Our Experience at Hickstead 2018 – Georgie Wood

Hickstead is probably my favourite show venue and three times a year we spend 4 or 5 days there getting to jump on some of the best prepared grass arenas you come across anywhere in the world. The Derby meeting wasn’t the most successful in terms of prizes but the horses jumped well and we all learnt lots. Coco jumped the 1.25m Derby and Joey and Hudson jumped their first proper derby in the 1.15m and they were brilliant over all the obstacles they had never seen before. Lily jumped well on the surface and picked up a 2nd place in the 1mOpen and then Joey picked up a 4th in a competitive Newcomers.

Onto the Royal International Meeting and there had been no rain of any use since before the Derby meeting. Hickstead had done the most amazing job and using the licence they have to extract water from the rivers running through the show ground, they were able to put hundreds of thousands of litres of water on the rings to give the best going possible.

We only had Lily, Coco and Joey jumping this time as Hudson had been on a self-destruct mission and consequently had stitches in his leg, fortunately he is now on the mend. Lily jumped some cracking rounds, including her first time on the grass since she has been barefoot – she loved it and was unlucky to roll a pole in the jump off. However she more than made up for it by jumping a brilliant double clear for 4th place in the 1mOpen qualifier and has qualified to jump in the main ring at the September show.

Joey was not to be outdone and after having 4-faultitis all week, he jumped a cracking round in the Newcomers to also finish 4th and again qualify for the final in September.

Coco and I had the chance to jump in the Amlin-Plus Eventers Challenge again this year and really put our foot down – he rose to the challenge and we both finished with big smiles. Unfortunately a couple of rolled poles dropped us out of the placings but we were the 5th fastest time!

It was lovely to catch up with lots of friends and the team at Equine Superstore – even picked up a couple of Amigo Lightweight turnouts for a bargain price! I am already excited about the All England Jumping Championships in September and I am secretly hoping I might be able to get Coco and Hudson qualified to jump in the main ring too!

Georgie

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