28/05/2026
“Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.”
Bert’s first one-day event this weekend was a proper reminder of just how true that is in the horse world.
We didn’t just turn up and hope for the best. We put the work in. Several jumping lessons away from home beforehand with Sarah Healy Eventing . Cross-country schooling. Dressage practice set up at home so he could understand the questions before he was asked them in a bigger environment. All of it mattered, and all of it showed.
He walked into the competition and honestly… he exceeded expectations in almost every way. He tried. He listened. He adapted. For a horse that has come from a racing background not long ago, that level of willingness in a new job is something you don’t take for granted.
The only part I couldn’t fully prepare him for was leaving the collecting ring and going into the dressage arena alone when another horse just left and leaving his other new friends behind! That was his moment of stage fright. That was the point where the atmosphere got inside his head a little. And that was the only real blip in the whole day and completely understandable.
Everything else? He stepped up.
We finished 5th overall, which I honestly wasn’t expecting at all. But more than the placing, it showed me how fast he’s learning when he’s given the right preparation, consistency, and understanding of what’s being asked.
It’s a good reminder that you can’t control everything in eventing… but you can absolutely stack the odds in your favour with preparation, patience, and putting the work in before the day.
Proud of him. And quietly proud of the process that got us there too.
Thankyou Hannah for ground support ❤️
