practice and Shivering Wreck and Ryals Ballinzar went to do some affiliated dressage in preparation. Then it was business as usual with lessons and schooling.
Winter Update
With the season about to start I thought I would let you know what had been happening at Grange Farm over the winter. As you can imagine we were hit very hard by the snow which closed the road outside our house for three weeks. Luckily I have the indoor school which meant the horses could be kept ticking over but they didn't get the fitness work they needed so I had to start my season competing later than I had hoped to. Another change is that Ryals Alfie has been sold and is enjoying his new home in Suffolk and I would like to wish Fallon all the success on him. Then it has been business as usual with lessons and horses coming and going for schooling. The horses are now fit and are ready to start, what I hope to be, a successful season.
October 2009
I had a chance ride on Brannas Grandanto at Aske Hall horse trials which was productive as he finished 2nd in the Intermediate going double clear which was a great result for his owner as he is now qualified for Gatcombe next year. The week after I was at Witton Castle which is my local event so I had the wagon full. Saturday was not a good day, the weather was wild and the horses didn't want to play at all with none running cross country. However Sunday was a little bit more successful with Ryals Alfie finishing 3rd in the PN his second ever event. He did a nice test but he slipped twice as we were second in and there was a heavy dew on the ground but still a 31 wasn't bad especially with a double clear. Am I Dun was also having a fun run out being 20 now he still enjoys having the odd run. He did a lovely test but the judge obviously got out of the bed the wrong side as a disappointing mark was given. But double clear to finish 5th was still very good even for an old boy! The horses will have a rest now before getting back into work with lots of training over the winter where hopefully I will get away with them.
September 2009
First to mention is the Pony Club Championships that took place on the August bank holiday weekend where I went down as trainer for the Braes of Derwent Pony Club. We traveled down the night before to Kelsill Hill to get the ponies settled in and refreshed for the next day. Even if the parents weren't! Due to a rather unseemly amount of alcohol drank! We even got wrong off the kids for making too much noise and keeping them up! The team did very well indeed even if we were given the wrong times and poor Sophie Luke cross countried and then had to show jump, where everyone else had to it the other way round, but she made up for it the following days by winning a class at the Scope Festival. Shannon Bates did extremely well coming runner up which she more than deserved as she had put a lot of work in. Frankie Pitt and Lexi Edgar also did very well with Frankie just out of the placings.
The Braes team and their grooms!
There has been a few face changes at Grange Farm with Lauren Pollock leaving us to go back to university taking her horse Asha with her, so all the best to her. But as it happenend another Lauren joined us, Lauren Hayton. New Lauren has her own horse at a local livery yard and competes at BSJA but wants to gain some experience in eventing so she can give that a go next year. The first outing was at Holmside Hall doing some BSJA. I took Dutch Ebony, Ryals Alfie, Ryals Ballinzar and Shivering Wreck. Dutch Ebony was up first and jumped a lovely double clear and would have taken third in the British Novice if she wasn't on a ticket. Ryals Alfie was also in that class but had an unlucky pole but he then went double clear in the Discovery making up for it. Ryals Ballinzar had a pole down in both the Newcomers and the 1.15 open but was jumping very well. Shivering Wreck who hadn't jumped inside for a long time obviously didn't like it as he came to the first fence and stopped in the 1.15 open but a smack on his bum put his act together. With the horses jumping well I was very excited about Allerton Park the following weekend.
I always like Allerton as it has a great atmosphere of being a laid back event but a competitive one as well. I had Ryals Alfie doing his first ever affiliated one day event on the Saturday. He did a very nice test to take the lead on a score of 21! I was even annoyed as I duffed his first halt up and got a 5 for it so a sub 20 score could have been achieved but he tried his little heart out an pranced around. He then went double clear to finish on his dressage score and take home the first prize! The day was rather spoiled though as Ryals Ballinzar was meant to be competing in the Novice section but as she warming up for the dressage she didn't feel level so I withdrew her. One of those mysteries lets hope whatever she has done is fixed for Witton as she has been on top form recently.
Ryals Alfie
Shivering Wreck was on the following in the OI class and not have had a run since Eglinton I thought he might have been a bit wild for the dressage so I rode quite quietly which was a mistake as he was quite relaxed but a 37 test wasn't a disgrace. However the show jumping was a disgrace we had four down! I am not sure what went wrong, was it the heat? Was it because he hadn't been out for a while? Whatever it was he made up for it on the cross country course where he flew round. I also took him in the snaffle and he was a perfect gent only having one scary moment where he decided to take the upright bounce as an oxer. Luckily he changed his mind at the last minute but apart from that he was mega and not going for the time but trying to keep him in a nice rhythm he was still fast with only four time penalties.
