A Month Until The First Event

I am quietly getting the horses ready for their first season British Eventing, it seems very strange only having grass roots horses to prepare for this year. It's just as much work, but slightly less stressful. It's much easier to find winter events suitable for educating young horses, cheaper too. Last year having a horse needing to jump at 1.20+ meant long days out to Solihull and Hartpury, then with huge entries there was always a long wait as the 1.20 classes are normally right at the end of the day.

Massimo had another clear round outing to Hill View Arena this weekend, he popped round clear twice really nicely.

Rif Raf is doing a bit more fast work as she is a slow cob, Rupert will hardly need any at all as he is full TB, also he is still green XC so I don't think I would get the time yet even if he was fit enough to run in the Grand National!

Despite it being  a cold windy January I am flat out teaching, I am doing lots of travelling as my client base is fairly spread out, this week I have been working near Mathon, Worcester, Gloucester, Tewkesbury and Ledbury. Doesn't seem that far, but when I have 4 to ride at home plus stable duties it uses up most of the daylight at this time of the year.

The new house we are having done up by www.enchantedwood.co. is progressing well. Still lots to do and we are waiting news on a planing application for new facilities for the horses and other livestock.

The farm has its own barns but they are rather too old and beautiful to put destructive horses in them. So they are to be used for Anthony's chickens and workshed.

Below pics are the far end of the new house and Ant making some metal tie bars to strengthen the barn we are having renovated.

Alvescot Mirage by Miley

A horse for the future arrived on the yard today. A yearling filly (born May 2014) by Miley out of a Pouchka Mare, she also has the Hanoverian stallion Espri as her great grandsire. Both sides of her breeding should give her great movement and a fab jump and of course with any luck she will have that lovely bold trainable Miley temperament.

She will be handled for a week, taught to pick up feet, lead in hand and to be tied up, and then turned away for 12 - 18 months, only being bought up to the yard for worming and any health issues. I usually long rein and lunge them at 2 years then turn them away again until they are 3 when they are lightly broken and then turned away again until they are 4. 

Weston Lawns Arena Eventing

I took Rif Raf The Dragon along to do 2 classes at Weston Lawns today. It's an hour and 30 minute drive from our house but it is well worth it, as its an outstanding venue for a pre season Eventing run. The dressage was in a long arena so this made it much more challenging than a normal BE test. The SJ course was 8 fences followed by 13 XC fences, there was a ditch, a water jump and some steps down. Much more like the real thing. 

Rif Raf as usual loved it, after jumping in class 1 she was a little jolly in her 2nd dressage test but despite this still scored 36 in both her tests. She finished in 2nd and 4th jumping double clear inside the time in both classes. 

She is on fine form having finished 3rd SJ at Hartpury on Friday Evening too.

I have been doing boring my accounts this week. My tax return is due in to the Inland Revenue by the end of January. Hugo has been helping with the adding up!!!!!!

Builders have moved into our new house to sort out its extremely elderly insulation and flooring, they have just unearthed the below stunning inglenook fireplace. Meanwhile I am frantically de cluttering our old one as we are planning to sell it in the Spring.

A look back at 2014

2014 was a year of all change, I sold several horses and bought a few too.

HartpuryTwilight went to Tom Searle who had an amazing year on him finishing the season with two top ten placings at Novice. I am so excited about Tom having him, Twilight is the best that Top Tottie bred, (I have ridden 4 of her foals so I should know!) and I am sure Toms going to get the best out of him, he's an amazing rider.

Hartpury Top Gun was sold as a schoolmaster, he went on a winning streak, within 6 months he had qualified  for the Pony Club Championships plus several top ten places at BE.  Fantastic for Verity his elegant young rider, she rides him beautifully.

Next I sold Hartpury Take It 2 The Top after some good runs at Novice and Intermediate. The sale was assisted by the brilliant Tom Searle who took him on to sell for me and as a last minute ride at Soilhull and Prestwold being placed 3rd and 2nd qualifying for a regional final, this cemented his sale to Francessca who gelled perfectly with him, they were placed several times out at the end of the season. 

