Successful show in Compiegne!

Hello everyone,

Yesterday we came home very satisfied after our trip to the international show in Compiegne in France. Although, we had mixed feelings as last Friday one of our breeding mares has passed away while we were at the show. Rodelia (by Democraat) has passed away unexpectedly. She is the dam of Vanquisch which was competed in Compiegne. Rodelia got a foal of Chippendale this year and was pregnant by Vivaldi. It's very tragic, for Lotte and Malou as well. The two girls were our horse-, dog and house sitters during these days and we regret it this just happened while we were not at home. They really did a good job and Infinity, the foal, is doing well fortunately.

On Wednesday evening we arrived at the show in Compiegne and it rained so hard! Mud everywhere and it kept on raining. Fortunately on Thursday it stopped raining and the arenas dried. The vet check started at 2 PM and Vanquisch had to go at 5.07PM. There were so many participants at this show: 46 Grand Prix combinations, 36 starts in the small tour and than there were many pony riders and Juniors and Young riders. 

So the vet check went well and the training too. Vanquisch was a bit tensed. It was his first international trip and he is inexperienced. He didn't eat that well during the show.

The small tour Prix st Georges test was scheduled on Friday morning at 8.30AM and the last combination had to go at 4PM. I had to go as sixth at 9.15AM. Just before our start we got the phone call about Rodelia so we quickly had to arrange several things. Than we had to focus on the show again.. During the warming up, Vanquisch was tensed and as he is an introverted horse he was a bit reserved. The trot tour was very good and we had 72% till the walk. In walk he really was tensed and we got mistakes. In canter Vanquisch he was fine again and made no mistakes. In total we got 68% and we came sixth. We qualified for the final, the freestyle on Saturday. The best 15 of the Prix St. Georges qualified for the kur. The rest competed the small final on Sunday. The price giving ceremony was ay 7PM so it was a long day.

On Saturday morning I walked Vanquisch and in the afternoon he was hand grazed. At 8PM we had to show. I took more time for the warming up to relax Vanquisch a bit more and that worked out really well. The second part of our warming up was good and in the test he did his utmost best. We were a little bit ahead of our music. That was too bad but I was very satisfied. We came fourth! One of the judges ranked us 1! The prize giving ceremony was at 9PM so we left the show to go home on Sunday. 

Vanquisch is in his own stall again and tomorrow he will be hacked. He has done a super job during his first international trip!

Many greetings,

Joyce, Marcel and Stan!

 

Other news