I made a last-minute decision to venture off to Chard this weekend just gone, the weather was set to be lovely and I had nothing planned so it was a perfect opportunity to get another outdoor 3-day show under our belts. I’ve changed a few bits and pieces recently (which ill write more about in…
It was very exciting to be back at the glorious Bolesworth International. I always enjoy coming back to this venue, (however, the weather says play an intricate role in these feelings). I had three horses competing over the week, Roydon, Cassini II and Donvier. They rode brilliantly and tried so hard for me all week,…
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…
I’ve never made so many ‘plans’ and unmade ‘plans’ and stressed about ‘plans’ all to have absolutely no ‘plans! Let’s talk Spain. There are so many elements that go into getting a string of horses ready for a tour like this it’s amazing, but we do it because when we get out there it’s totally…
As we roll into winter, every horse owner will be thinking about getting enough forage into their horse’s diet. Actually, we are probably always thinking about that. We are part of that rare subsection of the community who are borderline obsessed with, well — grass. Read the rest of Camilla’s blog here
Everyone always asks me, which I find so bizarre, which horse is your favourite. I can’t choose, I don’t think I would ever be able to. All the horses I’ve ridden or even looked after mean so much to me, they have all taught me something different and helped me develop. I love their individual…
For me, there’s nothing more enjoyable than a good stay away show. You spend dedicated and extended time with your horses, around like-minded people and the consistent competing is great for your riding too. I’ve even heard them described as Pony Club camp for grown-ups. Read the rest of Camilla’s latest blog here
I was so excited to be back in beautiful Valkenswaard. Of all the wonderful shows I’ve been to, it is definitely my favourite. The atmosphere is friendly but everything runs super efficiently. The stables are big and permanent. The wash bays have hot and cold running water (luxury!). It’s also surprisingly easy to get to,…
Shows have well and truly resumed and a lot of riders are finding they are facing more challenges than just those designed by the course builders. Read the rest of Camilla’s new blog here
The last couple of months have seen lockdown restrictions eased and so we’ve been able to get the horses out and about. Camilla has been doing some training with Di Lampard over the hiatus period and it really seems to have paid off. Arena UK was a good show, we had some mixed results mostly…
When I used to think of what a brand ambassador was, I’d think of them as a top professional speaking about the integrity of a product that helped them win at the Olympics, or of glamorous people looking gorgeous in the latest riding wear on even more glamorous photoshoots. To read the rest of…
We are beyond thrilled to announce that Lord and Lady Equestrian has selected Puttenham’s very own Camilla Bingham as the newest addition to its Sponsored Rider team. Camilla approached the British owned and operated rider wear brand after discovering the unique and elegant designs on social media. The beautiful show shirts and base layers are…
During lockdown, the FMBs Therapy Activo-Med therapy rug has been so useful. Watch Camilla talk us through how the rug works and why she thinks it’s so essential to all of her horses’s routines.
Restrictions easing has meant we have been able to get the Puttenham team out for some training. Will Whitaker was kind enough to put the horses and I through our paces – with excellent results. All are feeling fantastic and the relaxing, pressure free time in lockdown has really allowed them all to come into…
Training shows have started up in Belgium and Billy Drizzle is looking amazing jumping round the 1.35 with Victor Kumps at Sentower Park. Very happy he can be back doing what he loves best!
