Stella Baylis Eventing

4 Year Old Mika Goes XC Schooling

2012-02-26T11:00:00.007-08:00

Amazing Mika was amazing XC schooling, it was a lovely sunny day, perfect ground and we had a fab time. Mika was really bold and loved it, a perfect XC horse in the making. A group of us met at Lincombe, our horses went so well we were all buzzing when we finished.

We drove home eating chocolate picnic bars, dreaming of going eventing!

pics courtesy of web design company www.fromthesticks.co.uk

A Day of Doing Dressage

2012-02-22T12:22:00.002-08:00

Forced myself to go and do a complete day of dressage, rode 5 tests of which 4 were different. Rode them all from memory and actually remembered them all.
Take It 2 The Top had a 1st and a 2nd scoring 74%, Top Gun had a 6th, little devil just won't engage behind when I ride him with a longer softer outline, so its back to a smarter shorter outline for him. Stiff creaky Icon behaved (at last!) but came almost last in both his classes, good job he can jump!
Next day Top Gun jumped at Summerhouse, 2 fab double clears left me wanting the new event season to be here already. Then Take It 2 The Top and Top Gun went to Lincomb XC schooling. Top Gun was brave neat and brilliant, this is what he is best at and I had forgotten how good he is. Take It 2 the Top was also brave just not yet as balanced, which made me think he better do a few BE90s, prior to a BE100. He is such a lovely horse I would not want to upgrade him before he is physically and mentally ready.

Allens Hill Arena Eventing

2012-02-12T11:24:00.001-08:00

Not a jumping fault all day!

Take It 2 The Top won the 95 cm, Man Friday won the 1.05 and Top Gun came 3rd in the 1.05. It was a fab event with dressage SJ and arena XC fences. Pic taken by Maxine is of Take It 2 The Top jumping a corner.

We even had a start box that Maxine counted us down in. Horses loved it and all the polos I gave them after for being very good boys.

Training Continues and Pooh Sticks Reinvented

2012-02-06T11:25:00.000-08:00

Icon brushing up on his skinny jumping! For the full sequence see below. Top Gun and Take It 2 The Top have both been out SJ training. Top Gun had a lesson with accredited BS trainer David Austin who was very helpful. Man Friday is also working well all these star horses means I am extra excited about the forthcoming season.
Yippee my lorry passed its MOT, thanks to my amazing mechanic Emlyn. I have given my lorry a spring clean ready for the new season. And cleaned out the loo. Only I found trouble when I came to empty the stinky loo bit. I discovered our drains in the garden were blocked. That's the drain of the worst kind if you get my drift. YUK! There was a horrible mass of frozen gunk in the drain, the sides of the drain had caved in stopping it flowing away. Ant helped and got the broken bricks out and then I took buckets of water to the other drain cover further up the garden and tipped the water in. Then I ran down the garden to see if the water was flowing. Eventually it did, washing the horrible gunk heap away, as I ran up and down with the the water I got the giggles as I suddenly wondered if this was how the game pooh sticks was invented!

My Manege Does Not Freeze!

2012-02-04T09:15:00.000-08:00

Its freezing and snowing. Luckily selling John Wayne last year for really good money has meant I have been able to splash out on a few things. One is a top up for my well worn arena. I chose Spring Ride Shred. http://www.springride.com/?gclid=CMi0gfbphK4CFSgntAoda2dE5Q It does not freeze not even last night when temperatures dropped to below -10. I was out jumping a 1.10m course at 8 am this morning. It must be the only outdoor school for miles that is not frozen. All my friends have been using it this week. Its a super surface to jump on too and does not need leveling ever. Also we now have a new bathroom, its so luxurious with a heater and everything, its like being in a Hotel, rest of the house is still very rural! The old bathroom had been in place since 1930 and was awful it had a broken toilet, a tiny bath, missing tiles and was freezing. The broken toilet meant we had to flush it with a bucket of water!!! John Wayne's money has also paid for central heating, its bliss to have a warm house and clothes that are not damp. The ice now stays outside the windows and we are all warm and cosy. Its so nice to come inside to a warm house and not have to immediately light the fire.

3rd Time Lucky for Mikas Wolf Tooth

2012-01-31T11:12:00.000-08:00

Its gone completely this time. John from 3 Counties Equine Clinic called this morning and took out a piece of what he described as sharp bone! It was like a tiny razor. I am so relieved as I was convinced by how he was going that there was still a problem. He would go beautifully for a while then suddenly violently argue throwing his head about and then go on sweetly again. No wonder he shot sideways in some of his dressage movements on Sunday!

Sad news this week from breeder Joy Lewis. Last year she had Token of Honour, Token Bow Nink and White Water Mountain Music put down. They were all old and deteriorating in their ability to get about. These horses are Mikas Uncle, Grandma and Grandad. Also related in a similar way to Butterfly, Josie Jump, Duvet Day, Mister Bojangles, Toby Two Tone and the advanced eventer Token Gesture. All but the latter were my horses and all jump brilliantly. Token Of Honour (below) was a huge giant and gentleman of a horse, he would take an hour to woo his mares and never sired anything but coloured foals, lets hope his niece Rif Raf can produce a TB clone of him next year.

Facebook Panic

2012-01-29T13:09:00.000-08:00

I have been persuaded to do facebook. I really don't get it so huge apologies if you are messaging and befriending and posting wall things. A wall is something my horse jumps or that holds up the roof on my house. Facebook is like being in a busy pub, and I want to go home! Or if that's not possible can someone please find me a dark corner to sit in so I am not noticed. Milo and Mika went to Allens Hill today to compete in combined training. 4 year old Mika came 6th in the 75cm and Milo won the 85cm. Riders I coach also went really well with Louise clear SJ, Emma 2nd and Dan 4th. Very proud of them all. Photos kindly by Maxine - Hartpury Take It 2 The Top and Amazing Mika.

A Winning Streak

2012-01-27T11:46:00.000-08:00

Allens Hill Eventer Training. This event involves a dressage test, arena XC jumps and Show Jumps. I took 3 horses to compete in this fun competition today. Luckily I had expert help in the form of one of my best friends Bernice, otherwise I would have struggled to cope with the quick change arounds - horses were - Icon, Top Gun and Take It 2 The Top.

Icon 1st in the 1.20 m with a clear SJ and a 33 dressage but rattled a couple of XC poles!
Take It 2 The Top 1st in the 90cm - he felt really lovely easily jumping a double clear.
Top Gun did what felt a super test for a poor mark 39 and then went double clear to be 3rd in the 1m.

Lets hope this luck continues for the real eventing season!!!!

I am wearing red in the pics at Allens Hill facebook page http://www.facebook.com/?react=AQB6daSgq9hzs5-s#!/pages/Allens-Hill-Competition-Centre/304889672862590

Guns and Horses

2012-01-23T13:25:00.001-08:00

Here is an unusual photo of my four young unbroken horses watching a local shoot take place. They just don't move my bomb proof ponies!!

Work work work

2012-01-22T12:54:00.000-08:00

All a bit boring really, I am riding, teaching and mucking out none stop, fab to be so busy, 6 hours teaching yesterday and 4 hours today. Lovely Milo is back in work so I now have 5 to ride. Less some days as I try and give the younger horses two consecutive days off each week. This works well if they are not too sharp a personality, it gives them a proper couple of chill out days and a chance for any muscle tweaks to recover and helps prevent them getting too fit or loosing weight. A young horse is learning all the time and are using muscles they are not used to. These muscles get tired and are then prone to injury or at best you have a grumpy horse. If you rest and work them correctly young horses will work wanting to learn more. I have had a fab couple of days teaching with everyone making inroads on their way to improving themselves and their horses. For example Matthew improved his canter and he could then see a stride, Alfie's getting more active canter corners resulting in a better jump, Charlie jumped his first round of 85 cm, Liz improved on her downward transitions, Meg found riding a corner with more outside leg helped her find an easier stride and Dan is ready to attempt his first dressage test on his new horse. All very rewarding to watch them improve. Then I had several texts from other pupils who were out competing. Emma placed in a JAS, qualifying for the British Champs, Rosanne clear SJ, Bernice and Tori won qualifying for winter dressage champs. I think Mika still has some of his wolf tooth lurking (argh so annoying!) so vets need a third attempt at removing it, this time I think I will ask for an xray so we know exactly what is left in there if anything. He is still sore on the gum when I touch it and there is a rough bit of something that I can feel....watch this space...... Below is the splinter that was removed last time.

Friendly Fence Judge Get well Soon

2012-01-17T14:10:00.000-08:00

My friend Graham, husband of Joy is still quite poorly, he seems to be waiting forever for lots of tests to be done so they can find out exactly whats wrong. Graham and Joy fence judge at numerous BE events each year including Oasby, Stafford, Weston Park, Shelford Manor plus many others. You can't miss them, they normally judge in a little mobile camper van. They are also part of the stable managers team at Weston Park 3DE and also park all the lorrys, Joy greets each of us on arrival. Joy calculates she says "Welcome to Weston Park, do you have your rider number?" about 400 times. Graham also takes lots of good photos, mostly of horses eventing. Photo of Joy below at Stafford horse trials. The other photo below, is not a very good one, that I took of Graham is in his camper home, laughing at my cat Felix who found a nice sunny spot! Hope you are well soon, looking forward to seeing you both out fence judging this Spring.

Cowboy Mika, TB Testing and Butterfly is in Horse and Hound

2012-01-12T12:31:00.000-08:00

Here is young Mika helping to guide the cattle in from Castlemorton Common. Around 100 of them live full time out on the 700 acres of common land at the foot of The Malvern Hills. Mika behaved perfectly even when we had one exciting moment when a few of the cows tried to make a run for it and we had to gallop to head them off.

Here we are with the rest of the team getting the last few cattle up the drive and into the barn, mission accomplished!

Janet, Anthonys sister is riding 21 year old, Rocket Radar, her retired superstar Point 2 Pointer. Dermot, farm manager is on a quad bike and Ant was on the Tractor. Sadly several of the cattle failed the TB test including Tony the lovely Bull. they will have to be culled and the farm is now closed to selling cattle until we pass a future 2 consecutive tests. Mikas mum Butterfly is a star on page 37 of this weeks Horse and Hound. Jumping a huge hedge out hunting with Nicky her new owner.

My Event Horses For 2012

2012-01-05T12:40:00.001-08:00

Hartpury Take It 2 The Top, rising 5, probably the best young horse I have ever sat on, I just hope I am able to do him justice. Will take our time in 2012 and see how he improves, he has matured mentally and physically over the winter.

Man Friday (Milo) he has a totally unblemished jumping record, skewbald, rising 6 years. I am hoping he will make the move up to Novice as easily as he has found BE100.

Trefeinon Icon- Bright bay rising 12 yrs. My brave XC machine, will continue at Intermediate and Advanced while continuing to dream of doing Blenheim.

Hartpury Top Gun, dark bay rising 6 years, Brilliant in all 3 phases but a playful cheeky nature he has shied at fence judges for 20 pens and then jumps the fence easy peasy! In 2012 he will upgrade to Novice and be aimed at the 6 year old Champs.

And then there is my homebred skewbald Amazing Mika, who improves just standing in the field. I think he must be out there reading all the books on "How to be a perfect horse!" He is 15.2 rising 4 years. He loves to jump and is just too good to be true, I wish he was 16 hh. He is small but so are diamonds.............

Butterfly

2012-01-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

http://www.photoboxgallery.com/huntpics/photo?photo_id=3283103403 If you click this link you will see a stunning photo of Butterfly, she was my lovely brood mare who I recently sold to Nicky to go Hunting with the Ledbury. I evented Butterfly at the lower levels but being a bit heavy, hunting is probably her perfect job.

