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 duties are still to be done, and horses are still to be ridden!
I’m sure anyone with a yard to run will empathise with me about the fact that Christmas is a time when anyone working on a yard wants some well-earned time off — cue a yard full of horses and just me to do them. With all the family that we seem to fill Puttenham with between Christmas and New Year, this to me didn’t seem like it would be a problem. Lots of guests means lots of extra helping hands — as the saying goes ‘Many hands make light work’. Well, whoever came up with that saying hadn’t try to make light work of Christmas with the Binghams! There was much to do around the house to prepare: spud peeling, sprout chopping (you all the know the drill), combined with the sound of the wind and the rain outside, meant that my little helpers seemed to shy away into their warm mulled-wine corners!
Our family at Christmas
No dramas, I do love a little alone time with my horses anyway (and given the choice, I would choose brushing down Timmy over washing up ANY DAY — in fact it’s highly possible that all the horses got over-cared for at these times of the day…).
When it snows, Puttenham is like its own weather bubble. Everywhere else around us gets a beautiful gentle layer, but us — we get snowed in! Luckily, apart from the rain, winter has been ok so far, and I’m hoping that I’ll be long gone in Spain before it gets really cold (sorry Bill!).
A rare moment of nice weather!
Christmas came and went in a flash, and before we knew it New Year was upon us and we were reflecting on what has been our busiest year yet.
We’ve made some small changes and some larger changes, but all have been for the best, and I’m really looking forward to jumping into the 2020 show scene with both feet.
Felix (also pictured top last year)
As I write this, I am already back out in Belgium squeezing in some training before heading home to get packing and ready for Oliva Met II on the Spainsh Mediterranean coast.
Continued below…
Camilla Bingham’s showjumping blog: the importance of getting the right training
Camilla rounds up her final shows of 2019
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We start 2020 with lots of motivation, and excitement for a busy season with some great shows in the diary, and I can’t wait to get back to reporting from these to the H&H readers again. While my season depends on how the horses are going, you can expect full reports from Bolesworth International, more Global Champions Tours and maybe a sneaky Hickstead visit. If you want to know anything specific about any of the events I attend, be sure to comment and I will endeavor to find answers for you!
2019 has been an amazing year with a great team, friends and family around me, not to mention the fantastic horses. But here’s to 2020, I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be a goody.
Camilla
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