This is the view we get at the end of our road as we head off out to competitions, of course only on the good days when the weather is bright and we're lucky enough to be able to leave after daybreak.
Click link for TURNIP'S PHOTO DIARY
A.SELLIE 70
(8yo KWPN by Rubert R by Mermus R by Burggraaf out of V Sellie 1z by Velusinus II by Voltaire)
I have had Turnip since he was 2yrs old, he has a lot of ability though he is still a bit immature mentally.
2010 panned out much as expected,as you can see jumping is not a problem, infact he is considerably more scopey than I had anticipated. Although he never got a novice run he was needing it by the Autumn.
2011 was a bit of a horror story for us both, I had a badly damaged knee that really affected my ability to ride so I don't think that helped him or me. He jumped a double clear at Aston le Walls to get his first point, but it was a bit downwards from there, with him uncharacteristically having poles down and then having a fall which really knocked my confidence following the knee injury. Never a horse I've doubted for sure footing, how could I? With all his leaps, bounds, jumps, shimmies and cartwheels! I think the hard ground probably gave him bruised soles and then I over studded on hard ground with a slippery top. Lesson learnt- hard way!!
2012 saw him run only four times, unbelievable, he must have been entered up for a dozen but I just kept choosing the wrong venues, didn't we all? Cancelled, cancelled, cancelled. However I was really pleased with the runs he had, he actually jumped another two double clears, his record doesn't show this but my vidoes do! At Aston I let him down, failed to tighten my girth and when the saddle slipped had to pull up to tighten it, earning us 5 time penalties and a further 4 for not going forward. At Firle he let me down by having a nap at the gateway,he was overcome by the flags, stalls and crowds, as I knew he would be, so that gave us another 4 penalties. Very disappointing as I'd really got my confidence back on him so that we could put our foot down xc. I was so pleased with that we entered Gatcombe and got ourselves an FEI passport so that we could do Ligniere CIC*, but woe is me, I turned him out in the field with an unshod a pony nd he got kicked in the knee. That finished 2012 for us, he was never lame but the clean wound took two months to heal, we only just managed to squeeze in a dressage comp at the huge St Lo arena before the year was done. He did a decent test though and we pulled in fifth so perhaps that looks promising for improved scores in 2013. I do hope so, he has the movement, the ability, the knowledge, but he will he ever be the joker?
BABA
(7 yo KWPN by Armitage by Argentinus out of Patty by Ahorn)
I have had Red since he was a foal,but for one reason or another he got a late start so 2012 saw him begin his eventing career at grassroots level. He's a bit lacking in foundations too since he has spent a lot of time in France when I've been back in England.
He is a xc machine, with no quirks at all except those jumps they put the funny coloured gravel on top of. It's always been something he peers at and attempts to skip round and he got me a Purston with a skinny gravel filled wedge after a log. So the winter saw me buying fancy gravel to fill my jumps. Bring on the ditches, the water ,the coffins, but bah! The fancy gravel!! Showjumping is really Red's weakspot, we have to go really slowly for him to remember to get the front legs up in time so again that has been his game over the Winter. I would really lovely to get him over some Novice tracks in 2013 and maybe even to a CIC* in France in the Autumn.
Click on following link to Baba's photo page
CATCH A CONCEPT
(7yo holstein by Concept grandson of Contender out of Andorra by Fasolt)
Charlie was bought at Addington performance sales and kept as stallion until he was 6 so it slowed down his outings and competition experience.He started getting lit up and not concentrating on the job in hand.
He starts 2013 as a gelding and has really settled this winter ,so hopefully we can get some grassroots comps underway!
click link for CHARLIE'S PHOTO DIARY
