I was at the tournament in Mühlen with three horses, and I can only say: all four of us – the horses and I – had a fantastic time!
I had Light Star, Camilla, and Like About You with me. It was the first competition for Light Star and Camilla after a long break, and the second for Like About You. I took Light Star to Oliva in March before the tournament was canceled due to Covid. After that, I completely eased him back into training. He took a real break, did a lot of walking, and was totally relaxed 🙂 A few weeks ago, I slowly started increasing his training again, and now in Mühlen, he felt absolutely fantastic: super relaxed, very fresh, fully motivated, and he had a beautiful clear round. Camilla injured herself slightly at the beginning of December last year, then Covid hit, so it was her first competition since November. Camilla also really enjoyed herself in the arena, was also faultless, and incredibly motivated. And Like About You, Light Star’s half-brother, is only seven. With such a youngster, you never quite know how they’ll react after a long break from competition. I had already brought him along to Riesenbeck, but this was only his second time competing again. And he, too, completed the course with ease, confidence, enthusiasm, and without any faults. Our conclusion is quite clear: all four of us had a fantastic time!
Now we’ll see what’s next. Late-entry tournaments are being announced quite spontaneously everywhere, and the first and only qualifier for the U25 Jumping Cup is being held in Warendorf. I definitely want to compete there with Light Star and Camilla, even though I’m lucky enough to have already pre-qualified for the final. Due to Covid, the final this year is in September in Balve, alongside the German Championships, and all U25 national squad members are automatically qualified for the final.
Who knows, the break has certainly done many horses and riders good, but it feels really good to be back in action – especially when the horses are so fresh, happy, and motivated.
Justine
