We Take it 2 The Top at Berriewood!

Take It 2 The Top won a BE100 at Berriewood, he is only just coming 5, a very exciting day, I have had him since he was 2 yrs old so it was an extra special result. He was one of only 8 clears in the SJ, it caused havoc, I think the course builder had built to exact BE standards, which per the rule book meant the spreads were 10cm wider than BSJA courses.

Top Gun had 2 down SJ, one was knocked down by my bad ankle hitting a wing, this made me wince in pain for a while after.

Both boys were in the 20's dressage and were clear inside the time XC. The event was lovely, low key and very friendly organisers. they had made a super effort in the SJ and XC, flowers on the SJs, spiked and watered ground. Up to fence 9 on the XC I thought it was a bit like a hunter trial but then came a super test of a decent corner (lots of flowers) and then a step up to an old brick WWII fort which was wonderfully decorated with Jubilee flags and cut out silver crowns, the water was stunning, a house then a step in and out, all dressed with loads more flowers and a little boat complete with a 1960s type picnic ready for a family day out, there were alternatives at all the tough fences including the huge trakener at 17, everyone had a chance of getting round. Well done Berriewood.

Pontispool Intermediate

Icon was fab, managed a super test to score 30....yes 30, I couldn't believe it either, for once he settled and took bigger strides to gains several 8's. Then I let him have the last 2 SJs down...arghhh, just got the canter a bit flat and clunk, clunk. XC he was fast and quick, the course suits him here, lots of bold questions nothing trappy and he loves the gallopy stretches, he was one of the quickest round and finished 9th. He now has 50 BE points, 10 more and he is advanced!!!
The Bees have mostly gone, that night there were still hundreds walking on the carpet and crawling up the curtains and lots more had gone to sleep in the folds of the duvets. Creepy crawlies that also fly and sting and I discovered they don't always buzz when flying so I didn't hear the one above me until it got in my hair, eeeeek! Next day the ones outside were very angry when they realised the swarm had been taken along with their queen, they dive bombed us every time we went down the garden......so I had to beeeee quick!

The Bees Swarmed and Took Over Our Bedroom

A swarm of Bees made home in our chimney. I heard and saw them swarming and lit a fire to move them out. It worked, but later on I was upstairs and realised they had moved to a disused chimney in the bedroom. There was a drone of the sound of many bees when I listened by the old fireplace. Yikes. I rang my dads old school friend, Bee expert Richard Drinkwater who said I really needed to move them if possible as the honey dripping can cause damage to the structure of the house.

So I decided to light a fire in the fireplace. Not a good idea, the fireplace had been blocked up. The flames licked fiercely up the mantel piece and the room filled with thick grey smoke, some of it did get up the chimney, as the odd Bee fell down on to the carpet I niftily squashed it. Easy!

Until the entire swarm fell down in a massive angry ball and smashed on the hearth. I screamed and ran.

I ran to our neighbours house in a complete panic, I wasn't sure if the bedroom was on fire and the Bees were very angry. Luckily our neighbour Nigel was at home, he also keeps Bees and he was a complete hero and came to help me. I was so relieved, he put on his Bee keeping stuff and bravely ventured into Bee territory to open the bedroom windows, then Richard also arrived to help and they moved most of the Bees outside.

There are a few hundred sleepy ones left behind, I plan to sleep in the lorry tonight! The Bees are now in a big ball in a bush in the garden and Richard is going to collect them later.

Mount Ballan Horse Trials

Love this event, one of the few Welsh events, it is tucked behind Chepstow on a compact site that is home to The David Broome Event centre.
Lots of riders had travelled from the depths of Wales but also there were a shed load of top names there, which meant prize givings were more like a Badminton or Burghley results list.
Both my boys went double clear with good dressage scores. Take It 2 The Top invented a succession of 3 bucks during a canter transition but still scored a 31.
It was a technical BE100 course almost the same as previous years, the house fence before the slope into the water seemed bigger and more fences were shared with the Novice. It is always an educational track, including a tricky sunken road that has an imposing house in and a narrower house as the "c" element, a double of forgiving brush skinnys positioned on sloping ground, then the penultimate fence is a coffin on a turn with the third element being a corner.
Top Gun came 5th and Take It 2 The Top 8th in the very hotly contested 5 year old section. Riders I coach also did well, Sue Peckham 11th and Tracey Jenkins 8th double clear.

