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Blaze Clothing Proudly Sponsors Team GB Pony Eventer Yasmin Ingham

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My name is Yasmin Ingham; I am a 15 year old Event Rider from the Isle of Man. I have now completed 4 seasons of Eventing, starting out on my 14h Working Hunter pony in 2009 when I was 12 years old. I did 2 BE90 classes on him and quickly realised he wasn’t a fan of the Cross Country Phase!

At the end of 2009 we bought Craig Mor Tom (Tom) through my Trainer Mark Smith. Sophie Callard bought ‘Tom’ from Ireland as a 6 year old and produced him and competed him up to Novice successfully. My first year of eventing ‘Tom’ was 2010 were we competed in 1 BE90 coming 10th and 6 BE100open classes and gaining 3 top 10 placing’s out of the 6 we completed. My aim for 2010 was to compete in the Weston Park International CCNP2*, at the end of the Season.   At first it seemed very unrealistic but as the season went on, Tom and I seemed to ‘gel’ very quickly.

My first Novice on ‘Tom’ was Winkburn Park in August 2010, we completed the event and came 12th with a clear and inside the time cross country. I reached my goal in 2010 which was to compete at Weston Park International in the CCNP2* and I was over the moon with ‘Tom’s’ performance throughout the week and finished 13th.

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2011 was my first year competing at FEI Pony Trials, I had no expectations whatsoever and just wanted to learn as much as I could and enjoy myself, and I did just that! I completed all 5 Pony Trials and all 5 were clear Cross Country. Learning so much in 2011 I wanted to come out fresh and determined in 2012 to earn myself a place on the British Pony Event Team to compete at the European Pony Eventing Championships which were held in Fontainebleau (France).

2012 set off to a fantastic start finishing 5th at Oasby in the novice completing on my Dressage score of 33. I then went on to Lincolnshire Pony Trial where the Cross County didn’t quite go to plan when ‘Tom’ unexpectedly took a slight trip off the bank and slipped into the corner. Next was Weston Park Pony Trial, I have always really liked competing at Weston and would say that it is my favourite track! Finishing on my Dressage score of 30, ‘Tom’ and I completed in 2nd Place, 1.2 penalties behind the leader. Unfortunately due to adverse weather conditions Withington Manor Pony Trial was cancelled…so a quick rescheduled event to replace Withington was Tweseldown.  Finishing on a final score of 35.7 Tom and I were 5th and by this point everything was very, very close for Team selection.

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Brand Hall British Pony Championships would be the final chance for the selectors to see all capable combinations in action.

The competition started off very well, on day one of Dressage Tom and I produced a 46.6 Dressage Test that put us joint 2nd after all Dressage competition. Day two, which was Cross Country day (Toms Favourite Phase), we were storming around the track on all of our minute markers when 3 fences from home, we knocked a flag off the last element of a tricky a, b, c combination, and I was adjudged to have jumped the wrong side of the flags, so had to represent. Unfortunately this gave us an expensive 20 penalties – especially after jumping a clear in the final day’s show jumping would have meant we had won. But this is eventing and you have to be philosophical, shrug your shoulders and move on.

I therefore could not believe it when the next day I received a phone call from the Chairman of Selectors to tell me that I was included in the British Squad to compete at the Pony Europeans in Fontainebleau, France in 6 weeks’ time!  It was the most emotional and proudest moment of my life! My Mum and I were literally dancing around Jeanette Brakewell’s yard with all the grooms and we had the best ever journey on the boat home to the Isle of Man grinning like Cheshire Cats all the way!

The run-up to the Europeans was very intense and nerve wracking, as not only did I have lots of exams at School, but I was putting in all the necessary training and fittening work with Tom, like doing our canter work in a woollen rug to replicate the heat of France in the summer.

The time for the Europeans eventually came, and I was so, so proud to take part in the opening ceremony. Just to be part of the British Squad and to be representing my country made me proud! My aim for the Europeans was to enjoy it as much as possible and to gain as much experience as I could and to obviously do my very best.

After day 1 of Dressage I was lying in 11th place with a 56.6 which wasn’t Toms best test but the atmosphere was incredible. Cross Country day didn’t go quite to plan but we completed safely and he trotted up sound the morning of Show Jumping the next day. To jump a fantastic round with only 1 fence down I was so so happy with him! What an experience it was, I am going to take everything I have learnt and put it into training for the 2013 Event Season.

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Our last event of 2012 went very well, finishing in 3rd place at Weston Park in the CCNP2* class. Being in the lead after Dressage on a 40.6 and Clear and Inside the Time Cross Country the following day put us in top spot coming into the Show Jumping. Unfortunately Tom was feeling slightly tired after the day before Cross Country Challenge, he had 2 fences down which lowered us down to 3rd place.

I am very much looking forward to the 2013 Event Season of Pony Trials with Tom and hope to be selected for the British Team again to compete at the Pony European Championships this year to be held in Arezzo, Italy.

I hope that you will follow all my blogs as the Season progresses, and here’s hoping that we make it to Italy in July.

Watch Yasmin and Craig Mor Tom (Tom) at the Pony European Eventing Championships here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_D6tP4GVfY

 


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