CDI*** Mallorca

Hello everyone,

Well…. Finally I have time to update you on last week. The plan was to update you more frequent but I wa quite busy with four horses…

While I write this I am on the boat to Barcelona and it’s NOT fun. The weather is bad, a lot of rain and wind. Although I can handle a lot, this really makes me sick! Marcel, Stan and I are sort of okay but Ivanna is really ill.

The horses look fine but they can’t talk … Pip looks okay as well. The horses got some medication before going on the boat so I hope they stay fit…

Our trip to Mallorca was super and the horses arrived very fit. Luckily we took our time for this journey as about 20 horses needed a drip because they were not fit.. If you have to start a show like this I can understand you get some stress….

We travelled by boat during the night and we had to go in the cabins but we sneaky stayed in the truck. We didn’t leave the horses!! 

The first days we have build up the training again. They all felt good from day one. On Monday Akane arrived as well. Marcel trained her horse Don Luka already a few days and Akane could start riding immediately. 

You think four horses, quite relaxed but no! We tried to finish riding around 3 PM and than we took a nap on the beach till 6 PM. Than the horses were fed, and we had dinner ourselves. Stan went to bed after dinner and we went back to stall to hand walk the horses, wrap them, give them hay and mash and muck out the stalls again. Well, by the time we were finished it was 11.30 PM! 

The stalls were very roomy, 4 x 6 m. with a window, room with a view! We had a luxurious tack room. On Wednesday it became more busy at the show ground and Ubique as always was quite stressed and he got injured in his stall… First we (including the vet) thought his splint bone was broken but fortunately that was not the case. We made an X-ray and it was okay. 

Although nothing was broken Ubique wasn’t getting better and we decided his health is priority number 1 and we withdrew hem for this show. Too bad as he was doing so well! In Barcelona we will have him checked by a vet again.

On Thursday the other horses passed the vet check. On Friday the Prix St. Georges was on the program for Authentic and Showboy. Akane showed Don Luka at Grand Prix level.

First I had  to compete Showboy, he felt great! A minor mistake was the entering of the arena. That could have been better just as the half pirouettes in walk. But I was super happy! We finished third with almost 70%. 

I was number Authentic as 17th and Authentic was super as well. We had one big mistake in the tempi changes every fourth stride. Too bad but the rest was fantastic! We came second with 70%+ A very successful start of this show!!!

Akane and Don Luka made a few mistakes in the Grand Prix but there were very nice parts as well. She scored almost 63% and qualified for the Grand Prix Special!

In the small tour serie you have to choose between freestye of Intemediare 1. I decided to show Showboy in the Freestyle and Authentic in the Intermediare 1 class. Again Showboy did a great job in the kur. I took a big risk in my first pirouette and that was a bit too difficult for Showie. The rest was super. We scored over 70% and we finished third. We won the extra prize, a nice mountain bike.

Althoiugh we were very happy it was a pity we had the mistake in the pirouette as the winner got a new BMW!!! Ha ha!

Authenic did great in the Intermediare 1. It was the second time she did this test. We had a few small mistakes but I don’t mind so much. She did her utmost best and is a dream to ride. We became second and over 69%.

We are so proud of our horses. It was a big field and they did so well! 

Akane’s Grand Prix Special was pretty good. Unfortunately she started before the bell rand so that was minus 2 and she made a mistake in her program so minus 2 again. She lost her focus for a second in the tempi changes but she ended up with 64% even with this mistakes! 

Except for the bad luck with Ubique we can look back to a very nice and successful show. 

Now we are on our way to Barcelona where we will stay for a couple of days and then we go to Pompadour in France for the next show. 

Jose Manuel and our Beukenvallei’s Euro will also come to France to compete. Euro is co-owned by Adri de Bruijn. Jose Manuel will compete him in the class for six year olds. Sacre Coeur will come to France as well. This is the new horse of Akane’s husband who will compete Grand Prix for the First time. So we have a few days rest and then the competition life will start again. 

We will keep you updated!!!
Lots of love Joyce
And of course Marcel, Stan, Ivanna, Pip and the horses!
 

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