Happy Easter

Having ended my last blog loving the spring weather, it has actually taken more than two weeks for the spring weather to come back again! The horses have been back to wearing two rugs to go out in the field, and there has been a frost most mornings.

Mark and I had a very exciting invitation from my aunt Penny who lives in Cheshire, to go to the Grand National meeting at Aintree. We had a lovely evening staying with Penny, waking up to great views of Beeston and Peckforton Castles, all part of the ancient English defences against the marauding Welsh.

Peckforton and Beeston Castles

Sadly the spring weather completely deserted us for the day, but luckily we were wrapped up warm against the gale force winds and horizontal rain. The photo below shows just how many people braved standing outside to watch the second race.

We had a brilliant day’s racing and were so lucky to watch Tabitha Worsley, who we have known since she was a baby, win the Foxhunters over the National fences, on Top Wood for Johnny Weatherby.

On Sunday I took, Heidi, Askeaton and Kvint to a show at Pyecombe. Apart from being absolutely freezing and getting very wet I had a lovely day. Heidi jumped her first Newcomers and Askeaton her first Foxhunter, both going really well and Kvint went double clear in the fastest 1.30 I have ever seen. He finished 10th, but actually there were only about 4 seconds covering the top 12.

Askeaton has been jointly owned by Breen Equestrian and me since she was three, but as this is a business arrangement I have always been aware that at some point I wouldn’t be the most commercial person to take her career forward. Added to this we know that the end of Emma’s competitive career is probably not that far away, and I’m not quite ready to leave this party yet, so very kindly Mark has helped me buy Breen Equestrian’s half of her.  Shane and Chloe have been fantastically fair about this.  I had her independently valued, and she has literally been x-rayed from head to foot.  Shane then had a jump on her on the Monday after Pyecombe.  She looked absolutely phenomenal with him, as I expected she would..  This year she has just got better and better.  She is very straightforward to ride, totally professional in the ring, and feels as if you could jump absolutely anything on her.  With Mark’s help we all came to a very good agreement, she has passed her clinical vetting and her x-rays with flying colours and now she is ours which is very, very exciting. I hope she will continue to make Shane and Chloe proud to have bred her.  All her Golden Hawk siblings have the same attitude, scope and carefulness and hopefully will help Golden Hawk to be recognised as a very important sire of jumpers.

The following day I took Heidi, Kvint and Emma for a lesson with David.  This was sorely needed - I’ve been away competing and doing my own thing for a little while, and the old adage that when it’s going well is when you most need a lesson couldn’t be more true.  I managed not to do anything too disgraceful on Emma, but I was so appalling on Heidi that I nearly fell off her, and certainly Kvint felt like he had never been schooled at all.  I felt like I’d been run over by a truck by the time I got home.

Camilla was away for the beginning of this week so I took advantage of the Easter Holidays to have some excellent helpers. Sophie Preston helped me on Monday, and then Harriet Keenleyside helped me on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Both of them worked really hard, rode very well and I hope had a nice time while  earning a bit of money.

We had a lovely weekend with Anna at home.  It is really strange to think that this was probably the last time she will be here before she has her baby.  She has done so well throughout her pregnancy and still looks incredible with only four weeks to go.  We had a most delicious curry at Amira’s Kitchen in Uckfield before going to see Fisherman’s Friends at the Picture House in Uckfield.  I can thoroughly recommend both. 

On Monday I dug myself out of bed at 4 am to make my first trip to Wellington with Heidi, Askeaton and Emma. This was well worth it - it’s a lovely venue with a super, big ring and a very spacious warm up. All three horses jumped well, Heidi and Askeaton are now respectively finding the Newcomers and Foxhunter easy  and Emma felt very much her old self.  No prizes, but that was mainly due to the rider! 

I had a horrible journey home with the M3 blocked and causing us a slow rush hour cross country journey. Not a very good end to a long day for me or the horses. The day got even longer as Heidi obviously struggled with the journey and wasn’t at all well during the night, necessitating an nigh-time visit from the vet and me getting up to check her every two hours. Luckily she was well on the mend by the early hours and is completely back to normal now.

