What a whirlwind.
Since my last blog about whinging that I couldn’t get to Spain and with international shows being a bit tricky at the moment, I have been embracing endless amounts of national shows.
This means lots of pre entering and being organised which hurts my brain. I forget who is entered where and when!
Trying to enter so you don’t spend all day at a show, but also so you don’t have 4 horses in the same class doesn’t work, so I tend to spend long days at shows. It is amazing how time can disappear.
But I am loving being back out with the team, the horses have been fantastic. I have taken it slowly, so I feel comfortable that they are fit enough and comfortable to step up, but they have all proved they are ready and have moved up a height easily.
Cambridge jumped his first 1.20 the other day, which may seem a bit trivial as he is 8, and only just jumped a 1.20, but he’s taken a huge amount of patience and time for me to feel that his rideability in the ring is good enough. I love thinking back to when he was younger, and I refused to jump an oxer on him and now I’m excited of the thought of potentially jumping a 1.30 in the future.
Munch, our 7-year-old, jumped his first couple of Foxhunters since being back out, the covid break has done him the world of good – he is showing so much potential. He is a big young horse who I don’t want to rush, and there are lots of options for him. However, the plan will be to do a run of shows and then for him to have another break, to then finish the year strong ready to kick off his 8-year-old campaign, hopefully in Spain.
Flo is proving to be a monkey, needing a warm-up class to take the ‘edge’ off and get her head in the game. However, I have no doubt with consistency she will move along quickly, she is already showing so much promise and I really am excited to see what her year holds.
Fleurie, Timmy and Paris have been busy ticking over and getting fit ready to compete at Bolesworth and then hopefully some internationals if we can get in, I know British Internationals are in high demand. But I’m really hoping to get abroad and compete too but it’s still so unknown.
It’s exciting to be out again and lovely to see people and catch up with fellow equestrians. I think my social skills are still intact. ….