July/ August 2009
I have been doing more teaching and schooling than competing this last month but I have managed to escape a couple of times. The first to Northallerton unaffiliated with Ryals Alfie. He was really well behaved with a 26 dressage and only had a pole down. Lauren also took Asha for their first one day event and they did very well too so we were both happy. I haven't been anywhere else as it has taken so long to get the wagon fixed, which it is now fixed finally! The next event was the Pony Club Eventing Areas at Cumwhinton in Cumbria where I had my trainers hat on. It was a good day for most with the team qualifying for the finals as they finished 2nd only missing winning by one point. It was then down to Bishop Burton college the next day for an induction day for the B.E.F foundation squad where we met all the other successful candidates and met all the officials. We also got some new kit and had a photo shoot which ended up taking forever. (They couldn't catch my good side!) I then had two weeks of Pony Club camps which by the end drove me mad and then I was finished off with naughty horses at home!
I have managed to escape for a few days though as a friend, Sarah Anderson, asked if I would compete her horse for her so I traveled down to Peterbrough the day before to have a sit on her and then we went to Shelford Manor the next day for the Novice class. It was lovely sitting on a such a well schooled horse and Sarah had improved the flat work indescribably since the last time I saw Misty a couple of years ago. With all Sarah's hard work all I had to do was plod round the ring where she scored a 33 even with my mistake in the counter canter.
She then had three poles but we were pleased as she was quite tired and it was a level up than she had been at and with a different rider. She made up with it on the cross country though as she stormed round taking all the direct routes to finish with just a couple of time faults. The next day I had the day off lying in the sun and being spoiled with food and drink by Sarah and feeling guilty of not doing anything, I then traveled back that night.
July 2009 - Eglinton
I was taking Shivering Wreck to compete in the advanced section and Ryals Ballinzar in the novice. We were competing on the Friday but before we could leave I was invited to a selection trial for the Northern Regional Foundation Squad on the Thursday. The Foundation Squad is lottery funded and provides training and help for up and coming riders with the plan to work towards going on the world class system that is already in place. I decided to take Ryals Ballinzar as Shivering Wreck was competing in the advanced and I didn't want to tier him out before then. This was rather a bold move as everyone else had brought advanced or intermediate horses. However they were assessing me and not my horse. The trial started with a ridden assessment with Kenneth Clawson where we had to do a little flat work showing how to warm up and show some lateral work then a few jumping exercises. This was followed by an interview.
After the trial we left to go back home pack the rest of the stuff and head to Eglinton. We decided to take a new route to Eglinton and that was not advised. We went along very narrow lanes for miles and although the scenery was lovely it wasn't designed for a horse box. We arrived at the stabling, settled the horses in and had lovely evening with fellow eventers. My luck was about to change though! As we left in the morning for the event the clutch was rather smelly and didn't work! We managed to get to the event (just!) where mum ran the breakdown company. Luckily we were there all day so a couple of mechanics came out but they couldn't fix it and we would needed to be towed home. On the horses front Shivering Wreck did a pleasant test until the walk where he had a bee in his bonnet about something and just wouldn't. So a mark of 42 was understandable. He then had two down which again seems bad but I was pleased as I was trying my hackamore for the first time on grass and he just ran a little down the hill to a couple, a problem that will soon fix itself as he was jumping very well. I decided to run him quite fast cross country as the going was perfect and we were flying along until we reached the bottom hill where we were held on course because of an accident further on. What I was told would only be a ten minute stop turned out to be an hour and a half in which point Shivering Wreck had totally switched off and when we finally got going he jumped the next fence (the biggest on the course) but had a stop at the next as he didn't really know what he was doing. However we then got going and finished well.
Ryals Ballinzar did a very nice test, finally it seems to be coming together. I lost a few marks right at the end as she went to break in the canter and as moved her forward again she thought it was medium, which it wasn't. She then jumped a lovely clear show jumping but came out the arena lame. I was gutted I thought this was just not going to be my day. So I got off and lead her back to the wagon to discover she had slightly twisted her shoe so a quick visit to the farrier put that right and then she stormed round the cross country clear inside the time. As soon as I got her back to the wagon I was greeted by a tow truck and a transporter for the horses so it was a quick wash off and in and off we went. When I got home I had a message letting me know Ryals Ballinzar was 3rd which was a great result but I also noticed I had been given two stops cross country and had received 98 time penalties on Shivering Wreck which was obviously wrong. I rang the organiser and she said she would look into it and I was right they had made a mistake I did only have one stop and was meant to only get 10.4 time penalties but they could not change the results as I didn't complain half an hour after the results were published which I couldn't do as I was in the transporter on my way home. It doesn't really matter as I know he shouldn't have been given them and he was jumping great until we were held. Next stop is the Pony Club area horse trials where I have my trainer's hat on and then off to Strathallan.
