These are some of the horses who used to be in our team and have now moved on to pastures new.
WAMMES
( KWPN by Orame out of Jille by El Corona)
Roger missed out on a lot of competing as he was my horse for keeps, though I did take him back to the UK for a few things, like the Grassroots championships at Badminton and a few novice tracks, he was never my priority. Getting horses back to England is expensive and when you do it in a trailer even more so. Dear Rog then had often to stay behind and man the fort in France as the younger horses needed the experience he already had.
It is with great regret I had to part with Rog in the summer of 2012, my young horses weren't up to where I wanted them to be to sell, partly 'cos they're bad! And partly that my injury in spring 2011 took the better part of a year out of most of their training schedules. So Rog it had to be, to save the sinking ship.
That said he has found a lovely young mum who's going to try for pony club and school teams and start eventing in the spring at grassroots. Better still they have been superstars at keeping me in touch with my old mate. With regular updates on his performance and wellbeing, with photos to boot. They've already represented their school in arena eventing, jumped double clears at 90cm and come second in their first dressage competition! Well done to you both!
For some of Roger's history with me in pictures please look here;
Roger's diary
15hh 5yo AES by Jersey, ( KWPN-grandsire Voltaire) out of Gina (TB)
She was broken late 2012 having borne me a super foal by my pony Pearly Prince. Being ridden was never an issue for Visa she loves people, loves being with them and doing stuff with them. Her favourite place is the stable. She's a sweet softie.
Visa has a decent pop, the blood is there and she has the best attitude for the job, she's keen, gung- ho, willing to give anything a go. Totally unspooky to handle, hack out and jump, such a sensible attitude to scary stuff .
The spring of 2014 she started going out to shows properly having been to a few training shows back in the UK the summer before. Of course being her she felt no need to get hyped just because it was a party, so plugged away just the same as if she was jumping at home, Bless her!
She has now gone to her new home in France( very close to our new house) to a french lady looking to get herself a quiet sensible little horse to get herself back on the competition circuit. She'd taken a long leave after having her kids who now compete themselves and was looking for a trustworthy horse to enjoy hacking and competition without scaring herself. Just the job for young Visa so we look forward to seeing them both out and about if her children don't nab the ride!!
Visa's adventures with us are here; Visa's diary
RUBIN II
Czech WB by Radegast (han) out of Matika (han) by Faraday
Rubin or Neddy as I liked to call him was a superstar for me, it helped that he belonged to my mother so she covered some of his costs allowing me to keep him a bit longer before I had to part with him. Neddy himself was amazing in giving me the courage to jump bigger fences with confidence. There is no limit to Neddy's scope over a fence, indeed he only gets into jumping mode at a metre before which he is convinced they are trot poles. Added to his scope he has a wonderful brain and the kindest most genuine character you could ever wish for. I have made ghastly xc errors and frozen in terror during the showjumping but that is when Neddy comes in to his own. Poor chap he could have done a far better job without me! That said Neddy finished 2010 with 3BE pts from only 2 novice runs;5th Gt Tew and 7th Longleat.He also completed 2 CIC* in France at Le Haras du Pins and Pompadour finishing his career with me on a super cv without a xc jump fault! The only blip being at Mount Ballan when I managed to get us eliminated in the dressage for forgetting the test 3 times, but that's a whole other story.
His whole history with me in photos is here;
(please click on following link) RUBIN'S PHOTO DIARY
If Neddy had been the first young event horse I trained I would have thought there was nothing to it, he just went out and achieved results. We wished him the best of luck with his new owner and have eagerly kept tabs on him. He finished 2012 with 8pts and strong foundation of good novice xc clears behind him. Keep it up Neddy!
MAUVAISE HERBE Oldenburg by Night and Day (kwpn) out of Tettina (oldenburg) by Argentinus
Herby is now competing in England, he finished 2012 with a trip round Blenheim*** clear with only one showjump down (how jealous are we?) It's been steady uphill progress for him since finshing 2010 with a 14th in the Lycett's 7yo ** at Osberton. He now has 32pts and we have been thrilled to watch him progress up into intermediate.I never took Neddy to the 6yo* championships in the UK that same year Herby was there,as Ned had done a couple in France, a lucky decision as the 6yo class was cancelled, but it does mean I haven't managed to see me dear old friend Herby since he left us. We do still sorely miss him.
Herby came to us just before we moved to France. He helped me to test drive the competitions along with Wammes. When your french isn’t up to speed it isn’t easy finding out which classes you’re supposed to be in, even when you do find them it’s not the same as in the UK. A young event horse here is asked a lot more in the dressage (which must all be done sitting) and the show jumping, which is much bigger, but the cross country is smaller and less technical, there is a lot more emphasis on the speed during the xc, even in the 4yo classes.
In 2008 Herby took us all over doing cycle libre (amateur 5yo classes), he was placed and qualified for the championships on every outing except the first where I got us eliminated by missing a fence xc. (Only 2 qualifying runs and another clear xc are needed to qualify).
Herby has a fabulous personality and fantastic attitude to life in general, he has always had a very relaxed and mature outlook. It proved invaluable to me here in the beginning and we gained a lot of recognition as he was very different to anything the french were eventing.He has fabulous movement which combined with his good looks make him a flashy package who can't be missed.
Hopscotch
by Aimbry Chester out of Red Fern
Bred as an intermediate working hunter and junior eventer Hopscotch is a smart little horse with very flashy movement, no doubt helped along by his dad. He has a wondeful attitude to life and work, very keen without fizz. He's also loves to learn, he picked up long reining in a minute and took to jumping like a duck to water.
Unfortunately for him and me given his not inconsiderable amount of talent he was born with a hock that has a bit of bony enlargement to it (or maybe was injured as a very young foal). Although the hock had never given him any trouble it seemed a shame to embark on a career that would place him under considerable duress when he was such a sweet chap he could provide someone with years of fun.
Luck was on our side from here on in, I was looking for him to find a lovely home with the right person needing him. Not only did we find that person but they live a few miles up the road from us in France and have since become good friends.(Lucky I had confidence in him!)
He is pictured with his new lady owner in the pictures to the right above; hacking around close to our homes on the Normany lanes. He is proving to be the horse she was after to restore her confidence and get her back in the saddle after a good break away from riding.
Hopscotch was only four when he went to his new home which shows what a genuine character he is. We wish them both many long happy years together as they hone their skills together.
PASSEPARTOUT
Oldenburg by Cosimo (holstein) son of Contender out of Melisse by Meerwirbel(TB)
Bambi came to us about this time last year, he is a cheeky chap who loves people and being in the thick of it. He has fabulous movement and I think in time to come will be no mean jumping athlete either. I didn’t have much opportunity to do a great deal with him before he moved up to Cherbourg. We just did lots of schooling at home and locally round xc courses and sj courses with a few club and training competitions. Dressage came easily for Bambi too, he has lovely carriage and paces.
Bambi is now competing in France and we look forward to watching his progress in the young horse classes.
EARNEST NOTE
kwpn by Gribaldi
Ernie went to pastures new in the spring of his fifth year after I had done a couple of intros with him.
He is now in the UK competing in dressage under Mr. Vivaldi and generally having fun doing riding club shows and events. In 2011 Ernie won the riding horse class at the BRC Festival of the Horse at Aston le Walls. Ernie was 'THE' riding club horse!