In the summer I bought Woadhill Primo but after 3 days I found he was not the right horse for me, I immediately rang the lady I bought him from, who also bred him, she refused to have him back, despite it only being 3 days from the day of purchase, even for less money, which says it all really. I sold him at Brightwells Sales in September.

Several new horses arrived including Graham Potts 7 year old x race horse Rupert and also the youngsters Middleton, Massimo and Pop Art.

My lovely 4 year old Rif Raf The Dragon had a super start to 2014, she went double clear everytime time out including a win at West Wilts area Riding Club ODE.  Can't wait to event her this year as she is so much fun and is really genuine to a fence. Sadly she will be another one to sell later in the summer, as she is a perfect grassroots horse, due to being a bit chunky. I think she will do novice but that would be her limit.

We finished the eventing season with unaffiliated placings on two horses competing in their first ever ODE, 2nd and a 6th on Middleton and Rupert.

One of the exciting competitions in 2014 was when Anthony my partner won a showing class with one of his Mottled Pekin Bantams. His bird beat over 2000 birds, she then went on to be Reserve Champion. Anthony is a huge support to me with my horses, he works so hard breeding, preparing and selecting his poultry for these shows, it was really exciting for him to win something so prestigious. 

My last thought for 2014 is that I am thrilled to have a huge following on this Blog. I hope you enjoy reading it, thanks to you guys since it first began I have had over 63,000 views. 

In December 2014, always a quiet month for blogs, I had over 800 readers. Here are the stats....

Popart Starts his training

3 year old Pop Art started his training on Xmas day, he had a bridle and saddle on and learnt to be tied up and to trot up in hand. He also passed the plastic bag test see above, which helps them get used to the sound of waterproof riders coats etc.

Today he was ready to start longreining, just in the arena to begin with, he should be long reining out on the grass in 2 or 3 days time. Once he has been broken he will be taken to a few shows and then will be for sale as have decided to cut back on our horses in order to pay for the work on the 400 year old farm house we are having renovated. We also have some nice 2 year olds for sale.

Arena Eventing Lincombe on Rif Raf plus horse Shopping

I took Rif Raf Arena eventing last weekend, she absolutely loved it, when she saw we had to ride over grass to get to the arena she got a bit jolly as she thought it was the real thing! She loves her jumping.

She was a tad disappointed when she saw the sand arena but she still bounced round to go double clear to be 4th in both her classes, the 80 and 90. 

See a video of her 90 round here http://youtu.be/3yJek9sPEZs

Next blog post will be a run through of the horses that I intend to event next year, with several sold in 2014 its going to be a year of mainly bringing on youngsters for young horse classes, so 2015 is looking like a fun year of competing very wobbly horses round 80s and 90s!

Which is just as well as we have a house move on the horizon, only a mile down the road but a slightly bigger set up with more space for Ants cattle, chickens and of course a few horses.

I have been shopping for unbroken youngsters more news and pictures on my new purchases in next few weeks.

Also we have a new puppy a border collie called Hugo, he's fab very intelligent and has already been to his first show at Hartpury. He has also managed an emergency visit to the vet when he crept up on to a chair and ate 6 of Ants painkilling tablets, but no harm done as luckily I realised and was able to act quickly!

Hartpury Show Jumping

Phew what a busy day.

6 am - muck out 5 boxes +feed horses.

7.30 - load Massimo drive to Hartpury.

8 am - jumped superstar 3 yr old Massimo clear round 2x 70 cm SJ - I love him he is so bold and he was also extremely well behaved. 

9.30 - drove home to teach at 10.

11.30- load 3 horses drive to Hartpury

12.15 - jump 3 horses in 80 cm class. 

1 pm - jump 3 horses in 90 cm class

1.45 - loaded, untacked and on way home exhausted!! 

With help from Ant and Nikki Cox tacking up I jumped 3 horses in 6 rounds in 1 hr and 15 mins!!! 

My horses must work well under pressure as they didn't have a pole down all day, and with Massimos rounds early it was a total of 8 rounds jumped!

I ache now though!!!  

Below Rupert 5th in the 80 cm

Middleton jumping one of his his double clears.