Ed and Charlie joined Sammi for a beautiful Saturday at Blenheim Palace with what surely must be one of the last days of summer. As crowds poured in through the gates Sammi was pondering her moves around the 4 star cross country track and trying to decide what routes would suit the uber talented but quirky Direct Tullyornan Cruise best.

Sammi had time to watch the early riders go which was sort of helpful but also made you realise that it was a track that was going to take a bit of riding. The next time we saw Sammi was as she and Tully galloped down to the first combination and made nothing of it before speeding off into the distance.

The camera work was pretty average and British Eventing certainly didn't splash any cash on either the screens in the canteen ( 2 in total, both showing the same view!) or on the camera operators who weren't going to win any nominations for their work. We picked up glimpses of Sammi through the trees and she looked fast and professional as always.

Tully simply romped around the course and answered every question with her scopey jump and decidedly brave outlook on life. They looked to be a great partnership and they came home with just 2.8 time to move up into the top 10. Its very close at the top and a single rail tomorrow will change the whole of the scoreboard so plenty more action to come.

Ed was not only awake for the day but also in support role which I don't think is something that comes naturally to him but he did it in style, even bring the menu from the food van to Sammi in order to let her choose her lunch. As you can see from the options we don't get much in the way of healthy snacks on offer on site and I was very impressed to see Charlie plough his way through a burger that was twice as big as his hands!

It was a great day for Team Birch and once Sammi had returned she could relax and enjoy the rest of the day. As always Hels worked tirelessly to ensure Tully got the best of everything and everyone enjoyed the sunset at the end of an action packed day.