Oldenburg – for Don Diarado, it was the start of the indoor season and preparation for our next goal: the Global Champions Playoffs in Prague at the end of November. I took him for a short ride on Friday to get used to the space, and he jumped very well even then. In the Grand Prix on Sunday, he jumped even better, very relaxed and confident. We had a fault at the last jump, which was annoying, of course, but overall it was a very good preparation for Prague. I also had Lycon with me – for the first time in five years. Our trainer or Justine had taken him to competitions recently. On the first day, it felt quite good, but unfortunately, on the second day, he got his tongue over the bit at the beginning of the course. That was, of course, difficult for both of us.
Justine also had two horses with her in Oldenburg: Light Star and Camilla. Camilla and Justine are getting to know each other better and better; Justine rode her at a competition for the first time in August. The pair came out of the first jumping round in Oldenburg with only one time fault, and in the second with one jumping fault – that looked very promising. She competed in the big tour with Light Star. It’s not always easy to stay within the time limit with him at indoor shows because he stays in the air over the jumps for a relatively long time. After a clear round with one time fault on Saturday, Justine was determined to stay within the time limit on Sunday, but they came a little too close on one line and unfortunately knocked down two. However, both of Justine’s horses jumped really well, so she was absolutely satisfied.
On Thursday, we’re heading to Redefin with four stallions for the licensing. The licensing events in Redefin have always been well-organized and well-run in recent years, and we’ve had very good results. Preparations with the stallions are in full swing – we’re excited…
Maurice
