Well spring is nearly here, and Team Jackson will be moving from Aston le Walls back to Tetsworth in a fortnight, my how time flies! We have been out competing at last, with three dressage shows and a few show jumping shows. The ponies are getting fitter and a good deal friskier, and their first eventing run is just around the corner thank goodness. Two highlights of the last few weeks are Sprout's win in a Medium class with his best score ever of 73%, it would seem that our work with Gill and Andrew Fletcher this winter is paying off and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he can maintain the new and improved version through into the season. Our other excitement is a new equine recruit Sportsfield Quality, who is owned by Paul Donovan and with whom I hope to aim for Bramham. So we're starting 9 horses in the Unafilliated horse trails here at Aston le Walls and then on to Tweseldown later in the week.

Nearly Spring?

Well Team Jackson has had an interesting winter. We have had a changeover on the staff with Mary Mason setting out for a career in drama and she has been replaced by Olivia Lee who seems to be settling in well in her first month with us.

Thanks to the inclement weather we have moved the entire team including 15 horses to Aston le Walls for January and Febuary to take advantage of Ann & Nigel Taylors expertise and their fabulous indoor school, XC course(which we hope opens soon), dressage shows and the unafilliated horse trials. Oh and I nearly forgot to mention the benefits of having some very friendly local pubs in which to while away the long winter evenings!

With Luke now on the official NZ squad we have made the most of some very welcome funding by having once fortnightly dressage lessons with Andrew Fletcher, although less welcome are the 4am starts to make it there in time for 7am lessons. Still his help has been much appreciated and the fruits of our labours will hopefully be plain for all to see as we aim for all our FEI marks to be in the 40's this year!

Gill Watson has continued to be incredibly supportive, although we haven't been based with her, she has trekked up the motorway to keep an eye on our gang and with any luck we'll be jumping many many clear rounds as a result.

We have been making tentative plans for the season ahead, and with the chance of going to Burnham Market, Chatsworth, Saumur, Houghton, Bramham and Luhumulen for spring FEI's life is about to get pretty exciting. Fingers crossed, so its head down to continue with our dressage blitz and see you all soon once the season gets underway.

Wonderful Winter

Well, we seem to be surviving the British version of 'global warming', but I can't say that it makes life very easy. Lydia and I currently have 10 horses in work, but thankfully only 5 of which are living in. We made a 'team policy' to try and leave as many horses hairy and living out in the fields as possible until Boxing Day, so that we can start their fitness work but maintain a semblance of normality to our lives by having the occasional day off!

I am excited to report that we have a new member of staff starting in the new year...watch this space for an update! With potentially about 15 horses living in by then we are certainly looking forward to the extra support.

Our winter has been much cheered by the thrilling news that Luke has been named on a New Zealand squad for 2012, which is something of a dream come true. It has helped add focus and enthusiasm to these slightly tedious months of short days and essential but somewhat dull roadwork and gradual fittening of the gang for next year.

I hope you all have a very happy and enjoyable festive season and I look forward to attmepting to keep you all more regularly updated in 2011 as the build up to the Olympics continues. In the mean time an enormous thank you to all those who have played a part in Team Jackson's wonderful 2010. It has been a very exciting and progressive year. It is in no small part thanks to the help of so many supportive friends, owners, and 'Team members' who I am lucky enough to say are too numerous to mention, but I think you know who you are!! I can't wait to build on our successes of this season and becoming a serious force to be reckoned with on the circuit next year....

French Finale?!?!

Well what a month team Jackson has had, apologies for the delayed update. After Luke ran so well at Blenheim we decided to postpone his winter holiday and aim him for the 4 star at Pau in the South of France, and to aim Jack for the 2 star as he had such an interrupted season.

In preparation we ran both horses in the OI at Oasby, where they both did reasonable tests, had one down each show jumping and nice steady clears XC. The main objective being to give them a happy successful outing and return in one piece in time to make the 2 day trip to Pau.

I travelled with my sister who was the worlds best super groom all week for me in France, and two members of the Irish team, Lousie Lyons and Captain Brian Curran Cournane, his groom Anto and Laura Shears Groom Caroline, so the lorry was fairly full! We left Tetsworth at 4am on Sunday morning, and arrived in Pau on Monday afternoon after a short break at Poitiers to rest both horses and drivers.

After a couple of days light work for the horses to recover from the journey Luke had his trot up on Wednesday, and Jack his dressage on Thursday. Jack performed his best test to date and scored a very respectable 51 which left him in 14th place. He coped very well with the atmosphere and made very few errors in a nice flowing test. Sadly his owner Gill Watson was busy with British Eventing duties and missed his international debut in the dressage but arrived in time for Luke's dressage on friday. Luke's test was certainly a personal best for him. He scored 58 which was higher than i'd hoped for but again was very relaxed and tried really hard in his first 4*.

