On 20 and 21 September, we took part in the combined competition on Texel. We left for Texel on Thursday 18 September so that we could spend a day with our driving ponies on the beach, riding along the surf in the strong wind. An experience in itself!
On Saturday, the dressage and cones test were held. Despite the strong wind and occasional rain showers, the first day went well for Lynley Benneker with her pony Stapleford Joint Venture. In the dressage test, they achieved a score of 63.6%, which meant 58.22 penalty points and third place.
Lynley managed to complete the cones test with Joint Venture within the time limit, but unfortunately one ball was knocked off. This resulted in 3 penalty points and a 4th place.
After the dressage and the cones test, Lynley was in a respectable 2nd place in the interim rankings.
In the dressage, Gerard Horst and the pony Stapleford Shake A leg achieved a score of 58.6%, resulting in 66.22 penalty points and 7th place.
In the cones test, two balls were knocked down and 5.20 penalty points were incurred for exceeding the time limit, resulting in a total of 11.20 penalty points and 11th place.
After the dressage and the cones test, Gerard and Shake A Leg were in 9th place in the interim rankings.
During the night from Saturday to Sunday, a storm passed over the island of Texel, forcing the organisers to take some precautions, including extra anchoring of obstacles and deciding to start the marathon at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday morning instead of 9:00 a.m. This was a wise decision and ultimately the marathon was able to take place under good conditions.
Joint Venture was up for the marathon, taking the obstacles quickly and energetically, often in one of the fastest times, until the last obstacle. In obstacle 6, Lynley made a course fault, which resulted in 20 penalty points and extra time to avoid being disqualified. Ultimately, she finished 7th in the marathon with 87.58 penalty points and 7th in the overall standings with a total of 148.80 penalty points and with that one profit point. Had the course fault in obstacle 6 not been made, she would have finished 2nd in the marathon and thus a top place in the overall classification. But “would” is an annoying word!
Shake A Leg was a little less enthusiastic in the marathon. The obstacles were cleared without faults, but at a slightly too slow pace. Gerard had to settle for 105.01 penalty points and 9th place with Shake A Leg.
With a total of 182.43 penalty points, the combination finished 10th in the overall standings.
With a well-organised competition on beautiful Texel and a feeling of satisfaction, the outdoor season of 2025 came to an end for the De Heemhoeve team.
And with special thanks to groom Gerard Benneker and general assistant Jolanda Mulder, we enjoyed our 4-day stay on Texel.