Edition no. April 2006

How has the new season started?

Early February Mum (Bumble) got a call from a potential new sponsor – Bates Australian saddles – and has been trying out one of their range, so keep fingers crossed. She also got an invite to the Indoor Eventing class at the British Show Jumping Open in Sheffield. Charlie (Palmyra Treat) has been showing great form with lot’s of wins Show Jumping and in his first Novice Dressage test, scoring over 68%, so I’ve not needed to have one of my ‘chat’s’ with him yet.

Mum went to France for a spot of shopping with Anne Stratton. I put in my order for Champagne and Brie but was told they were only horse shopping. Frank Bourney found them a huge selection of horses to look at and another addition to the team was chosen – Sandillon Treat (Peter). Peter arrived the day before Stilemans and was quite nervous but given a little time he’ll settle in.

Sunny yes, but darn right freezing!

The organisers and ground crew at Stilemans had their work cut out for them with the morning temperature around -4 0 c but they coped very well! Mum took two babies for the Open Pre-Novice classes, both had double clears and were placed:

The Informer II (Lenny) 9th

Face the Music IV (Music) 7th

Albie’s Back from Borstal

Tuesday after Stilemans, Albie (Monarch’s Rock) came back from Borstal (my little joke – it was actually a season’s hunting with Beanie Hughes) and all credit to Beanie he’s looking great. He’s very quiet and loveable, has replaced his hair gel and mirror with a Ying & Yang statue and incense candles. So thanks to Beanie, Albie appears to be a new man – but the test was Twesledown.

Friday was Dressage and considering he’d only been schooled once or twice, was very good. This continued with a double clear and impeccable behaviour, until a stable mate left the lorry and Albie decided to climb onto the lorry feed bins to see where he’d gone. Mum had to get him some ‘morale’ support in the form of two horses from next door’s lorry – sigh…. The rest of the team did well at Twesledown:

Welton Spice Girl (Spicey) – As it was her first outing she was a little slow (otherwise Mum has no brakes for the rest of the season) and was clear except bar one pole and some time faults Show Jumping. Lenny & Music – both fared ok in the Pre-Novice.

Charlie had his first run, Pre-Novice at Aldon, in the lead after Dressage, it was tough luck he had one pole down as he’d been winning Foxhunter’s through the winter, but the Cross-Country was a huge shock for him. He was very green over the big PN track, had a couple of stops but he completed and maybe after a few more runs he’ll get the hang of it.

Here comes the rain . . .

Gatcombe was next and is a great event at the start of the season for the Advanced horses, well except for the rain. Most lorries had to be towed in and luckily Spicey had the best of the going coming 7 th in the Intermediate class. Then the heaven’s opened for Albie and Moley (Harpley Dollar) and whilst they were both clear Cross-Country both missed the placings due to a couple of hiccups in the Show Jumping, thankfully though, the going held up well.

Belton

Yep, we arrive in Belton and guess what, it’s raining! Going was perfect when we arrived on Saturday, Albie did his best OI test to date, had one pole and was going great guns Cross-Country until the corner third from home, but it was only a small mistake. Thankfully we got back to the lorry just before the 20min torrential downpour, after which the sun came out and turned the ground to glue! Moley took a real dislike to the going and after a poor score Show Jumping, was withdrawn. As this was Branston’s (The Psephologist) first outing since Thirlestane we played it safe and although he did a great Dressage, decided not to run him and risk undoing the great work we had done through the winter.

But for me, Belton was a disaster. Not because of the rain mind, no, because Richenda (Branston’s owner) bought me a new lead in an attempt to stop me dragging her on our walks. You see I like to go at quite a pace, well, when you’ve been tied to the lorry all day and you’ve stuffed your face with sarnie’s, sausage rolls and the odd bit of pate, you have quite a bit of excess energy. So, because little me can really take a pull (I once pulled Mandy - Lenny’s Mum - clean out of the lorry, snigger snigger) and the new lead doesn’t allow me to do it, everyone says it’s fantastic, I however, do not agree!

