April 2010 update

I have had a good season so far, Icon is well and very bouncy, he has had good runs in three Intermediates, although a little clumsy in the show jumping. He is just the hardest horse to get clear over a show jump and then we get time faults because I am trying to be so precise to help him as much as possible!
XC he was good at Isleham, bold at Lincoln and nipped round Weston like it was about 2'3".
We have also been pleased with his dressage this year as he is now accurate although still lacks cadence as the last judge advised. We are aiming for an Advanced in the near future, he can do changes at home but it will be muddled tangle of legs on the day!

The youngsters are going brilliantly. John Wayne won his first proper dressage with 73%, he is such a lovely horse in every way and only 4 this year.
He is a very gentle person with great personality. At Christmas he let himself out of his stable in the middle of the night and helped him self to Champs advent calender. He opened all the treats but dropped them all on the yard as he didn't like them. Woken up by the noise I found him playing with a broom, it was as if he was trying to clear up the mess! I was out in my nighty for ages picking up carrot flavoured treats before Trevor the dog ate them all up!

Top Gun (also 4 this year) has been back from being broke 6 weeks, and is also just lovely, he won his first dressage (walk and trot at Allens Hill) and is very bold, he has been trotting small fences, ditches logs etc and nothing seems to spook him. He has just started cantering over easy fences this week.

Spicer (Duvet Day) is doing Sapey this week, a super event, lets hope he does not spook at the flowers this time. He was hilarious at Stafford shying at the xc flowers then popping the jump fine once he understood. It was as if he was saying "Well why didn't you say it was a jump, I can do those!"

last years two oldest foals Smartie and Snip are now weaned, Crunchie who was born before Xmas will stay on his Mum (Josie Jump) a bit longer.
Thats all my news so far, I am off to Withington dressage writing this week, eventing at the weekend whilst recovering from a busy Easter teaching Pony Club and trying to fit in lots of riding and mucking out along the way.