Exciting

I have collected Monty (Hartpury Take It 2 the Top) from James Grassick today, he looks all grown up and I will ride him tomorrow after he has had a few hours out in the field. He looks so much like Top Gun even I could confuse them, but then they are full brothers. He oozes more X factor than Top Gun so could do well in BYEH classes next year.

It was half term this week and I am mentally exhausted teaching pony clubs. Seemed to be lots of new members in rallies this week which needs me to be more on the ball in order to assess pony and rider. They all went well and I have seen some super combinations this week. Lots of hardworking children who improved their riding skills in front of my eyes, which is incredibly rewarding and I come home buzzing.
Funny faller of the week was new member Emma who had a very polite pony that allowed her to go first over a jump, Emma gracefully landed on her feet even clearing the Jump!! She quickly remounted and rejumped the fence this time with her pony! He is a young pony and Emma is doing a super job educating him.

Tomorrow is November I hate November it seems so long until we go Eventing again in March, but I have lots to do so it should fly by!

Two Sold and Milo Wins

I have been really busy teaching the last few weeks and getting two horses ready to sell. Firstly Josie Jump, she is only 15 hh and a real show cob type so rather small for me and not an eventer, especially as I am now over qualified to do intro. A friend of ours has bought her for himself and his teenage children to ride so I shall still see lots of her.
Sadly the second sale has been Smartie my skewbald yearling out of Butterfly by Milo. He is growing into a big horse lots of bone and will be far too chunky to be a serious event prospect. I wormed him before he went and made sure he lunged properly, ties up and had good manners in the stable.
Then this Sunday I took Milo to Allens Hill to do combined training (2ft with a walk and trot dressage) He won it with a 71% dressage and a clear, even cantering most of the SJ. Next time we are going to do a cantering test (Prelim). I took (Payrolls UK) Dan Norrell with me on his pony Jaffa. Dan and his brother William were very excited to go to a show in a lorry and they had a fab day as Dan went clear SJ to finish 5th.

The adorable Sweep my "lorry dog" pictured with our new kitten "Felix."

Last Eventing Run of 2010

Yesterday I was at Broadway horse trials supporting riders I coach. Sue Peckham made the XC look easy to finish 10th, Rachel Hibberd finished a brilliant but frustrating 8th in the grassroots Badminton qualifier (just 2 places from qualifying). I have only just starting helping her 2 weeks ago and so wish we could have done more but just not enough time as she is now at university.
Poor Louise had a rubbish day after a lovely dressage, her horse is normally a dead cert for a double clear but has just not been his usual self the last few weeks, despite this she stayed cheerful and supported the others I coach and she is determined to be amazing next year once she has got to the bottom of why Mac is off colour.

The star of our Broadway day was Camilla Esling whose double clear and good dressage left her in 5th which means she goes to Badminton next year. So exciting and extremely well done she rode like a demon xc and we were all thrilled to be there to celebrate with her. It was very emotional and made me cry I was so very happy for her. Then I had to leave them to prize giving and dash home to get Icon ready for Oasby next day.


At Oasby Icon went clear xc at his final event for 2010, he was foot perfect xc and nipped round. Sadly we were in the OI against advanced horses as the organiser was short of entries in this class. He did well but had no chance of a place against much more experienced horses...like Tankers Town who has been on British Teams and done lots of 4* events. Dan and Louise came too and we had a fab day, celebrating Icons perfect xc season with a lovely new rug for Icon from Tiggers Saddlery, sweets from the pick and mix and chips on the way home. Bliss.
The course was not over big it had a couple of tricky angled fences and 3 big gallopy ditch fences.
Photo- Dan grazing Icon after XC proudly wearing their Payrolls UK coats. See more about this company at www.payrollsuk.com or from the link on my website at www.stellabayliseventing.co.uk

John Wayne, Champ and Trevor the Dog are world famous!

Sent a letter to the Telegraph Newspaper about a true amusing incident that happened last winter (copy here hope you can read it)

The funniest part was John Wayne did not like the treats which is why they were all over the yard and Trevor was eating them.

When I got down to the yard John Wayne had started playing with a broom waving it about, it was hilarious because it seemed he was trying to help tidy up!!!

Advanced at Little Downham

Icon was a star today. I had 2.30 pm dressage so we did not have to leave home until 8 am....was like having a half day eventing after our last few 4 am starts.
Icon did a good test despite bucking warming up when horses went past on the XC, one of his flying changes was over exuberant but as least we did them!
He had three down sj, 2 of which were just poor riding, I need to keep him in front of the leg more to keep the big careful jump and I started to fiddle in front of a couple of the spreads. He jumped superb and tried so hard and felt amazing.
The XC was technical and had lots of skinnies and ditches. I walked one turning fence of 2 skinnies to a gate about ten times...it did not seem possible to turn such a big horse in such a small space, I had practised an identical turn at home this week and it took me 6 attempts before we got it and that was only 3 ft!
The course caused problems....especially the skinnies and the double of corners.....as I set out XC the Air Ambulance took off right by the start box. Icon was foot perfect. As I jumped clear through the skinnies I heard a huge cheer and again at the corners. I realised it was the fence judges who I had been chatting to when I walked it ten times!!!
I went back to thank them for their helping cheers and they were thrilled to hear Icon had gone clear, he now has a small fan club at Little Downham!!
Two packets of polos today and then off to the scoreboard to find we were 15th, crikey we are starting to get an almost competitive score at this level. GOOD BOY ICON YOU ARE A STAR.

Rain and Slippy Reins at 4 yr Old Champs

Despite the rain both boys did their very best test, the standard was high and they were about midway afterwards.
Lotta who runs Hartpury stud came to support us along with 5 students, I would like to say they had a lovely day but it just poured with rain, they were lots of help, holding horses in between the SJ rounds and putting on tack, taking off boots etc. It was a real rush with only 22 mins between their Showjumping rounds.
They both jumped really well but I messed up the same related distance on both of them and had one down, I lost power in the canter trying to get more spring, they are green and not ready to be too organised it would have been better to just kick!
John Wayne went XC first, he loved the mud and was just amazing, he so impressed me, it was a tricky course in places, a funny positioned brush out of the water made it seem we would land in the river, a black shiny corner on a turn with bales to spook at (pictured). Also a coffin and a step to a brush and two brushes on a turn.
Our only mistake came at the step to brush, he flew up the step ignoring my attempts to organise a bouncy step canter and wet slippy reins meant I couldn't turn to the skinny, I stopped him and did a wiggle in walk to avoid crossing my tracks and popped the brush from 2 strides of trot. What a star he was he finished 16th, so we can say he is the 16th best 4 year old eventer in the country and definitely the best one called John Wayne!
When I got back I decided to withdraw Top Gun as I felt he had struggled in the mud in the SJ and the XC was quite deep in front of some of the jumps. He has not had a winter learning about jumping out of mud on Castlemorton Common like John Wayne.
By the time I had finished Ant and I were so wet it was like we had been swimming, the biggest award of dedication should go to my friend Joy who sat out in the pouring rain to watch their SJ rounds and she is currently nursing a very broken leg.

Both horses are now having a few weeks holiday.