What a top week!!

Hello everybody,

Finally an update again. I hoped we had internet in Biarritz but unfortunately we didn’t.

We have had a very successful week with Showboy and Vanquisch. I competed them at the international show in Biarritz, France. Both horses were shown at small tour level. Showboy made his international début.

Monday we left for Biarritz. Marcel, Stan, Malou, Showboy, Vanquisch were with me and so were Kruimel and Pip. Ubique stayed home as he didn’t feel very fit during the last Dutch show in Geldrop.

After a trip of 16 hours we arrived at the show ground. The weather was super. It always was 25 till 30 degrees and it was very sunny. We enjoyed the sun a lot J.

On Thursday the vet check was on the program and both horses passed without doubt. On Friday I had to ride the Prix St. Georges. First it was Vanquisch to go. We made some mistakes and he had troubles changing the different surfaces in the arena’s. The score was over 67% and we came sixth. Showboy was 15^th to go. He felt a bit tired but the test was good and without mistakes. The score went up to 71% and we won!!

On Saturday I had to ride the Intermediaire I. I warmed up Vanquisch a little bit different than on Friday and that helped, we finished third with a score of 68%.

It was excited to show Showboy as he only did three Prix St. Georges tests and this was his first Inter I. To be honest, we didn’t practice this test as home.. I never thought that he would improve so fast. Showboy did a super job although the test was new and a bit difficult for him. He was focussed and did the best he could. Of course we have to work on the details but I can’t describe how happy I am with him!! The points: 72,4% and again we listened to the national anthem of The Netherlands.

The best six qualified for the freestyle on Sunday. I choose Showboy as I wasn’t allowed to compete both horses in the freestyle. Again a début, he Showboy never did a small tour kur before. We rode on Ubique’s kur. While entering the ring we had a mistakes and we made a mistake in one of the pirouettes but it all wasn’t Showboy’s fault. The rest of the test was super! We got 73,6% and we finished second (a small difference with the winner). I couldn’t have dreamt of a better international début!

After the prize giving ceremony we left the show and we started our trip to Leende. On Monday morning both horses safely stood in their own stall again.

More pictures to come!

After this fantastic week we got very sad news: we lost our friend Tanguy Huysmans. He died in the plane crash in Namen (Belgium) last Saturday. Tanguy is the husband of Helen Wielockx who is student of Marcel. We wish Helen and her family a lot of strength with this enormous loss!!

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