Well, I’m not quite sure how we got here but Freya is an Advanced horse now! Not only that, but she WON her first Advanced on 69.06%.
I have ridden Freya from a three year old, and it’s amazing to reflect just how far we’ve both come in the last four and a half years. When she first arrived, I still had Washington, my Young Rider team horse and ultimate safety net. Max was just about to start competing Inter 2, and I had another two competition rides. Freya was the baby of the bunch for some time. It’s funny to think that she’s now Queen Bee!
As with all horses, the road hasn’t always been easy but her natural ability, willingness to work, and smart brain have certainly smoothed the way. She was super cute as a three and four year old, before discovering a fiery side at five, then eventually settling down into the lovely horse she is today. She is still a bright spark but she finds her work much more interesting than anything else. She has this really intense focus when she’s training and competing, which I just love.
Of course, you stand no chance of getting a horse to this level without a good upbringing and basic education. This is where Freya’s owner/breeder, Fay Thomas, comes in. Fay not only bred this fantastic little mare, but she gave her the best start in life. Freya came to us a very happy, confident horse, with good manners and basic ground rules. She had been lightly backed by Rupert Humphreys and was ready for the next stage. We worked her gently through that summer, getting her really confident in all three paces, before she went back to Fay for a winter to grow (not that that really happened…!) and chill out. She then started proper work at four and the rest is history…
As many of you will know, Freya spent last season being competed by my Dad, Andrew. I had just moved to London and was adjusting to the new routine. Dad offered to spend a bit more time on Frez and before I knew it he was entering himself for Premier Leagues and had qualified for the Nationals! Looking back, that season did her the world of good and we wouldn’t have been anywhere near as successful this year without it – thanks Dad!
As with everything, Freya took on her first Advanced with plenty of enthusiasm. We got stuck in traffic on the way to the venue so I didn’t have nearly enough time to work in as I wanted. This meant that I didn’t quite manage to put in the last little bit of polish before going into the ring. That said, she still pulled off a very good test with just one hesitation in a simple change. She has always thought simple changes are stupid but she’s convinced of it now the flying changes are established! I was really pleased with her pulling off the four times. It’s one thing doing them in training, but they’re always a bit surprised the first time you ask for them in competition. All in all, I was really pleased with the test and how she coped with a less than ideal preparation and warm up.
So what next for our pocket rocket? Her next show is the High Profile at Bury Farm, where she’s competing Advanced Medium, including her first freestyle. We’ve then got the Nationals at both Medium and Advanced Medium. After that, we’ll focus on training the Small Tour work ready for her to start at that level next year. All the exercises are in place, they just need polishing before they are competition ready.
I am so excited about the future of this little horse. The fact that she’s done her first Advanced at seven years old, without me ever pushing or rushing her, says so much about her ability and temperament. Thanks must go to Fay for her continued support and trust. It’s a real team effort to get to this stage and I can’t wait for the next chapter!
E.x
