Lily the mule
Well I have got the winter jumping clinics organised, and am delighted to report that they will be held at Bedgebury Park. This is a great venue and I’m really looking forward to being able to run them there. See clinic page for dates. There will be one a month from November through to February; concentrating on exercises, technique, rider position, gridwork etc.
Lily has blotted her copybook. At four Lily knows everything. “I don’t think I want to walk over that mud”…”No, I’m not going up there”….”I’ve told you, NO!”.. Lily said no, mummy said yes. Discussion lasted twenty minutes. Mummy 1, Lily the Mule 0. Don’t you love young horses!
Thankyou to everyone that has sent me testimonials and pictures for the pages of this website. I can assure you that my school reports never read like that! I shall be paying off the bribes for some time…
Hannah Bartholomew had a great final event at Pulborough ending up 2nd in her BE90 section. We think this leaves her as the winner of the South East Eventers League ‘Seahorse Grassroots First Timer’ ranking for 2010 but are waiting for confirmation as I write….
We had a fantastic day with two groups schooling at Bonfleur Cross-country last Sunday. We were very lucky with super weather and great ground. Everyone enjoyed themselves and all the horses jumped really well with Martin really earning his lunch by having a lengthy discussion about forward movement over a hole in the ground with Tina Freedman’s Morgan. It was a weekend for challenging discussions with ginger people!
Talking of which, Lily went to Sally’s for a lesson on Monday and I was really pleased with how relaxed she was having not been out for ages. She’s still wanting to zoom at jumps, running onto the bridle and then being very touchy about the contact. My homework is to ride with two reins. One to the bit as normal and the other attached to the noseband. Will let you know how this goes. Sally did say that Lily looked an absolute picture, much stronger and better balanced and was very much worth taking the time with….all good to hear.
The highlight of my social calendar on Wednesday night – our Pony Club parents evening! Martin had come up with a cunning plan, holding it in the pub next door to where we live, so this did soften the blow somewhat. A slightly emotional DC said his goodbyes to the North West Kent branch after 35 years as member, committee member, treasurer, and District Commissioner. He’s leaving the branch in the capable hands of Fiona Scott (she admitted to longer NWK service than Martin, she’s just worn better!) and he’s moving on to be the Area 11 Representative. Whilst at an Area meeting this Friday, Mrs Janet Stakemire asked him if he was the Martin Wright that Valerie Joliffe taught to ride. He was a little shocked as he can only ever recall the two of them together at the Edenbridge and Oxted show, back in his Working Pony days, aged eleven!!
Today was the last Carmen Court jumping clinic for the year. I’m really pleased with how popular these have become. This time it was the last group that gave me the most trouble. The North West Kent Pony Club retiring DC and the new DC, taught by their Chief Instructor – I bet that doesn’t happen very often!! Mind you, the retiring DC didn’t listen to a word I said….
PS Harry is back. Not sure who the imposter was but Grumpy Boy has returned.
Humble Pie
I’m constantly amused by the search engine terms used to find my site. I’m wondering if it’s a little known fetish “ginger people horse jumping”? And I really can’t see that the people searching for “chubby girl laying over hay bales” were looking for me or my website….
A quiet time for my horses but plenty of my clients are out and about – last weekend I went to Patchetts to support Bonnie and Oliver in their BD Area Festival. While I was there, Martin took Otto to the Coakham Bloodhounds Sponsored Ride, and Debbie was at the Sunshine Tour Championship Show at Great Bookham. All horses behaved well but Jazz really produced the goods with a 7th in the Novice, and becoming Grand Tour Reserve Elementary Champions and taking home £75 worth of prizes! Not bad for a wee six year old, he’s had a cracking year.
I was absolutely thrilled to receive a call on Sunday this weekend to say that one of our Pony Clubbers Sally Stoddart was placed 5th in her Intro section at Borde Hill. In soaking wet horrible conditions she was clear inside the time over a course that will have been quite a bit bigger than anything she has ridden previously. I can remember a few years ago her cautiously dropping back to trot on the course at Eridge and yours truly has never let her forget it, so to blast around Borde Hill inside the time in the mud is a fantastic achievement. Some friends of ours, Bill and Angela Boniface, were also at the event and lent Sally their old number bib. How did she repay their kindness? She was sick all over it!! Yeuck!
To add to that Hannah Bartholomew, also at Borde Hill, won her Intro section. She has had an absolutely fantastic year and I’m sure has to pinch herself sometimes when she looks back at how things have gone. BE100 next year I’m sure…
My own horses may not be out competing at the moment but I am always delighted to hear the results of others, and the girls are no exception – they made my birthday weekend, I am so chuffed for them!
