So my blog has been a bit sparse lately, owing to the fact I am struggling to fit in anything that doesn't involve riding and that includes a social life! My day is starting at 6am and often not finishing till 9pm but I am loving every moment. Since last writing we have had two blow outs on the lorry, a new horse that I own, Pearl has come back to Upper Barn, Frankie a little TB has arrived and we have a new competition livery called Peanut. We are full to the brim and have recently had to turn down another livery. Mum says we will need to build bunk beds for the stables soon!!!
My last blog was left on a high from Belton with Danny, he was then kicked in the shoulder by a naughty horse on a hack, which then had to be stapled, he wasn't lame but it was in an awkward place and so was on walk work for 5 days, then the following trial at Withington was cancelled and we rerouted to Bicton - IN DEVON! Danny didn't feel right in the dressage and nor in the show jumping and he was just a bit off, we didn't chance him cross country so came all the way back (7 hours as we had a blow out), it turned out to be a corn, so few more days off and then back on track with fitness for Aston Le Walls. Our dressage not amazing we got a 35 but to be honest we had been concentrating on fitness work and my lovely dressage trainer Fiona Bigwood also had a horrific accident which put a halt to any training and then a beautiful double clear, (although we nearly came a cropper at the water) coming 9th in the section and 3rd top junior there so we were over the moon. |
| Arabella limbering up! |
So for those of you don't know Arabella is back and the best news of all is that I now own her! She is a beautiful talented horse and I am still pinching myself. I can't believe she is mine. She has done brilliantly since her return to Upper Barn, we have done three competitions and been placed twice in 2nd and 8th place. She has a long, long way to go in her training and sometimes in attitude but boy is she talented. We have decided that she is ready to go up to Novice, our first one will be at Nunney.
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| Boo and a ditch! |
Now Boo, well she has provided some challenges, she just didn’t want to do ditches and did we know about it. After Munstead, we pulled her out of all competitions and just concentrated on training and got a little help from Kieran Crumley with the ditches and now she has changed so much, we took her out to her first proper event at the weekend and she was amazing and is now almost too bold! We are so ridiculously excited about her. She will move up to 100 very quickly. Oh and I nearly forgot to tell you… she also came 8th
Hector is jumping out of his skin at the moment and he is settling into competition again. Its a shame we couldn't complete his run this weekend because of the ground, he got a great dressage and I had a feeling he was going to do well with his jumping. He was on great form at Aston Le Walls for his1st novice of the season. We forgive the dressage - a another blow out on the lorry caused him and arabella a lot of stress and they were lit up for the dressage! But he jumped like a pro and really took me round the cross country.
Frankie is a new to Upper Barn, she is a four year old TB owned by Lottie and Sarah Platt, that I am producing as an eventer, she's got a great attitude and will be out competing soon.
Peanut .......watch this space, new to Upper Barn, I am riding her for Emma Mills and we start with our first event the weekend after next! She is a beautiful, 7 year old coloured mare.
In other news our really good friend Lisa Sparrowhawk is now based with us, Lisa is working alongside me helping me train and ride the horses, she is also a great sports performance coach and has helped me set my goals and gets me in the right mindset!
And finally Yara who I used to ride for David Foy has had a foal, a beautiful colt called "Harry"! He is the cutest thing.....We are just about to change all our feed over to Pure Feed (I am not sponsored by them but after a lot of research and then meeting the founder of the company, I am really excited about the product). I heard about them through LMEQ who are one of my supporters. Danny has been on it for two weeks and we have noticed a difference in that shorter a time.
Next time I will get to blog will be after my final junior trial and National Under 18 championships, going to give it our best shot.......
