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You may have realised that I have been rather quiet of late and for this I appologise. There have been some tough decisions to be made and it is with great sadness that I must report that I have sold my mare Zoe. Unfortunatley Zoe just didn’t want to be an event horse and with my dreams still set on the Olympics I decided that she would have to go. Luckily she has gone to a lovely home where they will take her point to pointing and hunting and generally love her so it’s all worked out for the best.
This however left me with a dilema……what do I do now? For Felix is a 3 star horse but his Olympic days are over since he’s 14 years old and has arthritis (but don’t tell him that!) Luckily by a simple twist of fate a solution was just around the corner.
It is with great delight and joy that I am able to inform you all of my latest acquired horse, The Artful Archie (or Archie ). He is a very beautiful 15.2hh Piebald Irish sports horse. Not may normal big bay but I am totally in love with him.
He arrived in a bit of a whirl wind to be honest. I took a call from his owner on the friday asking me if I’d be interested in taking on the ride of his horse. Well, what is a girl to do when asked such a question? Say yes of course…..so 48 hours later I was picking up the cheeky chappie and quickly had him installed in his new stable. Archie came over from Ireland as a 4 year old where he’d been hunting for the previous 12 months as a 3 year old. His owner brought him and he’s since been primarily show jumping on the BSJA circuit. Whilst Archie has been enjoying the BSJA with winnings and double clears to his name in only a handful of outings his owner believes that his true calling is as an event horse. Therefore as a result I got the phone call to take on the ride and go eventing with him. He’s now been with me for 9 days and we’ve already been out Autum hunting and cross country schooling. We are aiming to have him out eventing on the BE circuit in time for the last event of the season so fingers crossed all goes to plan. He’s a special little horse and definately got a huge future ahead of him.
Master Felix is very very well at the moment, having had 2 runs since I last blogged. We seem to be suffering from a case of 11th – itis and are desperately trying to get into the top 10 but when competing against 4 star riders it can be very difficult. We did however manage to be 2nd after the dressage phase at our last event so hopefully it wont be too long until I break that barrier!
On an up note Felix and I competed the other weekend at a local event in between our BE runs and with great jubilation we won easily. West Wilts is our next event on Friday so keep your fingers and toes crossed for us xxx
So, it’s been a while since I last blogged about the awesomeness that is Master Felix. Our first event was at Shipton Moyne where I managed a 39 in the dressage, clear Show jumping and 1 stop cross country. I was pleased with this result as I hadn’t had Felix long and it was our first time out. I was however a little dissapointed with my dressage score as I had scored far higher the previous week in a local competition. I guess that the step up onto the national circuit demands so much more.
Putting that behind us I decided to have a lesson with his previous rider who got me to ride in a far more advanced outline than I had been. Being honest it felt quite alien and took me right out of my comfort zone and demanded far more from both me and horse. I then spent the next 4 days drilling myself and felix in what we had learned in preperation for our 2nd event last weekend.
We arrived at Ascott under wychwood and quickly realised that there would be a lot of walking involved. The event was spread out over 4 fields with the lorry park right in the centre. Luckily we had arrived early so we set off at a brisk pace to walk the cross country course. The course was well built and up to height with several cotswold stone walls and technical corners and combinations. Having had a stop at the previous event I had decided that I would take all the direct routes and not the longer but easier alternatives. My refusal at Shipton I am now convinced was due to me wiggling my way around the direct route into the water and subsequently spooking off a sharp turn to jump in off the lower bank. I was not going to let that happen again I can tell you!
After walking the cross country it was time to get ready and head down for the dressage. As soon as I got onto Felix I could tell that he was a different horse to one I have ridden since having him. He had a spring in his step and walked out from the lorry with the presence of a God. The wind was blowing really hard and for some reason the show had decided to put flimsy white plastic boarding around the dressage arena which vibrated and rattled in the wind. One even fell off whilst I was mid test! Ridiculous. I had 2 choices for my dressage test. I could either play it safe and ride how I had previously and hope for a score around 35 of try what I had been taught in my lesson. So I went for the latter. If I am to be honest I came out of the test and I couldn’t tell if it was good or bad. I knew my position was better and that I had good uphill impulsion but it all felt so out of my comfort zone that I couldn’t tell if it had gone good or bad.
Whilst warming up for the show jumping Felix’s owners came across to give me my result and to my utter shock I had scored a fantastic 29.5. My nerves suddenly disappeared and I entered the show jumping ring with a huge smile on my face! Felix had been jumping really big and clean in the warm up, giving everything far more space than possibly was necessary but he was enjoying himself. We rolled 2 poles in the show jumping, mainly from us jumping everything really big and then struggling with the 2nd part of a combination and a related distance. I was pleased 
despite this and quickly turned my attention to the cross country.
