July News
Benjy's Christening
Well we all had a lovely weekend and Benjy was Christened in St Mary's Church Branshott. It was a busy day, but the weather was good and everyone enjoyed a nice party afterwards. Benjy behaved well but fell asleep during the church ceremony so we did not get many pictures! Then we had the family staying for a week afterwards so all in all it turned into a manic week and the horses were inevitably a little neglected!
Howick BE - Monmouthshire-
This came around a little too quickly given the preceeding family engagements!! They forecast a terrible day and we were glad the journey was pretty straightforward. The rain cleared soon after we arrived at a tumble down farm in the welsh hills! The venue reminded me a little of Yately!! A real mix of people, a bit untidy and fairly poor courses!!! The dressage was on the side of a hill and Smurph seemed to do a bad test as needing very little in the way of excuses, the hill seemed to be a natural way to make him fall in out and every other which way!!! The horses were of a pretty high standard compared to normal and it was with some amazement that we ended up on a score of 33 given how good everyone else seemed!! Harmony again did a lovely test in some stunning company and got 34. The show jumping was Yately to a T!! The warm up was small and on a hill. The course was Plonked to put it politley and lots of the relateds weren't measured, the poles were all bent and the people putting them up had no idea how to role a pole!! There weren't therefore many clears. Fortunatley both of mine jumped clear, but I can't say they were very pretty clears due to the bumps, lumps and general undulations and lack of a good coursebuilder!! The xc was a new course but kind of second hand!! The jumps were of the narrow variety and although not seemingly too challenging, it did share lots with the PN course. Unfortunately, Smurph jumped really well even over some offsets and endless combinations, until the second last coffin which turned away from home. He along with half the class decided that the brand new ditch was a little too uninviting and stopped twice. Thus he went from 2nd place to 18th! Harmony ended up 3rd overall after a clear xc, but has had nicer rounds across country!!! By the time they had prize giving the shops were shut and the voucher she won deemed useless!! So all in all a long jourbnney which we probably won't be repeating in a while!
BRC Dressage qualifier - moreton 19/7/09 - Well it was a rather long journey just for dressage - but we had a good day. Everone went well and we had some good placings - Novice team 4th, open team 5th, riding test team 1st! Individually smurph came 2nd and 2nd. Tom had to contend with a rather hyper Spring! We very much enjoyed the RC Pimms at the end of the day and look forward to doing the same at Lincoln as we qualified for the championships in September individually and as a team! Pictures here show Benjy on Twinkle as team mascott - Jenny and Smurph, Tom and Spring, helen and Speedy, Emma and Tom and various other members of the team on foot and enjoying Pimms!
ILast weekend we went to Hickstead and then I built for the Navy championships which is always entertaining!!! This week I am madly busy with work, so horses are taking a back seat. Dougal has gone on trial to a new loan home and seems to be very happy and so are we as he is being used properly!!!! next week we are going on holiday!