I’m going to have to eat humble pie as Harry has come back into work very quietly so far. I am amazed. I feel sure he’s lulling me into a false sense of security but I will enjoy it while it lasts…
I have spent the week trying to organise a venue for winter clinics and also find somewhere to hold a three day summer camp. I hope to have them sorted soon. I have organised a cross-country school next Sunday for two groups at Bonfleur near Maidstone. Fingers crossed for a dry day.
How exciting has the World Equestrian Games been? Five medals as I write this – unbelievable!
Lily-head
Well the Harry update is that the vets suggested four weeks box rest. He’s pretty chilled so long as the food parcels keep arriving, but poor Martin had been promised him as a hunt horse and had just paid his subscription when uh-oh, no pony. Fingers crossed that we can get him fit and hunting in a couple of months – we’ll see what emerges from the stable in two weeks – anyone know any friendly zoo keepers?!
I was a bit grumpy about missing Harry’s planned outings but Debbie Reeves held our side up at the South of England BD with a second and a win with over 68% in the Novices. Jazz is really quite established at Novice level now and I’m hoping they will qualify for the Winter Regionals.
On the Friday of that week we headed off to Burghley to support one of our friends and North West Kent Pony Clubber, Sophie Etheridge, in the Burghley Young Event Horse 4 year old final. Sophie’s horse Soloman has been injured for nearly a year and she has very recently been given the ride (along with a ready-made BYEH qualification) on a horse belonging to local livery owner Janet Shears – what a lucky girl!
I have to admit to fighting back tears as Sophie trotted into the arena. Our Soph at Burghley! I rode every turn and jumped every fence with her. Her mum felt so sick she disappeared. I don’t think I have ever seen Martin in such a flap. Sophie on the other hand was predictably calm, a totally focussed competitor. She went in there and produced the goods. A good dressage and a clear round on a horse that she has only had the ride on for six weeks. Her non-horsey father seemed not to understand the occasion until he saw all the people on the grandstand. Hello! This is the most prestigious Young Event Horse Championships in the country, and your daughter is only eighteen!! I can see where Sophie gets that steely determination from….
As an added bonus Steve Bartholomew (a North West Kent pony club parent) was at Burghley as an official photographer. Without much prompting he was dragged away from the main arena and Sophie had her very own official paparazzi! Apologies to Mark Todd who will be missing some snaps.
On Sunday I went to Stilebridge to support Louisa and Strider in the Hadlow Riding Club Dressage Championships. They did me proud to win their second championship class this year. They will have their affiliated debut this autumn.
And while I was supporting Louisa, Martin and Donna took Otto to Lucy’s for another lesson. I am pleased to report that the boy tried his best and everyone was very pleased with the progress that’s been made. Felbridge next we hope….
Last Wednesday Martin, the dogs and I headed to Blenheim for a weekend camping in the horsebox. Not being one to risk getting wet and cold I had packed five pairs of trousers, two pairs of waterproof trousers, three coats, three hats, four dog coats and an umbrella. Suffice to say it was pretty sunny and I looked like some kind of deranged and suntanned coat woman…
Today Lily’s breeders Sally and Thomas Forster came to see the little ginger one. Sorry mum, the Lily-head thing slipped out….and boy did Sally find that funny……
Off games
Well it’s been two very busy weeks fitting in Lily and Harry around normal lessons and teaching at camps. Normally I give the horses most of August off as I find it hard to do it all, but this year I have been determined to keep them going. The consequence of this is that I have been tired and tetchy, thoroughly delightful to be around, growling at Martin whenever he starts a sentence with ‘have you managed to…’!
Last week was my fifth year doing the jumping sessions at Chislehurst and District Riding Club camp. It’s a lovely camp to teach at, everyone trying their very best and they are always really supportive of each other. I always get lots of enjoyment seeing the progress through the week, and the lunches are amazing!
Part way through the week we got news that Lexie’s 28 day scan had revealed a heartbeat – woohoo! I mustn’t get too excited as I know things don’t always go to plan but this is fantastic news. I also hear from Stud UK Euro that Rosie was scanned in foal, so everything crossed for things to go well there too. On the Saturday Martin moved Lexie from West Kington Stud in Wiltshire (where there is no winter broodmare accommodation) to Groomsbridge Stud in Cambridgeshire (where Lily came from). We know that Sally Forster at Groomsbridge pampers everything like it was a favourite pony in her back garden, and that is exactly what we want for our girl. She’s still looking rather fit and I imagine a rather well bred, curvaceous broodmare taking her to one side “this place is fabulous darling but you really must eat your greens…you’re eating for two now sweetie…”
While Martin was driving around the country in the lorry, we had a very busy Carmen Court jumping clinic. Debbie’s Jazz jumped like a star again, maybe a trip to Felbridge for the boy is looming after all. He had saddle trouble and was a little sore two months ago when he nearly had his Aunty Janine eating sand, so it’s good to have that behind us and be back on form. It’s great to see the progress in the regulars but also lovely to see quite a few new faces this time. I also jumped Lily in a group which is a completely new experience for her and she behaved brilliantly. Although very green, she’s feeling really confident now and at times was a bit of a cocky show-off!