Hurricane Heidi - Newcomers

Askeaton - Foxhunter  

Doonaveeragh Emma - 1.30

Tuesday was another busy day as I took Emma over to David Simpson’s so that David and Mike Barrott could watch her jump. Considering that she had a very long day on the lorry, and also jumped very well in the 1.30 she jumped like a star. For me this was good news, as it meant that Mike’s treatment of her sacroiliac joint and her feet has made her much more comfortable, and we can go cautiously forward. When she was uncomfortable in Lier I withdrew from Chepstow, Windsor and Bolesworth with her as I didn’t want to be jumping her if she wasn’t completely right, and I didn’t want to be leaving her at home either. I’ve been riding her and looking after her since she was three, and even though Camilla and Steff look after her beautifully it is still very important to me to monitor her myself. So I will do some local shows with her, and we can keep a very careful eye on how good she feels so that we can plan her management and what shows she does for the rest of the year.

I had a really lovely day yesterday, Camilla and I took Kvint and Askeaton for a long hack on the Ashdown Forest and then I took Emma up there by myself. Although the ground is getting hard now, there are plenty of uphill trots and enough grass covering in places to have a quiet canter. There was nobody else around and the space is so huge with views right across to the South Downs, it just makes me so happy to be so lucky and makes me realise what a very small part of a very big world I am.

Today Mark and I have had another lovely day visiting Tattersalls in Newmarket and then going to the races on another truly beautiful Spring day. It’s lovely to have a day out together, away from our horses, and spend some very spoiling time with friends and relations.

So now we’re looking forward to seeing Sophie and Alex for Easter and the next event in our lives is going to be a truly huge one - the arrival of our first grand child. I am so excited to meet him or her, it’s really not long now. Happy Easter everyone!

March Lier Week 2

Thursday started early with the trot-up starting at 8. Emma and I got there good and early and all four horses were trotted up by 9.00. The international trot-ups for show jumping are a very far cry from the highly organised fashion shows in Eventing and dressage. In show jumping it’s every man for himself, no order at all and mares and stallions all muddled up together. With 100 five and six year olds in the mix this is easily the most stressful part of the week.   

Kvint jumped first and got the week off to a good start with a clear round and 9th place in the 1.30. I then jumped Emma who was flying until I took a little pull in the jump-off whereupon she stopped. Given that she really isn’t a stopper, and that the jumps are relatively easy for her I took the decision not to jump her for the rest of the show. Askeaton jumped next in the six year olds. She was a bit fresh and strong causing herself to have one down.  Because Kvint’s class had 155 in it there sadly wasn’t time to jump the five year olds so Heidi just had a good session on the flat. 

On Friday we started with the five year olds. Heidi was incredibly full of herself and and also rather strong and a little bit cheeky, but not the end of the world! For both the youngsters it was their first time jumping outdoors this year, and they were both jumping with great confidence in lovely big rings, and I had suspected that they would be a little bit stronger, which they were. All they needed was an actual curb chain on Askeaton’s nathe pelham and Heidi’s bit was changed to a Waterford rather than a plain bridoon. Askeaton then jumped a really lovely clear round in the six year olds to finish just out of the money, she went absolutely beautifully. Kvint jumped  a really great clear round to finish 6th. He was 10th out of 80 to go so actually Heidi got to collect his rosette for him and listen to God Save the Queen. Which I’m sure she thought was entirely for her own benefit. This gave me another opportunity to get her into the ring and have a little look around which didn’t do her any harm. I just gave Emma a hand walk and a lovely graze, and had a very quick look at her on the lunge. She immediately looked very unlevel behind so I was pleased with my decision not to jump her.

On Saturday I started with a 1.30 two phase with Kvint, who jumped well, but just had last fence in the first phase. He has jumped beautifully so far this year, and just felt a tiny bit tired after all his exertions. He has really stepped up and has been clear and placed in 8 of the 15 international classes at 1.30 and 1.35 that he has jumped this year. I then had the six year old final with Askeaton. This walked as a big enough 1.30 and a really proper grand prix course. Askeaton was incredible: she jumped the most fabulous clear round and was totally let down by me. She landed out of one distance on the wrong leg, and I was SO slow to get her to change that I managed to get a totally unnecessary time fault. I am over the moon with her, she is beginning to feel really mature in the ring - the bell goes and she just goes to work, and she is so careful and scopey, it’s a privilege to ride such a lovely horse. I then jumped Heidi in the five year olds, she was a little bit cross that I had pretty perfect control, but she jumped a super clear round to finish equal first.

