Last week, to encourage us all to make the efforts in our training consistency through this relentless wet and miserable weather; as practiced daily by Ben, was backed up this week with their win at the Royal Leisure Centre (near Henfield) in the Novice 22 dressage test last Tuesday.
Coming home with a superb 69.5% with 4 clear points ahead of his closest rival, Ben and Kauto pulled off, in conditions matched, if not slightly worse than the toughest of training days back home, in horizontal hailstones and a side wind that would have finished off the majority of us.
Hats off to Ben’s seriousness when it comes to training, the main and crucial element in his road to the success he’s enjoyed in his past. Bringing on Kauto was always going to be a risk, but nothing unusual for the majority of people investing in their own horse.
However, with little history apart from his excellent breeding and no experience in eventing, Kauto’s training programme was always going to be a challenge. Ben’s high hopes with an enormous amount of determination are already starting to pay off. Already ahead of his planned programme of progression; claiming three wins out of three and only 35 days into the New Year.
Ben knows all to well through extensive experience that practice has its rewards but also understands that as a sport of two minds between man and beast, things can sometimes go off the ball. He can only be prepared through solid training, communication, constant competition planning and the sole purpose of climbing as far as they possibly can as a team.
Kauto Cyreo has the adorable nature of a gentleman and determination that makes him a champion in waiting. He is quick to learn and the trust he now has with Ben, gained through their daily work together grows every day. Kauto is starting to realise the importance of his job under the saddle and even takes the new competitions in his stride; easy to load, a pleasure to travel and patient as he waits his turn. These traits don’t ‘just’ happen; it’s a direct result of the positive training and quality time Ben’s spends with him. To see it in action is inspiration at its rawest.
The weather this weekend has been a little kinder, Sunday better than Saturday and Ben was out training and passing on his knowledge to his students at Homelands Equestrian, the yard he owns with his wife Jo, also a BHS instructor based here in Sussex.
An experienced and highly qualified and accredited BHS coach in his own right, Ben passes on his tried and tested methods to his students who bring their horses for individual or group clinics to a weekends’ boot-camp whilst staying onsite with their horses in their new and welcoming B&B.
Next week Ben competes at the pre Olympic 2012 training venue Merrist Wood College near Guildford Surrey in their British Eventing Baileys JAS Indoor Eventing Series. Their results to follow.
By Julie Badrick
www.iesportsmedia.com