Tinseltown

Well its hard to believe that 2013 started off as 2012 spent most of its days...enduring a deluge! The poor Tweseldown organisers and team had made an enormous effort with a fantastic new course around the old racecourse and the heavens did their very best to ruin it! I was extremely lucky to run all 7 of the horses I had entered. In general they were incredibly big for their boots between the white boards. Two notable Badminton entrants being the very worst of my gang!! That said 7 lovely XC clears and good efforts from them all in testing show jumping conditions almost made up for their poor performances in the first phase. The three boys who did try hard were rewarded with ribbons..Fran came 7th in the N on Lil, of mine Dippy came 2nd in the ON, Harry 7th in the N and Gangsta 8th in the OI. This lovely picture by Uptown eventing of a smiley jockey after riding the lovely Gangsta for the Scouller family. He has very sadly now been sold and we wish his new owners every success with this one in a trillion pony. After a busy week with Aston Monday with 5, squad training Tuesday with 7 (attached video of Jackpot http://youtu.be/S7sS_RktdTw ..fastest time of the day!), test riding wednesday with 5, Tweseldown Thursday and Friday with 8 between us, we were then lucky enough to enjoy a quiet weekend at home drying out. Rather sadly Swalcliffe was cancelled this weekend but we're very much looking forward to Gatcombe next with 6.

and so it begins....!!

The 2013 season has officially started. Fran and I took 5 to Aston UA yesterday and although we didn't come home laden with ribbons it was a glorious sunny day and jolly nice to be out and about doing an actual event again. The clever organisers Ann & Nigel did an incredible job as always with the ground and got through squillions of entries to give us all that important start to the year. Thank you Taylor family! Fran had her first ride on Master Rowan who did a super test and lovely double clear to finish in 9th. She jumped a beautiful double clear on Lil but she was one of a number to find dressage over the hedge from XC finish too much to bear! I had my first run on Dippyparflam and Whirlwind for the Peace Family. Their dressages were best left undiscussed, but both jumped beautifully. The Rio Syndicate's Rio de Reve had her first ever eventing start for an immaculate test of 28, clear SJ and a rather green XC round with a couple of stops at the water. She is a mega talent who lacks mileage but watch this space for her exciting future. Its been a bonkers busy week with 5 dressage lessons from Andrew Fletcher on Friday, XC schooling 6 at Boomerang on Saturday, see picture of India Wishart's lovely 7yr old The Master's Harry who i'm riding at Tweseldown while India recovers from an injury. We then had 5 at Aston, jumped 7 with Spanish wonder coach Luis Alvarez Cevera today, running through tests with Gill on 7 tomorrow, running 4 at Tweseldown on Thursday and a further 4 on Friday at Tweseldown. This time of year is so exciting with masses to look forward to but with 17 horses to get XC schooled, galloping fit, dressage practised, rounds of show jumps practised etc etc etc in shorter than ideal days its a busy old time! Here goes though, its what we've all been waiting for...2013 LETS GO!