Her babies are all skewbalds - Mister Bojangles good event horse, Amazing Mika rising 4 - future star eventer, Sportsday Smartie Pants rising 3 yrs- sold to go SJ or eventing, Rif Raf The Dragon filly rising 2 - will be put in foal to Chilli Morning or Take It 2 The Limit.

Here is Butterfly with Rif Raf last winter. Wow today my Blog hits have just reached over 13,000 and I thought it was just my Auntie Joy reading it!

2011 The Best Bits and Pics.

2011-12-28T12:24:00.000-08:00

A career highlight for me 4th at the British 4 year old Eventing Championships. I rode my gorgeous Hartpury Take It 2 The Top(Monty because of all the T's in his name) I bought him out of the field as a 2 year old. He was foot perfect the entire day. Can you spot Jackie Skelton deep in thought as I clear the final XC fence. We are sure she is thinking "I wonder if he is for sale?" Since then we have people ringing up to buy him and the answer is no! Photos all by Graham who has been a bit unwell over Xmas, hope you are feeling better very soon Graham.

Learning points of the pony-Ledbury Junior Pony Club Camp. Take It 2 The Top main arena at Gatcombe and below taking a rest with Man Friday waking him up!

Here are my favourite memories of 2011. In brief....

Coaching Mil Esling and Just Jake at the Grass Roots Badminton Horse Trials.
Hartpury Take It 2 the Top - 2nd Homme House, 7th Gatcombe BYEH, 4th British Champs.

Hartpury Top Gun- 6th Longleat & Homme House, top ten in every BYEH class entered.

Trefeinon Icon-3rd Somerford, 20th after SJ at Houghton cic3*** and we were on TV!

Man Friday- Surprised us every time out gaining 45 foundation points with only a half year membership!
Ants rare breed Thuringham Chickens win at a big Championship Show, beating the gentleman who imported them 15 years ago, Ant came home buzzing with his success.

Sirens screamed and lights flashed.....

2011-12-26T07:05:00.000-08:00

I bought Anthony's 10 yr old niece, Lizzy, a beautiful showjump for Christmas. My plan was to deliver it on Christmas morning, so it would be on her lawn when she opened her curtains, I guessed about 6 am would be perfect.

However I was so worked up about my job as Santa's Little Helper that at 2 am I was wide awake worrying about oversleeping etc etc.

So I decided to do the deed there and then at 2 am. Her house is only a mile from us and the jump was already loaded in my car so off I went. She lives in a little Cul De Sac with about 50 houses side by side with open plan front lawns.

I parked outside and oh so carefully closed the car door and crept about unloading onto the lawn. It was pitch black and I worked by feel, guessing where to step over the prickly rose garden as I carried the poles and wings. All the surrounding houses were in darkness, it was scary what if they woke up and looked out the window. My knees were shaking, I felt a bit sick and my heart seemed to be beating faster than in any Eventing start box.

As I was silently putting the last but one cup in, suddenly a siren screamed and about 20 orange lights starting flashing on a car parked opposite. I almost had a heart attack, I rammed the final cup in place, put the poles on wonky and ran to my car, before I was arrested for being a thief in reverse!

It was odd because the siren was a house alarm on the main road about 200 yards from the car that had started flashing! Also the flashing car belonged to house no 4, the exact same house where I was born!!!

When I got home I was in such a state I still couldn't sleep, I told Ant my story and he laughed lots! As I lay awake worrying, I began to wonder if I had put the jump on the correct lawn, my friend Kat Jones lives right next door, she also has a horse. What if I had put it on her lawn by mistake!!!!

Phew. Next morning all was well, Lizzy was the envy of her street with her new Show Jump.
I felt a bit silly as the Rose Garden I had carefully stepped over about ten times had been removed over 5 years ago!!!!

No idea about all the alarms, a minor earth tremor or perhaps the real Santa.......

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T10:08:00.000-08:00

Anthony and I are invited for Christmas lunch at Bakers Farm with my parents and family. The table was all ready when I called round today, as you can see my Mum loves Christmas.

My youngstock taken this morning, Hartpury Twilight, Paint it 2 The Limit and Rif Raf The Dragon - in her xmas hat! You can only see the ear of Crunchie.

Sunrise early on a quiet Christmas Eve morning, a welcome sight after gale force winds shook several trees down yesterday.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

P.S. Louise and her 4 year old went super today so she is still in one piece for her Christmas celebrations.

British Eventing Magazine

2011-12-23T11:20:00.000-08:00

Its here and the BE calender and all the BE dates and first lot of schedules 2012 are in there, Eeeeeek now that's better than Christmas. Although I do remember when I was 8 years old (pre ponies)being so excited about Santa arriving that my sister, Anna, and I opened all our presents at 3 am. After that Santa always locked all our presents in the lounge.

Take It 2 The Top is progressing well, Mika is having a few days off to allow a loose milk tooth to fall out, Top Gun and Icon both want to be out competing and are bored with no shows to go to.

Tomorrow I am off to help Louise Calverley get her young horse back into work. At 4 years old this is the first real youngster Louise has trained, he is called Arleys Champagne Charlie and is super talented. He has only had 4 weeks off and so we will lunge him first and then hopefully he won't be cold backed and Louise can give him a quick ten mins ridden work in the school.
I am feeling the pressure however as Louise is host to her family for Xmas dinner on Sunday so its up to me to ensure shes not bucked off!

The Last Shows before Xmas

2011-12-19T12:27:00.000-08:00

A chilly and hectic weekend. Ant went off to a 2 day chicken show at Stafford on Saturday. This for me meant helping him at 6 am with putting 18 chickens of varying shapes and sizes into appropriate size boxes and then fitting them all into the back of his small 4 wheel drive truck. There was only just enough room for his picnic. Ant had spent all week washing and preparing the birds for the show.
Next after waving Ant off with lots of good luck, I mucked out 5 stables and rode Icon + Top Gun, then loaded 3 yr old Mika onto the lorry to take him to his first ever show. This was a walk and trot test and he behaved perfectly to come 3rd. Look at the snow on the hills!!!
Home quick in order to be teaching 4 hours of pony club flatwork and show jumping from 12.30.
Gasp! Next home to feed and muck out 5 stables, feed, cook tea and sleep. Ant had a good day with a winning Lemon Cuckoo Pekin cockerel.
Sunday was less busy, I took Top Gun to Hartpury British Showjumping. He jumped 2 double clears and is really feeling more and more balanced. My sponsors http://www.payrollsuk.com/ came to watch and feed him polos...bribery works every time!
I was home early and so I caught Take It 2 the Top and rode him for the first time in almost 3 months. He is so lovely and behaved beautifully, I just want Christmas to be over and all the Eventing to start, is that called having lots to look forward to, or wishing my life away?

Amazing Mika and the Mysterious Wolf Tooth

2011-12-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

Mika is a little sweetheart, he has been hacking around Castlemorton Common, he just goes anywhere without question, its a real treat to ride a bold and brave 3 year old with a wise and sensible attitude. He was even chased by a loose crazy dog first time out hacking on his own, he spooked left, about 6 inches!!!!

My only blip has been persuading him to accept a contact, so I checked his mouth. There was a lump on his gum right where the bit lay. So I booked him in for wolf tooth removal even though he has had them out already....both of them. The vet was really surprised to see us back for more wolf teeth! A rogue bit of root must have hidden itself and regrown, it took an hour to get it out, it was beastly, tiny and sharp as a needle, poor lad it must have felt like having a splinter of glass stuck in his mouth.

Photos of lovely little Mika still to follow. But here is an old 13 sec clip of Mika as a foal, with his fiercely protective mum Butterfly, she had 5 coloured foals in a row, all foaled on her own in the field, photographing them was like trying to capture a pic of the Rarest White Rhino.....difficult and dangerous if she didn't know you!!!

BSJA Coaches Conference Hartpury

2011-12-07T11:13:00.000-08:00

This was a day I have been looking forward to. I was lucky it was on my doorstep as coaches had come from as far as Devon and Scotland to take part. The trainers were Nial Quirk and Di Lampard both renowned international riders and coaches. Nial warmed the Hartpury Academy riders up on the flat. I have seen Nials coaching riders before so much of this was reinforcing my coaching skills. He trains the riders to ride the horses truly forward and as supple as is possible. One of the riders seemed to misunderstand at first the instruction to get her horse more supple and kept bending her horse to the left and right by moving the bit back and forth in her horses mouth causing his head to swing from side to side. Nial was quick to correct her, she was an easy pupil to train as she soon stopped the habit and we watched her horses way of going improve in front of our eyes.
Nial used the leg yield in a new way I had not seen before, to help supple the horses and he also reminded us how important it is to control the horses hind leg on a turn in order to have more power from behind. If the horse is supple he can stretch to jump and have more scope to jump a bigger fence successfully.
Once the horses were able to shorten and lengthen in canter and were supple, Di Lampard took over. She used exercises I use myself already, poles to improve the canter and to encourage the rider to use their seat not their hand to control the stride length. Di then moved this on to jumping a course with related distances, turns and changing direction.
It was a fascinating day, they used basic methods that I already use and no tricks or poles in weird places, horses were trained correctly with good basic work on the flat and over fences.
Christmas-If you are thinking of buying charity cards this xmas try looking at http://www.swhp.co.uk/ its a horse charity based in Monmouth, they also have some lovely rescue horses and ponies looking for knowledgeable loan homes.

Up On The Roof

2011-12-03T10:48:00.000-08:00

We have a tree growing in our barn gutter so I had to go up on the roof to remove it. While I was up there I cleaned out all the dead leaves and mended a broken light. I was having fun but it was quite scary when it came to getting back down.

Top Gun jumped in the 1.05m at Hartpury BSJA today, this was his first time at this height and he jumped well with only 2 down. I then took him back in for a schooling round and he jumped clear. I felt he was better doing that rather than going into the next class which was bigger at 1.10m.

Amazing Mika (3 yrs old) is going really well and is now ready for a little outing to a small show. He is very pony like but is also bold, brave and willful, Ant has been in stitches watching us swerve past the 2nd part of some very tiny doubles! Mmmmm, Mika it seems has a clever pony brain too!

Icon is back in work, hes fat and very unfit, its hard to imagine him jumping higher than 3 ft!

First Aid Course with X Factor

2011-11-29T13:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I dragged my poorly sick body off to Hartpury College for the day for the dreaded update to my first aid course. Always boring and always a whole day away from the horses.

However I soon felt loads better when it turned out to be the best first aid course in the entire world.

On my course were

Jane Davis - Completed Blenheim 3* twice and one of my best freinds.
Louise Skelton - 4* event rider
Bill Levitt - 4* event rider
Lucinda Green - 6 x winner of Badminton
plus lots of other more local instructors, event riders and showjumpers.

It was an event riders dream first aid course and we had such a laugh, consequently however the course ran an hour late.
Lucinda was playing with play dough all day, I decided it must be an anti smoking thing until Louise Skelton said it was more likely to be physio for her wrist that she broke a few months ago!

Quotes from the course

"How am I going to wee on my head" - Louise Skelton, after being told urine can be used to cool a burn.

" Yes I will need two breaths after that" - Jane Davis after giving 30 CPR compressions
"The two breaths are for the casualty not you" - Trainer

"Drag her out quick" - Lucinda Green on what to do with unconcious rider in the water jump.
"Now you are both dead, you have forgotton to stop the next horse" - Trainer

Rorys Cure for a Cold

2011-11-26T08:08:00.000-08:00

I am still ill, not quite in a coma but almost, I have not ridden a horse for 3 whole days and have cancelled all lessons. I am fed up of aching all over and coughing. I am bored of being in the house but feel more terrible if I go outside for longer than 15 minutes. I am just about keeping up with the mucking out, although Ant came down to help me yesterday when I was feeling particularly bad.
I was staggering and gasping through the final bit of mucking out when our friend Rory came to chat to me after he had ridden his girlfriends Emma's horse. I was not able to chat back as I had lost my voice which was probably a very good job. Rory announced that I didn't seem any better, but that he thought the smell of ammonia rising from the wet stable floor would help clear my throat!
Sadly I did not have the strength to throw lots of manure over him.

