We gave some avid Facebook fans the chance to be a Joules roving reporter at this year’s Bramham International Horse Trials. Thank you to Camilla Sheeley for her blog entry about the event, we hope your first Bramham experience will be the first of many to come…
My first Bramham Horse Trials encounter was one to remember and certainly worth the 6 hour round trip!
After some strong dressage performances and a rather wet cross-country, the sun briefly shone for the hotly contested show jumping. With only 5 clear rounds from the top 25 there was lots of movement in the leader board. A standout for me, and perhaps due to my penchant for greys, particularly ones that can really jump was the 4th placed, elegance personified Borough Pennyz ridden by Vittoria Panizzon.
But with 3 fences in hand William Fox-Pitt rode a supermodel round on the aptly named Chilli Morning to take his 6th Bramham victory! And… I couldn’t believe my luck when I spotted him (kind of hard to miss!) and he was happy to have a chat and pose for a (much treasured) photo! He shared that he had only been riding Chilli Morning for a couple of months, but that he’s a great horse that tries really hard.
Also, not to be missed was of course the fabulous bright yellow Joules shop, where I might just have bought a few (too many) things! The Bishop Burton College were also there with their Interactive Dressage Simulator – it’s a life like horse and capable of performing all dressage movements and actually feels pretty realistic! It has sensors all over so tells you what you need to work on – brilliant! I was also impressed with a woodcarving stand that more like an Aladdin’s cave – called Stick and Stones. They hand make truly unique wine racks and bespoke furniture from responsibly sourced reclaimed timbers, I fell in love with the matching pair of wine racks made from the unusual and highly prized Yew – would make a real feature piece in any room. After all the excitement a Pimms was the perfect end to a Bramham day!
Camilla Sheeley for Joules at Bramham