Wilton is always a great event and this year was no different in the brilliant sunshine.
We had four Team Keen horses attending on Saturday, including our working pupil Leah Bentley.
Total Miracle was having his first run in a BE100. He is a very big, growing five year old, with lovely long legs and is still working out where everything is. Despite this, he did a great test of 25.5 to be in the top 3 after this phase. In the show-jumping there was lots to look at and as you can see in the video (Total Miracle show-jumping) he just had two green poles down. Cross-country he really took in his stride and we finished up in 9th. His first BE placing – fingers crossed there will be a few more and he will follow in his mother, Total Belief’s, footsteps!
I have to say Quintessential (Chilli) is becoming a bit of a pro and belying her age. Her super confident approach to the BE100 track at Wilton, was a great feeling and she did another double clear to come away with 6th place (Quintessential III show-jumping). For a five year old, she is very grown up and I can’t wait to keep on going with her.
Our working pupil Leah Bentley had a confident run on her lovely grey horse King, to come 10th in the BE100 plus.
Leah and I training pre Wilton
Finally, Total Darkness (Ted), had a nice play in the novice doing a super dressage to score 27 and an easy clear show-jumping (Total Darkness show-jumping). He was in the lead after each phase, but due to the lack of rain we decided not to run him cross country. It is easy to get competitive when you are in a good position, but we have long term plans for him and running slowly cross country, at the moment, just doesn’t suit his slightly wary and in turn spooky nature. We also wanted to save him for one of his season aims, Hartpury CCI* in two weeks time.
This is what Team Keen is now building up to as our next big event. My faithful friend Derby is down to make his comeback run, after our Poland adventure and I can’t wait to be back on board.
