Willa and Caja 20 in the OI at Oasby © Nico Morgan
Joining the team are:
· Our new working pupil, Hannah Hobhouse, competing at her first event with Team Newton and she jumped a lovely double clear. Hannah joined us in February, for what is her gap year, so will be with us for the season
· We are also joined by Zarosh Bharucha who rides for Team India. Zarosh has two horses while he is studying at Nottingham University. He is only with us until June though before he embarks on his training with Bettina Hoy in Germany at the end of his studies.
· Finally, we are also very lucky to have a new member of the team in Nolly Forsyth who joined us this winter.
First Outings
We kicked off at Oasby with my three top horses Caja 20, Chance Remark and Moonlight Dance. All three felt fantastic and very happy to be back in action.
The following weekend saw a first outing for the young ones at Lincoln, Freestyle R owned by Antonia Brown and Sarah Lucas showed what an exciting horse he is for the future finishing third at his first ever event. Champions Firecracker was rather too excited in the showjumping! But, luckily redeemed himself the following weekend at Great Witchingham finishing 6th. Again the other horses all jumped lovely double clears at Great Witchingham and it was great to have the two seven year olds – Viv and Chris Prior’s Cavatina Tinkerbelle and Anne Staley’s Priorspark Passionate – back out again both feeling fantastic.
Brilliant Belton
It was then on to the first big event of the season – Belton. It is very local to us at home and definitely a favourite. BEDE do a brilliant job in running it and I was honoured to be their rider rep this year.
Moonlight Dance got the weekend off to a great start – jumping double clear to finish third in the Intermediate. I am thrilled with how she has come on over the winter and have high hopes for this lovely mare who is now owned by The Sandpiper Syndicate.
Willa and Moonlight Dance S – Belton Intermediate © Nico Morgan
Chance Remark was having his last run (all being well), ahead of Badminton and gave me a great feeling jumping a super double clear. Now we are just keeping our fingers crossed that we get off the wait list!
Caja 20 was also in the advanced and was still rather bright at the beginning of the season and I definitely had a sharp reminder ahead of Burnham Market CIC3*!
There have also been some other excitements with Dodson and Horrell now supporting us for the 2017 season. I feel very honoured to have joined their team especially as they have supplied our family for over 40 years.
Nutritionist visit from Dodson & Horrell
This week we are busy training, as well as competing the young horses at Norton Disney; and then it is on to Burnham Market the following weekend. Fingers crossed we can continue to win some prizes and hopefully bag a winner!!