I had nothing to jump in the morning on Sunday, so Emma and I finished packing the lorry - mainly Emma I would have to admit, before it was time to get Heidi ready for the five year old final. Once again this walked quite big, but I thought it was actually not a bad course for Heidi. She jumped a good round, and although she had coming out of the first double, which was right by the gate into the collecting ring, and going into the last double, where I had her a little bit close, she actually jumped with very good style and certainly isn’t struggling for scope or step over quite decent courses. Watching the video I think that she is beginning to let her self go behind a bit now, and she jumps the fences so easily.

Emma and I bandaged Heidi and loaded the horses and Emma sped off to catch the ferry while I quickly went to pay my bill. I had a really good run back to Calais, followed by a frustrating drive round the back lanes of Kent as the M20 was closed yet again! I can’t imagine what people think when they arrive across the Channel and find that the main motorway into England seems to be permanently closed. I was home by eleven and Mark and I quickly settled the horses into their stables.

All the horses were exceptionally pleased to be out in the field on Monday morning. It was like a ridiculous rodeo for all four of them, but so lovely to have them out in the sun and able to eat the tiny bit of grass that came through while we were away. Mike Barrott from Cinder Hill Equine Clinic was able to come and look at Emma on Monday afternoon. She seemed to be sore in several areas, so she has had some treatment, two days of box rest and hand-grazing, and now has been back walking under saddle for three days. Once she is back in full work Mike will look at her again to see how we are getting on and possibly to run a few more assessments. Although she isn’t an old horse, only twelve, Emma has had quite a busy competitive career. She started with 4th place in the three year olds at the Royal Dublin Horse Show and has been jumping at 1.40 and above for the past four years, which is constantly jumping towards the limit of her ability. I am in no way giving up on her yet, but I have to realise that the time when she can’t do this comfortably anymore is probably not far away, and I certainly wouldn’t want her to lose her enjoyment for competing or to have to compete at a much lower level. We are incredibly lucky that she is a mare, she is well bred, talented and has the most incredible attitude to life, so we will definitely try to breed from her when the time comes.

Both the young horses seemed quite weary once they got over the excitement of being home and so they have had a quiet week hacking round the village and the woods, and we will try and find a show for them next weekend. The next big show is Royal Windsor Horse Show where I have only got an entry for Askeaton in the Foxhunter. I think we will then have the South of England and Hickstead, and stick to local shows. Anna’s baby is due on 18th May and so I am keen to be at home for that, and to be around if Anna needs me over the summer. I have been absolutely loving the beautiful Spring weather this week, and it’s lovely to be able to turn the horses out without rugs so they can make lots of Vitamin D and have a really proper roll to scratch out any old coat.

It was very exciting to come home to a lovely letter from Saracen Horse Feeds renewing my sponsorship for this year. This means a huge amount to me both personally and financially. I really believe that Saracen have the very best feeds. Our horses always look fantastic, they travel well, and people always comment on how shiny they are, additionally Saracen provide a free nutritionist service which is absolutely invaluable, and they are the only company that make an entirely cereal free ration in Releve. I certainly would never feed any other feed. Also many thanks to Just Equine who provide us with fantastic Kentucky Horse Wear boots, rugs, and girths and lovely Dy’on Bridles and Bombers Bits, to Precision Joint Solutions who keep Kvint and Emma feeling strong and sprightly and to Fabbri boots for my very smart boots and MacWet for the best gloves ever, and to Stride Management who keep an eye on everything we do.

Many thanks to Emma Ashcroft who helped me in Lier, she was fantastic, even when I gave her my cold! As always it was great to see old friends and make new friends, and even sit in the sun for a little while on Friday. Also many thanks to David Simpson who is always at the end of the phone for quick advice and encouragement, which makes a huge difference. As always Mark, Steff and Camilla did a brilliant job of keeping everything going at home. It will be nice to be here for the next few months to hopefully enjoy a beautiful summer and look forward to welcoming our little grand child into the world.

March - Back to Lier

Kvint 1.35

The road from the February Lier to the March show in Lier was anything but smooth. Kvint started coughing on the last couple of days at the February show and continued to cough when we got home. Clinically he seemed well with no temperature, so Ali Weston from Cinder Hill Equine Vets came and gave him a course of antibiotics and some Dilatoril to help him. He happily continued to be very jolly and coughing! The next little bump in the road was that Heidi, whilst also being very jolly, got a snotty nose. I then managed to spring a rib, which was surprisingly painful, by a combination of forking up muck and riding a naughty youngster, and Caitlin McCaffery found that Emma had a slightly sore hamstring which probably explained her loss of form in the second week in Lier. 

