November/December 2013

Very hard couple of months as my best friend died. Cancer.

September / October 2013

 Unbelievably, my little pony came 5th at The Nationals. I still cant believe it. I remember leading him off the lorry the day i bought him 4 years ago at my dear friend Melissa Smiths yard and thinking oh my god what is she going to think of this tiny little squirt of a cheap driving horse i have bought!
But being the wonder that she is she gave me her full support and didn't make me feel like an idiot! The fabulous Isabella Hoare who imported him and backed him knew he was a good horse and i remember thinking when i first sat on him 'you look like a little weed but i could ride you all day' and i didn't wanna get off but had to cos he was so weedy!
Whilst Melissa was dancing around on her beautiful GP horse and i was cart horsing it around on 3 rising 4 year old Alf, who would have thought a National contender was at the start of his training.
Not me that's for sure! :-)

We had a fab couple of lessons with Charles de Kunffy at the TTT with my Alf giving me a wonderful ride too on the Sunday Evening Lecture Demo.

Alf won his first ever medium!! Two huge mistakes because of the scary red tractor parked next to the arena (if its moving its 'not a problem' but if its stationary 'AAAHHHHhhhhhhhh its gonna kill me') so i was therefore SO over the moon with 67.93 in M61 with a mark of 8 for first collected trot centre line and halt, 8 for a medium, another 8 for a collected trot and another 8 for our last collected trot centre line and halt. Happy!
And then the clever boy went and won his second medium, (M63 66.55%) this time it was me that made the mistake with a dreadfully ridden pair of walk pirouettes (5's!) whereas Alf was foot perfect and got an 8 for one of the half 10 m circles simple changes.

Eilean Appletona and Shakira

Eilean Appleton and Shakira continue their good form with another win in N38 at East Soley. This was followed by an 8th place in the Novice Wellington Area Festival. 

Sonya Saville and Jasper were 0.32% away from being in the Wellington Novice top ten!

Nicola Holehouse made her mark on the Area Festivals this year. At Wellington 3rd in the Novice and 10th in the prelim, and her 4th place at the Oldencraig Novice Area Festival. Qualified for the Area Festival Novice Finals! Having now Qualified for the grass roots BE championship at Badminton she is one happy lady!

Sara Malpass and Basil were awarded a fantastic 73.89% in the riding test at London and South East championships. Individual 2nd and team (ERC) came 4th! 

Her young chestnut mare 4 year old Nelly is doing super and together they won the Intro Championship at Frensham Manor with 72.61%.

Katherine Davies and Longdean Waterworld 3rd in the Wellington Area Festival Medium Championship. 0.3 % away from 2nd and qualifying for the Area Festival Finals.....please give them a wild card!

Oh my goodness me, is that Eilean on the front cover of the 2014 BD rule book? Do they not know this wonderful young lady does not do rules?!?!
Hee hee, fab photo taken on her final halt at the Novice Area Festival at Wellington.
Happy horse + happy rider = happy trainer.