Mika update and Two Horses Sold

2011-11-23T05:56:00.000-08:00

I am in the middle of a nasty cold and feel poorly. Today I have been cheered up as Amazing Mika is home. He is my home bred skewbald youngster whose been with Matt Ainsworth (of HOYS fame) for breaking, Matt has done a fabulous job. Despite feeling poorly, weak and wobbly I have ridden Mika today and even jumped a few small 2ft fences. He is of course very green but feels safe and is a bonny little thing. At 15.2 hh I think he will make a perfect teenagers horse when I have finished training him, especially if he is as good as his Mum in this photo.
We have sold Mika's mum, Butterfly, to Matt for his partner Nickie to hunt, they have had her on trial for a while and she has been loving her hunting. Also sold is tiny 10 hands Poppet, a pony a friend of mine saved with 14 others from a meat lorry destined for the lions at a Zoo(at least that's what the lorry driver told her). I felt sorry for her and bought her for £50 about 8 years ago, broke her in, she has been out on loan ever since, teaching child after child how to ride and care for her. Her new owner Thomas adores her and she is the star of the local Ledbury Hunt where she lives at the kennels.

Louise Skeltons Wedding

2011-11-20T02:50:00.000-08:00

Great excitement today as we got ready to go to the wedding of the year. I normally don't go to any parties of any sort and the ones I say yes to I then change my mind at the last minute. If I do go which is never ever, I normally sit in a dark quiet corner and want to go home after half an hour!
It was the evening do which was held in a hall at a gorgeous old school where Louise's husband Greg works as a teacher. It was amazingly like Hogwarts with old oak panels and a maze of long corridors with lots of ancient nooks and crannies.
Louise was beautiful, she had little blond curls in her hair and her cream dress was stunning. My big shock was her Mum Jackie who no longer had straw in her hair. Her woolly hat, trainers and jeans were also missing. A new hair cut, blow wave and a lovely pink outfit transformed her into looking like the renowned and prestigious breeder of top event horses which of course she is.
I cried with laughter however at Louise's rendition of taking Jackie shopping for a dress. Jackie grumbled about every shop and dress she tried and refused to remove her jeans and trainers so they had to envisage the finished look with them still on. Once I had stopped laughing I had to confess "that's what I do, I hate shopping for clothes so much I just want to check it fits and go home. Taking jeans and boots off wastes time, better spent with my horses!!!" Louise looked at me in horror and said "Oh my God Stella you are turning into Jackie". I took this as a huge compliment!!!
We spent the evening chatting to various people and sat with our friends Evan and Natasha Thomas. Natasha was the only one of us brave enough to have a go at the barn dancing. Ant made the observation that if I had gone with her it would have looked so much better. Natasha would then have not been on her own in being 5 seconds behind everyone else in the dance moves!!!

Top Gun Moves Towards BE Novice

2011-11-16T14:45:00.000-08:00

My aim through this winter is to establish Top Gun at Novice level dressage and 1.10m showjumping so he can move upto British Eventing Novice level early next spring. This week he began with competing in his first ever Novice dressage tests at a British Dressage Affiliated event. He came 3rd in both classes, despite being quite tense. He coped well with the more difficult movements. But oh my goodness winter dressage is so grim, no one hardly smiles, no one looked pleased with their win and the crowd watching the tests came to the grand total of one and he was the guy taking the photos!!! Oh roll on eventing only 3 months to go and the dates for next year are out already....happy days!!! Then Wednesday he went affiliated ShowJumping at Hartpury, double clear in the smaller class and although he had a rail down in the 1 metre I was very pleased as he felt bold and confident. He tightens in his back during his jump and has rails down behind, so my homework is to try and keep the same energy but within a more softer canter. That is about a million times easier said then done!!!! Click this link for photo of Top Gun competing at Novice dressage http://acjphoto.co.uk/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewImage=43788

More All About Albert

2011-11-16T02:08:00.001-08:00

Here are photos of Sarah with her new horse "All About Albert". He is real quality. Now we need to set to work on his flat work, jumping and hacking in order to get him ready to do BE80s and BE90s next year. Sarah has a busy job as a project manager so she needs a safe and sensible horse.

All About Albert

2011-11-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

Today there is a new horse on the yard. A pure bred Irish Draught named Albert. He belongs to Sarah Dixon-Smith. I have coached Sarah for many years and together we found Albert, a lovely young horse on Pat Smiths yard. Pat delivered Albert this afternoon, he brings a few select horses over from Ireland his home country. I had a quick tour of his yard while we were there and he has some lovely horses for sale. He is based near Moreton In The Marsh, seeing such super young horses meant it was tempting to buy one for me too! I resisted.... just!

Albert is 5 years old, 15.2 he moves extremely well and is put together so perfectly he could be a county show cob. Photo is Albert out with the Heythrop with Pat earlier this week

Its early days but Badminton Grassroots Final look out here comes Sarah on Albert. If you don't have a dream it can't come true! Exciting and Sarah is grinning from ear to ear! Photos to follow in next few days...... of Albert not Sarah grinning!!!

Hartpury Show Jumping Just for Fun

2011-11-06T10:54:00.000-08:00

Big entries at Hartpury today, I took Man Friday and Top Gun. It is always nerve wracking jumping Hartpury Top Gun at Hartpury as he was bred there and I always feel slightly more anxious not to let him down in front of his home crowd. Top Gun was in the same class as his Dad, a momentous occasion indeed!

Thank goodness Top Gun jumped lovely, just one rail down in each class (both rider error) his canter has improved during his holiday and he is really enjoying his show jumping. Eventing show jumping can be a bit too serious (no jump off fun) and Top Gun had been feeling a bit bored in the SJ ring during his last few event runs. He was very fun, fresh and bouncy today.

Man Friday came 4th in his class winning £15, he just put his knees under his chin and jumped clear clear even though his canter is still very green. Then I had to dash home as I had riders coming for help with their jumping and flatwork.

Credit Crunch Christmas

2011-11-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

The story so far... Crunchie is my 2 year old homebred, out of Josie Jump (she is now sold and happily hunting with The Ledbury)
Crunchie was a huge surprise when he was born. Milo is his Dad. We knew his mum had been out with Milo when he was still a colt and so we had vet Andrew Harrison check her to make sure she was not in foal and Andrew said not. However very late Autumn next year a chestnut colt foal was reluctantly born. Poor Josie had been struggling a while on her own to foal him. My Dad and I had to help. The foals big head was stuck and we were soon exhausted trying to heave him out. He eventually plopped out and I was certain the foal was dead. Luckily I had helped calf cows and lambs before and set to work on his seemingly lifeless body and suddenly he began to breath and shake his wet floppy ears.

Next problem he refused to suck from his Mum. He really did not fancy living! After 6 hours he had not drank so we had to intervene. Another 2 hours passed and he fought and fought and would not drink not even from a bottle. Josie was so good as we had to milk her to get the bottle filled.

The Vet was called. Poor vet was only a young girl and when she arrived she started to check Crunchies heart beat. Anthony rolled his eyes and looked at the vet and said "I know his heart is OK I have been wrestling with him for over 2 hours" I prayed she had read James Herriot's book All Creatures Great And Small and she was prepared for Castlemortons equivalent of "Mr Biggins"

And so Crunchie had his first essential drink of milk via a stomach tube, he did not like that much. Then every 2 hours for the next 18 hours Ant and I fed him from a bottle all through the night. Each time we had to first milk Josie and then bottle feed him right under her so he linked the milk supply to her. Each time he threw us to the floor and kicked and fought. Milking Josie each time and fighting with Crunchie took so long that as soon as my head was back on my pillow it was time to go and do it all again. Then thank goodness Ant suggested we miss a feed and see what happens, it worked as the hungry Crunchie had now a taste for warm milk and he found his own way to his Mums built in supply.

Then 4 weeks after he was born it snowed, the worst snow for 20 years, it was over his knees, no wonder he had not fancied living. He had to have a rug on and come in each night and he grew a 2 inch thick winter coat. His late foaling means even now he is confused about what thickness coat to grow, he often has tufts of winter hair hanging on in the middle of June! Now he is 2 yrs old, 15.2 hh and I have just finished long reining him. He was very good, very much like his Mum no bucking or rearing. He was fab over the spooky jumps and even trotted a tiny double. Today I have turned out for the winter and he will be back in for breaking in about 12 months.

BHS Training Day Hartpury- Functional Anatomy and Its Relationship to Body Shape

2011-11-01T04:35:00.001-07:00

This was a day forced on me as I have to update my coaching skills, sometimes the courses are useful but mostly I struggle to stay awake as I learn better by physically doing things .
I find slide shows and being talked to particularly tedious and the morning session was 2 hours of exactly that. Yawn and nothing much learnt other than our max possible heart beat is 220 bpm minus our age and that event riders fall off alot but jump jockeys do it more and we all need better balance to not fall off.....think we may have known that already.
I debated leaving at lunch time but decided it could only get better. It didn't.
We were shown 3 riders first live and then a the video of them and we had to comment on where they were crooked, even a non expert could have done that. I then got interested as it seemed we were now going to put these riders positions right. But the presenter just said sitting them on a ball with exercises would help them but he did not have a ball to demonstrate this with.
Then the presenter asked us the aids for shoulder in and a long argument raged on between all the BHS expert Instructors. I was not sure if the presenter was asking us to tell him the aids for shoulder in because he didn't actually know or if he was testing us.......anyway the argument ended up in me being completely confused. As I got an 8 for the last shoulder in I rode I decided I will carry on riding and coaching as before.
Then a raffle draw concluded the day and I won top prize of a years free BHS membership worth about £130. Which made the day worthwhile.
In comparison last week I went on a fitness coaching course for pony club racing.
I shadowed several instructors in 3 different training areas. Riding, equine simulator and on fitness equipment.We watched the instructors solve position issues and also were able to try all the equipment, wobble boards, balls, equine simulator etc all to improve balance and core stability. The riders had to make notes on their strong and weak points and the exercises they needed to do to improve where they were weak. I went home feeling inspired and I now had hands on experience of more ways and methods of improving both my riding skills and the riders whom I coach.

Winter SJ Begins....

2011-10-30T11:24:00.000-07:00

I have registered Milo (Man Friday) and Top Gun with the BSJA (now called the BS- British Showjumping) and took them both to Gracelands a local indoor jumping centre.

As I drove along the motorway I had positive vibes and decided I would probably win 3 classes and then be interviewed by Horse and Hound and come home in £ profit, I mean how difficult can it be clearing a few 90 cm show jumps, when both horses have been eventing at 105 cm all season.

Top Gun went first...... 3 down WHAT! And I nearly forgot the last fence and got another 4 faults for that. I came out in a grumpy mood £12 poorer, the winter SJ circuit suddenly looked long, bleak and tedious.

Things improved when Milo went clear in the next class and he had a word with Top Gun who then also did a super clear. Suddenly I was in a panic, 2 horses in the jump off and I was there on my own. Luckily I had plenty of time between them, they both jumped well Top Gun came 3rd (won £18) and Milo 6th both qualifying for a regional final. The secretary at Gracelands came over to say what a super round Top Gun had jumped which cheered me up more than winning prizes. Grumpy mood well and truly over although Horse and Hound won't be phoning this week!!!