XC day dawned so misty that neither Jack nor I could see an awful lot for the first 5 fences of our round! He ran really well though for certainly his biggest challenge so far to jump a clear round with 11 time faults, very respectable given how twisty the track was. I have to admit walking the 4* track for the first time filled me with awe! Pierre Michelet is a genius course designer producing not only a huge bold attacking course but also extremely twisty and technical. Luke gave 100% the whole way around jumping quite beautifully. He was extremely unlucky to have his score card marred by 20 penalties having jumped so high over the middle drop element of a combination that he landed on his nose and wasn't able to see the final part. Apart from that he was brave and straight and for the most part fairly obedient. Completing our first 4* XC felt like a real milestone. Something I have always dreamt of doing and finally had the chance to go for it.

Both boys trotted up well on Sunday morning and looked as immaculate and fresh as they had on day one which is a massive credit to my wonderful back up team both out in Pau: Gill Watson, my parents, and my sister, and the gang back at the yard. Huge thanks to all.

Jack didn't show jump particularly well with 16 penalties, but i think he and i will have both learnt a lot from our trip. Luke on the other hand was jumping the round of his life, giving the sizeable fences some serious air time. Then disaster struck on the turn between the treble and the last line when he saw himself in the big screen, whipped round and i fell off. Mortified doesn't even come close. Of all the things to happen, that was not part of the game plan at all. Some very supportive comments from fellow competitors and their trainers made me feel somewhat reassured that Luke was so quick that I didn't have a chance to stay on but to be honest I'm sure there was something I could have done to avoid such a catastrophy! It is a total NIGHTMARE to end on such a bad note. I am hoping it is all part of a master plan to make me a better rider, stronger competitor and nicer person!!

On the plus side both horses travelled home well and I am pleased they are happy and sound enough to enjoy their holidays and aim for greater things in 2011. I too am now going to recharge by not riding a horse for a day or two and spending a few days away between now and Christmas.

Thank you everyone for your support this season through some great highs and some very pesky lows. As we all know that is the nature of our sport and I can't wait to come out and make 2011 a season to remember for all the right reasons.

Brilliant Blenheim Boys:

I think I can categorically say that this weekend has been my best ever 'weekend at the office'. Luke, Willy and Sprout did us all proud at Blenheim Palace *** event.

Luke did his best test ever to score 52. He dealt well with the main arena, and to crack the elusive 50 barrier just needs to work more 'uphill'. Sprout and Willy both tried very hard and did all their 'new moves' to the best of their current level, and we were all very disappointed with their marks of 61 and 60 respectively. Mrs Tucker is usually a very accurate judge, although normally marks the lowest of the three, and she was nearly 10 marks ahead of the others! I decided that although they weren't going to be competetive as I would have liked this weekend, from an education point of view they had done some good work at a new level in considerable atmosphere and they were none the wiser about the judging!

The cross country walked fairly big and an imposing track, but I felt slightly less technical than Bramham had been in the spring. The going was as perfect as you could get. The optimum time was longer than Burghley at 10 min 56 sec, for the CCI which was a challenge in itself, particularly with the hilly terrain and the long water crossings.

Luke was a star. He gave me a wonderful ride XC, and we really felt a complete partnership. He answered my every wish with a magic clear round and 11 time faults. Retrospectively I could have run a little quicker, but I didn't know him well enough to know where his tank reaches empty, the answer is ... it doesn't! He finished full of running and we both were grinning.

Sprout and Willy had their CIC show jumping on Saturday evening. Sprout was second to jump and pinged around clear, delighted to have so many supporters there to watch...he thought the entire grandstand was full for him. Willy was unlucky to jump nearly 45mins later than his alloted time, coupled with a 25 min hack to the arena and an hour wait for Sprout to jump. By the time our turn came around I think Willy was a bit 'over it', and I don't blame him! Once we started he tried his socks off and only a little difference of opinion on approaching the planks resulted in 4 faults. He certainly tried hard for me, and in future I can be a little 'cooler' about my warm up.

The CIC cross country was on Sunday morning, after Luke sailed down the trot up to pass the dreaded inspection. Willy ran first, and after our little splash at Hartpury I was keen to complete a nice clear. He pulled out all the stops and gave me a fantastic spin. He made a copy book job the whole way round, and was very kind to me when I over-rode the second water and made life harder than it needed to be. A big thumbs up for Willy, who came back having learnt an awful lot and seeminly really enjoying himself.

Sprout ran second and with the benefit of my experience on Willy made the track feel effortless. He apparently lost a hind shoe at fence one, but didn't miss a beat from start to finish and I felt overwhelmingly proud of him.