As a horse owner and rider in this current climate, my mind is a bit like a carousel with no stop button. There are so many questions — to ride or not to ride? Turned away or ticking over? How fit should they stay? Or for that matter, how fat can they get? I just…
In your warm up, aim to find an adjustable canter. You should move up and down the gears and go into the exercise knowing your horse is able to shorten and lengthen when asked. Start by popping over one of the poles on either side of the arena add the others as you feel confident,…
The Mediteranean Equestrian Tour (or MET) in Oliva Nova is the stuff horsey girls’ dreams. For me, it’s three weeks of Spanish sunshine, palm trees, beach rides and temperatures in the 20s. Not to mention elite competition, excellent prize money and experience that said prize money can’t buy. I have, however, come with four horses and no groom.…
Christmas for us horsey folk isn’t quite the holiday that everyone else seems to experience. When we hear our less horsey companions looking forward to the Christmas break, we know this isn’t quite the case for us. I am by no means a grinch, in fact the complete opposite — I LOVE Christmas, but yard…
I was feeling a bit more confident about my next little competition stint out to Belgium, mainly because I knew more about the set up and how things were run, so felt a bit more in control. I took Felix (pictured above) and Fleurie out for the international shows, along with my young horse Cambridge,…
Prepping for a show in Belgium has been a big focus for us here at Puttenham Place since we finished our summer campaign, and the first two weeks of training and jumping have not disappointed. Lier was our first stop in Belgium and what a super-friendly set up with great facilities, including lovely permanent stables.…
October has slipped away, notably ending with a lot of rain. Puttenham Farm is at the end of a very long and gently sloping farm track which turns into a small river that courses its way down into our fields – so we are a teeny bit flooded. Whilst we are trying to work out…
So, I’m taking this sustainability ‘malarkey’ seriously. I really believe it’s important we do what we can and not bury our head in the sand while, not so far out of sight, our planet is squealing from the consequences of our actions. We cannot be perfect, I’m not sure anyone can, let alone in the…
Although the daylight hours are getting shorter the lovely weather continues and we hold onto wearing flipflops, t-shirts and drinking rose wine – or at least those of us not in riding gear. This has been a great summer with many shows experiencing gorgeous weather, except poor Bolesworth. It will be your turn next year.…
It was always our overall plan to do feature shows leading up to August and then come home for some down time. For us, it gives us an opportunity to see where we are at, assess how the team are doing and create a plan for the rest of the year. It is also nice…
What an amazing weekend I had at the London leg of the Global Champions Tour (GCT) (2—4 August). As I sit down to write this blog, I am still reeling from the phenomenal show that was London GCT. I am going to give you a blow-by-blow account of this special event as no detail should…
Bolesworth International is set in the beautiful surroundings of Bolesworth Castle in the Cheshire countryside and is owned and run by the Barbour family. My last visit to Bolesworth was in June 2016 — it was a total washout and it is no secret that Bolesworth International 2019 was also hit hard by terrible weather.…
Last week was certainly one of highs and lows, but putting the not so good bits to one side, the highlight of the week was a trip to High Wycombe to photograph Camilla Bingham and her gorgeous show jumpers. I’m a big fan of collaborative projects. Following a conversation earlier in the year with Jess…
Camilla Bingham (pictured competing at Valkenswaard) is a young showjumper based in Buckinghamshire. She manages her stables from her family-run yard, Puttenham Place, where she produces, competes and cares for her team of horses. Camilla travels all around Europe and the UK competing at some of the top shows that the industry has to offer.…
Ramblings of an Amateur Show JumperMarch has been a busy month for the Puttenham team, we’ve been to Spain and back, jumped some fantastic rounds, conquered some mental demons, and broken down in the truck (all of which have happened more than once….)!Week One After a long journey we arrived at the Spanish Sunshine Tour…
What’s What on the Sunshine TourOne of the best things about being a show jumper is being able to travel the horses to some amazing venues all around Europe. Spain has been our most recent destination and what a venue to get the year kick started with the horses. I see on social media a…
The new Liverpool International Horse Show and Oliva Nova II Spring Tour
The breeding programme at Puttenham has now reached the dizzy heights of 2. Couleur Amazing Grace (Couleur- Rubin, Hauptstutbuch Ad Astra by Argentinus) in foal to Billy Congo (Vetcha, Billy Autumn by Animo) gave birth to a lovely filly foal at the beginning of June. You can see the photos on our blog as well…
Belle, Drizzle and Dinero produced great performances while they were at Chantilly this April, and it was a valuable experience for the team, particularly Alex who very succesfully stepped up to the challenge of his first 2* event. We have an assortment of photos as well as link to all the videos. There have been…
Drizzle, Dinero, Timmy and Belle are all safely home having started their season at the lovely Oliva Nova show. They jumped consistently and well and although I was unable to go to the show, being able to watch on live stream is a great bonus. We have some stunning action photos to remember this successful tour.…
The breaking news is that Di Lampard has been appointed the British Showjumping Team Manager. Huge congratulations for a huge job. Showjumping is lucky to have someone of Di’s calibre. We at Puttenham have been fortunate to have been able to train with Di over the last 5 years and there are several things that…
In this blog we update on the progress of the selection of our new World Class Performance Showjumping Manager, after Rob Heokstra’s contract ends in January 2015. The mystery continues. We also dig a bit deeper into the much popularised subject of our lack of Grand Prix horses in the UK at present. The issue…
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British Showjumping are currently looking for a new team manager. We will know next week of their choice. A big challenge for the new manager as GB has not qualified for the next Olympics… Reading the press during the last few months there is a constant cry about GB lack of horses. Small wonder when…
When I came out of the door very early this morning it almost looked as if there was a sprinkle of snow coming down. It was just light rain sparkling under the light and as dawn broke we have another warm and sunny day +11 and very different to 2011 and 2012 where we were…