Combined Challenge Championships at Aston Le Walls October 5th/6th 2024
Combined Challenge Championships at Aston Le Walls October 5th/6th 2024
Team Meon (Tiffany Christer, Ony Rogers, Kerry Tyrell and me Sara Grain) qualified for the combined challenge championships at Aston Le Walls earlier this year by winning the 70cm show jumping/cross country event at Moreton.
Diane Williams and Sky also qualified as an individual for the 80cm Championships.
It was a gorgeous day as we all headed two hours north to Aston Le Walls in Northamptonshire. First up was Tiff on Hattie – feeling rushed as course walk was 12:30pm and her time slot was 1:30pm, but luckily with super groom Claire – Hattie was tacked up and ready to roll. Tiff did a brilliant double clear round just with a few time faults. The show jumping course was pretty tricky with some twists and turns as well as a bounce, a water jump and three individual planks in a row – with no ground poles. Cross Country flowed very nicely and Hattie took it all in her stride.
Next up was Ony and Freddie – they had a good round in the show jumping but naughty Freddie decided he didn’t want to jump cross country and stopped a couple of times – most unlike him but we all have our off days.
We were next. I was more nervous than usual as Tango has been a bit of an idiot recently, refusing from meters away and not wanting to leave his friends. Anyhow – he had plenty of energy in the collecting ring and I just sat deep and thought about Lucinda Green’s Ready4Trouble seat!! A stupid stop at the 2nd fence and a lot of tail swishing I was determined not to let him get away with it. I kicked on and we got round the rest of the show jumping – with lots of poles down but I just wanted to get round as the pressure was on to get a result for the team. The next challenge was to jump the cross country course – which starts in the show jumping arena with fence one and fence two jumping out of the arena (on the opposite side to the collecting ring) into the cross country field – I knew if we had the speed, he wouldn’t have time to stop and look. So again I kicked on and tried to ride him straight into each fence – we blasted round and jumped every jump clear!! Whoop whoop – I was so thrilled, I just wanted to get to the finish post!! That is the moment we cherish!! Finishing!! That makes it all worthwhile. Silly to get so excited (read nervous), but this is why we do it …. Pure joy even with a cricket score of points. I didn’t care, our score counted.
Last up was fabulous Angel and Kerry Tyrell – she flew round, just knocked fence six in the show jumping for five faults and then flew round for another clear in the cross country! Brilliant!!
The team won tenth place, Hattie and Tiff a fabulous 8th individual with gorgeous rosettes and a day to remember.
Diane and Sky competed on Sunday in the 80cm individual – Sky was a star again and flew round, had an unfortunate pole at the bounce and a few time faults but a really super round.
A fabulous time was had by all – being part of a team really makes it all such fun. Go Team Meon!