Here we catch up with brand ambassador Harriet Falshaw as she finishes with a podium placing in the Area Festival…
It’s September, when did that happen?! With not eventing this year I am loosing track of time as I normally remember which month it is by which horse trials are coming up!
That being said, this year we have been focusing on dressage with Mr Fergus and trying to achieve consistent tests at Medium level. We have ventured to Manor Grange twice where he has managed to contain himself on both occasions. This is no mean feat as we seem to struggle with my lack of ability to breathe during the tests combined with his ability to find monsters even in the quietest arenas!
However, now he is getting older and owes me nothing and as he is no Valegro, we have been focusing on the Petplan Area Festivals rather than aiming to the Regionals, where we end up being swamped by more talented, flashier combinations.
The goal this summer has been the Area Festival at Alnwick Ford which was at the beginning of August. We decided to do a practice trip a few weeks before to see how Fergus coped with the enormous indoor arena! The answer was not particularly well! Two ‘exuberant’ tests on what happened to also be the hottest day of the year left us all a bit deflated that this dressage malarky just wasn’t for us.
By the time the Areas came round (and I had triple checked that I had learnt the right test this time!!) all I wanted was a nice quiet test. Well, Mr Fergus must have finally packed his dancing shoes and he pulled out all the stops and, bar one tiny mistake, did his best test to date! This was rewarded with third place and although thrilled with him, this meant that we will have to wait and see if we secure a wildcard, as only the top two qualified.
He has had a slightly quieter time during the rest of August as we are gearing up to moving back up to Advanced Medium level in September.
I also made a very exciting purchase back in April… a 16.1hh chestnut gelding, who is known as Ginger to his friends (very original!). He has been at Sara Bowe’s for an education whilst I have been finishing off my final Surveying exams. Now these are done he has come home to spend the winter with me before hopefully getting out eventing in the Spring of 2023. Up to press we have been taking things slow with pole work and hacking as he has a lot of strengthening up to do, but I am hoping to get him out and about later in the year.
Of course none of this would be possible without the support of British Horse Feeds and The Golden Paste Company. We use Fibre-Beet as a bulk base food which has been great during the summer drought. Cooked Linseed is amazing for their coats and not heating at all as well as TurmerItch™ for Fergus as he struggles with sweet itch throughout the summer months.
That’s all for now but look out for our next blog at the end of the year!
Harriet, Fergs and Ginge x
