News

All the horses have been out to training sessions this month with Diana, Les, John Ledingham and Ferdi Eilberg. This was a good preparation for the arena events at Ingliston and Dabbs. I took three to each of them and they all did something well which is all you can expect from young horses as there are bound to be good bits and naughty bits!

Major went to his first outing after racing at Dabbs arena event. He found the collecting ring very exciting, particularly when people didn’t look where they were riding and nearly crashed into him on a couple of occasions, not making it any easier to give a young horse confidence! He then jumped double clear in the intro and did another good round in the pre novice just missing out on a placing.

Newt went very well in the intro but had forgotten how to do it in the pre novice and was eliminated at a fence he had jumped in the previous class!

Penny also had her first outing and pleased everyone by going very well. I think she is going to turn out to be a nice little horse and am planning to do a couple of events on her if she isn’t sold before then.

I also found out this month that I am listed in the Scottish Equestrian Directory as an EFI Level one coach.

More outings for all the horses this month, starting at the last of the arena events. I took Penny, Newt, Molly and Oz. Penny was very impressive and jumped two nice rounds only just missing a place each time. Newt got his first rosettes of the year with placings in the intro and pre novice having got his brain in gear. Molly went well on her first outing but required a second look at the water tray. Oz was super in the pre novice but had an uncharacteristically poor round in the novice. I later found out that he had been trying to ‘beat up’ the lorry between the classes and the lorry won! He seemed to have given himself a wrench and was a little sore the next day.

The following weekend saw the first cross country outing of the year at the Duns Hunter Trials. Rod, J, Major and Jack were in attendance for the open class. All jumped good clear rounds with Rod and J being most pleased to be out again. Major was a last minute addition but went round like a pro despite it being his first ever cross country competition.

I also took three horses to the unaffiliated dressage at Gleneagles. Newt, Molly and Jack went to do a pre novice test, with Jack getting placed highest. Newt and Molly were doing their second and first ever tests respectively and both managed to stay in the arena with minimal spooking.

I have been busy with training as well this month. Diana and Les have both been for a visit and I took four up to Gleneagles to the John Ledingham clinic. J and Rod also attended Equine Pathway training with Ken Clawson and Lizzie Murray in Gloucestershire at the end of the month.

The first event entries have gone in for Kirriemuir and Brechin. Everyone seems keen to get started this year as Kirriemuir had to ballot. Penny will have to wait for her first event as she was balloted from the pre novice.

After a long wait the season finally started at Kirriemuir. I took four young ones, three of which were doing their first events so it was bound to be an interesting day. Jack was the only experienced pre novice and he proved to be the best of the bunch finishing just out of the placings. Newt coped well but found a step down rather scary so dithered on the edge before deciding to jump off. Major thought he was back out racing so did an interesting dressage test and had a couple of green stops in the jumping phases but finished confidently. Penny was given a late entry after being balloted so had not been prepared specifically for the run. She was rather excited in the dressage but was jumping well until she was held on the cross country for 15 minutes because of trouble on the course ahead. She never got back into the same rhythm and refused to go into the water. She went straight into a running stream the next day without a problem so it was just down to losing focus while held.

The novice horses started at Brechin later in the month. They were altogether more civilised than the pre novices! Oz was doing his second novice and went double clear, just adding cross country time penalties to finish 6th. J and Rod were contesting the open novice and had pleasing first runs to finish 5th and 3rd respectively.

The training sessions with John, Les and David Gatherer seem to have paid off this month as the older horses have come out improved from last season.

May is going to be a busier month. Starting at Scone with three pre novices (Newt, Jack and Major), Tom having his first run in the open novice and two intermediates (J and Rod).

Floors is up next with a mix of pre novice to open intermediate classes. Scotsburn is the last event of the month but entries have not gone in for this one yet.