Lastly Luke's CCI show jumping. He felt calm and relaxed but not overly tired and jumped probably as well as I've ever felt him. He gave a great demo of 3rd day show jumping, and I was really sad for him that he had an unlucky 4 faults at the last double. He certainly couldn't have tried harder or jumped better. Very annoyingly any other year, this would qualify us for Badminton, but for 2011 they have changed the qualifications and we missed out by 2 places...dammit.

Still, I now have two ponies qualified for CCI3* and one for CCI4* so I really couldn't be happier. The three boys did personal best performances in all three phases this weekend, and I feel extremely lucky...thank you to my amazing support team for making my dreams come true!

exciting times

The team have been busy since our last blog. Posy and Millie went to Solihull last weekend, and aquited themselves well. Millie was slightly frustrating in the first two phases but flew around the cross country giving Mary a lovely ride and all was forgiven. Posy did a lovely test and a very impressive double clear around her first novice. A great achievement for her.

A busy weekend at Highclere with Posy and Rowan both finishing on their dressage scores for 2nd and 7th respectively in the BE100. They have had SUPER seasons and really deserved their ribbons.

Sunday saw poor Jack left at home, after getting cast the night before the show. Willy and Parker both did super tests for 30 and 32, annoyingly both had 12 faults show jumping. Parker tried his socks off and I wasn't too disappointed with his efforts and Willy just felt a little casual coming back to intermediate level after his 3* debut. They both redeemed themselves with lovely clears XC.

Monday saw Luke, Sprout and Fish contest the advanced. Lukey did a personal best dressage to score 33, Sprout made a good effort in his first advanced to score 35 and Fish got a bit excited but didn't 'loose the plot' to score 39. I had an attack of 'the slows' in the show jumping! Luke and Sprout jumped super rounds with one down each, but managed a handful of time faults on both which was disappointing. Fish jumped a magic round, and was clear apart from....I fell off!!!! So annoying I can't tell you how cross I was. He just didn't seem to quite see a white upright and put back down. I jumped back on to finish his 'clear'!!

All three boys gave me magic cross country rides XC, Fish marred his copy book with a little hesitation at the step down, but I couldn't fault any of them, and particularly excited to have completed Sprout's first advanced, and really cemented my partnership with Luke.

We now have Willy, Luke and Sprout Blenheim bound. I feel so lucky and excited to have four horses with proven advanced ability, and a very promising bunch as their 'understudies'. Look out world, team Jackson is on the up!

Busy Week

Well it seems to be going from mad to madder at the moment. Last week we took Animator and Willy Do to Hartpury on Wednesday, ready for the CIC3*. I left Mary with those two and headed home to pick up River Mill, Castle River and Wellshead Munnings for the Intermediate at Aston on Thursday.

I wasn't alone in setting these slight logistical challenges, the only difference being William Fox Pitt and Mark Todd have two lorries!! Anyway, all three intermediate boys did pleasing tests and clear XC, but only River Mill show jumped well enough for a ribbon, finishing 8th.

I then dropped those three home before turning the lorry round and heading down to Hartpury in time to ride Willy and Luke on Thursday evening. Luke did a disappointing test on Friday, he had to perform in the indoor arena and to be honest felt a little claustrophobic, that coupled with a pilot error meant we ended on 58, well down the order. Willy on the other hand did by far his best test ever to score a more than pleasing 49. They both show jumped well around a not huge, but fairly technical track. Luke jumped clear with 2 time and Willy was unlucky to have 4 faults.

The cross country was causing plenty of trouble, in particular a tricky double of right hand corners at the bottom of a steep hill ontop of a mound on a sharp left hand bend, all of which amount to Luke's 'nemesis' really! That said he gave me a fabulous ride and jumped clear with just 7 time faults. Excitingly he just squeaked into the ribbons in 20th!! Willy set off as if he really meant business, popping the first few fences with the innocence of youth. Sadly this slightly got the better of him at a rather ugly double of uprights into water. He slightly bellied the second element which pitched me out of the saddle, and then knuckled a bit on landing too. Annoyingly I fell into the stinking puddle and thankfully Willy stayed upright and didn't seem at all bothered. I was mortified as I felt it was a really cheap fall, and I ought to have sat tighter! Especially annoying lying 11th!

Still, all five horses finished the week sound and happy, which is more than can be said for poor Lydia, left at home alone to tend to the gang for the weekend, she suffered a heavy fall whilst cantering in the top field and was concussed and pretty shaken. Thankfully The Jarvis family (our landlords), Lyn (our local trainer) and Rowan (working pupil) & Tracey (owner extraordinaire) all mucked in to help in the crisis and all residents were well cared for in all our absences!!

So we're now a 'man down' while Lyd's recovers at home, and have 18 horses to work...hectic but satisfying. This weekend Warford Lady and Pinochle compete at Solihull and the following weekend I have 11 rides at Highclere so watch this space for the final rundown on the seasons antics from Team Jackson.