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Well I am not entirely sure July brought much more sun but at least it has been a little drier and we have managed to get out and about without wearing rain coats and waterproof sheets!

The month started very successfully on the dressage front, having missed the regional qualification period we didn’t have to prepare for the Summer Regionals so decided instead to go along to Pachesham EC Unaffiliated Dressage Festival for a fun day out keeping busy. Luckily a super farrier came and saved my bacon on Saturday morning as Stanley decided that the prospect of competing was so exciting he’d pull his shoe off during the 20 minutes of grazing I decided he was allowed before we left! The warm up test went ok, it was the first test I had ridden in a long time without a caller and I think remembering where I was going took over and I forgot to ride forwards; despite there being heaps of room for improvement we finished second which was far better than I had thought it might be. Before the second test which was the ‘Championship’ test with two affiliated judges I made sure I woke both myself and Stanley up! He did a super test, fluent and obedient with no mistakes and we were rewarded with a score of 70.6% and first place. Another lovely sash and some prizes to add to his collection. I really am so lucky to have found him.

We had a super lesson with Sara-Jane a week later. Now the basics are mostly in place we have started working on joining much harder lateral work together. Shoulder-in into a circle into travers then directly into trot half pass. This tested my brain as much as his but thankfully due to all the work I have been doing with Emma Westmacott at Biospheric Performance slowly I am becoming stronger in my core and able to use my legs independently to ask for these harder movements. Not perfect, but getting there! We have started mentioning flying changes now too, and he’s getting it, not every time, but most of the time which is very exciting. I can’t believe it was only 18 months ago we were struggling with our trot to canter transitions and 12 months ago I couldn’t even get him to do a proper leg yield, he has come so far!

We made another trip to Pachesham later in the month this time it was British Dressage and our aim was to get our final Area Festival qualification sheets and begin collecting our points towards Winter Regional Qualification. My lovely trainer came to help warm us up and call our tests and it definitely brought us luck as the classes were big and he is still so new at this level. A second place and our biggest score to date at elementary of 71.5% was a great start, lots of points in the bag and our final sheet obtained so the pressure for the second test was removed. This was good as the judge was a little tougher than others we have been under so I wasn’t expecting a huge score, especially not after we managed to whip around and face the other way in the middle of the test as he saw a ghost! Silly pony, always reminding me they are animals and not push button machines. It wasn’t a required movement, but it did make me smile, whoops! Despite some really low marks for the spoilt movements we finished third with just over 65% which I am delighted with! Even more delighted that neither judge commented that he needed to be more in front of the leg – our usual nemesis!

The rest of the month has been filled with hacking out, racing the dog around the fields, having fun with friends, practicing my new elementary music and floor plan, doing some jumping and generally enjoying my horse. At times we all become so wrapped up in our goals that we forget to have fun along the way!

Have fun this month and good luck with the rest of your summer plans!

It was onto Buckminster Novice next where we didn’t have such good luck on our side. After a lot of rain, the ground was just horrendous, although the organisers of the event did the very best they could for the competitors. We had a pleasing dressage for Robbie and I of 36.8 penalties. As many of the horses did, Robbie really struggled in the showjumping, jumping out of the sticky ground – it didn’t feel a great round at all and we had two poles down.

I decided that we would continue and give the xc a go, taking it steady. We started ok, jumping out of the mud until having a stop at fence four. It was a pretty straight forward log cart and although Robbie represented and popped over he then started to lose impulsion as we climbed up the steep hill which comes up so early on in the course at Buckminster. I jumped another couple of fences before pulling up to raise my hand and retire. It says something when 21 competitors withdrew in my section alone! My boy is too special to me to risk an injury from the heavy going if he wasn’t happy with it and I feel he has nothing to prove after going so well at his recent 1* events. He’s had a little holiday and has a few weeks now to do some work at home before his next competition.

Since Buckminster I have been incredibly busy! We had the riding school inspection a few weeks ago. The ponies all have a three stage vetting and everything on the yard is checked over. They all scored well and we received the lovely comment on our licence for this year saying “the ongoing developments at Roman Bank are to a very high standard.”

It was also time to renew my first aid this month so I sat a course for that too. The weekend before last I spent examining pony club D and D+ tests and this week has been crazy but lots of fun, with 14 Pony Clubbers with us for PC camp. I had another great couple of lessons with Tiny last week on Alice and Darcy – I look forward to these sessions so much, they are so valuable and are the highlight of my month, every month! I’ve also been whizzing off for training days as I’m currently taking a course for my UKCC… Looking back on this month it really has just been all systems go!!

Hoping that I will have caught up on some sleep by the time I report back with my blog next month!

