My Diary:
Please click on the links below for past diary archives…
January through to December 2010 – November/December 2009 – May through to July 2009 – May & Badminton 2009 – February 2009 – January 2009
Spring 2011
Where do I start… it is flat out and manic at Downgate Farm at the moment. We are just doing final packing and preperations to get ready for Badminton this week with Pardon Me, fingers crossed everything is looking good. This year has kicked off really well, but not without some added disappointments too. I have had lots of changes to my yard losing some horses through injury or being sold but thankfully also gaining some new rides.
I have been very dedicated and been jumping and also dressaging lots to try and improve for this season and I am pleased to say I think it is paying off. I have also been away training with Henrietta Anderson for my dressage which has been amazing. Junior and Carus Royale and Bueno Uno have been superstar show jumpers for me, and Carus Royale is now a completely converted show jumper from an eventer and I hope is destined to go on and do great things. He has been winning at 1.30m level and will hopefully be moving up to 1.40m this May at Wales and West. – watch this space.
The Eventing has been going really well. Pardon Me and Junior have been on brilliant form with Pardon Me putting in an amazing performance at Belton but running slowly XC because of the hard ground. Junior was also a star at Burnham where he finished third in an advanced and it looks like his flatwork is finally coming together so I couldn’t be more pleased!
To add to all this excitement I have my first foal due at the end of May! Bueno Uno will also be making his debut to Eventing!
Please keep your fingers crossed for me and P at Badminton, we set off tomorrow morning, I really appreciate all your support and it helps so much. I will be back in touch this time next week, let’s hope its good news – now back to the packing!! Em x x
Badminton was a bit of a mixed event for me, but all in all I was really pleased with P.
Our dressage improved by almost 10 marks since last year, which in itself was a great achievement.
P was fantastic XC, but I experienced some bitting issues in between the fences, so P felt quite numb
in the bridle with little steering or brakes which resulted in clocking up far too many time faults,
which was so unexpected and disappointing.
P came out feeling really fit and well on the last day and show jumped really well we just had the
last fence down but with a fourth clear XC and fourth completion under my belt I am really excited
for next year, and am aiming for an Armada Dish!
At the end of April I took Carus Royale and Bueno Uno showjumping to Wales and West. They both
jumped incredibly well. Bueno Uno started the week jumping British Novice, and after just three
days was jumping Foxhunter double clears, with placings. Carus Royale won a B&C qualifier on the
first day and jumped amazing, by the end of the week he was jumping 1.40m just having a fence
down, which was partly my fault, but I was so pleased with the boys!
Since then we’ve been to Chatsworth with Junior, he went brilliantly especially in the dressage
where his marks improved by ten marks since Belton at the beginning of the season, thanks to
Henriette Anderson and Tracey Robinson. I didn’t run too fast, but he jumped double clear and I was
delighted with him.
I’ve also taken the young ones out, Bueno Uno jumped his first BE90 went double clear and felt
awesome!
Now we are looking forward to Bramham with Junior in the CCI3* U25, Bueno Uno in the Burghley
Young Event Horse, and Carus Royale doing the showjumping.
Keep you posted!
