The season starts for me March at Isleham and then onto Twesledown a few days later! I plan on going to Belton for the CIC*** and Burnham Market CIC*** before the first CCI**** of 2012 – Badminton, at the end of April. I will hopefully be headed to Bramham in June as well. I have some brilliant horses to ride this year and am very excited about getting the season started. It’s going to be a busy season ahead – watch this space for more news and photos!

Autumn 2011 brought lots of changes and excitement, as well as ups and downs. The horses all went  really well in 2011which is always rewarding as that is what it is all about really. The saddest part of my Autumn was losing the ride on Carus Royale who I loved like one of my own and was really sad to see go. I have always enjoyed pure Show Jumping and Dressage alongside my Eventing, and feel it is good for broadening both mine and the horses’ skills. Carus Royale was the horse to get me started properly with my jumping at a significant size, and I really enjoyed it, so it was really sad to see him go. However on the up side I have had three new arrivals to my string. Both five year olds that I found from Nicolette Gidley Wright and then fortunately had two lovely sets of owners who bought them for me. The first is Westpoint Bijou (Breeze) owned by Keith and Wiki Lovelock. Breeze is 5 years old and has done only a little amount for her age but is going to be a superstar and has all the makings of a top horse and I love her. The second is Molypia Z (Molly) owned by John and Suzanne Houchin. Molly is also really talented and is a beautiful type with a great brain who I really enjoy and I am sure she will also be a top horse. The third new arrival is Major Buck owned by Peter and Monica Durrant (Buck). Buck is such a lovely boy! He is so much fun to ride and also I feel he has a lot to give and is a real trier, so I am really hoping that we can get some really good results in 2012. I did some events with him in2011 and loved him. I am now taking the Winter to build up a partnership with him so that hopefully next year we can pull out some results!

                Another big change this summer was that I moved in with my boyfriend Max (who is a showjumper and polo player) with 5 of my horses (Ivor, Barney, Molly, Breeze and a mare I bought to bring on and sell, Izzy). Junior and P and Buck are still based at Mum’s .. It is so much fun doing the horses with Max I feel we are a real team and because we both do separate sports but we bounce so many ideas off each other it is really nice.

                As far as competitions went this Autumn it was all really good. Junior was a superstar at Bramham and pull out the performance of his career so far to finish 4^th in the CCI***u25. I have huge hopes for Junior and this he will be really good he has just taken quite a long time to produce. Unfortunately, we decided not to continue on and go to Burghley as planned in order to avoid a possible injury, but he is in work now and fingers crossed if he starts well in 2012 will be aimed at Badminton.

                P was also really good he did a super test at Burghley and although we didn’t quite get the mark I hoped for I was really pleased with him and the improvement from the previous year. He also felt like a different horse in the cross country compared to Badminton he was really back to being himself and felt fantastic the whole way round the track. He also jumped really well although I managed to collect a few time faults which frankly I am kicking myself for but jumping clear was a real buzz.

                Ivor also had an unbelievable Autumn. He was placed in every Event he took part in apart from Purston Manor where he made a green mistake in not understanding a hidden arrow head off a turn. However he completed his season with a BE100 win under his belt as well as a Novice 2^nd and a 3^rd in the 5 year old National Championships so I was over the moon with him.

                Since the season has finished I have been working really hard to push things forward with my training to try and improve my performance for next year. I am well aware that this year I didn’t produce as many top results as I would have liked to and am determined to fix that for next year. I am building up a good string now and have been working away at my dressage and jumping. I have had some lessons on the flat with Yogi Breisner who has been enormously helpful. Consequently I had some really good results at a dressage show last week winning an Elementary with Greenlawn Sky High and winning a Prelim with Westpoint Bijou. As well as that I have been doing with jumping with all of mine as well as one lent to me very kindly by Max. Max knows how much I love my jumping and lent me one of his best horses Widny who I adore and I jumped some Grand Prix’s with him as well as some 1.45m Olympia Qualifiers. We were placed in a 1.40m speed class at Aintree and just had one fence down in the Grand prix to miss out on the jump of but it was SOO MUCH FUN!! My horses have all jumped really well too. Greenlawn Sky High has secured all four Newcomers double clears and won his last newcomers at Addington and Arena U.K

                So all in all it has been a jam packed Autumn and I have loved every minute of it! Now I have spent far too much money on Christmas presents but am really looking forward to 2012 and excited about getting back to competing!

Merry Christmas to you all – I hope you have a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year!

Badminton Horse Trials trot-up

Dressage at Badminton

Tackling the cross-country at Badminton

Setting out on the cross country at Burghley

 Into the water at Burghley

Flying around the course – Burghley

A new ride and exciting prospect for 2012, Major Buck competing at Little Downham 

Photo courtesy of Kev Blackband Photography