Pre Season Catch Up

So it's been a little quiet on the blogging front over the winter, but here at Team Upton HQ we've been ramping up for the season ahead and there have been a few changes...

First to introduce Sian Barden our new groom, Sian has had experience working in a hunt yard and a livery yard, she is very quiet around the horses and all our horses love her. You will definitely see her out and about with us over the season. Only problem is she is even smaller than me, so we need step stools everywhere we go now!

Sian, Boo and the new Team Upton mobile HQ!

We have a new mobile HQ, its big, blue and shiny. Yes Mum passed her HGV test so we have new wheels, lots of storage and the ability to take a string of horses out in one go. I think Dad checks on the lorry every morning and every evening and gives it a pat before he goes to work! Dad is now going to do his HGV as he is teensy bit jealous of Mum behind the wheel!

We have a new dog called Daisy, who is in fact Wally's sister and Milly's daughter. Keeping up? Well long story short we bred her and due to a change in circumstances she has returned, she does not leave Mum's side and is her protector at all times, particularly if anyone is thinking of sitting on the same sofa as Mum!

Kilkenny Lady

So on to the horses, I am very proud to announce that I will be riding Kilkenny Lady (Rosie) for Lydia Roper this season. She is a 6 year old, liver chestnut mare with no experience but huge amounts of talent, so much so 2 four star riders were also interested in her. We are taking it slowly, taking it all the way back to basics and although she was more than capable of jumping 1.30m when we got her, she is learning to jump 90cm properly! (She actually jumped the top of the wings and jumped me off when I first got her)!


The other horses to compete this season Rocklodge Nasdaq (Hector) is back from his winter break and looking fantastic, Carriage Dubh (Danny) just started cantering, Arabella and Dramatic Effect have both been in light work all over the winter and are both looking and feeling amazing.

I feel so excited for this season, my horses are mostly youngsters but they are all so talented,  I love producing them and I am very, very lucky to have been given the opportunities that I have.

Meanwhile through the winter I have been mostly show jumping and doing a little hunting. We've been having fun competing in inter hunt relays. Our team has had some success. We came 3rd in our first competition and we won the next, we may be persuaded to get together again for some more inter hunt competitions depending on the event calendar.

Me, Julia Martin, Tina Cook (Interhunt relay team)