There was quite a back log of riders when I arrived at the start and Felix was already starting to shake a little with excitement so I had to keep walking him around in preparation as standing still was not helping anyone! We popped a couple of practice fences and I could already tell that he was going to be strong. I think felix can count as he was watching the starter and as he mouth 1 we set off at such a speed I’m surprised i stayed on. We flew around the course just eating up the ground, galoping at all the walls and when ever Felix approached a tricky fence or combination he just steadied himself, popped it with ease and then set off again at a gallop. It was amazing. As we approaced the water I growled at him going over the jump in, I growled galloping through the water and I growled jumping out too! No stopping for us. Apparently the commentator was heard saying “they are going quick to the water, very quick through the water, very very quick!” I’d made the mistake at our first event and therfore was not going to let it happen again.
We finished within time and no time penalities to add so finished the day on a score of 37.5 and 12th place! I was over the moon despite losing all power in my arms by the end of the day. It was a fantastic day and I can’t wait until our next outing at Homme House at the start of August. So wish me luck and I will let you know how it goes.
xxx
Well, I could argue the reasons for needing another horse but you are all probably well versed in such arguments. A girl can never have too many ponies. Fact. Master Felix “Felix” arrived just under a week ago in a haze of speed. I hadn’t even considered having another one 48hrs before he arrived. Felix has been given to me for the remaining event season to gain some experience on some larger tracks. What fun! I have already registered him and now have a full competition plan from now till November! Possibly a little too excited there. ops….
Felix is 14 years old by the stallion Crackerjack. He’s been Advanced eventing and competed at 3 star level so really knows his job. I really really am a very lucky girl who’s finally been given a break. It’s been 20 years in the making!
These recent events have however brought forward some tough decisions. The time has come for me to pass the reins over on my hooligan veteran Rory to another rider. I am very fortunate to have really good friends and Rory will be going to one of these. There will be tears but the enjoyment that someone else will get from riding and competing him will make it worth it. I have been given a fantastic opportunity and I feel it only right to pass a similar opportunity on.
Zoe is here to stay for the meantime. After all, you can’t sell a horse that keeps winning for you? Can you? If the right home and rider came along then maybe. Oh the love of a horse!
Bye for now xx
Well, if summer isn’t oficially here then the weather man should be sacked! It’s so blooming hot that the thought of putting a riding hat on my head is making me feel rather faint. It’s meant that i’ve been up the yard mucking out at 7am each morning, trying to beat the hot sun. So you can imagine the dred when I recieved early evening dressage times for thursday.
I loaded the mare into the lorry at about 5am when the sun was still at it’s hottest. Poor thing, I wanted to cover her in water and despite all the windows being open in the lorry, by the time i’d driven for an hour I could tell she was not happy. The lorry was started to shift and move as a drove it as she constanlty shifted her weight due to being adjetated from the heat. As soon as I reached the competition I opened up the lorry to find a soaking wet horse who had completely over heated. Luckily I was nice and early so I took her off the lorry and grazed her in the shade to cool down for 30 mins.
The time had now come for the pair of us to put on our competition kit, which in my opinion in this heat was simply far too many clothes. We warmed up, only to produce lots of white foam and sweat, from both of us may I add! We warmed up ok, not Zoe’s usual exagerated paces but in that heat I couldn’t expect a fresh springy horse. But due to Zoe’s fantastic competition attitude she entered the dressage arena in front of the judge doing the most amazing medium trot ( a movement not even required at the level I was competing at on this occasion!). I then set her into a really lovely working trot and she produced a stunning test. Our transitions were crisp and accurate and her free walk was simply perfect.
Just as I was finishing I could feel her start to flick her tail at her tummy and could tell that if this test didn’t finish quickly it could start to go down hill. Luckily we came up the centre line and finished just in time. As soon as i had left the arena I jumped off to find that she was being attacked by biting flies attracted to the sweat she was producing in the tremendous heat! Poor girl. I had some really good comments from spectators which always makes me so proud of my horse. It’s a lovely feeling when someone un connected to you says that you’ve just produced a stunning test. I really do love riding my horse, she never fails to put a huge smile on my face.
After washing her off and re loading onto a now slightly cooler lorry I made the dreded walk to see what my result was. I could see lots of different coloured rosettes and some dressage sheets without any. Praying that i’d made it into the placings I checked my score and to my amazement we had WON ! I have never been so happy. I had to check the score 5 times to make sure I really had. Not only had we won but we had scored the highest score by miles across all 6 classes being run. We had also qualified for their dressage championships taking place later in the year so that is now 2 championship places booked for the summer. Happy Happy days!
Looking ahead we now have a championship show next week to contest so keep your fingers crossed for us. I’m going to enter my championship class and a Novice test as well so it’s all go!
Thanks for reading and all of your support. Bye for now x
Newsflash!!!!
I can now say that we are on the road going forwards! Yay. When I last left you I was about to compete in a dressage competition. We managed to score 75% and landed ourselves 2nd place. I can not begin to explain how ecstatically happy that made me. Hard work and learing to understand your horse can really pay off. We retunred to the same dressage venue two weeks later (last week) and scored another fanstatic 2nd place. Things really are on the up! Happy days 
Yesturday we managed to complete a 9 mile fun ride without throwing any major strops. She pretty much led the whole way round which 4 weeks ago would have been only a dream. I am finally enjoying my horse for the first time in 2 years. I truelly love her, despite all the ups and downs because now the rewards are beyond belief.
