Hi Everyone,
Well what a long way it is to Harrogate from Swansea! Mum and I set off with Archie and Madge (Wortley Imagination), fortunately we were able to share the driving – Mum and I that is not Archie and Madge!
It took forever to get there, but we arrived before dark and parked up and luckily got a hook up so had electric. It all seemed very laid back and we quietly got installed and Madge settled. That was not the case with Archie, I think he was very fed up with all the travelling and he screamed the place down. Eventually he went to sleep on the lorry luton with me and a quiet night was had.
I left him with Mum in the morning and went out to ride Madge early, it was quite spooky walking up to the stables in the dark, I was convinced someone was going to jump out and attack me!
Anyway we were the third class in and she went like a dream and duly won. We then had to wait all day for the championship as only the champion qualifies for Olympia.
So Gill Simpson, her owner, Mum and I went shopping around the Great Yorkshire Showground, we really enjoyed it and bought loads. Sadly in the championship it was not Madge’s day and she was not placed. She went straight home from the show for her winter rest and Mum and I set off home empty. Once again sharing the driving we rattled on and got home in record time. Archie thankfully slept all the way.
Des has been let down since his amazing win at the Heritage Championships and now this week has started road walking every day with Rachel. He does not need schooling and all the walking up and down our hills means he will be well muscled up by Olympia. I will have to clip him again before then and I will start school work nearer to the time. We got our picture in Horse & Hound after the Heritage Champs and a fantastic write up, then Madge got her picture in the next week for winning at Harrogate. How super was that.
Andrew went to Bury Farm near Addington a couple of weeks ago, now this is a new centre with fab facilities but the surface does need addressing as a lot of top horses were stopping and some riders even pulled out. Hopefully this will be done and I know he is looking forward to returning there. Sadly Elektrik and Winnie both jumped badly due to the surface. Andrew hit the ground a couple of times so he was not impressed!
Thinking about Elektrik and how much he rates him he decided to rest him after this and he is turned away with dear old Celine for company. They are in a good grass field that Mum does not use much for her horses so they can benefit from some good autumn grass.
Then he went to the Hand Equestrian November Dazzler competition with Winnie and the Broome family’s Amadeus D and met up with Necker, the stallion. Winnie forgot to knock a fence down and amazed herself by winning the 1.40m on the first day. She is class when she gets it right. On the second day in the jump-off she came round a corner and fixed her eye on the wrong fence and in the split second it took to remind her she jumped badly and had the back pole off. Joey was fifth the first day and then fifth in the small Grand Prix on the second day. Necker had a fence down the first day and was fifth in the main Grand Prix on the second day, so very pleased with him.
Andrew is off to Addington this week with the same three horses. The two four-year- olds are improving every day and one of them will make its debut in a couple of weeks. Mrs Twiston Davies bought a small hunter for me last year and sadly he has gone over height, as I have not been riding this summer Maverick has been turned away.
Now up and in work Andrew has been riding him and he is jumping. Without counting my chickens before they hatch, he is super. He also will make his debut with Andrew in a couple of weeks. Strange how Rupert (Royal Mirage) also loved jumping with Andrew. Is there a plan being hatched to pinch my show horses and turn them into show jumpers?
Rupert of course has been sold. The other one he jumped is Cob (Paddy Power) he did say when first asked to jump him he dreaded the feel you might get with a cob, but he was totally surprised to find he jumped better than some of the show jumpers and was excellent in front. I did remind him that my horses are well schooled on the flat first!
Cameron and Forgery have paired up in the field and are still enjoying their holiday. Luckily the weather has been very kind. Not sure when I will bring them up, time and weather will be a major factor.
India who is a full livery here has been bought a new 13hh pony, it has taken a year to find the perfect one, with vet failings and being gazumped the major stumbling blocks. But Rocket is perfect. At their very first WHP show at Solihull they won the Nursery Stakes and went Champion. A real family outing as her parents, brother and grand dad were there, plus Andrew and I. We were so, so thrilled for the family as they had recently lost their much loved Rascal after a short illness.
Daisy Davies returned with Andrew last night from Hand for some training so our stables are full again.
Will catch up again soon,
Victoria