Arena UK after 19 years!!

4-5 April 2025

19 years after I was meant to be at Arena UK with Dream for the BSJA (as it was in those days) 90 Amateur Champs, I finally got to go there with Fred!

We had qualified with the Brent Knoll Riding Club team for the BRC National Winter SJ Championships at Badgworth, winning individually and as a team.

It was great to tick off another British Riding club Championships from the list, and since this is one of the very few Champs Dream didn't get to, Fred can have his moment of glory rather than (as the younger sibling) just qualifying for something I'd already done before.

But blimey it was a chill wind this weekend! There was lovely sun without the chill breeze, but ooh it was biting! We left Somerset in 22 degrees so I didn’t take a coat! Thankfully Jayne brought two!

It was a really super weekend though, made even more special as Beks and Sian came along to meet us for the pub on Friday and cheer us on and help me on the Saturday. It was just like old times when we used to compete together. Plus with Jayne now more mobile, it was great to have her there too and because I was worried about how Fred would settle (there were 220 horses stabled just in my block alone) we slept on site, and by on site I mean, I slept on a blow up bed in the boot of the car and Jayne slept on a blow up bed in the trailer! Top Friend Trophy award goes to Jayne!

As a team of just 3 in a class of 25 teams and 127 competitors -with all but one other team having 4 people, we were up against it with no drop score - so we weren’t expecting too much.

First to jump was Kay and Ava-May. Clear in the first round! I was on duty pole picking at 8.30 so I was in the arena and got to cheer Kay through her second round. Another clear and into the individual jump off from fence 8-14. Shouting every fence "come on girl, we got this, yes". There was so much emotion, I nearly cried with joy on her behalf.

Next up was Fred....

Since life as a ginger, or a pony is always unpredictable, so as a ginger pony, that's like double trouble, he did me proud this weekend. Having travelled quietly for 5 hours and been super chilled in his stable on arrival, overnight and with all the coming and going on the Saturday (which had been my worry), he got a bit over sensitive when we tacked up and was a bit space cadet in the first round, which was clear but not his normal smooth round, almost as if the fact there were jumps in the arena was a bit of a distraction for him trying to look around.

Then it was on to round 2, now Kay was on duty and gave us a big cheer to start. By now Fred had got his shizzle together and I kicked on to get up a good canter ready for this. All was going well, jumping smoothly and confidently. We popped fence 5 and turned for 6, he just got a bit to his forehand and as we popped fence 6 there was the quietest of clinks from the back foot and then the unmistakable plop of pole on sand - which meant my individual Jump Off was over and our team was out of the jump off. I was absolutely gutted. There’s nothing worse and it was such a beautiful round. He really didn’t deserve it.

BRC Championships April 2025 - second round

Our final team member also went double clear, a little haphazard but clear all through, and as the last competitors went we watched our team drop from 7th to 15th - the first 6 were clear, from 7th to us were on 4 faults so really tough competition.

Fred and I finished 64th (the first 59 having double clears but then everyone who’d got there had gone double clear to qualify so it was going to be tough.

Even more gutting, our speed for the 2nd round was in the top 20 - argh what an expensive pole! And it wasn't because he flattened with too much speed, just an unlucky tap. We did round 2 in 54 seconds and the fastest was 50 & 51 then a bunch of us on 52-54 after that people were like 58/59 and into the 60s

But I did it! And it was great and I’m so so proud of Fred. He did brilliantly and I had an amazing time with both my friends and my new team mates who I’d only met when we qualified … and hopefully we’ll get there again next year 😊 PLUS we got an awesome Finalist stable plaque.

I was also really grateful to Julia from Garrett Saddlers for fixing the saddle for Fred - sorry that we didn't bring back a rosette! And also to Jane Vosper for being amazing and generally making sure I had everything to travel with including a smart pony, chocolate, wine and a hairbrush!

The pics below include a couple of the professional ones of us jumping - I couldn't resist buying the one that said HAVE FUN TOGETHER - because after all that's why we do it.

But the also include pics of our sleeping quarters - his and mine - me in my British Riding Clubs tabard as pole picking skivvy - with BRC you have to volunteer up a ‘victim’ to do arena party jobs (pole picking and poo picking) since we didn’t have anyone who – strangely enough – fancied driving 5 hours to Grantham to be a skivvy! – so we had to share the 3 hours between the 3 of us jumping! Meaning, we all did an hour each to accommodate jumping and helping out!

Needless to say with all that on top of two 5 hour drives towing and sleeping in a car in a flood light car park (hadn’t counted on that!) I was fairly tired on Sunday.

Oh and I’ve also attached a picture of my super clean trailer. I decided on Sunday to give it a really good clean out. 😃