So July has been a very busy month. Spirit and I started the month off with Pony Club Area’s at Felbridge in the Open 1.10m teams and individual competition. We finished with a triple clear, team first and individual second. The rest of the team clocked up individual first, third and fourth meaning we all qualified for National Championships individually and as a team!

On the 16th July, Spirit and I went back to Felbridge for a British Showjumping show and competed in the 1.10m Open but had an unfortunate pole in the jump off. We then went on to do our first ever 1.20m Open and couldn’t have been happier with the result having finished with a double clear and finding out later that week that I had actually came 10th in a very strong jump off.

Later in the month my sister Katelyn took Spirit to her first ever dressage where they scored 58.93%. I was really proud of them but Spirit was a bit confused when she saw the white boards instead of the show jumps.

We then headed for the Royal International Horse Show and had a good start to the week jumping a double clear in the 1.10m Open, unfortunately we were not quite fast enough to for the placings. The following day there was a ground inspection for the 1.10m Open so we didn’t jump but I was really pleased with the round beforehand. Then on the Saturday in the 1.10m qualifier we had an unfortunate pole in the jump off but I was really pleased with how the round went. During our week at Hickstead I also helped my instructor get her horses ready for her classes and got to meet Wocket Woy but I didn’t tell Spirit as she would be very jealous!

We are now looking at getting ready for the Hickstead Hurst Schools & PC Teams whilst having a few days’ rest before the four-day show at Brendon Stud.

Wow, what a busy month for Tilly and I.

Our first Side Saddle show of the month was Market Bosworth. I haven’t been for years, but it is a really lovely little country show. We entered three classes and were delighted to come away with two seconds and a third. The judge even called us elegant a couple of times!

Back to astride for a week and practice our dressage test. The dressage show did not go as planned, as our left circle canter resembled Bambi on Ice, with head and legs going in all directions as Tilly struggled to get herself balanced now we have got her away from leaning on the reins to hold her up. We still managed to get fifth place on a score of 63.68%.

The very next day we were off to Kimbolton Castle for their Country Fayre and Classic Car Show. Myself and another rider, were part of an English Civil War display there. In the first display Tilly found the gunfire a little bit exiting and danced around a bit, but by the second display she was her usual relaxed self.

Another of the displays was a camel race. Horses are well known for being scared of Camels, but when Tilly first saw them, all she wanted to do was walk off after them.

My local Riding Club summer show was our next outing, where we just entered the Side Saddle equitation class. I was really pleased with how Tilly went in her show, as two days before we still resembled Bambi on ice. We managed fourth in a very strong class.

Sunday was our last Side Saddle show before the Side Saddle Nationals next weekend. The first class started off not too bad, which was the Intermediate Equitation, and we came away with a respectable third place. Next it was the costume class and that was when it all started to go downhill. After not being ridden for a few days due to work, Tilly had decided that she had had enough riding for one day, and just wanted to tank off at high speed, not listening to me at all. Funnily enough, we were bottom of the lineup.

Next was the clear round jumping and after a bit of a practice we made it around clear and so got our clear round rosette, but trust me, we got no points for style, and how I managed to stay on at a couple of the jumps, I have no idea! Even jumping did not stop Tilly from sulking. Mares, don’t you just love them!!

Next weekend is our first time at a big show, the Side Saddle Championships at Addington Manor, and it is fair to say that I am rather nervous about it. So many things to think about and it is held over three days. I will be going on my own, but am looking forward to finding all my side saddle friends and learning so much by watching other riders. Finger crossed!

We have had a great month, D’artagnan, also known as Ted to his friends and family has qualified for the Winter Regionals, he won both his freestyle to music classes at Field House on 7 July.

Then at the end of July he went and had a great result scoring over 73% in his freestyle to music which means he has officially qualified in two classes, so in total we have three horses and four qualifications!

We sadly have only one horse in foal for 2017, Angel was scanned and not in foal this time but hopefully we will try again next year. However, some exciting news is that the Dutch stallion we have chosen for our other mare, Governor, was placed fifth in The World Breeding Championships. So that’s very exciting, and also good news on the breeding front.

Last week we said good bye to our homebred yearling, First Felicity, known as Fliss to her new owner. We dropped her off at her new home and what a well behaved yearling she was, we were so proud of her loading and travelling. Her new owner was so happy with her new addition and that her father First Ampere was also placed highly at the World Breeding Championships, receiving 88% in his first round. So best of luck to Fliss and her new owner for the future in the dressage world.

My next blog will include a trip to Holland viewing foals and stallions.

Hope your all enjoying the shows and the better weather.

Successes all round!