Top Gear Arrives

I seem to have bought a yearling Giraffe. Luckily Twilight (see previous BLOG) looked just like this when I bought him. The brothers are late improver's!
Ugly Ducklings to Stunning Swans.
You can all laugh at him now but wait until I appear at Gatcombe BYEH in 3 years time and beat some of the best!!

He has settled in well, walked boldly into the yard and is very calm, very little seems to spook him, I am more than a little impressed with his attitude already.


Hartpury Top Gear meets his eldest brother 6 year old Hartpury Top Gun.

Top Gun is telling Top Gear to behave himself or "She" will call you Top Git.

Top Gun is speaking from experience!

Icon ran at Aston Le Walls, fab to be out eventing, it was a small but technical course, a glance off a skinny put us out of the prizes today.

And a wow as this BLOG reached over 20,000 views late last night.

New Horse - Its Another Brother.....

I have bought a yearling from Hartpury Stud. Hartpury Top Gear, baby brother to my dark bay super stars. Top Gun better set a good example now he is the eldest of 4 brothers.

Here is one brother Take It 2 The Top bonding with an umbrella, kindly held by Teddy. This is following the rain at Hambledon ODE when almost every horse warming up had a meltdown as the stewards popped up their umbrellas during a hail storm.




Paint It 2 The Limit, 3 years to be broken in very soon....

One of the brothers Hartpury Twilight and unrelated Crunchie, 3 year olds who will be broken in late Summer.

Hartpury Twilight, Paint It 2 The Limit and Credit Crunch Christmas. All 3 years old 2012.

Chatsworth Off and It Rains More

It has rained and rained, Castlemorton Common is now the soggy boggy common that we used to ride on when we were young children. I can't remember when it was as wet as this in recent years. The ponds are full to the brim and are great fun for water schooling and washing the horses legs off, although my tack needs oiling after getting so wet so often. Photo is Tracey enjoying the floods on her eventer in training - Fine Girl.

Icon was due to run at Chatsworth advanced on Sunday and that is off as is almost every other event in the country. BE have compared it to foot and mouth year 2001. Its not as bad as that, at least we can hack out and go to show jumping and dressage competitions. The only trouble is not knowing, I keep getting horses trained and in top gear to do an event and then its off. But its worse for those who have spent 12 months organising these events. So disappointing for them.

Wet Weather sends us British Showjumping

Hartpury was a busy show filled to the brim with bored eventers on fresh event horses. I left at 5.30 pm and they still had 2 and a half classes to jump.
The brothers jumped well, Take It 2 The Top jumped lovely, he feels so smooth, it was his first time affiliated SJ. Top Gun won £15 in the Discovery and Icon had a fence down in the Newcomers. I had a shock warming up for the 1.10m Newcomers on Icon, I asked my helper for the day, Dan, to put the practise fence up 4 holes. As I turned to jump, the fence looked huge, nearly at the top of the wings, Icon cleared it. "that's more than 4 holes Dan" I squealed. "Oh" came the reply "I thought you said 1.40m!" This gave everyone in the practise ring a good chuckle!

Top Gun still Top!!

Despite his last 2 events being cancelled Top Gun still leads the Foundation points for 2012. Only because everything is cancelled and Keyso has gone today. At this rate he will win - if the whole of 2012 is a washout!!!!

Following my accident this week my foot is a fat funny shape, its lost all its normal lumps and curves and resembles a foot made by a 6 year old out of modelling clay!!!

Thank goodness for vet wrap, paracetamol and a good pair of boots. Still sore but well strapped up I am sound, just. It hurts to put weight in a stirrup so I only rode Icon yesterday (without stirrups) even running through his advanced dressage test including the flying changes. Today I can put weight in a stirrup but am not yet 100% secure so I rode all 4 horses in the school. The only near miss was a spook from Take It 2 The Top!

Tonight I should be cleaning tack for the now cancelled Badminton Horse Trials, very sad, but even worse for Jeni Clements and her horse Mowgli who should be in the grassroots tomorrow. She has taken her horse up to Championship level from an unbroken 3 old, with help from Ledbury Pony Club rallies and clinics. I remember Jeni bringing a young unruly Mowgli to winter lessons, having to lunge him before getting on, now he is the star of the Ledbury Pony Club. Lets hope they can qualify for 2013.