June 2009 - Bramham
We left on the Wednesday to get Shivering Wreck settled in, which again being local was brilliant as it was only an hour and a half down the road. There were new stables this year being in a polly tunnel. I had my reservations as with hot weather expected I thought they would end up being very hot. Surprisingly they were not and kept everyone nice and cool. I took him for a hack the next morning so he could see where he was and then did a little flat work. We had the trot up at 4pm on the Thursday so I had him to plait and sparkle up for that. He did his usual of me dragging him up to the scary flower pot at the end but luckily he trots back normal and passed with flying colours. It is a bit nerve racking as the you seem to wait for ever for those words, "Shivering Wreck, passed." It would be horrible if you failed and had to go home. I then schooled him lightly on the evening as I didn't want to but any pressure on him as he can get very uptight. Our test was on Friday at midday so I rode him in the morning and he was very well behaved so I didn't know what to expect! He warmed up lovely and went in and we started. He was very well behaved for him! I made two big mistakes one getting the wrong strike off after the rein back and the other not softening him before the the counter canter so he put in another change.
Even with the mistakes we managed to take ten marks off since the last time I had done that test. I then walked the cross country twice by myself and once with Nicola Wilson who I was paired with in the PRO-AM pairs. She checked what lines I was going to do and told me my other options which was great as I felt confident and positive for the following day. Cross country day and I was on early so I didn't get a chance to see how the course was riding but I heard it was riding well. We came out the start box and I felt he was on top form. He splashed through the first water easily and onto the first real question a double of angle brushes with the second element being very skinny and a ditch in front. My line was to tackle them straight as I knew if he saw them he would jump. It was foot perfect and on we went.
However, my fortune was about to change at the bounce. I set him up off the corner and got my stride but Shivering Wreck just left a leg at the first element so had me clinging on and as it was a bounce the second element came very quickly and being so bold he managed to sort his legs out and jump the second element. This finished me off as I was already clinging on the second jump had me off. It was rather a pathetic dismount to be honest. But with this silly new rule that was elimination for us! I still believe if it was a double or he had stopped at the second element I would have had time to get back in the saddle. I was extremely annoyed at myself as he was jumping well and I walked him back and we left that evening. Things happen for a reason and it wasn't to be. We are both fine and well so there is always another competition. I have had a long period off now with no competitions. This is just to have a break, settle down with more work at home. I had another couple of lessons off Susie Gibson and the horses and I are jumping a lot better. I have also put Shivering Wreck in a hackamore for his show jumping which at the moment seems to be working as he jumped a gorgeous double clear in what I can say was the biggest Foxhunter class I have ever seen last week. I have sorted the fixture list for the rest of the season now and am raring to get going again!
June 2009 - Hexham
June started with Hexham horse trials which is very local to us so it was a nice short drive for a change. Ryals Ballinzar and Ryals Diamond both were in the novice sections. Ryals Ballinzar did a quiet test as I didn't want her getting tense as she had done at Floors but by achieving this she lost a lot of presence so her mark wasn't brilliant. She had a bit of a drama in the show jumping ring as I thought it was running in number order only to find it was declaration system so we had about twenty horses before us. We waited patiently until there was one before us and I went for a final jump and she pulled her shoe off. We had to go and get that put back on then we had to declare all over again. However, when she did get into the ring she jumped very well only skimming the very last fence which was enough to bring it down. She then flew round the cross country clear to finish 11th, just out the placings! Ryals Diamond did his usual good test in the dressage but had the very first fence down in the show jumping which I couldn't believe but after talking with Keith McVittie the course designer he said a lot had it down which he couldn't understand. However, he jumped very well after that. His cross country round was one of those text book perfect ones. He kept a good rhythm with all the fences coming on the perfect stride. He came home clear and bang on the optimum time! This left us 6th but also won us the Mark Holliday Memorial Trophy for the best cross country performance and a brand new body protector courtesy from Airowear! The next day I was meant to be riding Ryals Alfie in the BE100 (PN) but when we got home he was lame and had an abscess in his foot. We decided to take Am I Dun instead who hadn't been out since last October. Am I Dun did a lovely test considering the word 'outline' hadn't been in his vocabulary until six months previously! This was my first BE100 test of the year and the tests have definitely got harder, well for me anyway as I forgot it twice! Even with me mucking it up Am I Dun got me out of trouble still gaining a score of 31. He hadn't jumped with me since November when he went out hunting and last over the coloured fences was at Witton Castle last year. He can be funny in the show jumping not really taking them on like he does cross country. Well I say that! He was flying around in the practice ring taking off miles away which isn't like him at all as he prefers to get underneath them. With him on such good form the oxer got bigger and wider until he politely told me he couldn't take off form that far away by dumping me on the ground! How embarrassing!! In the ring he was a star though having one down which was fine as it was a double of uprights with a long one stride going up the hill which I knew he wouldn't make so I came in very short to the first part and tried to get two in but there wasn't enough room so down it came. He then knew what was coming the fun bit! Riding him cross country is so fun as he stomps along jumping whatever is in front of him. You wouldn't know he was 19! We took our time round as he wasn't that fit so pick up a couple of time faults which left us out the placings. But he owes me nothing and as long as he had fun and came back sound in one piece that was the main thing. He will run again at the end of the year otherwise he gets a little grumpy when he doesn't come out to play.