After a short course of steroids and more antibiotics Kvint continued to cough so eventually I bought him a Flexi-neb nebuliser from Haygain. Finally that seemed to do the trick. John Harris and taking it easy fixed me. Heidi recovered all by herself and Emma also took it easy. Wonderful Askeaton just toughed it out, but probably benefitted from me taking it easy. Finally we were all well enough to go for a schooling session at Felbridge where they all went well. I managed to get all the horses clipped and Mark and I packed up the lorry. With four horses there’s not too much extra space so there was haylage, feed and shavings in absolutely every space. 

Heidi - prizegiving 5 year old final

Sadly, Will, who came with me before has taken a long term job, so Emma Ashurst has joined me for this trip. We set off somewhere in the middle of Storms Freya, Gareth & Hannah which meant horses didn’t sail across the channel for 5 days so we took the Eurotunnel. Emma brought my car which meant that the stables were all set up when I arrived with the horses. I love this as the travelling is hard on the horses and it is great to get them straight off the lorry into ready made stables so they they can have a drink and a pee straight away, and then tuck into some haylage on the floor. 

I gave all four a quick ride and Emma and I got them settled for the night before I went off to my B&B.  

Thursday was an early start with all four to trot up before Emma and Kvint started jumping at 12. Due to the weather the first two days of the show were moved indoors. How lucky we were to be somewhere with such great facilities. Kvint  jumped first for a good quick clear, but the class was unbelievably competitive, Emma jumped a fabulous round to finish 8th. I should have turned inside to the last to be faster but she was super. Heidi was up next. I was glad she had already jumped here as the course was up to height with a little round water tray as the last fence. Heidi was a good girl and flew round for one down. Askeaton then jumped a good double clear in the six year olds to finish 12th. The little round water tray was the literal downfall of Phillip Lejeune the following day - young horses don’t care how famous you are!

Askeaton- 6 year olds.  

On Friday Kvint jumped a lovely clear in a super fast 1.35 to finish just out of the money. Askeaton  then jumped a good round in the Six year olds, but for probably the first time in her life she had to do a turn back and was a little argumentative resulting in 4 faults. 

On Saturday Kvint had two down when I didn’t have him straight enough in the 1.35 speed and Emma absolutely stormed round to finish 10th in the fastest class I’ve ever ridden in. Askeaton then jumped the six year old final  she actually jumped her nicest round to date, but still struggles with the third part of a combination and also tapped going into the last double.

Emma 1.35 speed.

On Sunday I just had Heidi in the five year old final and Emma in the 1.35. Heidi jumped the first of only 6 clear rounds and was first to go in the jump-off. I put a little bit of pressure on her and she was really good, just having four faults and finishing 5th.  

Heidi 5 year old final

I was so proud of her. Before Christmas she was just jumping British Novice, and she has sometimes found it hard to be brave. She’s not really even 5 yet and there she was behaving beautifully at her first international prize giving - really a pretty big deal. Who knows what the future holds for her. 

So: a big moment with Heidi followed by a rather low moment with Emma who I rode rather uselessly to be eliminated in the 1.35. Horses certainly keep your feet squarely on the ground ! 

All-in-all a really good show. The horses have been great, it has been wonderful having Emma helping me. Having really good help makes such an enormous difference, not only to me, but also to the horses who have been so relaxed and happy all week.  

 On Monday Emma and I hacked the horses out and then had a lovely lunch in the sun in Lier with Bumble Thomas, Sean Brady & Jill before making a supermarket run. I then did a second supermarket trip with Julie Whibley and Helen Treadwell. 

Yesterday I gave Heidi, Askeaton and Emma a quick jump round the clear round. It was particularly valuable for Heidi who was very over excited and rather spooky outside. Today I’ve ridden them all on the flat and had a nice hack on Kvint. So hopefully we’re all good to start jumping again tomorrow. 

The horses all look fantastic and feel good too. I am always convinced that Saracen Horse Feeds make them look and feel so good. They are all so shiny and cope so well with travelling and staying away. The two older horses are on Precision Solutions Complete Leg Supplement which has made a really noticeable difference this year. Many thanks to Just Equine, MacWet Gloves and Fabbri Boots who keep the horses and me looking smart.