After such a busy month it’s time again to sit down and put the best bits in my blog… So here goes.

The first outing of this month was a showjumping lesson with Ros which went pleasantly well. After a bit of a wobbly start to jumping with Seeker it seems he has just to realised what he was meant to do, giving me a huge confidence boost and we were flying! It’s a fantastic feeling to go around the arena on a horse that’s looking to jump and will try to help you out in sticky situations so I came out of that lesson with a big smile on my face and Seeker had some extra treats back at the farm.

This month we were lucky enough to hire some local working hunter jumps and use them in the field, which was a great success and a fun day had by all. I was a bit worried about jumping Mr Seeker on grass for the first time but he got straight down to business and although he’s still over jumping everything by about 3ft he didn’t really look at a thing! Another big boost for us both so I’m definitely looking forward to jumping him again.

We also had a dressage lesson yesterday afternoon with a new instructor for the both of us and although oddly strong at times, Seeker is starting to grasp the concept of suppleness so hopefully with more practise at home I can get him a bit more responsive to me and using his power in a more effective way.

Although, the best part of this month for me had to be flying over to Guernsey to visit and compete the horse I only recently sold, Harry. I was so lucky to have this opportunity as I know so many people often lose contact with previous horses but I couldn’t have asked for a better home for Harry, he really does love his life in Guernsey (even if he is becoming a bit of a diva, ha ha!).

His new owner, Deb, was kind enough to let me stay for a week with her family, let me ride both Harry and her stunning Andalusian, Pedro, and even took me and both of her horses to three competitions during my stay. It was like a dream come true! Harry and I really rocked the islands ‘South Show’, picking up four first prize rosettes and two reserve champions! Plus, I learnt I can still vault onto Harry and both of us still love a quick blast around the field bareback!

It’s been a pleasure writing my monthly blog for British Horse Feeds and their customers, so a massive thank you to everyone who takes the time to support me and Seeker.

We have been continuing lessons with our trainer Hannah this month, Jason has been going really well, and I can really see and feel the improvement in my riding too. Earlier in the month I arrived for a lesson and Hannah was tied up choosing kitchen and bathroom tiles for her new house, so I hopped on Jason to warm him up and ended up having a lesson with Hannah’s dad Robert! It was really good fun – Hannah might have some competition as trainer!

Hannah was away on holiday last week, so we had a break from lessons, and I couldn’t wait for her to return so we could start increasing the amount of lessons we have each week. Then on the Sunday, during his day off, Jason knocked his fetlock and it became swollen, but the swelling went down quickly and he was fine when Hannah worked him on Monday. I was back in the saddle for our lesson on Tuesday and it was going really well for about 10 minutes, then we started a four loop serpentine and as we were turning to the left Jason felt unsound for a few strides, then on the straight he was ok, but then turning left he was unsound again. He had very slight heat in his foreleg, (the same leg he had knocked on Sunday) so we gave him a couple of days off work.

On Friday Hannah said he was better but not 100%, so he is having the weekend off work and we will see how he is on Monday, when fingers crossed it will be good news and all systems go again!

I cannot believe we are now in August, and our year’s sponsorship with British Horse Feeds is almost over. I feel like we are just getting started! It’s been a rollercoaster year of ups and downs, mostly downs, but I have a new moto… there is no such thing as failure, there is only giving up too soon!

Well I’m still broken… and it’s very, very frustrating in the middle of the eventing season!!

In fairness, my broken collarbone is healing well, but I am limited to what I can and am allowed to do! I’ve been using my enforced holiday to catch up on paperwork and, more importantly, plan the end of season campaign for my horses!

My original plan for this season was to aim for the World Breeding Championships at Le Lion with Ash, but as with anything involving horses, we have to get used to rejigging plans!! So, at this moment, the plan will be head to Somerford Park for our first CIC2* then probably onto Osberton for the CICYH** or CCI2* to finish the season. Finish the season… Gosh, that’s come around far too quickly this year!!

Heidi, our lovely five-year-old, is being ticked over and is really starting to show her ability. She is very talented, but as with most competition horses, has plenty of personality and sometimes she thinks she knows best so she gets herself into trouble. The key with her will be lots of repetitive exercises, both on the flat and over fences, to get her to listen – boring, but essential… repeat, repeat, repeat!! 

Calvin (Calsajo Z) has been to boot camp staying at our friends, Nikki and David’s yard. He’s a really smart jumper, so we thought it would be a nice for him to get a run at the Young Horse Championship show at Weston Lawns. He did us proud too, with two double clears to qualify for the five-year-old final! He had a really unlucky rail in the final but jumped super, we are really pleased with him. Thank you David Coombs!!

