CW Event Team Blog

The CW Event Team returned home last Monday from the Florida International CCI 2*/CCI 1* and HT located in Ocala, FL.
I pulled out of Carriage Station early Monday morning on April 12th to head back to Longwood. On Monday and Tuesday I was able to get lessons from Karen. Simba felt great and his lengenthings have gotten much better because he is so much stronger. On Wednesday we moved the horses over to the Florida Horse Park to complete the In- Barn inspections for the three FEI horses that made the trip.
On Thursday Simba did his first formal CCI 1* jog. He behaved very well and passed easily. Later that same day Simba and I did our Dressage test.
Simba was very obedient in the ring and scored a 54.10 putting us in a tie for 9th place. On Friday, I walked the CCI 1* course for Amanda and myself and also the CCI 2* course with Suzie. Simba enjoyed a nice hack around the park on Friday.
On Saturday, Simba ran cross country. We went later in the day so heat could have easily been a factor. Optimum Time for the CCI 1* was 7:10. Of course, in the end, heat was not a factor. Simba went out on course and went right to work. He was dead on everywhere and never drifted off any line. We jumped a double clean round. He came into the finish vet box with a temperature of 102.1 and a respiration of about 90 and on his second check his temperature was down to 101 and respiration under 80. He cooled down very quickly.
Sunday morning Simba looked great as we headed up for our final inspection. The Ground Jury passed him without hesitation. The CCI 1* horses were to start their Show Jumping at 12:30. The course seemed to pose some issues as I watched rails fall all morning in the OI and CCI 2* divisions. Simba and I went in to show jumping and dropped three rails early in the course. Once I came through fences 5a & 5b, we both seemed to get on the same page and I rode the canter he had to the fences and he did not touch another rail.
It feels great to have completed Simba’s first CCI 1* event with a qualifying score. I started this horse from the beginning and we made it here together. He will get a little bit of a break before we start up again and our homework this summer will be in the dressage and show jumping areas. I may be making some changes to my summer and fall calendar so be sure you check back often.
I want to thank everyone for a great weekend and I’d like to thank my Mom for coming with me to Florida to support me and watch Simba successfully complete his first CCI 1*! To see Simba in action you can visithttp://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/Orderpage.aspx?pi=00FD00GN6U0019&po=19&pc=91 to see all the pictures from the weekend.