In a personal video addressed to Bonnie Stett, the rider reviews Ms. Lulu’s performance at her second or third open intermediate horse trial at Plantation, Pennsylvania. The rider notes significant dressage improvements—more forward, rounder, and settled work—thanks to recent training with Eric, though the canter work remained a bit spicy. The cross‑country phase was highlighted as a major success: Lulu was bolder, confident, and posted a respectable time (about 20 seconds over the optimum, roughly 80% speed) without major hesitations, even handling a previously problematic left‑handed corner. In show jumping, Lulu knocked down the first, easiest rail (a low Oxa) after a spook at the box, costing a clear round and dropping her placement from a potential second to lower. The rider estimates a dressage score around 35, mentions a transition penalty (a four for a left‑to‑right canter change), and reflects on other minor faults. Health updates include a recent vet check by Peter confirming soundness and good flexion. Looking ahead, the rider plans to target an FEI three‑star short at Tryon in three weeks, with an eye on a possible three‑star long at Bromont, while continuing to build Lulu’s fitness, confidence, and jumping experience. The rider emphasizes Lulu’s age (8‑9 years) and the need for gentle, consistent progression.
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This is a video for Bonnie Stett, the mighty owner of Ms. Lulu herself. Well, Bon, we took Lulu to her. I think it's her second or third open intermediate horse trial at Plantation today, and she did well. She got a little bit excited in the dressage, but a lot better than a couple weeks ago at Malvern Park. Eric's been at the farm this last week helping me out. So we had a couple of really good dressage se with Lulu and really worked on actually getting her a lot more forward and a lot more rounder. And she was. She was a lot more settled. They get very nervous at Plantation, as, you know, like, it's on top of the hill and any horse that's a little bit hot sort of looks out over the open country and dreams of galloping and jumping, so. But she held it together. She got. She got. I lost her a little bit in the. In the canter work towards the end, but the actual trot work and the walk was great. And then in canter, she gets a little bit spicy. The conditions were perfect. We've had a fair bit of rain in the last week or so here in Pennsylvania, and the footing, especially on the cross country and the show jumping was just immaculate. So we'll get to the jumping in a bit. But, you know, she's still very, very green in all three phases. She's just starting to learn these dressage movements of going sideways and backwards and going from Canada to walk, walk to canter. In the show jumping, she's obviously a very, very careful horse, but still a little bit spooky. And the thing I was most impressed about this weekend, Bon, was the cross country. Each time I run a cross country, she's just a little bit bolder and a little bit braver, and she gave me a great feel. Cross country, I didn't go too fast on her. She had about 20 seconds over the time, which was about sort of 80% speed, but she was still like, I don't know, the third or fourth fastest in the class. I think she's got plenty of speed. It's more just making sure that we give her good, confident experiences. Sadly, in the show jumping, you'll see in a minute. The annoying thing is she had the first rail down. It was the easiest jump on the course. And she's such a good show jumper. I don't know if she spooked at the box or something, but she just. As she took off at the first jump, which was a nice, low, rampy Oxa, she spooked and went a bit low on me and clanged it, which was annoying actually looking at the score. She would have finished in second place if I didn't have that rail. And she's such a good jumper. She's usually guarantees me of a clear round. Now this part I was happy with in the past, especially in the walk. She anticipates the can of work coming up and she usually gives me a couple of hot jogging steps. And Eric's been actually really working on getting a walk quite big and forward and have to be very, very cautious not to encourage her too much in the test just because she's right on the edge of getting excited there. Anyway, Bon, I'm very, very happy with the way she went today. So I think our next event is actually going to be an FEI three star short and we're going to do that at Tryon, which is in obviously in North Carolina. And that's three weeks time and that's for sure going to be the biggest test to date. It's not going to be a very easy course because it's the same as sort of the championship three star long course. So they'll be used most of their course. But saying that Lulu was, I don't know, like she's really starting to get the. Get the cross country. There wasn't one jump today where I felt that she was looking for a way out. And remember earlier this year we had a problem with the left handed corner and there was a wickedly tough left handed corner on the course and she jumped it beautifully. So I do believe that we've got her confident over her corner issue. That was a bit of a headache earlier this year. I had our vet Peter come out and go over her this past week and she's very, very happy with her soundness. She's flexing great and you know, we're putting the work into her now. So this is one of our blips and it's sort of a green mistake where I go to get left canter and she thinks about going right canter. So the judge gave us a four for that transition. I thought it was a four and a half to be quite honest, maybe a five. Anyway, all those little green transition things I believe that we can fix with training and repetition. So I think we got a score of let's say 35. I can't remember. It was pretty good. Like a little step backs in the halt like that stung us. Now here's our first jump. Beautiful soft distance and boom. She didn't just touch it, she clobbered it she's annoying actually. Maybe I'm surprised her or something but then she jumped the rest of the course really, really well. Like she's a bloody careful jumper but yeah, a little bit spooky too. Like I think at that first fence there was a bit of filler and a box underneath it. Then she started to really jump. Super. So in the back of my mind Bonnie I'm thinking maybe she'll be ready for Bromont three star long. Obviously we'll just see how she copes at try on in the three star short. But she's I think she's eight years old or maybe even nine now with our frustrating year last year. So you know it's time that we gently keep moving her along. Wouldn't mind getting her to a couple jumping shows as well. Like I felt like when we took her to Ohio to the World Equestrian Centre it was a good couple of days of just jumping round after round because she is a good jumper and she's finding more scope. As I said before the cross country footing was great and just you know working hard at trying to pick up these galloping jumps out of out of stride. Doesn't understand cross country randomly will stop and she's like what am I supposed to be doing right now? Like stop like not at jumps but then next combinations. The it was a right handed corner to a left handed corner. Caused a little bit of trouble in the class. I can't see the right corner but left corner she jumped. Well that was the coffin from a distance. So anyway we'll give her a little bit of a easy couple of days and probably give her a gallop on the weekend coming and gently just chip away at her fitness and I feel like just her education. I feel like she's doing everything we ask but there's just moments where she's a little bit looky here and there but she is definitely coming on Bon. Anyway I hope you're doing well mate. We're all thinking for you and I'll catch up soon.