A Little Bit Sad

2011-10-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

Lots of things to make me sad this week, firstly the end of the season has happened and its pretty rubbish trying to get excited about Show Jumping and Dressage with no XC added on afterwards.

The main thing that is very sad is my lovely old dog "Trevor" had to be put to sleep this week. He had severe arthritis in his back legs and I have been escorting him about for the last few weeks, every now and then his legs give way and I have to help him back up. Over the last 3 days he deteriorated so quickly it was that awful time to put him put to sleep. All done at home and he is buried with my other favourites in the garden. I have been teaching in a base ball cap all week to try and hide that I have been crying.

Trevor started out as my sister Annas dog but as a border collie he wasn't suitable for a family town dog and used to nip the children and so he was given to me, I had always adored him and he loved it here, he had complete freedom to roam about and used to love "helping" get the horses in! He was a highly intelligent dog and has left quite an empty space in many ways.

Here he is with my sisters children Maisie, Monique and their dad Kenny.

Below utube link is a fun film I made for our family Christmas entertainment a few years ago. You won't really get it unless you are familiar with the film "The Sound Of Music"

Its quite mad and hopefully it will make you chuckle. Trevor is then a young star playing Captain Von Yapp!

http://www.youtube.com/embed/KYwC64QRP8M"

Confusion at Norton Disney last Event of 2011.

2011-10-23T11:09:00.001-07:00

This was a lovely Lincolnshire event, beautifully presented courses and quite technical in places causing a few odd run outs for some.
Our friends Joy and Graham live near so they came to watch.
Milo was a teeny bit tense in the dressage but still scored 36. He was jolly SJ and pinged round clear. XC he was also fab and zipped round.

I was a bit disappointed when I saw he had 15.6 time faults. We all felt a bit sad as he would have been 3rd and has been so quick XC at other events, I just couldn't work out where I had lost time, lots of people had faults for going too fast. Oh well another double clear is still fab and so we fed Milo his polos and packed up to go home.

Then a friend of mine who went before me XC pointed out when I came through the finish she had only just got off and as she was inside the time it was impossible for Milo to have faults.

So I got on Ants bicycle and pedaled off super fast to query it. They had just started prize giving, the secretary was lovely, she nipped off to check for me and then came rushing back to halt prize giving mid flow! Next a couple of super efficient stewards appeared with white stickers and pens to alter the scores. Then suddenly the prize giving was going again and as I peered over the top of everyones heads I could see Milo was now 3rd. I had to collect my prize in scruffy old jeans and my "Riders Excuse Shirt" which is a saggy 24 years old! Just realised one of the excuses on the shirt is "They must have added wrong!!!!"

Milo has finished the season with 45 foundation points, he only started BE in July. My back from the brink miracle horse, I am so proud of him. photos on link below http://www.saundersphotography.co.uk/photo13353364.html

BE100 Broadway

2011-10-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

Man Friday (Milo) is turning out to be a very reliable BE100 horse, finishing on his dressage again in 5th place. He was foot perfect all the way round and will definatley go Novice next year. Pictures are good of Milo but I obviously trust him far too much as my lower leg is flying about much more than it does on the other horses!!!
The time was tight and he was one of the faster ones, it all felt very easy. The best ride I have had round this course.
Our freinds Joy and Graham have gone home having stayed with us after being stable managers at Weston Park last week. Their batteries recharged they drove back home to Lincolnshire today. They had lots of gossip from Weston 3DE, the best one was one of the winning riders left his saddle behind and it was found on a stable door the following day!!!! It was great to see them. Oh drat, I can't believe the season is nearly over and winter is on its way.

More news from http://www.payrollsuk.com/
My sponsors son Dan competed in his first ever XC event yesterday, we had to walk the course almost in the dark, Friday night as I was busy at Broadway all weekend.
On their big day Lottie the lovely mare he was riding got very jolly warming up, she adores the XC. Dans poor mum Maria was in a right state of nerves! Dan stayed cool and calm to do a lovely clear in 3rd place, amazing. Next time I have advised he locks his Mum in the car until its all over!!!!

Regional Final - Broadway

2011-10-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

Two event riders that I coach competed at the prestigious Badminton Qualifier, grass roots regional final at Broadway today. Trainee vet nurse Becky Amos and Camilla Esling (Mil is PA to TV Celebrity Auctioneer - Philip Serrell) Both girls have had some bad luck up to the event, Becky's horse has been off top form with a virus and Camillas has a tiny bit of a sore mouth, where a bit pinched him. Camilla's has been in a hackamore all week, which made that final flat work tweaking difficult. However both horses performed well in the dressage they looked fab and were very accurate, but tiny loses of suppleness dropped the odd good mark.

Both girls were cheered in the Show Jumping after riding a perfect clear, making all their supporters very proud, and this followed with both of them jumping clear XC too. Camilla finished 7th just 1 place from a Badminton qualification. A really good end to the season for both girls.

Calmsden BE100

2011-10-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

This is a lovely event. The dressage, SJ, XC and lorry park are all within a 2 minute walk and it is set in rolling Cotswold countryside. They balloted lots so that speaks for itself.
Milo was a little sharp in the dressage and I was not able to press him for those extra marks. He pinged clear round the SJ. The XC was quite a big step up for him. It was in places more like a small novice. Quite a number of fences were inter space leaps, it was a fabulous educating course and really flowed well. I was worried about the Ski Jump, the double of skinnies into a sunken gully, a large brush before a step down, the tyres into dark with a ditch beyond and the water - A large brush to a small log into the water and a wide house out. What a lot of technical questions for my Novice boy. He coped really well and despite the steep hills went clear inside the time. Our only wobble was the tyres when he hestitated after drifting right and so it seemed we were jumping right into a tree. He came 8th only 1 mark away from 3rd!

Top Of British 4 Year Olds....almost!

2011-10-04T14:03:00.000-07:00

Here we all are on our happy day out at Osberton with our supprt team courtesy of Hartpury College. Monty is now having a short holiday. He had all of August off after he qualified, so won't need too long off now.

Monty (Hartpury Take It 2 The Top) gets a mention in Horse and Hound 6th October page 36 last paragraph.

His older brother Top Gun is now back in work today, he was as good as gold, I have never seen a horses eyes light up so much at the sight of his saddle and bridle. He has been "box walking" his field for the last ten days trying to say "I am bored"

Hartpury Stars at British 4 year Old Champs

2011-09-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

I think Lotta the stud manager from Hartpury College almost burst with pride at Osberton horse trials today. Two horses she bred, my boy - Hartpury Take It 2 The Top (Monty) and Hartpury Sky Is The Limit (ridden by Ian Wills) both finished in the top ten out of 46 starters in the 4 year old British Eventing Young Horse Championships.

Monty came 4th and Sky 7th, both double clear. It was the most wonderful day, Lotta arrived with 16 students from the College and it was fabulous to have their support, we had by far the biggest audience for the dressage and a huge cheer each time we jumped clear. Eventually the Event Organisers caught on and "Lottas Lot" even got a mention at the mounted prize giving.

All the 4 year olds looked tired after the long day, apart from mine who completed his 2 laps of honour with a good buck!

Monty was the 2nd highest British Bred Horse, he behaved perfectly in all 3 phases, I am so proud of him. Thankyou to Louise Skelton for a some valuable advice while I warmed up for dressage, Hartpury for the Cheers, Lotta for the horse, Joy for the Millionaires Shortbread (kept me awake on the long drive home) and most of all to Anthony (my partner) who although he no longer rides is the most amazing horseman and enormous help to me. He has just told me to delete this bit, well tough its staying in!

Paint It 2 The Limit completes his Blog

2011-09-29T04:36:00.000-07:00

Gosh it is a busy life here at Stella's house. Yesterday I learnt to long rein halt, walk, trot and back to halt. I even jumped a cross pole, I marched over a water tray and it was fabulous. I spent the night dreaming of the London Olympics but when I asked Icon about it he said I had no chance.

This morning was horrid. I had to learn to go on the lorry and I did not want to do that! I reared and kicked out, Stella led me and Anthony (her partner) stood behind me. Then as I was so naughty, I was penned in at the bottom of the Lorry ramp, a high hedge one side, a 6 ft high gate the other and a gate closed behind me so I was in a four foot pen at the bottom of the ramp. Anthony tickled my bottom with a stick and I reared and I thought I can just charge through the 6 ft high gate. Ow Ow Ow Ow and Ouch! I hit my head very hard and the gate did not even bend.

So only one choice left - I had a tiny peek at that horrid lorry, Ant and Stella just stood quiet and let me have a think. I put one foot on the ramp, it seemed OK so I put another on it, then suddenly there I was in the lorry and yey there were treats for me in there. Oh now I love the lorry and then went up and down that nice ramp lots of times.

This afternoon I was long reined in the field and I went over the ditches and the steps and a log, it was fun and I was a very good boy. Stella was very pleased with me so she wormed me and turned me back out with my friends for the winter. Hope she realises I will have to come in for some more training before my Olympic debut!

Paint It 2 The Limit his Blog continued......

2011-09-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

I have had my saddle on lots today and each time Stella lunges me and each time I buck, only I am getting bored with bucking so I do a bit less each time. I am going to be long reined once I have stopped bucking.

There is an old guy on the yard called Icon, he is really really old (11 yrs!) he says bucking is very bad and I must stop, huh what does he know!!!

I have my brother in the stable next to me, he is a show off and a liar as he reckons he is doing some young horse Championships soon but he is 4 years old, OMG thats twice my age, not really very young is it?!

I have been measured today, I am 15.2 and a tiny bit, thats without my Jimmy Choos.

Paint It 2 The Limit writes his own Blog!

2011-09-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

Well what a day, my name is Snip "Paint It 2 The Limit" that's cos my mum is called "Paintpot" and my Dad is called "Take It 2 The Limit". I am 2 yrs old and a nice bright bay colour. Until this morning my 2 years and 5 months of life has consisted entirely of eating and sleeping in a 20 acre field with several other horses. Once a day Stella comes to see us and we all gallop over as she gives us all a polo and then she goes away again.

But today was different, Stella put a headcollar on me and led me up the field and all the way to the stables. Once I had settled in I got very cross as Stella tied me up, I tried to get free but I couldn't so I tried to knock the stable down but that wouldn't budge. After an hour I realised it was much easier to just stand quietly. Next I got cross again as I had a bridle on, I couldn't get it off so I just got used to that too. Then Stella taught me to lunge, I was very good at that and at having my feet picked up and having a rug on. As I had been so good Stella went off to get a saddle, I was rather hoping it was food, but it was a big lumpy thing that went on tight round my tummy. Stella kept taking it off and putting it on again and slapping it to makes lots of noise which didn't bother me at all. Then she left me with the saddle on and I tried to move, yikes it was tight, I bronced round the stable but it wouldn't come off.

A few hours later Stella lunged me, this time with the saddle on. Well I showed her how I could bronc, but Stella just laughed at me, so I turned round and bronced towards her, ha that made her run, but still she laughed so I gave up and did exactly as I was told, which involved trotting, walking and cantering, I had to listen to Stella's voice to work out what I had to do next.

When we had finished, at last I was given a treat, yum it was called Pasture Mix and was scrummy. While I was eating, I heard Stella ring my Auntie Joy (she owns my Mum) Stella said I had bronced higher than any horse she had owned in 30 years.

Wow I must be amazing!

Solihull ODE- Milo 2nd.