The last two weeks have been rather busy as we’ve had a totally unexpected and unplanned yard move to deal with. Not ideal in the middle of the eventing season as it can be very unsettling for the horses, but as I’m broken, it really couldn’t have come at a worst time. We have been at the yard for nearly five years, and we have a seriously large amount of equipment to move. It also happened to be during T’s busiest time at work too. Typical eh! Anyway, I don’t know how, but we managed it – a very large gin and tonic was required by all! Massive thanks to Izzy, who so kindly accommodated us at such short notice!

So, a new chapter and new adventures begin…
Kick on, and stay safe!

So I’m writing this month’s blog in a great mood having had some fantastic runs recently. We did have a wobbly start to the season for one reason or another but seem to have got back on track in July!

After a great run at Catton finishing in third place we headed off to the beautiful event that is Barbary. Without a doubt it is my absolute favourite event. With stunning views of the whole cross-country course, fantastic arenas and just a general good vibe across the whole weekend, Barbary will definitely be on my event calendar every year!

Harry did a good test, but I was disappointed with the mark of 58.1, I thought he deserved much better… Until I realised that I had somehow, stupidly managed to halt in the wrong place not once… but twice! This meant I lost a huge number of marks and the disappointing score suddenly made sense. So annoying but hopefully will learn for the next one… don’t speak too soon!

Harry jumped well in the showjumping but a colossal miss from me into the treble spoilt his otherwise fluent and careful round and he somehow managed to crawl out over the 1.20m oxer on the way out but having lowered two poles in the process… time to sack the jockey!

Cross-country time and I think we both redeemed ourselves with an awesome clear inside the time making it feel like child’s play! It’s times like this when I really do love my awesome horse!

Next up was a trip to Cheshire for Cholmondeley Castle. This is another beautiful event with a lovely cross-country course. Well the dressage test demons are really out to get me and for some silly reason I read that the test was the 2* B test (it was one of the final junior trials). So the person two before me was in doing her test and I glanced over and suddenly have a panic because she is riding a completely different test! So, I find out that the correct test is in fact 1*B (I did find it weird that they were making the juniors do a 2* test so close to the Euros) and luckily a friend in the warm up had a copy so I quickly learn the right test and in we go! The judges comment on my sheet had to be the best one yet and sums up my unorganised, slightly ‘winging it’ test up perfectly! She wrote. “All correct, now just need a little more control over the whole situation”. Nevertheless, we got a few really good marks. Lots of 7s and ended with a respectable score.

Harry was great in the jumping phases. Pulling it back for me with a classy round over a tough track and a fab xc round! So pleased with him and now looking forward to heading to Hartpury for the CCI2*, which I am packing for as I write this blog!! Wish me luck!!

July has been a very productive month!

Charlie and I rode at Frickley Park in the BE80 class and he was amazing! We achieved our best dressage score to date (26.8), we were clear showjumping and a clear xc however I somehow jumped both the alternative jumps so was eliminated. Absolutely gutting as I would have won the class, everyone else with 20’s dressage was eliminated too!

However, I was really pleased that Charlie went so well, it’s a massive improvement. I have been really busy the past week as I have just got a job as a working student with Gemma Tattersall which is really exciting!! It took about five hours to travel down in the lorry with Charlie and all my stuff in my car, but Charlie settled in straight away which was a relief! I’m really enjoying it so far, and we have all been watching her on TV when we’ve finished our jobs which is really cool! It won’t be long until we are out eventing again, but just want to get settled in and get to know our way around before entering anything. Very excited to see what the future brings for us!

Thanks for reading!

It has been another quiet month for Pumpkin. She has been on box rest until last week and now goes out at night after having an hour out a day for a week before that. The farrier saw her this week and she has some bruising coming out of her front hoof. The vet saw her as well and is pleased with the progress she is making. She is sound now in walk and trot and can start some walk work again on soft ground. She has lost a lot of condition on box rest. This is good in one way as she has lost a lot of her crest, but she has also lost muscle and topline. But as long as she is sound and happy I can try to build her muscle back up again slowly.

I have had a new horse to ride. He is a heavyweight show cob called Wolf. He is an experienced show horse but very different to what I am used to so it is taking time to get used to him! He is very sweet and puts up with me well! We went to our first show the weekend just gone and we came 1st and Champion qualifying for Equifest. Juke and Wolf are competing all week at Equifest in August, I am really looking forward to it!

We had some very sad news this month in our show team. Teazle who I last competed in veteran classes in 2015 had to be put to sleep. She suffered an injury in the field and there wasn’t anything we could do for her. She was 23 but full of life and will be very sadly missed. She was a brilliant horse who always had a smile on her face.