Icon Fit and On Top Form.

OK we are ready. Icon jumped well at Summerhouse today, double clear in the Foxhunter, 1.20 in the first round. He feels twice the horse that he was 12 months ago and I am so excited about the fast approaching Eventing season I can almost hear the XC commentary already.

I have been to Morrisons and decided the first event is so close it was OK to start buying things for our Eventing picnic! Anthony announced this morning that if I don't calm down he will go back to live with his mother!!!!

Top Gun, Monty (Hartpury Take It 2 The Top) and Milo all went to Tack Farm sj and xc schooling on Friday. The XC was officially closed but Tina kindly let me pop the bank, ditch and the water plus a couple of the plain fences. I avoided doing anything but walk downhill, only jumping and cantering uphill so hopefully made very little mess. They were all fab, bold and easy so the season looks more and more exciting.........Ants mother better get his room ready!

Win a Barbour Jacket

This link http://greatinbritain.co.uk/som_serve.cfm?som_event=browser.general.archive#/?image=5 should link to Barbour Jackets Great In Britain website.
Picture of Monty, Milo, Josie Jump, Crunchie, Smartie, Snips legs and me!

Barbours photographer Elizabeth Evans took some pics of me with my young horses last year to advertise a Barbour photo competition. They would like the Great British Public to send in their photos of things that are Great In Britain.

Every month the best photo wins a Barbour Jacket. So get snapping its free.

The New Season Nearly Here

Its so exciting, I am busy entering events and deciding who to run where. Icon is having plenty of cantering work round the common using natural features hills, ditches, water and banks to get him fit and balanced. He is almost too fit but I am allowing for more snow....just in case!!

Icon has a new Payrolls UK rug for the new season, we are hoping to do a 3 star this year.

I am cycling without sitting on the saddle for 2 miles which includes up our nearby killer hill 3 times a week, running, mucking out 7 horses twice a day and riding four. So I am really hoping I will be fit enough to hold Icon. He makes jelly of my arms 3/4 of the way round the XC if I am not fit enough.

Monty did his first ever dressage test yesterday, Prelim 12 at Hartpury, he was as good as gold although out of his depth with the high standard. He still got four 7's, it was a big day for him being his first competitive outing. I have event horse Alloon Ice in for schooling this week as his owner/rider Louise is away working, he has his first event very soon, also several grassroots riders are coming for help with their flatwork and jumping. Only one set back is the rain keeps falling and very few places are open for XC schooling.

Lots of Good News

Amazingly this lovely big Fox ran right in front of me today. The Ledbury Hunt were very close by and thank goodness they missed this one.
I checked later, they caught nothing all day.

I shut the chickens up early just in case.....

Icon jumped a double clear in a Newcomers this week at Hartpury, 5th and won £16.
Monty and Top Gun went to Pauntly for XC schooling. It was Montys first outing XC.
I came home dreaming of riding him round Badminton one day. He is just sooooooo lovely.... Then Ant ruined it by asking I double check my
dream as it was probably the Badminton fun ride!!!

We have been TB testing the cattle this week at Ants farm, we passed which is fabulous news, here is a picture of Ants sister Janet riding Spicer (Duvet Day) bringing the cattle in from the common.

Poor Old Very Special Cat

Monserat my lovely old grey cat had to be put down on Saturday, he was 14 years old and only really liked me, no one else, and he did not even have much affection for me! He was an independent cat who only came for a fuss to tell me he was hurting, like when a rat bit him and he had horrid abscesses. He has had arthritis for a while but took a downward turn on Saturday, when he came to me in considerable pain, our vet Martin saw us out of hours and gave him a peaceful end. Ant and I buried him (and a tin of tuna) next to Zac, Gemma and Sky under the old oak tree in the garden.

Picture is of the barn stables, school, our house and the old Oak tree where Monserat is buried.
Sunday I was cheered up as Top Gun came 3rd in the Eventer Championships at Allens Hill, he finished on his dressage score (bit tense) he was a real keen tiger round the jumps.

I fell Off Top Gun!

Top Gun is a sharp little so and so!! He has an issue with cows, which is amusing as Anthonys family own a few hundred of them. They roam free on hundreds of acres that is Castlemorton Common. I was out hacking and chose to ride through the cattle, Top Gun spun very sharpish and I stayed on but later coming home he repeated it a bit quicker and had me off. It was very funny, I knew he was going to spin as he gives me a split second warning, I had a good grip on the neck strap, but flew off landing on my feet.....still holding the reins and yes the neckstrap!

Top Gun just thought I had jumped off, I climbed back on and got him through the cows without further incident.

Today he hacked out perfect as the cattle were no where to be seen!!

Here is a picture of cute little Hedgerow who refused to wear a dress for my Ball that Countrywide Farmers seem to think I am having (If confused you need to read previous post).

Apparently I am having a Ball !!!

Crikey, it has been soooooo windy for 5 whole days, the horses have been very sharp. I mainly rode on the school, even my jumps were blowing down. Monty went to Moores Farm on Sunday, Louise Calverley hired a course of show jumps and invited me along. It was a hectic morning as I jumped Icon in 2 classes at Hartpury (4 faults in the Foxhunter 1.20m) and then came home to change horses and arrived at Moores farm by 12 midday.

Monty was a bit muddy as no time to groom, he behaved really well, standing quietly while Louise cantered and jumped her horse. Then Monty jumped a course of small show jumps and quite a big XC filler......well 2'3" looks big on a 4 year old! They have a new surface at Moores farm and it is superb.

I have bought a second hand hat silk for hacking off ebay for £2. Needed a newer one, since my friend Joy said my old one looked like I had a dead cat on my head. See Picture, I had mended it so much it does look a bit odd, I suppose.

I had a rejection letter from Countrywide Farmers who I wrote to asking if they would be interested in supporting my horses this year.....it is hilarious as it finishes by wishing me luck with my fund raising Ball ! Er What! Back to Dodson and Horrell feeds I think!!!

Meanwhile Icon is off to choose his black tie and I think Felix has asked Hedgerow if she would like to go with him. Picture to follow if I can persuade Hedgerow into a dress.

My main sponsor www.payrollsuk.com would never make an error like that.

Monty Show Jumps at Hartpury

I have been really excited all week about taking Monty to do clear round show jumping at Hartpury College (where he was bred). Also a bit anxious in case he misbehaved or worse still I fell off him in front of all the students! I need not have worried, he behaved perfectly and jumped round the course lovely. We had one down in the first round and two down on our second go when I tried canter and it went a bit muddled and quick. He was green but very bold, he is so lovely and is becoming everyones favourite.

John Wayne and Top Gun also went SJ for the 3 ft class both had a fence down, Top Gun still needs more canter gears as it was too tempting to see a long one from a flat canter.

All the horses had their teeth done yesterday by John from Three Counties Equine Hospital. As usual Icon had to be sedated!