2011-09-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

Milo came 2nd at Solihull unaffiliated 100cm ODE today, a star again. Monty spooked at the fence before the water but gave me a super feel XC and felt like he was having a joke round the 90cm show jumps. It was a good day for the riders that I coach too, Megan Slater had a 2nd, Tracey J had 2 top 3 placings, Louise on Charlie came 6th at their first ode and Emma Potters "Lux on Your Side" came 4th ridden by her partner Rory.
Solihull riding club had yet again done a super job with the course, sand on landings and take offs and even about 50 yards of sand where the ground had got poached. It rained nearly all day so the ground was perfect.
Monty had a win on Friday at Allens Hill in an eventer training class, he is really growing up and is becoming such a lovely horse.
Only a few more weeks and the season ends, I am looking forward to getting Top Gun in from his holiday, we are going to do lots of winter Show Jumping-Blue Chip Champs here we come!

Hartpury Twilight (Twig)

2011-09-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

Two year old Twig has come in for some educational work this week. He is lovely and has not put a foot wrong so far. He has hardly been touched for over 12 months.
He is full brother to Top Gun and Monty. Twig is stunning, more elegant than the older boys. He has grown into a beautiful swan as he was an ugly ewe necked yearling!!!
He has had a rug on and been tied up, he was tied up properly as a yearling, so just a reminder needed.
Bridle and saddle - both went on easy and he happily accepted them both.
He led perfectly in hand in walk and trot.
Lunged off a headcollar in walk and trot both ways, he picked up voice commands very quickly which will be essential in the future for long reining and riding.
All the above was done by me on my own, I have a theory that if I can't do all the initial training without help then they are probably going to be too tricky for me to ride and train in the future.
Lunging with a saddle and bridle tomorrow and then long reining.

Monty has been out unaffiliated eventing he had a 2nd and a nearly 2nd (ran out at a water jump) all in preparation for his British 4 year old Championships.

Milo 4th Monmouth BE100

2011-09-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it! 5 year old Milo is even more of an eventing star today finishing 4th in his first ever BE100 on his dressage score of 34. Thats better than any of my other recent youngsters and better than the great Icon managed when he was at that level.

He did not touch a thing SJ and felt amazing. XC he was bold and confident, we went all the direct routes including the tricky roll top to a corner combination, it was on 5 strides and he went on 4 easily. There was a sunken road with a ditch to a skinney when he went a little green.

A very good boy, very exciting, he should easily go Novice in the future, now thats started me dreaming of doing a 1* next Autumn on him. How did I ever think he was just a happy hacker!!!!

Milo has a go at 100

2011-09-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

Milo went to Stafford unaffiliated 100, round the BE100 course. Gulp. Seemed a very grown up outing for the foal I bought from Malvern Sales almost 5 years ago to the day!
He was more than ready for it. 30 dressage, 1 down SJ and clear XC with just 2 time faults. I was thrilled, he had a couple of wobbles XC but remained bold and trusting of all I asked of him.
Next outing a real BE100 at Monmouth.

Katie Richards on her homebred dun mare Buffy also went double clear, a huge achievement as this is the first young horse Katy has bought on, doing all the work herself with a tiny bit of guidance from me.

Icons season is on hold, he has a chest infection that is allergy based, making his lungs over sensitive at the moment and so I can't gallop him. We were off to do a CCI** but that's now unlikely, we may get an end of season Intermediate run. Fingers crossed.

Training at Home with Man Friday and Take It 2 The Top

2011-09-09T11:48:00.000-07:00

Both boys are progressing well training at home, Milo (Man Friday) has learnt to move on a bit quicker to his XC fences rather than show jumping them. I have been teaching him to do this first over gorse bushes, where if he makes a mistake he only gets prickled. Then I built a solid gallopy fence in the field just over BE100 height (using some old rusty barrels) he flew it from a true forward xc canter and moving off positively afterwards too. An exciting feeling, especially as hes my surprise eventing star, until May this year I was trying to sell him as a happy hackers horse.

Monty (Take It 2 The Top) is now easily jumping 1 metre at home, which is the height of the show jumping at the 4 year Championships. He pops 1.10 quite easily too but lets not get carried away as he is still very green, especially through doubles where he jumps in too big and struggles to find enough room for a comfortable stride. I am sorting this out with some pole and grid work.

My website gets some updates

2011-09-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

Yey, I have a lovely new updated banner on the front page, which features both Monty and Icon at Gatcombe.
Also the Instruction page has been updated with my Badminton grassroots pupils on and a few other changes and updates.
Have a look http://www.stellabayliseventing.co.uk/.

The site is brilliantly designed by http://www.fromthesticks.co.uk/ they are excellent at reminding me to send them updates and sorting out any queries I may have.

My blog has had 8,764 veiws in 16 months, amazing and its fun to do too!!!

I am working hard on Montys flatwork trying to get him to take a better contact to become more supple and take larger strides for those elusive 8's. So much to work on and only 3 1/2 weeks till the Championships. Yikes.

Mark Todd at Burghley Young Event Horse

2011-09-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

Good news, Opposition Supremacy ridden by Mark Todd has been placed 4th at the Burghley Young Event Horse final today. My 4 year old Monty (Hartpury Take It 2 The Top) was pulled in 3rd next to him at Gatcombe in the Burghley Qualifier. I am so pleased as I am convinced Monty is potential top class.

At Gatcombe both Monty and Opposition Supremacy were both awarded 13 for confirmation and given 8 and 9 for Star Potential. It was only Montys lack of experience on the flat and jumping that slipped us down the final placings. Monty has had a month off and is back in work with a much more mature attitude and is really feeling quite grown up. I am aiming him for the 4 year old Young Event Horse Championships which he has qualified for.

Monty has been out to his first British Dressage show today. He did two prelims tests 15 and 19 both in a long arena. He won both tests 68% and 66%. There is still lots to work on to get him up to over 70%.

Milo at Milton Keynes

2011-08-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

Milo would have won but.......
......I messed up in the show jumping and he had one down. Just landed a bit unbalanced and I made the decision not to change canter lead as he does not yet do flying changes. The result - he tried to change, went disunited and threw his head in the air and caught a back pole. Drat, drat and double drat!!!

Still came 6th, Good Boy. I used the day to push him faster XC and discovered he is very unbalanced when I do. As we have at last had some rain, I can play on the common over gorse bushes to teach him how to move forward more to his XC fences and still be safely in balance.

I am thrilled I have a Hit Air Vest. At yesterdays European Eventing Championships when Karen Donkers fell in the water, it was noticeable how she was able to get back up on her feet immediately. This allowed her to catch and comfort her shaken up horse. Glad I chose Hit Air as I am not one for lying on the floor waiting to be trodden on.

My website has had some updates on the "My Horses" page. Looks fab http://www.stellabayliseventing.co.uk/

Hit Air Jacket and Photos from my Fab Weekend

2011-08-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

This one of Snip and Twig (both 2 year olds by "Take It 2 The Limit") is very funny. I smile every time I look at it. Would be fab for a caption competition!

I wonder what Twig (Hartpury Twilight) is saying! He is full brother to Top Gun and Monty so probably in a posh voice "I say, you do know both my big brothers have been placed at Gatcombe don't you?"

Milo and I at Solihull. Photo taken for Hit Air the company that have supplied my new air jacket. I tried all 3 types of air jacket, and I was "blown up" trying them. I much preferred the Hit Air. The point 2 was quite scary how it gripped me, I couldn't breath. The Hit Air is fab, I could easily get back on the horse with it inflated and continue on the cross country. It is also much less noticeable while I am wearing it, and feels less bulky.

We are in waiting to go eventing.

Yearling filly on the left "Rif Raf The Dragon" by Old Leighlin.

Then dark bay
Hartpury Twilight - Twig - 2 yrs Amazing Mika - 3 yrs
Credit Crunch Xmas - Crunchie - 2yrs Paint It 2 The Limit - Snip - 2 yrs

And finally Icon speeding through the second water into 3rd place at Somerford Park Intermediate at the weekend.

Hit Air jacket is hardly noticeable.

Icons Fabulous Day

2011-08-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

Somerford Park Intermediate.

35 dressage, putting him about half way, then one down SJ and clear XC. Luckily Ant noticed I was in with a shout on the score board if I was fast XC and told me I was to wing it the whole way round! The ground was perfect so I kicked on and Icon flew. The course caused a bit of trouble, mainly I think at the double of skinnies, they both had a big ditch in front and Icon spooked making the 2 stride distance a bit long. The rest of the course was fun and easy.

We came home buzzing with our 3rd rosette and a handful of prizes that included £110 and a leather headcollar.

Icon now has 46 points, only 14 more to go before he is officially Advanced, don't want that yet as costs more to register an advanced horse every year!!!!

Solihull Horse Trials

2011-08-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

Milo was as consistent as ever today, 31 dressage, double clear XC, 1.6 time faults as I thought I had gone fast enough so steadied up through the wood where the going was a bit firm. The rest of the course was fab, they had spiked, watered and sanded all the landings. Why can they not do that at other events, it makes a huge difference which is a good thing when Milo jumps so big over everything.

I had a bit of coaching to do while I was there, Tracey Jenkins she came 4th in only her 2nd BE90. Well done Tracey and Cassie.

Photos to follow and news on my new air jacket.

Hartpury Horse Trials cic***

2011-08-13T13:38:00.000-07:00

photo kindly taken by Kat Jones.

Sat Evening
Icon put his best foot forward in the dressage to score his usual of low 60s. The SJ was indoors where I knew he would struggle to keep enough spring off the tight corners compared to the huge outdoor arena. Icon tried so hard to clear as many as possible and I had to kick loads to keep his hind legs coming through out of the corners, he had 4 down which was a relief as it is still a qualifying result towards Blenheim. Sadly though we are unlikely to run XC due to the ground being so hard. Hartpury are working on it non stop. For Icon its unlikely to be consistent or good enough to risk him. If he was a tough wiry TB we would probably run but too much Irish draught makes him feel the ground more than most. We will make a decision in the morning once we have walked it a final time, hopefully all the watering will have made it perfect but I won't hold my breath!
Update Sunday Evening
We withdrew, they put loads of water on we watched them last night and this morning the water in the main lake was at least a foot less. But the thirsty ground had drank it all up, where it was good the earlier horses made a hoof print but the warm day meant these prints dried to hard knobbles. Around half the section did not run, mass withdrawals, Fox-Pitt, Pip Funnell and Kristina Cook all withdrew everything. Kristina Cook is lovely and kindly walked the course with me yesterday and was very helpful, so it was by no means a wasted event for me.

Gatcombe BYEH

2011-08-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

Wow! What an amazing day. Monty (Hartpury Take It 2 The Top -pictured) came 7th, he was just on Top Form! Then Top Gun came 5th in the 5 year olds.

Both finals were in front of a big crowd in the main arena, what an atmosphere for baby horses to cope with and they were wonderful. Monty got pulled in 3rd and we were stood in line next to Mark Todd. He asked about Monty and I said he was 2nd at Homme on Weds, Mr Todd said he was entered for that but withdrew as he hadn't realised the 4 year olds had to go XC!

The judge advised Top Gun showed the best gallop and the BE facebook page reported I was placed on both my horses sandwiched in between the big names!!

The commentary gave their sire "Take It 2 The Limit" loads of publicity and the boys did a great job showing the large crowd how good his progeny are going to be.

Monty Qualifies for Young Horse Champs

2011-08-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

Montys 2nd place at Homme qualified him for the British Eventing Young Horse Championships 2011, here are a few pictures taken by my friend Bernice of his day. Also pics from BYEH fieldhouse 2011 on http://www.joannaprestwich.co.uk/ gallery, he is on page 61 and Top Gun is page 41-42.