The aim is now to cure her from her fear of leaving other horses all together and get her leaving the start box on the cross country without getting upset. I now feel that this is possible. We have another fun ride this weekend which will build her confidence and hopefully we will be flying round eventing courses before the summer out.
Anything is possible….maybe more now than ever before!
After several weeks of not knowing what horse would great me each time I went to visit my Mare Zoe, I finally decided that somthing needed to be done to help her. Many people over the last few weeks and probably months have been trying to tell me that I am wasting my time with my hormonal mare but I have never agreeded with that. Some days she would be happy and really keen to work and please me and other days she just didn’t want to know. And yes I can totally say I know where she’s coming from!!! So after a chat with my vet she is now on a presciption hormone balancer and the results are incredible. My happy horse has returned and we are even hacking on our own (something that has been impossible to get her to do for 12 months or more!)
Tonight we are competing in a local Dressage competition and after scoring a pleasing 37.0 out eventing on the weekend I am keeping my fingers crossed for another well behaved performance. I will mention that I don’t expect us to have a completely easy ride and I’m sure she’ll have at least one tantrum tonight but now at least they are not so irrational. For now you can tell her off without being galloped and sent flying into the next county!
Wish me luck and I’ll let you know how it goes, good or bad
x
So…with great thanks to the horrid british weather, my first BE event at Howick was cancelled. Thankfully I have managed to get into another on the 24th April so I will keep you all posted.
Training seems to be back on course after 2 backward weeks due to a severly “in season” mare!! Oh what a joy that was. We are now on a lovely herbal supplement especially for “Stroppy Mares” so fingers crossed it seems to be working. We spent last saturday Cross Country schooling which went better than expected with Zoe happily jumping round the open course which is far bigger than we will jumping in 2 weeks time. Then to continue with our flat schooling we are competing on thursday in 2 prelim dressage classes followed by a hunter trail on the following sunday. It all looks rather busy and somehow between now and the 24th i am fitting in a trip to Dublin and the Punchestown Racing Festival. So for now I better crack on with some work and get back to being retired from the 9-5 !
The time has come for me to take back the reins from our fabulous Racing Guru and finally update you all on what i’ve been up to.
To say that I have jumped in with both feet would be merely scratching the surface. On sunday I shall be competing in my first BE event in 3 years. It will be Zoe’s first national competition and I think we are both starting to feel the pressure. It will be the culmination of two and a half years of hard work, full of highs and lows but mainly highs due to Zoe’s liking for waving her front feet in the air!!! I just hope this doesn’t occur on Sunday.
The last 6 months has found little time for friends, socialising and generally being a twenty-something year old. Striving for perfection can be a lonely place but hopefully it will be worth it. I belive that if you want something badly enough, put the hard work in and don’t give up then the rewards will be greater than you could ever have imagined. So please wish me luck and I will let you all know how it goes with a full report after the weekend.
We all have dreams….it’s time to make it happen!
I would like to start with an apology. It feels like it has been ages since I last blogged but do not threat, I have not forgotten you. The last couple of weeks have been fairly non eventful to be honest. Having taken the plunge and decided that I would bring Zoe’s eventing career forwards by 6 months, the quest has been on to get the lorry up to scratch for long distance travelling. It is now fully serviced and ready for the long haul trips around the country.
This decision came about due to the fact that you can keep putting something off thinking you are not quite ready to hit the National circuit but sometimes you just need to jump in with both feet! We are consistently placed top 3 every time out without fail at the moment which I use as an indication to being BE eventing ready. So we are now fully clipped ( which required 2 sedative jabs from my vet – she is such a bright spark!), registerd and now praying we can enter our first event without getting balloted. Fingers crossed!!!
I will keep you all posted of how our preperations go, starting with an eventer training class on sunday.
Next week I am at the Cheltenham Festival so will keep you all updated daily with news of the racing, culminating with the hottley anticipated Gold Cup race with the battle of Kauto Star and Denman. So check out the horse racing page for articles from our horse racing guru!
Happy Valentines day! I don’t know how anybody else has spent the day but mine started with the alarm going off at 6am this morning. We had decided to celebrate Valentines Day by watching the sun rise over the hills. What a romantic sight it was, despite a ear chilling wind zipping around us. The Champagne was certainly chilled! and the croissants still warm when we tucked in.
Today both horses are having the day off. Rory my hunter is having a few days off after doing 2 days of hunting last week. The amount of energy and enthusiasm he has at the age of 20. He’ll hopefully go again next Friday.
Zoe is having a well deserved day off too due to a busy week ahead. At present we are competing 3 days next week so I will keep you posted. Trying to qualify for 3 different series is proving a mean task but one I am greatly enjoying.
So Happy Valentines Day everyone, lets hope this is the start of Spring!
