Gatcombe (1) Horse Trials 2015

Here comes the sun?

This blog is becoming to be a bit of a weather almanac. After worrying about the conditions for Tweseldown for two weeks to then end up with a glorious spring day, another two weeks of weather worries prior to Gatcombe simply meant the forecast got increasingly worse and as I think everyone knows ended up with Sunday being cancelled all together!

Luckily I had made plans to attend Saturday and Sunday so luckily I came away with some excellent video of the "Novice" competitions, even if it did mean that all filming had to be completed with my back to the wind! The video is available in the playlist and features both show jumping and cross county action. The show jumping was filmed across the afternoon and you can see the underfoot conditions getting worse as the weather closes in.

The Gatcombe (1) playlist

Bleak outlook

Having arrived at Gatcombe in pouring rain, made my first use of my Supporter's membership and wished the cadet on the gate good luck for the weather drying up in the afternoon, I made my way to some course side parking and coffee and a cake from @charliecoffee's Coffee and Crust pop up.

Suitably refreshed I finally ventured out about 2 o'clock and made my way to the show jumping to video a couple of rounds before setting off around the course. My plan is always to video a few show jumping rounds and then hopefully catch the same riders as they make there way around the cross country and use this for my "taster" videos while I'm working on the main event. This worked very well and I videoed Stine Hoff, Charlotte Monk and Rupert Batting.

Heading out on the cross country Fence 4

William Fox-Pitt passed by at Fence 3 in Section D riding Little Fire and not unfortunately Catherine Witt's The Soapdodger on who he won the Section. Dassett at Last took exception to Fence 7 until Louise Harwood showed him the error of his ways. They were followed by Craig Bar and Kilmullen Dassett who showed his relative how it should be done. I'm totally thick when it comes to blood lines, but I'm beginning to realise there are a string of Dassetts just as there are Fernhills and Cooleys.

"Good Boy!" (Whizz Kid)

Mystery Rider?
Lucy Poyntz

Charlotte Monk came past at the wall and gave Whizz Kid a "good boy" and smile for the camera, and Rupert Batting was excellent at the chase fence followed by the Log and Wall into the woods. Vittoria Panizzon flew past in the woods and it took a little investigative work to realise she was riding fleeting Meeting, but I was totally baffled by Lucy Poyntz until social media came to my assistance and I realised what looked like 218 was actually 219! (218, Lydia Green was videoed at the new cross question).

Novice Log into Land Rover Water (yellow marker)

Lucinda Fredericks

Perserverance
Jessica and Charliecoffee!

Although I had expected the weather to pick up throughout the afternoon it soon became clear this wasn't going happen and after the Land Rover Water and Garden Seat to Drop I returned to the show jumping where Lucinda Fredericks, Daisy Berkeley and Izzy Taylor were competing. I saw all three later on the cross country course and hence have taster videos in the playlist.

Having finished my course walk I made one final visit to the show jumping where Jessica West gained my respect for perseverance in making Mister Higgins take on the treble and then it was back to the car and home for tea and editing.  

It wasn't until I got home I realised Sunday had been cancelled. I perhaps should have realised when I saw some of the trade stands packing away.

I hope you enjoy the videos of a challenging and yet remarkably good humoured and well run day.  

The music is "Flying" from Peter Pan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by James Newton Howard.

My next trip out will either be Somerley Park International or Howick.