Then came our Pony Club branch’s camp at Judd Wood nr Tonbridge where I have been teaching all week. Only a small number of Pony Clubbers in attendance but for me, one of the best camps we’ve had in years. A great bunch and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. By Monday lunchtime there had been a finger shut in a lorry door, and a trip to A&E for a key helper with a bang to the head. Fortunately the rest of the week mainly concentrated on keeping everyone dry overnight – not really the best weather for camping. Then on Thursday, a horrible incident….I managed somehow to put a salt and vinegar crisp in my eye instead of my mouth, not something I would recommend! Now I don’t want to get anyone in trouble but between you and me, I have picked my way through the camp Risk Assessment and nowhere does it assess the Health and Safety issues regarding crisp eating….
Harry made an appearance on Wednesday, the hack had been cancelled as my ‘sweeper’ had concussion (!) but he was still lined up to teach them how to lunge. I had started to question my judgement and was worrying he’d snack on some poor unsuspecting child, but he was an utter star, totally on the charm offensive, and I think he would have trotted circles around them even if they were doing headstands! Unfortunately when I came to ride him on Friday he was slightly unlevel. It looks like he’s throwing a splint which at six he’s a prime age for. There’s a rather large hot lump in the splint area on the outside of his near fore. So Harry will be off games for a while and I expect Smiths Lawn will turn out to be his last event this year – I’m glad he went so well and proved that he’s learnt so much. He will be one for the future… but so much for working my butt off for the last four weeks to keep him in work, typical – where’s the justice in that?!
Bonnie Kerr had a great result at Brook Farm BD this week with a win in the Elementary with over 67%. We took Oliver back to basics about a year ago and Bonnie has been very patiently waiting to see the upshot of her hard work. Typically the results got worse before they got better and I’m sure she wondered if we were doing the right thing, but she’s had two wins recently so I would say we’re back in business, plus some! I also hear from Zalena and Claire Carter that they have qualified for the Riding Club Championships at Lincoln in the riding test. That’s a fantastic effort. Zalena came to me as a rehabilitation following an injury and was re-backed and slowly brought back into work over the summer last year. She was a smart young horse and we sold her onto Claire on behalf of her owner Zoe Squirrel who also had an injury, and in less than a year together they have really got it together – top effort girls!
Today we took Lily to Felbridge to school in their arena over some jumps. She was a bit overawed by the arena there and very spooky, but after a little while really got into her stride and grew in confidence. More of this planned!
So that’s it, August is nearly over… I have to admit that I’m looking forward to the slightly slower pace of life that the autumn will bring, but am disappointed they’ll be no Harry parties for a while. That’s horses though…
Black not Green
Well my little dumpling has left home again. On Sunday we moved Ivy to a paddock down the road to be with Laura and Tina. She has a new friend Ludo who seemed to understand from the outset that Ivy is in charge. We’ve rather got used to her being at home and miss her perky little face and welcoming squeaky neighs every day but we don’t have room for her to winter with us, and I think Laura was keen to have her back for some Reeves style TLC.
Monday we had a Pony Club jumping rally at Felbridge with NZ International event-rider Joe Meyer, who was brilliant. Sometimes the top riders aren’t the best teachers but Joe was fantastic. We will try to use him again in the winter when he has more time. In the afternoon Chris Caden-Parker came to give the horses their routine six-monthly back check. I am delighted to report that Harry and Lily were given the thumbs up, so back to work as normal.
On Thursday I decided to swap Lily for Harry and took her for her first Sally lesson. Only her third trip out, she travelled well and was more relaxed. She was not at all bothered by whatever Sally built for her, including a coat hanging off the wing at one point! Lots of positive comments – Sally thought she had a good canter, was quite reactive and rideable, and tidy over a fence. To summarise she said “cute little ginger thing”!!
I was dreamily filling the lorry at Pease Pottage services, thinking about what a star Lily had been when I noticed the green funnel sticking out of the fuel tank…SH*T!!! Oh Lamy, you donut. I felt sick. What on earth was I thinking?! Fortunately I had only put half a litre of petrol in and the man in the garage (looking at me like I was a complete idiot) said that it wouldn’t be a problem if I filled it full with diesel. Louisa sat in the lorry shaking her head. Even the dogs looked embarrassed. And I really looked forward to telling Martin…not!
Next week is Chislehurst and District Riding Club camp where I am doing the jumping sessions in the afternoons, and we have a very busy Carmen Court jumping clinic planned for Saturday. Then I am at our branch’s Pony Club camp all the following week, and I hope to get Lily out again for some more schooling somewhere over the bank holiday…busy busy busy!
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