Happy Days at Homme House

2011-08-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

I bravely entered 3 horses for our local BE event and prayed I did not fall off 3x in front of all the people who knew me! Luckily it was my lucky day. All 3 horses went clear xc and got good dressage marks, both Top Gun and Milo (Man Friday) hit the 2o's and Take It 2 The Top (Monty) got a 31. Monty went double clear to finish 2nd in the 4 year class, a class won by Paul Tapner. Milo came 11th (slow XC!) and Top Gun flew xc to come 6th in the BE100.
Lots of lovely prizes, a lovely event, lots of friendly faces, lovely course, everyone I know had a really good day, especially Ledbury Pony Club member Claire Mealing who won a 3rd prize in an intro on her lovely pony My Charming Charlie, she got a huge cheer at prize giving.

Taking 3 horses was a tall order for us, but luckily I had lots of help Dan and William Norrell, Louise Calverley, Bernice White and Janet Hughes (Ants sister)all helped lead horses about, wash off, tack up etc etc. Thankyou everyone, although they teased me all day as I won the best old persons award in two of the sections, apparently I now need a walking stick and a hearing aid.... thanks guys!!!!

Icon in Cheshire

2011-07-31T14:31:00.000-07:00

We took Icon to do an Intermediate at a new event at Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire today. A 3 am start meant we were home in time for me to ride the others this evening. Icon did a good dressage 37 but had the last 3 fences down SJ. The ground was like concrete and he hated it. I decided to run XC as we are entered for Gatcombe and really needed to go XC. Icon jumped awkwardly over the early fences and then I had to turn a circle between an a and b at 4 when he just didn't lock on. He really was not liking the hard ground, none of the fences landing were sanded and so I decided to pull him up. He is too valuable to risk and has never enjoyed hard ground and even less as he has got older. The younger horses now have a busy week so I have been schooling them and pulling manes this evening. Yippee - I am feeling rich as just earned over a £100 selling some unwanted eventing prizes on ebay!!!

Stafford Horse Trials 2011

2011-07-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

Wow what a fab few days. First Louise Calverley has had the ride on Sarah Dixon-Smiths horse Frank (Hope Detori). Sarahs towing vehicle is off the road for all of July for major welding work, so rather than give Frank a month off I suggested Louise rides him. They took him to Stafford and won!!! Came home with an armful of prizes and qualified for the 80t Champs in September.

I took Milo and Monty today (Man Friday and Hartpury Take It 2 The Top). Milo went double clear in the BE90 open to come 3rd and Monty came 7th in the 4 year old class. It was their first run BE and I was not expecting such a good result first time out, especially Monty. They won some lovely prizes and felt amazing I am thrilled with them both.

Dauntsey and a telling off at Pony Club.......

2011-07-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

Top Gun went well in the BE100 at Dauntsey. He did a superb dressage but scored a disappointing 36, weird! Then went green at the trade stands in the SJ but flew XC, it was a big track with lots of questions, big ditches, a big bank, lots of drop fences and 2 easy waters.

At our pony club rally last week my group of young riders (some nervous and some wobbly) were overtaken by some older pony club riders who rudely and inconsiderately cantered off in front of us, causing my group of 6 ponies to get quite bouncy. Luckily no one fell off.

On returning to the lorries I marched up to the culprits and putting on my best pretend I am a DC voice I said "GIRLS, GIRLS, you do realise that was dangerous and incorrect behavior cantering off in front of a group of very young children" They apologised and that was that. It was only later I discovered they were not two of our older pony club members but two very grown up adults who had been allowed to school round the course following a bad day at our ODE. I thought it was odd I didn't recognise them. OOPS!!!!

Training Required for Prize Giving!

2011-07-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

I have managed to have a good weekend eventing without even leaving home, thanks to the hard work of the horses and riders that I coach.

First Tracy Jenkins on her super little mare, Cassie, came 3rd at her first BE event in an 80T at Ascot Under Wychwood. Unfortunately I neglected to tell her we dress up proper posh for prize giving. Poor Tracy attended prize giving in a bright orange coat and pink flowery wellies. She was so embarrassed.
Louise Calverley and Emma Potter both were well placed at Sapey ODE today. Then fab news John Wayne (5 yrs who I recently sold) won his BE90 at Ascot Under Wychwood with his new owner Polly Tompkins. Very pleased as I trained him from 2 years to 5 years.

BYEH Field House - Top Gun Top Of The Jumping

2011-07-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

Monty's hooves didn't get chance to touch the lorry floor after his ODE as we whisked him off to do a young event horse class. I considered not taking him after his ODE on Sun but he was so sharp riding on the school yesterday I decided tough he is going.
Field House have an amazing set up, an all weather derby ring, 2 outdoor schools and 2 indoor schools. The course used the Derby arena, flowers on all the brightly painted jumps, an arch to enter under, an optional ditch, 2 steps up a bank with a XC roll top to finish. A super atmosphere was created by a busy spectators bank with a marquee over looking the main arena.
Top Gun performed outstandingly, 1st place in the jumping (judged on style by Malcolm Pyrah) with a perfect dressage to be in 5th place out of 53. But despite performing the best gallop the final judging was our downfall, he was dwarfed by the bigger more imposing horses and ended up 8th.
Monty was full of it, scoring average in dressage and jumping, losing marks for knocking the double and broncing across the entire arena. The spectators gave a ripple of laughter as I called I will be back in a minute as he bronced past the judges shed! Little monkey, he is full of fun and it is amusing that everything he has done is duplicating Top Guns antics last year, including the hooves in the lorry window!!!!!
Proper eventing next week but a good few days off for them first.

"Montys hooves appeared in the lorry window"

2011-07-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

Photos courtesy of Sarah Dixon-Smith.
Monty did the 80 cm at Ledbury PC ODE today. He scored 22 dressage, clear SJ and one whip sideways spook XC but still came 8th!
When he was put back on the lorry it was Milos turn. Monty decided it was about time he misbehaved and had a temper tantrum about being left on his own. When Milo got back from dressage Monty was on his hind legs in the lorry with his hooves in the window! I threw my gloves at him and his hooves disappeared. Then we realised he had got his haynet down and round his back legs. On inspection I could see it was lodged firmly between his hooves and his shoes, on both legs. My friend Bernice had to feed him sugar lumps and carrots, whilst I carefully cut the haynet off. We dare not unload him in case he panicked and bolted round the lorry park, it felt quite dangerous under his hind legs cutting the net, he was nervous and quite jumpy as his legs were held by the net. Soon all OK and no harm done thank goodness.

Milo lay in 3rd place after dressage and had one down SJ, he was competing in the 90 cm (3 ft).

He did a lovely clear inside the time XC and finished in 3rd place, definitely now ready to go British Eventing next time out. Exciting.

Icon At Glanusk

2011-07-03T14:27:00.001-07:00

Photo courtesy of Emma Mealing Photography
Icon was an absolute star today at Glanusk Horse Trials finishing 11th.

We were a bit creaky in the dressage, feeling a bit rusty after a long break. He was one of only a handful of clear Show Jumping rounds, he just pinged round. And then we set off XC, I was worried after our last run had ended retiring when he just pulled himself up half way round, and we found out after a blood test he was aneamic. This time was very different he was on fire and cruised round, I just had to keep up and stay on! His breeder Peter Sheppard came to watch him so thank goodness Icon was so impressive. I think he had been ill for a while, the run out we had back at Hambledon was so out of character. So glad he felt really amazing. The course was superb, we had to jump in and out of the walled garden and there were 3 waters. The 2nd water featured a huge log in the shape of a fish on the edge of a large drop jumping into the water and then a good size brush in the water. I just had one of the best XC rides ever, Louise Skelton saw me at the double of corners, taken on a curving line on 4 strides, she said we were foot perfect. Good boy Icon.

Burghley Young Event Horse Glanusk

2011-07-01T14:30:00.000-07:00

Had a fab day out at Glanusk Horse Trials. Walked Icons course for Sunday, its a lovely Intermediate but the ground is already hard with 2 days of hot weather forecast, so we will make a decision about running him tomorrow evening.
Monty (Hartpury Take It 2 The Top) did the 4 year old class, he forgot all about claiming his ASBO and behaved so well. His dressage was unsettled, courtesy of some horse flies that I was swatting as I tried to ride the test. He had the first show jump down and then went clear, he had good enough marks to make the top ten and finished 5th. Amazing.
Then Top Gun had a go at the 5 year old class, he did his best ever dressage and his best ever show jumping round gaining one of the best jumping marks of the day. He also scored 14 out of 15 for confirmation. He made the top ten and went in for the final. He finished 8th as the judge for the final was a Show Jumping lady, hence the slightly stockier horses were preferred over the thoroughbred types.
Came home with £20 prize money, lovely rosettes and very pleased with my boys!

Icon On Sky TV

2011-06-30T14:02:00.001-07:00

Great excitement at pony club last night, I had just finished teaching when Bella Bradford came over to excitedly tell me that my SJ round at Houghton had been shown on Sky Sports Horse and Country TV. Beth Moore had been watching her favourite TV channel when to her surprise Icon and I came on. Very exciting. I just need to try and get to see the repeat showing now.

Stonar School

2011-06-28T15:19:00.000-07:00

Top Gun went double clear at Stonar School eventing today BE100. He was a touch cheeky in the dressage, shooting off with his head up for one whole movement, he was even cheeky SJ spooking, and then went a bit green XC too. I had been worrying he was eventing only off grass so he has been on TOP SPEC feed balancer for 2 weeks. I am going to take him off it as I think it has done this to him. We will go back to eventing him just off the green stuff, as before!
Next outing is a Burghley Young Event Horse Qualifier for the two full brothers Hartpury Top Gun and Hartpury Take It 2 The Top. I never do well in these so just going for a day out and to give the boys extra experience.

Milo Has His First Ever XC Fault!

2011-06-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

Milo was 7th, only 6 clear XC out of 32 horses!
Warwickshire Pony Club ODE today. Milo did an accurate dressage test to score 23.21. I took Rory and Emma with me who own (Alfie) Lux On Your Side and he also scored 23.21. Must be all down to the trainer! The scores ranged from 15 up to 57 so it was unbelievable we got the same. Then we both rolled a pole so 4 penalties SJ. Next the XC, although only a 90(3 ft), it was a big technical course. More like a BE100 with a decent coffin, big corner, ditches, steps, 2 waters (one with an 2 foot step down) and some difficult turning fences involving skinnies. Rory and Alfie went clear, Milo gave me a super ride but had a glance off at a skinny, the last of 3 on a turn. Rory and Alfie won the class and we all came home knowing we have 2 lovely brave horses both ready for a BE event now.
A really nice lady fell in love with Milo and wanted to buy him, I took her number as I explained he is not for sale yet but maybe in the Autumn once I have done some BE events on him. Or maybe not as I can feel my heart strings pulling at the very thought of letting him go.

Monty beaten by John Wayne!

2011-06-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

Monty did his first eventer 80 training class today at Allens Hill Competition Centre near Pershore. He scored a 34 dressage and popped smoothly round the SJ. Clear XC until the last fence when he spooked and shot sideways. He came 3rd and would have won if he had not spooked. The XC was beautifully presented, well dressed with flowers, XC jumps on a surface. I took one of my pupils Emma Potter with her young horse Alfie, she went double clear and came 2nd, I told her she would have to walk home for beating me!!! Emma broke her shoulder 8 weeks ago and has only been back on her horse 2 weeks, a perfect first outing for her. John Wayne was there with his new owner, I felt very proud when he won the class with a double clear on a 35 dressage.

Longleat Cancelled

2011-06-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

As Icons day at Longleat was cancelled, due to wet weather, here are some more photos of Top Gun at Longleat, courtesy of www.fromthesticks.co.uk.

Fence 2, he was just amazing a real machine XC.

His dressage canter is improving, he can be a little too laid back!