May 2009
May has been quite busy at Grange Farm. The first outing was at Scone Place were I took Shivering Wreck to do the OI and Ryals Ballinzar to do the Novice. Shivering Wreck did his best test to date with a 31 but unfortunately had three down show jumping but with a clear inside the time still left him in 9th place. Ryals Ballinzar did a very pleasant test in the Novice but the judge didn't think so and gave her an average mark of 41 she had three down as well so not a good show jumping day for me but she was clear cross country only picking up 0.4 time penalties so finished 10th so both came home with a rosette. The next day I was at Ivesley doing their unaffiliated one day event. I took Dutch Ebony to do the 2ft9 class, who was doing her first ever event. She was a star! She did a very smart test just losing some marks in the canter trot transitions to score 28 with two 9's. She then had one down show jumping which wasn't bad she just lost her balance going down the hill. She stormed round the cross country and considering it was her first time over fixed fences you would not have known. She ended up 2nd! Hopefully she will make someone a fab PN/Nov eventer as she straightforward and honest. I also took Ryals Alfie who was doing the 3ft class he did a smart test which put him in the lead then went double clear to win. The next event after that was Chatsworth, the weather was horrid as it was just down pour after down pour. I took Ryals Ballinzar who did a slightly better test even if she was skiing in the mud down the center lines. Even with all the mud which was sapping for them she managed a clear with just 0.4 time penalties, again which was one of the fastest round.
Ryals Diamond was in the IN and did a lovely test but being first in the arena he didn't get the marks he probably deserved. He was very unlucky in the show jumping to have two down as he hardly touched them but looking back it caused quite a lot of problems. The ground was even more dug up for his cross country and as he doesn't like the deep going I took my time for a clear with 10 time penalties.
Floors was next with all three running on the Sunday. Ryals Ballinzar in the Novice did not do a good test with her clamming up in the warm up I put a pair of spurs on which was obviously too much as she then got rather excited. She then went clear in the show jumping with a stunning round and clear cross country with 0.4 time penalties again. She ended up 8th! Ryals Diamond was in the IN again and did a fair test for 34 but again had a very unlucky two down but a clear inside the time meant he came home with a 10th place rosette. Shivering Wreck was rather unsettled in the dressage and did a disappointing 44 but he was made to go round the arena 9 times before the judge was ready, which rather annoyed him. He had two down and one was my fault so I was pleased. He then stormed round the cross country clear inside the time and felt he could go round again which was promising as this was he last run before Bramham. The next day I was at Ivesley again where Duhill Lad was having a fun run where he ended up 2nd in the novice with a double clear and the second best test. Ryals Alfie won the open as well! So a very good day! Preparations for Bramham are well under way with lots more hacking and galloping and a trip to Susie Gibson was well worth it as she had him jumping fab with him actually making a good shape over the fence! So fingers crossed we survive the dressage!
