Mari Durward-Akhurst

Junior International

The Milfield Junior International ran along side the Inter Regional competition. My sister was there as she was the assistant vet so she helped me with Woody.

The International started on the Saturday. I was competing in the afternoon for the International so I watched the others. I had lunch and then it was time to get on Woody and warm up. After the Inter Regional result I was really pleased and wanted to produce even more than I had in the morning. I knew the result would be lower because it was an International competition. I went into the warm up arena before my test and lost him a bit but I got him back. He felt really good and we entered the arena, starting on an 8. The test went well and I was really pleased. I got 67% and finished 2nd on the first day in my grade. I was watching some of the other competitors’ in the other grades when one of the judges came up to me and said that it was the best I had ever ridden Woody. I was really pleased as I had this comment twice in a day. I was looking forwards to the judge’s feedback later on.

The judges’ feedback was in the evening and it allows all the competitors to take their sheets to each of the 3 judges for them to talk through their comments. I had some very positive feedback from all judges. Two of them had never seen me ride before and said that Woody looked really good and our test was very harmonic. The judge that did know me said that it was a very good test and she was very pleased that I had taken everything she had said in previous competitions on board. Later on was a barbeque; we all sat outside and ate lots of food. Then it was off to bed for me as I had two tests to ride on the second day.

On the Sunday I had to ride two tests, my freestyle in the afternoon and the test I had ridden on the Saturday in the morning. So I got on Woody and warmed him up; he went well. I entered the arena the test was good and I improved on the areas the judges said to, and my marks went up. I got a slightly lower score but the judges were marking harder and the areas I needed to improve on I did e.g. the medium trot.

In the afternoon it was the grade 3 freestyle I warmed Woody up. I thought he would be quite excited as he gets like that with music. But he didn’t get at all lit up so I think he must have been tired. But we did a good test and I finished off with an amazing medium trot that got an 8 from some of the judges. It wasn’t our best, but it was a good test. I came 2nd in the test.

I had a brilliant competition, the best one I have had on Woody. I want to thank Mrs Scharf for the fantastic opportunity she has given me in allowing me to ride her horse. I also really want to thank my mum and dad for their help and my sister.

I finished 2nd overall in the grade 3 class out of 9. This is my best placing yet and I was really pleased with it. The whole weekend was very enjoyable and I really have enjoyed riding Woody.

I am now getting to know my new horse, who I will be posting about shortly. I will still be riding Woody until the end of August.

Mari