Hollywood Blues

Earlier in the season, the team had a loss with the death of Bumble's first real horse and her first Charlie - Hollywood Blues. Charlie had cancer and whilst he'd been coping very well, more recently Mum had grown concerned that he wasn't enjoying life so she made the most difficult decision any owner has to make and said goodbye. Charlie was a very important part of the team, not least of which because he gave Mum a placing in the young rider section at Osberton '92, 4 th Punchestown ‘94 and taking her to four star by completing Burghley in '95. "He was the first horse to take me to four star level and that will always be a very special memory for me."

We will, we will, Rock You!

Early April and whilst Mum was packing to go to Sheffield for the Indoor Eventing Challenge I arranged my Waitrose hamper and overnight bag only to be told I had to stay home, so I ate the contents of the Hamper that evening and had to be the ‘remote reporter’. Spicey didn’t have a good start, no sooner did she get into her stable than 7 Concors d’ Ellegance Pony & Trap’s trotted past - they could hear her heart pounding in the main arena! The actual class was fantastic and excellent fun, lot’s of loud music, cheering and clapping, all of which Spicey found very exciting so much so, she ‘took the bit’ far more than necessary during her round and was going so fast, she ran straight past one of the jumps! The ringing in her ears took a few days to stop – I’ve suggested ear plugs next time - but both she and Mum said they’d never had so much fun and would love to do it again!

Strike 1!

Charlie’s first ‘test’ was at South of England Pre-Novice, respectable Dressage and clear Show Jumping, he set off well Cross-Country and from the top of the lorry I thought he looked much happier. Until he got to the steps. He seemed a little confused and couldn’t work out how to get down and hence, was eliminated. I’m not sure Eventing’s his bag. Music however stepped up to his first Novice and started his dressage with 8’s and 9’s then for no apparent reason let rip bucking, still he got a good score and with only two poles down in rather sticky going and superb Cross-Country round, finished 13 th and looking as if he’d really grown up.

Strike 2!!

By the time we set off for Burnham Market, Spicey had calmed down – although her iPod is full of heavy rock now and she’s become a real head banger as they say. Considering it was her first outing since Sheffield she had a good dressage score and a double clear in the CIC **, but was still rather strong in the Cross-Country so accrued quite a few time faults. Albie (pictured left) had been practising his fancy moves for the CIC*** and did a respectable test and whilst ride-able Show Jumping, was really quite lazy with four down but was AWESOME Cross-Country!! Moley completed well, but unfortunately wasn’t in the placings.

Peter had his first outing Open Pre-Novice (he’d done a bit in France) and whilst his dressage was a little tense had a double clear with a great attitude – we’re looking forward to seeing him at Aston in May.

However, Charlie had Strike 2! He did his usual excellent Dressage and clear Show Jumping but he’s decided ditches are really scary and did a ‘complete down tools’! We had a chat when we got home, I don’t think Charlie is taking to Eventing.

Strike 3!!!

After the last two events, Charlie had his third chance at Eddisbourne Wake, and what a wonderful Pre-Novice track to do it on. Again an excellent Dressage and clear Show Jumping and he set off looking ok, thankfully he completed this time, albeit with one stop. Mum, Anne and I had a chat though and we think Eventing’s not for Charlie – we think he’ll stick with Show Jumping.

Now, I’ve not spoken about Clover (Rock Clover) before have I – well you will be able to get the full low-down on her page on The Team section soon. She’s quite a looker, and she knows it – we’ll, she’s half sister to Albie so need I say more! Anyway, Clover came back to Mum earlier this year, she was bred and is owned by Carolyn Gardner - Carolyn also owns Katie Walsh (Clover’s Mum) and the late High Robbins who Mum took to ** and came 3 rd at Somerley Park in 2004. Anyway, Clover completed her first outing at Eddisbourne again in the Pre-Novice and did a good Dressage, two fences down due to green-ness but albeit maybe a little slow, did a stunning job Cross-Country!

I’m off to start interviewing the owners – I’ve had so many requests I’m going to give the owners view for each horse and then we’ll do the first proper interview in June.

Harry