At the end of March at LAEC in Burbank, Basqewille went into the show ring for the first time in a year. He's been recovering from a nasty abscess that took two surgeries to repair. Basquewille has now recovered and even if he’s not really strong enough yet to be in the winning group, he is strong enough to show and do well. In the first class at Burbank, the Grand Prix, he was a little bit tense, almost nervous, mainly because he hasn’t been out to a show in so long—no big mistakes, just that he was tense. In the Grand Prix Special Basquewille was third and did a great job. He had no mistakes and he felt very good, but he’s just not strong enough yet to hold the Piaffe and Passage as well as he did before.
At Rancho Murietta the first weekend in April, Basquewille won the Grand Prix Special. He didn’t put in a very good test in the Grand Prix and Mette’s not sure what happened, but she thinks it’s because she gave him a regular work out earlier in the day and by the time he showed in the late afternoon was too tired. Mette felt that he’s probably just not strong enough yet to put in to strenuous rides in one day. On the day they won the Special, Mette tried giving him a very light workout earlier in the day with much better results. Mette also had successful rides with the other horses she competed at this show. Taison was second in Developing Horse and third in Prix St. Georges. Cory Walkey’s horse, Coby 727, placed fifth in Intermediare I.
Mette and Basquewille won't be competing in the Olympic trials:
Sadly Mette and Basquewille won’t make it to the Olympic trials. In order to qualify for the finals at the Oaks in June, you have to score 64% or above in a CDI Grand Prix at two different shows, judged by two different International “O” judges. Mette got a very late start in the 2008 show season with Basquewille since he was out of commission due to his abscess for nearly a year. Once he was ready to go, there were only two CDI shows in California before the Oaks trials. Mette was able to meet the first part of her qualification at the Rancho Murietta show. Her last chance to qualify Basquewille with the appropriate level judge is at the Del Mar show in April. Unfortunately, the original O level judge cancelled and the substitute judge that was found was the same judge that Mette had just competed under at the Rancho show. So even if Mette places high enough at Del Mar, under the international rules, she could not qualify for the trials. Mette has decided not to go to Del Mar and will instead compete some of her other young horses. She will ride at Flintridge the last weekend in May and at the CDI show at Pebble Beach the first weekend in July.