Top Gun 6th at Longleat BE100

2011-06-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

Top Gun was amazing, a good 33 in the dressage despite the Sealions making noises, clear SJ felt like he was not going to hit a thing, then XC he was point and go, brave, careful, athletic and one of the fastest rounds of the day. It was a big and testing course that was hilly and getting boggy in places, he just made nothing of it.

Fab But Wet Weekend

2011-06-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

This is one of my pupils Rory riding (Alfie) "Lux On Your Side" at Solihull 90 today. Look at the rain! In just a few weeks they have improved their dressage to achieve an outstanding 22 today putting them in the lead. A clear XC but a couple of poles SJ left them in a fabulous 4th place at only their 2nd ODE.
I took Top Gun to Great Tew yesterday, what a superb event, he had a 33 dressage, 1 down SJ (my fault completely) and clear XC inside the time. It was a big BE100 and the most lovely course, the best BE100 event I have been to for years.
Monty (Hartpury Take It 2 The Top) did Solihull 80 today, he was appalling in the dressage very green and naughty but went double clear to finish 8th in the pouring rain.
Hedgerow, our beautiful tiny tabby cat, yesterday gatecrashed our neighbours all day party, they returned her at 10 pm last night smelling of very expensive ladies perfume. She had been the star of the party apparently, getting lots of cuddles and new admirers!!!

Monty Sleeps Likes A Log!

2011-06-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

I caught Monty fast asleep (4yrs "Hartpury Take It 2 The Top") using a log as a pillow this morning. Never have I ever seen a horse asleep like this before. Very funny. Luckily he woke up in time to go to Ledbury Pony Club Dressage show. He scored 65% and came 4th.

Milo Clear at Rodbaston

2011-06-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

Milo did another 90 today, he did a lovely dressage to be in 3rd place with 31. Then 2 poles SJ, he was a bit unbalanced as it was his first time he has jumped on grass. Clear XC he was jumping huge and very bold. We didn't stay for results as it looked like he was going to only be just in the top ten.

Icon Is Anaemic and Goodbye John Wayne

2011-06-03T12:51:00.000-07:00

I have had Icon blood tested, to see if he had any reason for not flying round Houghton last weekend. The results came back that he is mildly anaemic, enough to effect his performance XC. He is on an iron supplement and has had some vitamin injections. He looks well in his coat and we hope to run him at Longleat in a couple of weeks if he gets the all clear from Claire Gilbert his vet.
My other big news is that I have sold John Wayne. He has gone to an eventing home in Warwickshire. Sad to sell him but good to know he will continue to do what he is good at and when he is a super star I will be thrilled to have been the one who began his training. The money is being used to (14 years after we moved in) put central heating in our house, bring on the snow!
Monty (4 yrs old - Hartpury Take It 2 The Top) has been SJ schooling at Hill View Equestrian Centre today and went really well. Hill View http://www.hillview.myzen.co.uk/ have a super new arena with some posh new jumps. Monty is jumping 80-90 cm easily, just still spooking at fillers so I have to sit tight. We are aiming for an 80cm ODE in a few weeks.

Milo Wins

2011-05-30T13:14:00.001-07:00

Milo (Man Friday) won an unaffiliated 90 at Aston Le Walls today. He finished on his 28 dressage. Very very pleased with him, as it was his first attempt at this level. He was really bold and got inside the time easily. I took Emma and Rory with me, I have been helping them train their new young horse Lux on Your Side(Alfie). Rory competed him today, we were thrilled when they did a lovely clear XC at their first ode.

Houghton Hall cic 3*

2011-05-29T01:52:00.000-07:00

This is the most lovely event, just like Blenheim. I walked the course and it was big but really perfect for Icon.
He passed the vet inspection with flying colours. We dusted off our Top Hat and Tails and performed our test in front of Houghton Hall to score a 63, into 32 place we were thrilled. Icon had beaten 11 horses and had managed 6's for his scraggly flying changes!!
Show Jumping was in the atmospheric main arena. Every rider was announced with the country we were riding for. Icon grew 4 inches! He was superb, it was 1.25m, we had only one pole and one time fault, it caused lots of trouble. We moved up 12 places to 20th. I was so excited.
Next the XC. He set off well but was jumping a bit to one side and lacked power to the big gallopy fences. By the time I had jumped a few of the massive tables I realised my flying machine was not functioning properly, he was backing off, I had no umph in the canter, and we had our first ever run out at a corner. Icon was just not himself at all so I decided to pull up at fence 12. His next run is not for a few weeks so I may give him a fun run at an unaffiliated Novice in the meantime.
Next outing - its Milo doing an unaffiliated 90 at Aston Le Walls.

Icon at Brigstock Horse Trials

2011-05-22T14:39:00.000-07:00

The gound was firm but springy old turf, the best I have competed on for ages. Icon was on springs. Just one down sj, dressage judge didn't like our test and we did! He was fab and fast XC, it was more like a small advanced. The water jump at 5 caused trouble but it was fun to ride on Icon, a log then a big step drop into water, then out and another log into water followed by a skinny seat. He got a round of applause as he popped through. We finished 12th, even more annoying about the dressage mark as that stopped us getting a good place.
We are aiming for another 3* soon, so fingers crossed he trots up sound in the morning, Johnathan his Chiropractor is giving him a check up tomorrow. It has been a brilliant weekend.
I am especially feeling lucky as we got diverted coming home and missed the diesel station, the lorry drove 30 miles on empty. I tried to lighten the load by getting Ant and Sweep to walk but they refused! At last we arrived at the M6 services. We were so certain it would run out we celebrated with Cheeseburger and Chips.

Top Gun 10th

2011-05-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

Top Gun came 10th today at Mount Ballan. He was in the top 6 after dressage and jumped double clear. He had only 4 time faults, hes at last lost his wobble in between fences. He also wore Mark Todd ear covers which helped with the spooking. We found out at Rodbaston it was the loud speaker by fence 3 that caused several horses to shoot sideways! I thought Mount Ballan was the toughest BE100 course I have done this year, lots of combinations, water, coffin that finished on a turn to a corner, two sunken roads and a double of brush skinneys with a bank to trip up between them. Ground was like concrete, Top Gun didn't seem to mind, I moved on a bit but not flat out, some peoples times were over a minute faster than the optimum, it was scary watching them hammer along on the hard ground.

Hartpury Take It 2 Top back in work.

2011-05-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

4 year old Monty is back in work. He has had 5 weeks off as the ground went hard, he got ring worm and then pus in a back foot. I lunged him yesterday and he was really fresh, spooking at things blowing in the wind, I cowardly decided it was too windy to get on! Today the wind has gone and as "its too sunny" was not an acceptable excuse I plucked up courage and rode him. He was gorgeous, just sooooo lovely. Sadly I can no longer call Monty and Top Gun "The Broomstick Brothers". They have at last filled out to feel wider than sitting on broomsticks, and are now much easier to sit on! I think I am going to download some Burghley Young Event Horse schedules.........

Cuddly Milo Is an Eventing Star

2011-05-15T08:13:00.001-07:00

5 year old Milo (Man Friday) competed in his first ever ODE at Solihull. It was also his first ever competition involving XC fences so was quite a big ask. He did an amazing 34 dressage, think all good marks earned using his "R" factor! This put him in 3rd and it was a big section with over 20 entries. He then went double clear to keep him in 3rd place. You can see in the picture he loved the XC and even boldly cantered into the water like a pro!
Cheeky Top Gun got a late entry after his spookiness on Thursday, he came 2nd in a different section to Milo, no spooks this time with a double clear, it was an easy fun run for him that I think mentally he needed.

Cheeky Top Gun

2011-05-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

Rodbaston- We continued our good dressage scores, with a 32. Top Gun was the youngest in the class, he had been put in the Open BE100 against downgraded horses. He had just one rail in the SJ, it was a big track in a small, spooky indoor school. XC was better overall as he was galloping much straighter between fences. But he was too fresh and spooked at a car at fence 3 gaining an unlucky 20 penalties, we were not even properly near the fence. Then he hestitated too long off the big drop off the bank and so came home with 40 penalties in total. All young horse stuff, no doubt his greeness will diminish and his talent will win me a BE100 soon!!!

Icon does a fly past!

2011-05-08T13:40:00.000-07:00

First apologies to anyone who has tried to email via my website, I have not ignored you its not working. We are looking into the gremlins.
Hambledon Intermediate today. My stiff old Icon pulled a 28 dressage out of nowhere, he had 8's for his centre lines and for his leg yields and was in 8th place, Oh My Goodness Me! Then showjumping he backed off a related distance and just tipped one rail off, we were still in the running for a good place. This would be easy peasy!
I set out of the start box like a rocket and flew, not taking a pull anywhere, intermediate feels small now.
Then suddenly I was approaching a gallopy fence, a wide skinney spread joined between the Novice and BE100 fences, we had a skinney bit in the middle to jump, Oh no, Icon locked on to the Novice fence and over we flew, "Sugar" I said! I had to pull up a very fast Icon, trot back among the trees and bluebells, apologise to the judge for my language and rejump the fence. Drat. I had a fabulous ride though, he was very strong but otherwise foot perfect.
I once again picked Pippa Funnells brains to solve my big horse small girl syndrome(BHSG). She produced a bit that works on all her BHSG syndrome horses. Fab, I will report when I have tried it out.

Rif Raf Weaned and Loose Horses

2011-05-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

Ten Month old Rif Raf has been weaned this week, her mum Butterfly has gone up the farm so far away they can't hear each other. Rif Raf has settled well and is leading in hand in walk and trot. Also she has tied up properly and has walked boldly over poles on the school. She is very stunning and I rather like her.

Some D of E teenagers left a gate open in the youngstock field today and they escaped(the horses not the teenagers). No harm done just a lot of holes in a ready to plant field. We tracked the group down to a camp site and the childrens teacher rang us to apologise he was really sorry and said it won't happen again.

Milo and Top Gun went to Summerhouse BSJA this week. They both jumped clears although on a ticket so no winnings, I was so pleased with them. Milo is now entered for his first ODE in a week. It is raining torrential rain so we will be able to run Icon XC this weekend, I can't wait.

Dressage then Solihull and Withington

2011-05-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

Top Gun won scoring 80% at a local dressage show. Wow, the judge loved him.

At Solihull Top Gun did a fab dressage to score 33,would have been good enough to win it. But (always a but in eventing!) he was crazy in the SJ as he heard and spotted the XC and tried cantering sideways into the fences so had 3 down, annoying but he is still lovely. The ground was firm so I withdrew him from the XC to save him for another day. I went with my web designer Louise Calverley, she had a really good day clear XC to finish 13th. Like Top Gun her horse is also just starting to do BE100 and is looking very confident at this level now.

Icon went to Withington to do the Advanced, again the ground was firm. A few minutes before I was due in to dressage I realised they were not riding the test I had learnt. Weird as I check this several times before an event as I am a bit dyslexic. Turned out I had been put in the 3* section who had a different test. Arghhh....panic, someone gave me the test to learn but my mind couldn't take it in that quickly so I decided to withdraw. Turned out lots of other riders had the same problem. Pippa Funnell told me she luckily found out just before she got on so had time to learn it and Mark Kyle said he managed to learn it in the 3 minutes just before he went in the arena! I decided it was fate telling me not to run Icon on the hard ground!

Louise Skelton gets in a Pickle

2011-04-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

Badminton on TV (red button) was very exciting. There were a few tired horses which was not so good to watch. Andrew Bennie was shadowing the ground jury at Badminton, he said the high humidity at Badminton mid afternoon caused some horses to get very weary. Luckily they had a fantastic veterinary team to look after them. My friend Louise Skelton had a real bit of bad luck at the second last. Pickle tried to jump on 3 strides. It was a road crossing that had sand on the road, Pickle thought the grass in front of the fence was part of the jump and took off a whole stride early. Poor Pickle and Louise crashed down hard and both were pretty bruised. I have spoken to Louise's mum today and both are well, Pickle was out grazing in the field and Louise was out teaching. Louise has 6 advanced horses all of whom she has taken up the levels entirley herself, several are homebred, she is amazing as she is tiny at only 7 stone!
I am praying for rain, Top Gun is entered for Solihull BE100 and Icon Withington Advanced but I will only run them if the ground looks kind to their legs. The other 2 five year olds John Wayne and Milo are ready to be entered BE but need a XC schooling session first so all on hold until it rains.

