July/August 2013

Im very pleased for Nicola Holehouse and Monty who did their personal best with a 24.5 at Tweseldown today in the BE 90. That's 75.5% and am over the moon that was from a List One judge.

I am busy preparing for the second In Hand Dressage Demo at Hall Place on July 30th. Come see how much fun you can have working/playing with dressage movements with your horse in hand and on the lunge. All proceeds to http://www.aacancer.org/index.html. Seats are £10 each and must be booked and paid for in advance as we have a maximum number that we can fit in. Cheques made payable to Action Against Cancer.

I MUST READ THE RULE BOOK MORE!...... after Alfie got the highest score in E44 of 72% at Fairoak Grange but then i was eliminated at the end for wearing a fly mask because it was in the indoor school. Lesson learnt as last time i read that section in the rule book it said OK for fly masks in summer but not not winter! Thank goodness he also got highest score of 70.31%  in E59 in the outdoor school or i wouldn't have had any money for ice cream, diet coke and diesel on the way home!

Amazingly good two day clinic with Alf and Stephen at the TTT to set us up for the Regional Warm Up at Addington the next day where Alf won both his Elementary classed! E43 with 71.03% and E59 with 72.81%. We are really getting there. YES!

Then another super two wins for the Alf  at Pachesham winning E45 71.37% and E59 with 68.53!

Followed by one of the best days of my life, Alf won the British Dressage Elementary Central Regional Championship at Addington with 71.56%! OMG we have qualified for The British Dressage National Championships!!!

May/June 2013

I am very very proud of Sara Malpass for coming 6th at the Hickstead Prelim Championships today! What a fantastic result!  And thankyou for my photo, i love the rugs you won.

Louise Wilkinson and Pogo first and third up at Patchetts in the BD novices. Brilliant!

Emails like these from Denise Roissetter about her daughter Claire Roissetter are what keeps me doing my job...... "Hi Tracey! We're at the Badminton Grassroots Championships and just wanted to let you know that Claire and Harvey have done the best dressage on 22.8!!!! They won the dressage at Badminton! So proud of them both and as you've played such a huge part in his dressage prowess, thought you'd like to have a proud Auntie moment too!! Thank you so much for everything you have taught them over the years. Unfortunately had a fence down sj, but still lying 5th. XC today, so fingers crossed they have a lovely round and get back in one piece, then I can stop feeling sick!! Dx" . Claire was third in the end at the Badminton championships. Still brings a tear to my eye thinking about this as we worked so hard and had so much fun for years heading towards this dream. Now its reality!

Thankyou so much to everyone who came to support the In Hand Dressage Action Against Cancer Demo at Cloud Stables. James, Alfie, Del and I had a fab evening and hope you all did too. Things i have learnt and will not do next time......try to run as fast as Dels extended trot with a microphone attached to my head.....let a pigeon poo on me....allow James have a slot on the demo as now he wants a longer 'lunging give paw carrot stretching part' on the next one.

I went to Oldencraig in Surrey and clever Alf won his first Elementary Dressage to Music with 70.57%! We also won Elementary 45 outright with Alfs best Ele score so far 72.06%! His first 8's for both medium trots and 10m circles, halts and rein back! 

Alf  is now out of Novice points and i was very happy that he won his last ever BD Novice test with 71.92% He was such a good boy in BCA indoor for first time. 

March/April 2013

                     


Claire Cowley and her chestnut welsh Max are getting a super partnership together now, this month winning Intro A at East Soley with 72% and and an 8 for the free walk.


Happy Happy Happy! Eilean Appleton and Shakira won their first Affiliated Novice Restricted at Merrist today WITH 70% WOOPETY WOOP WOOP WOOP. Yes that says 70%!!!

 

January/February 2013

In January clever Delboy went to his first show since his tooth root op last November and won both classes at East Soley!
70.38% in Novice 35 and 65.71% in Elementary 57. My fault that % is low for Del. I had been practising some sitting trot and had 'reduced' the trot so as to allow for my core to cope! I then hadn't ridden as big and forward as i normally would in the ring, so a comment of 'needs more ground cover' from judge Lindsay Jenkins, although a comment never normally applied to Mr Del, but quite right on this occasion.

It started snowing whilst at a show the next day with Alfie. Very apt as we were at Snowball Farm! Alf was determined not to be outdone by his brother so he won both his classes too! Four red rossers in two days!68.4% in Elementary 44 and Alfs first 70% in Elementary 49! Would have been more if i hadnt forgotten the 20m circle canter stretch at the end. To be honest I was just so grateful by that point that he hadn't fallen over with the amount of snow that had balled up in his feet that i was just looking forward to getting to the final halt safely.

