Cheltenham Race Course
This BSJA senior event was staged in the centre of the glamorous Cheltenham Race Couse surrounded by the awesome backdrop of Cleeve Hill. Ohh to have a gallop around the course as the ground was in perfect condition. The first time I have been up-close to National Hunts jumps. Respect.
A little awkward to get to the venue as you have to thread your way through the back roads of the town, but the wait is worth while, another glorious vista. Not sure if the course is available to hire HO HO.
Comments and Impression
An emotional day! Although we were on Ring 2 everyone was so friendly and the event was run efficiently but with a sense of fun. Unfortunately my daughter's pony was suffering from a back injury and couldn't compete in the unaffiliated events so we turned all our efforts in supporting Amanda and Bear. Easy parking and exit routes from the course.
The Discovery class was hugely oversubscribed (50+), due to the qualification prospects mentioned below, with a large contingent of Irish Raiders. A rich mixture of characters! Amanda jumped early in two classes and then had the torturous wait to see if she was placed. But is worth it, with an excellent fourth and even better third.
The course layout in ring 2 didn't lend its self to great photo positions especially as I wanted to capture the riders over more than one jump and an interesting angle. I need a longer focal length lens.. more money!!
Special Interest : Amanda and Bear
Supporting Amanda B again, riding Bear. "Sense of shear relief after a double clear". What a pair; horse and rider that is!. A fantastic achievement to be placed in both rounds and the bonus prize of qualification for the BSJA Scope Festival . Next stop the world.
Viewing Photo's
Click on the relevant event hyperlink and a separate window should appear. Simply move your cursor over the large photo and use the white arrows to click through the selection or use your arrow keys. You will need flash player to view the sequence of images. Don't worry it's safe and free from Adobe. You should be prompted if you don't have it installed. The images have been scaled down to a manageable size. If you would like a copy of the higher resolution original drop me an email via the contact link.