Show Jumping

2011-04-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

Took 3 to Hartpury SJ today. Milo, John Wayne and Top Gun. (Monty is having a few weeks off until it rains) Milo was a star jumping 2'6 for the first time with one down, he is gaining a small fan club most of whom want to buy him! Then I felt brave and jumped him in the 2'9 and he went lovely again with one down. Bless him. Then John Wayne jumped two classes and had a 3rd. He hasn't been out SJ for months and I had forgotton how easy his canter is on a course. Top Gun was 4th in the last class, his canter felt a bit flat compared to John Waynes natural athletic spring.

Badminton SJ and XC

2011-04-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

I took my friend Bernice with me to support Camilla and Jake. Jake jumped really well with just one down and flew round the XC clear 30 secs inside the time. It was lovely to see them start and then to cheer them through the finish. They looked foot perfect and very happy.
Once Jake was washed and cooled off it was time to hit the shops. When our feet were so tierd they ached we visited Jackie Skelton in the 4* lorry park for a deck chair rest and to catch up on trot up gossip. Louise her daughter was out schooling Partly Pickled ready for his 4* dressage test. We then walked the 4* XC, those flower troughs at fence ten look tricky, the dipping ground between the 2nd and 3rd will make for some awkward jumps. I am staying at home to watch the XC on the red button on Sunday, so exciting and I won't miss a thing.

Grassroots 2011 Dressage

2011-04-21T00:12:00.000-07:00

Camilla and Jake did a lovely test to score 36.8. It was a shame marks were lost when Jake broke into canter early on, he saw the white boards, and seemed convinced they were to be jumped! It was a flowing active test, the atmosphere was tense and the high white boards often cause horses to back off and shorten their stride. Jake was very pleased with himself and looked stunning and Camilla did a super job keeping him calm and riding an accurate test.I walked the XC with Camilla in the evening. It is a long (6 mins 30 secs) straightforward course. A log on the brow of a hill is the first early question, it will need plenty of energy and a short powerful canter. The brush to the inviting ditch should only cause trouble for those that over jump the ditch, but even then there is plenty of room (3 strides) to get reins back to jump the angled brush out. There is a large brush spread just out of the water, cleverly positioned just on the downward slope, I think if you end up with long reins and a flat canter to this it will cause a problem. The only other real problem comes one from home at a corner, its an easy one but nearer a BE100 question with no Xmas tree to hold you in line.

Badminton Horse Trials

2011-04-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

Camilla Esling and Just Jake had their final lesson yesterday prior to their big day at the Badminton Grassroots final. Even in the last week his left canter has improved. I am going both days to support her as her coach and friend so its really exciting. Camilla rides beautifully and has worked very hard and so Jake is going the best he has ever gone. All we can do now is cross everything and hope for a good all round performance. I will report on her dressage tomorrow evening.

Burnham Market CIC***

2011-04-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

We tried and failed! Icon passed the trot up Friday morning with flying colours and then did a good test for him, scoring 64, no where near the leaders but he tried his best and got a qualifying score. He was on springs show jumping at 1.30m and had just the first fence down. The ground was so hard we had decided to not run xc if he had more than 4 down. So he had decided for us and we were running. Ant said if I ran, Icon will need a few weeks off as he would be shook up, so I agreed to pull up if I had a problem. He set off well, but he was headstrong and I missed my turn at one of the early combination fences. I jumped it and then a couple more fences and retired to save him for another day. Only annoying thing is that now we are home Burnham Market have recorded him as Eliminated, I have emailed them to find out what has gone wrong. Email Reply - They say I jumped the wrong part of the C element of the fence I couldn't turn at, its too late to object now. Ant was stood next to this fence and is 100% certain I jumped the correct part!

Last Thursday I took Hartpury Take It 2 The Top (Monty) to a grass dressage show, he behaved beautifully, was very green (especially in canter) yet the judge loved him and he scored 70% and came 4th in a class of about 20.

Hartpury Top Gun At Sapey

2011-04-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

We left home at 9.30 am and returned home at 9.36 am (yes - 6 mins later) to remove "Felix The I Wana Be An Eventing Cat" from the lorry! Top Gun did a good test but his greeness lets him down in every movement, he fell into trot, wobbled up centre line and was very lazy etc etc, he can't see the point of dressage! He woke up for SJ and pinged round just catching the last with his back foot. Then he was bold XC but shying at everything and meandering greenly about on the gallopy bits then locking on to the fences and was off. Once he has learnt to gallop and not lollop between fences he will be pretty fast XC! He is a superstar in the making.....just alot of making to do yet!

Monty, Milo and John Wayne.

2011-04-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

I have at last decided which of my 5 year olds to sell and John Wayne is for sale, he has gone on Horsequest this week. Keep changing my mind which one I prefer. I simply can't keep them all, I am riding 5 a day and teaching 4 hours a day plus all the routine yard work so one has just got to go. I am aiming him for the BYEH and Lycetts 5 year old classes in June in case he is unsold and took him XC schooling yeaterday, he started off spooking at fence one and then got bold flying everything, water, ditches, skinnies etc. Fab as he has not seen a XC fence since October. Milo jumped the dinky fences really well and enjoyed himself, although not in the same league as John Wayne of course. The baby Monty (Hartpury Take It 2 the Top) was outstanding, also only jumping dinky fences but remained calm sensible and confident despite it being a busy event held on grass with ponies flying about all over the place.

HARTPURY TWILIGHT - More scars! Twig (2 year old colt by Take It 2 The Limit) had a near disaster last week. A stupid neighbour, decided to store a gate in Twigs field and lent it up against the fence. Twig being an investigating sort of 2 year old, came over and put his leg in it. Massive cut and a huge lump on the bone above his knee, he had to come in for poulticing and some antibiotics. While he was in I called the vet to have him castrated, Twig not the stupid neighbour, although.....! Anyway all is OK now, one gelding and wounds healing well and luckily I have not bumped into the neighbour as I have not quite calmed down yet!

Lovely Howick

2011-04-03T12:56:00.001-07:00

A lovely first BE100, low key friendly event, ground was sticky but good and the course was very inviting with lots of nice questions, a decent coffin, skinnies on turns an inviting corner and some angled fences too.

Top Gun behaved in the dressage and scored 39, just a bit wobbly in places, 2 down SJ he felt on springs and clear XC, he was bold and I had a super ride, he is really easy to see a stride on and is very straight and honest at Skinnies. I went with my website designer Louise Calverley who rode Alloon Ice in the BE100 into 12th place. My other pupils had a fabulous weekend too, Becky Amos came 2nd in the BE90 on a horse that she has bought on from a green youngster and this was his first BE event-outstanding. Camilla Esling was 3rd in a BE90 so she is all set for Badminton in 2 weeks, Katy Richards finished 8th in a BE100. Claire Mealing had a good clear XC with an unlucky 4 faults SJ.

Icon Eliminated

2011-04-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

Had a fab day at Belton horse trials, spring is here and there were loads of spectators....apart from.......I missed out a show jump...and got Icon eliminated. Luckily I was allowed to run XC and he flew round clear, it was a big track with lots of fences shared with the advanced. He is brilliant XC and went so well we have decided Belton would be a good 3* for him next year. He had a 40 dressage and one down sj so would have only just been in the top ten at best. Having an E and so no chance of a prize meant we could come straight home and get Top Gun ready for his first BE100 at Howick tomorrow. Exciting.

Worcester Pony Club

2011-03-27T12:55:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnPhKOlj9OQ What a lovely fun day organised at their branch field near Droitwich. I took sensible young Milo round the tiny xc jumps his first ever time round a full course, he went clear and felt lovely. Even younger Monty after a short spin on the lunge behaved really well, it was a busy grass show ( the sort we are now so short of to educate these young event horses) Monty jumped erratically round a X pole clear round. He is confident over 2'9" on a surface yet on grass it was like he hadn't ever seen a show jump! Then I nipped easily over the bigger XC jumps on Top Gun, hes really grown up over the last few weeks and feels ready for his first BE100 next week. Every one was really friendly and helpful and the courses were really educational. Just heard Spring Along died from a heart attack on the xc at Gatcombe today, news like this makes me treasure every moment that these lovely horses are with us. In our lesson with Pammy Hutton last week she said she felt this was the year he had a real chance to win Badminton.

Lincoln

2011-03-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

Fabulous photo by kind permission of Graham Bannister.

Icon had a lovely outing at his first Intermediate run of the year. Lincoln is regarded as one of the largest Intermediates in the country and it certainly did look imposing as I walked the course.
I found a bit of spare time to watch the show jumping. It was a treat to be able to watch Lenamore (won Burghley last year Caroline Powell) Billy Landretti (Pippa Funnell) and Cool Mountain (William Fox-Pitt). Three of this countrys top horses and are potential 2012 Olympians. I felt in awe of competing along side them. Lenamore was my favourite, he has springs!!
Icon did his best ever dressage test to score 35 and just had 2 poles in the SJ and a fast clear XC. So long as he is sound in the morning we will be sending off our entry for our first cic***. A good run at a cic*** would qualify us for Blenheim, that would be a dream come true. Its my dream, Icons dream would be just XC then polos, he has developed a polo shuffle in the direction of any spectators! Monday update -

Icon very fresh and well, chiropractor Johnathon Gibbons has checked him and all ok, I am delighted......FEI flu jab tomorrow and we are on the road to entering our first cic***.

Top Gun at Swalcliffe

2011-03-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

At Swalcliffe Top Gun was waitlisted for the BE90 and I only heard we were in late yesterday evening. I had to cancel all my lessons and clean tack quickly!
Top Gun was relaxed in his trot work, but was a teeny bit buzzy in the walk and canter, I was pleased with his mark of 38, especially as he is not 5 until June. He show jumped lovely just tipping 2 poles when he became a little unbalanced, this is only the 3rd time he has competed on grass. As least we have some good excuses at the moment!
XC he was very bold but green at times, nothing jumpable bothers him but he did get a 20 at fence 2 when he whipped sideways from a very dangerous looking fence judge......she had a clipboard!!!
I took him slowly xc, letting him learn and trying not to get him tierd as it was very hilly. Its been a glorious sunny day and just lovely to be out eventing. Next stop Icon does an Intermediate.

Talland and Pammy Hutton

2011-03-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

Icon was fab today in a lesson with Pammy Hutton. She was really pleased with him and how he has improved. I have been working really hard with all the bendy flexi exercises she gave me to do. Icon was so good she spent most of the lesson working with me. I need to let go of my right rein more in the right half pass, work on transitions within half pass and shoulder in. AND work on my lower back position in canter. Phew!

Then I had a lesson with Gerry Sinnot on Top Gun. I have had a problem keeping his head from rocking in canter, Gerry said this is going to take time to sort maybe 12 months as he is still young and weak. He gave me a good exercise to help get him more balanced. We also worked on half halts to improve the trot, it took me time to get the hang of a tiny mini half halt, he is so sensitive compared to Icon. Then wow what a lovely swingy trot all the tension had gone. Gerry also noticed I am blocking the left canter by not allowing him to come through, I need to push my left hip forward but still bring my shoulder back.
When I got home poor John Wayne had to work through all the stuff I needed to practice, he was very tolerant!