April 2009
I thought I would give you an update on Belton Horse Trials. The day started off not very well! We left to travel down and as soon as we reached the top of the village the accelerator pedal got stuck on! A quick reroute was needed to get it fixed well half fixed. We then traveled down but since we stopped I had missed my first dressage time on Ryals Diamond. Luckily he doesn't need much warming up and the very nice steward slotted us in. He did a reasonable test just lacked a bit of expression and impulsion but I was pleased considering the circumstances. It was then Ryals Ballinzar's turn for her test. She was a little tense warming up but settled down when she went around the arena until the judge stuck her arm out the window and rang a bell. Well, she thought there was a monster in the car and every time she got to the top she would scoot round the corners but still managed a 36. Then it was the show jumping, Ryals Diamond went first and jumped a lovely round until the penultimate fence where we got a bit close but he cleared it but that made is a long way off to the final double where he had the first part down. Ryals Ballinzar then went in and was a little shell shocked! It was the first time there was an atmosphere when she has jumped. She came into fence two looking at a flag blowing to the side of it all the way, needless to say she had it down but then jumped the rest beautifully clear. The cross country course was a little on the stiff side and since this was both there first runs of the year I was a little uneasied. Ryals Diamond, who is more than established at this level, went clear inside the time even though my legs were hurting from all the kicking. Ryals Ballinzar then went and took everything in her stride, jumping and galloping for fun. Diamond was 10th and Ballinzar just outside the placings. We then stabled over night at Newark show ground with lovely big boxes then the following day was back with Shivering Wreck for the OI. I had tried a new tactic this week for him as I didn't do any flat work. I then lunged him for twenty minutes before jumping on and doing my test straight away. It must have worked as he produced his best score at that level of 34! He then went to the show jumping and jumped lovely till the last treble where I got a long one in and then had to check for the short 'b' element which just took the energy out so he had that one down. Then I had to push for the long 'c' element where he just flattened. Even with two down though as was really pleased as it isn't his strongest phase and he was really trying for me. He then flew round the cross country with only 1.6 time penalties. He seems to be back to his usual self after his uncharacteristic time last season. He finished 9th which was another bonus.
March/April 2009
Sorry for the rather long delay in getting back with you. Well the season has started and it's been ok so far. The first outing was Oasby where I took 'Shivering Wreck' and 'Ryals Balinzar' to do the Novices. I didn't decide to enter 'Ryals Diamond' as he doesn't like the sticky mud but the going was perfect so that was a shame. 'Shivering Wreck' did he usual start to the season in the dressage as he was very pleased to be out but it's a shame Chris Bartle couldn't invent the moves he was doing in the new tests! He then went double clear but was a little cocky over the smaller fences at novice level so a week later was Lincoln OI. They had beefed up the course there which was good and 'Shivering Wreck' relished the challenge and flew round the cross country like his old self again, however more work on the show jumping is needed! I have also had 'Ryals Alfie' out for his first cross country competition at the one day event at Titlington. He was foot perfect! He had a very good dressage with 7's and 8's all the way down then he had two down show jumping which wasn't bad as he just jumped in too boldly into the doubles and couldn't get out over the second element in time. He was perfect cross country though! He is so balanced he meets every fence on a perfect stride and I was a little worried as it was round their old PN track which was a big step as there was a full coffin and corner and jumping into the water which he had never done. He will head to Ivesley unaffiliated and then start his affiliated career at Hexham. May is very busy as I have three at Belton, two at Scone, three at Chatsworth and two at Floors. I will keep you posted but until then take care.
February 2009
February has been an extremely busy one with all the horses back in full swing hacking out, galloping and schooling well. Also entries have been put in and the wagon has had its service so it's all go at Grange Farm. Also February is the time when the last of my winter clinics finish where I spent two days in North Yorkshire and a day up at Alnwick but I am still busy teaching as well. There just doesn't seem to be the time. We were hit very badly with the snow which didn't seem to want to melt at all but luckily we had the indoor school to keep the horses ticking over. They also got a couple of hours out, which they seemed to enjoy making snow angels. The next couple weeks before Oasby are going to be very busy with training shows to go to, cross country schooling and some BSJA. As well as upping their fitness as well as mine!
January 2009
Well here it is my first website. Please bare with me as it's not quite finished. On the site you will find information on me, my horses and whats happening at Grange Farm. You will find fixtures of what events I am planning to do and reports on ones I have done. I welcome any questions or opinions you have please feel free to contact me. I am also looking for more owners and rides for the up and coming season/seasons, so if you feel you have a star in your stable that isn't reaching its potential give me a call. I also have syndicates available for one of my horses, Ryals Ballinzar, known as Perdie. Perdie is potentially a top event horse. She is a big powerful mare that has lots of scope. At the moment she still thinks she is a baby, even though nothing scares her and she is competing very well at Novice level she still hasn't found her feet to give that extra sparkle needed to progress. But being 17h it has taken her a long time to grow into herself and now she is become more confident on the flat and starting to become a lot more elegant. I have high hopes for her this season. Her personality is great, she loves her cuddles and you can't walk into her field without her following you around.