Ashley Harrison’s Blog: A record-breaking start!

Record breaking scores, qualification for Eventing at Gatcombe, a new horse … It was a catch up full of big news with Ambassador Ashley Harrison this month!

“Well what can I say, the season is well underway and what a great start I have had! I kicked off the season at Aston le Walls in the BE 100 Open with Zebedee where he did a lovely 31.8 dressage and double clear to finish 10th”

“He made this feel so easy, so we decided to step back up to Novice at our next event which was to be at Somerley International horse trials. The ground was not great at Somerley with all the rain we had, had but they had done a fantastic job with making it as good as possible. We got our best ever score and our only sub 30 score at BE to gain a 28.8 and double clear to finish 3rd. I was absolutely over the moon to finish in the top 3 at my first novice of the season and to go double clear in such horrible conditions and over a fairly big and technical course. We found out a couple of weeks later that I had qualified for the new novice restricted finals at The Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe in August which I couldn’t believe! This had been one of my aims to qualify but having only gone clear in 2 novices the year before I wasn’t sure if we would manage to get in the top 10%.”

“After Somerley we headed to the Open Pony Club Dengie winter league dressage championships where there were some very nice dressage horses and I went just wanting to get placed which would have been an improvement from last year. Zeb did a nice test – I thought we could have done better, but we got 70% and came 2nd in my arena! This meant I got through to the ride off to determine overall placings, we came 4th in the ride off which I was thrilled about. I was so proud of Zeb who only a few days before had been at Somerley eventing and was now up against dressage horses! I got to stand on the podium as well which was such a great feeling!”

“I think my improvement in my dressage scores has been partly due to my rider position as I have been working very hard on this and have also started Pilates once a week to help improve my core. I can really start to feel the difference now on and off the horse and with Zeb being so sensitive to whatever the rider is doing it has definitely helped with me using my core more effectively.”

“Ria has also been very busy since my last blog and has gained herself a few rosettes now which she thoroughly deserves! She came home with a 1st and a 4th at her second dressage competition which was great for such a young pony! She has also been out doing some XC competitions and a couple of events. She has been an absolute star flying everything, just having a little look at the water but she goes in after working out whether there are any sharks in there or not! So has had a couple of stops at the water at 2 of her competitions but then just came 6th at her second ever event where she did a lovely double clear and flew into the water!”

“I also have some very exciting news and have a new member to add to the team, his name is Frans Karlos (Karlo) and he is a 16.2, 5 year old, KWPN. I am very excited about him and the future ahead of him but for now it is all about training and getting him out to new places, to see new things and hopefully get him out to a SJ competition in June.”

“All horses have thoroughly been enjoying all their goodies from Horslyx and from the moment Karlo arrived he is just as obsessed with the licks as everyone else on the yard if not even more! They are all looking great the moment and I think that has definitely been helped by Horslyx licks as they have all the essential vitamins and minerals. The respiratory lick has really helped Ria as well who got a little bit of a cough where she had been on dry hay all winter so I swapped her from the mobility lick to the respiratory lick and it has really helped her and her cough is much better!”