AT LAST! Alf got his photo in Horse and Hound!

I also took my client Sara Malpass with me to ride Logan at his first Affiliated Dressage. He went HC so as to not yet gain any points but Sara would have won both of the Novices. What a day!
It looks beautiful in the picture and on the videos but oh boy were we cold!



I am so proud of Gillian Hammond and her event horse Cuddles for coming 2nd in their Prelim at Wellington.

Gill has been working so hard over the winter on her dressage and jumping to prepare herself for the rapidly approaching BE season.

This rosette in a dressage competition is just what she needed to give her the boost that all her hard work is paying off.

I love this picture because Gills position is good with her weight down into her inside leg and it shows how she is training Cuddles to be able to work in an uphill frame,but with his back up as well as his poll up.
Look at that amazingly white tail! How does she do that?!

Karen Grafton Brown and the lovely Friesian Spartacus have made wonderful improvements in their work and the dressage rosettes are about to really start flowing!

Lauren Holloway and Chance are improving their scores every time they go out and we are having great fun at home playing with some baby piaffe steps and half pass. 

In February the boys did it again! Four red rossers in two days!

Alfie went to East Soley and won Novice 38 with 72.9% and won Elementary 53 with 70.88%. Yes! Alfies second 70% at Elementary!

Del went to Snowball and won Elementary 45 with 67.24% (not bad as only had 5 minutes to warm up as I couldn't get him tacked him up because there was a loose horse galloping around the lorry park in the snow!) and won Elementary 59 with 70.63% (that's more like my Delboy, back in the 70%'s where he belongs!)

Another write up for Alf in Horse & Hound!

Del can NOT believe it. He says he has won his last four classes too, why does his brother get all the luck. Don't worry my big boy. Your time will come again.



November/December 2012

Oo what a busy time its been. Firstly with an amazing holiday and then moving the boys to a yard where they can go out in the field all day and where its safe for me to take them out hacking on the byways by myself when we need a bit of escapism! This has made so much difference to Alf and his strength of body, but also more calmness of mind is clear. Calm power is a must for a dressage horse. Mr Del is such a good boy, he just gets on with his job no matter what his field arrangements.

 

Both boys are going really well at the mo and we had a fantastic two day course with my trainer Ali Cookson at the TTT. With Alf we were working on suppleness behind the saddle leading to a straighter horse and with Del we were working on my (not so adhesive!) seat! Then a fabulous two days with Stephen Clarke. Alf was the best he has ever been and started to show super talent for collection in the canter. Del was brilliant as always and impressed Stephen with his medium trots and canters and his lateral work.

 

 

September/October 2012

Well done to Hannah Bown and Fin for winning the Prelim Area Festival at Patchetts. This qualifies her to take part at the Area Festival Final which is held at the National Winter Championships at Hartpury next year.

Clever Georgia Sayles has been working hard on her position and influence of her legs and seat and her reward is a lovely round engaged pony!

 

Sarah Harington is starting to really enjoy competing her Andalusian Red at Affiliated British Dressage . They had a fab day at Pachesham dressage today. 65% and 4th out of a strong field of 15.

 

Alf went to Patchetts for the first time and was second in Novice 35 with 71.92%

Delboy went the next day and won Novice 38 with 70.77% and Elementary 45 with 66.90%

Alf went to Pachesham for the first time and was third in both Novices with 69.61% and 68.62%

We also went back to one of our favourite venues East Soley and Alf was second in Novice 38 with 69.03% and he won Elementary 53 with his best % at this level so far 69.71% 

 

 

July/August 2012

Alf went to East Soley and certainly snorted lots! He won both the Novices but not with his normal high % due to a little spooky today as this was his first time at this venue and something had gone wrong at the yard and he hadn't been given his Calm Cool and Collected brain food for a couple of weeks.

Very pleased with himself two weeks later to win his first Elementary with 69.2% and second in Elementary 50!

Delboy went to the Addington pre Regional Championships warm up and broke his own record by winning Novice 39 with 76.55%! What a horse.

He was such a cool dude a week later at the Addington Central Regional Championships. Faultless from start to finish, but perhaps not quite as relaxed and through the body as last week, due to the excitement of  his first regionals atmosphere. The three judges combined scores gave 68.26%. So so proud of him as he really gave me everything he has. 16th out of 40. I was hoping for top ten so must admit was a bit disappointed as it was a mistake free test but i will take the comments on board from the one judge who marked us lower. The standard was quite mind blowing with horses of international calibre in the top 20, so have to be pleased that my Delboy was amongst that bag!