Bubby Upton moves into fourth after her Blenheim Europeans dressage test: ‘We got the warm-up right today’

Bubby Upton impressed in her Agria Blenheim European Championships dressage test this afternoon (Friday 19 September) to take fourth at this stage, with seven more horses to go.

The 10-year-old grey gelding Its Cooley Time, owned by his rider and the Five Time Syndicate, presented a very attractive, elegant picture in the arena as he and Bubby made their senior championship debut and they scored 28.9. She slips ahead of fellow Brit Yasmin Ingham (Rehy DJ) and French team member Sebastien Cavaillon (Elipso De La Vigne), now equal fifth, by 0.1 of a penalty.

Its Cooley Time looked to have progressed in his work since winning the CCI4*-L at Bramham Horse Trials in June, appearing softer, more supple and relaxed, with better self-carriage and less reliance on the rein. It was unfortunate he tripped into the mid-test halt, although it was perfectly square.

“Its Cooley Time was fantastic in there,” said Bubby. “He’s a very sharp, sensitive horse, so the timing of the warm-up was really important with him today. I feel like we really got it right today, me and my coach Amy Woodhead – I’m so grateful to her for everything she’s done. She’s seen him right from the start and knows what we’ve come through to get here.

“The stumble into his halt was a real shame, because trot halts are a big highlight for him. That obviously interrupted the halt and then also the rein back as well, but obviously it was no fault of his. Then in his medium canters, I think he saw the boxes, saw the crowds, and was like, ‘Ooh’, I was like, ‘No, concentrate.’

“But I’m just so proud of him. It’s such a fine line with him because of his sharpness and sensitivity, so overall we’re thrilled with how he coped and I guess, more than anything, how exciting it is for the future.”

Bubby Upton talked after her Blenheim European Championships dressage test about how she refined her warm-up after a practice two weeks ago at Defender Burghley Horse Trials, when all the British squad, which runs in partnership with Agria, had the chance to ride their tests in the main arena after the dressage on Thursday.

She said: “We worked him quite ‘down’ [in his frame] at Burghley in the warm-up, then we didn’t give him enough time to establish in his test frame, which showed in the arena, whereas here we had him ‘up’ for a bit longer, so he had time to settle into his test frame, which seemed to work really well.”

Bubby added that the test used here doesn’t suit Its Cooley Time as well as the one used at Bramham in June, but that she has been working since then to improve various aspects of the horse’s work, including the connection.

“Also at Bramham, we worked him so that he was a bit quieter in the arena, whereas now we’re riding on a bit more power,” she said. “But you can’t ride too much, because then if he gets a little bit hot and bubbles over, you lose the connection and length of the neck. So it’s a really fine line with him.

“He’s quite immature still for a 10-year-old and inexperienced, so he’s strengthening and changing the whole time and it’s just ensuring that the training evolves with him as well.”

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