Since my last slightly disillusioned blog, we have certainly hit a purple patch. Our show hunter ponies have been on top form winning HOYS qualifiers at Derbyshire Festival, Lincoln, NCPA Staffs and North of England thanks to some fabulous performances.
I can’t help being slightly frustrated at not picking up a championship at any of these shows though. It has been a nice, but difficult, problem to have two ponies through to the championship. Each set of judges have chosen different ways of running their championship when a rider qualifies two ponies and I am not sure which works best. In horse classes you put other riders on, but this is not an easy thing to do in ponies with judging connections to be thought about.
Iris will be competing as a 143cm SHP
Looking to the future, we have just bought a beautiful 143cm show hunter pony to follow in their footsteps. I keep telling her she has some very big boots to fill! I absolutely dread having to sell Hightopps Jazz at the end of this season when Alice is out of the class. He is practically human and words can’t describe how much I will miss him.
A new horse for me too!
Boswell Bay, owned by Lyndsey Wallace
I too have made a winning return with a stunning new horse, who I am very excited about. Having sold my best horse after breaking my heel back in April, I have dropped on a lovely five-year-old called Boswell Bay. Owned by Lyndsey Wallace, he is a lightweight hunter who will also compete in ladies’ hunter classes. His debut was at North of England horse show, where he stood champion.
The new yard is taking shape, although I still have several stables full of what looks like junk to sort out. I am tempted to skip it all, but I am sure there is a lot of useful stuff in there. We have rather ground to a halt after a stressful move, but I will need to get onto it soon as the stables will be needed once this spell of lovely weather is over.
I am really loving living at the yard, rather than driving there, and feel like I have a lot more time in the day. The dogs think it’s a bit weird not going in the back of the car every morning though.
The children have now broken up from school and I’m looking forward to the summer holidays with plenty of shows, trips to Cornwall and Pony Club camp to fill our time.
Loraine
