Corona stops shows (but not training!)

When coronavirus was a horror story happening in China we were blissfully ignorant in carrying on with our daily routine! 

We had been cracking on with the young ones, they had been to a few shows with fantastic results. Lolita competed at four shows and was jumping british novice very confidently, even winning a few. She has a stunning technique, I am super excited about her. 

Miss D had come on in leaps and bounds, she’s much more rideable and was really jumping. I’d been working a lot with her on the flat – canter poles, small cavaletties, practicing shortening and lengthening. This has really benefited her. She is much stronger and was becoming much more consistent in the ring. This enabled me to step her up to newcomers which she did with ease, in-fact winning her first one ! 

Rolanda’s glory was getting more confident and again becoming more consistent. He was starting to take on the fences instead of backing off – our last show he posted a lovely double clear, coming second in the Discovery. SJ had just moved to outdoors, so I think a couple more rounds at discovery and he will be ready to take on Newcomers! 

After a brilliant show in Vilamoura, History made his way back home to me. I was so excited, I had missed him so much. He’s now having a holiday after his amazing efforts in Vilamoura and I’m thrilled to say we have decided to stand him at stud this year. So we have collected some semen off of him. We sent him to Clements Equine where Charlotte Taylor did a stunning job. He couldn’t Have been in better hands. 

She managed to dummy train him and he is now available for frozen and chilled semen. His semen has been tested, he has plenty of swimmers and his semen is good quality. We are looking forward to see what his progeny are like ! 

We recently took on a full time groom ! This is making everything so much easier. The yard has never been so tidy! Her name is Hannah Watson. She has tidied and cleaned my feed room, the Solarium has had a clean up and so has the newly designed rug room! I’m very impressed ! It’s so lovely to get on top of jobs that always get put off.

Having Hannah join me I had a rare opportunity to have a little break in the sun which was definitely long over due. I went to watch Holly compete at the Sunshine Tour in sunny Spain! What an amazing place! Sadly this was when the Coronavirus broke out, and became a pandemic. The show had to be cancelled. Everyone was given notice to get themselves and their horses home ASAP.

Luckily for me I managed to get home, so did Holly and the horses which was a huge relief. Boris made an announcement for our country to go into lockdown – very scary for all of us!

So as with all sporting events, not just equestrian, the Coronavirus has stopped play on the show front. Such a shame as the horses were really coming along fast. However, I’m using the extra time at home to work on improving the youngsters on the flat. 

Luckily for me I recently purchased three lovely young horses:  a 4yr old stallion by f1 USA x quickstar, a 3 yr old stallion by Zirocco Blue x Tornesh and a 4yr old gelding by Cornet Oblensky x Cook Du Mindour. 

This means whilst we are all on lockdown I have a lot to work to keep me busy!  All the new horses are under saddle, although still very green. We have named the Stallion by F1 USA Lord. I now have him cantering over poles well and we have started playing down some grids.

Flynn the gelding by Cornet Oblensky is very big and lanky so he needs a lot of work on the flat to strengthen him up. We’re working on straight forward canter poles to help regulate the canter. And we’re hoping to get Zirocco Blue, (the three year old stallion that hasnt got a stable name yet!), riding away nicely and jumping round a small course of fences. Once he can do this he will enjoy 6 months off in the field, growing up and maturing until he is 4. 

So although coronavirus has struck we are working positively to the future. We are all fit and healthy at the minute. We have a lot to keep us busy so this is a perfect time to work the young ones and be consistent with them as there are no shows interrupting. 

We have kept the majority of horses in work. So hopefully they’ll be fighting fit and raring to go when all the shows kick off again. Which, fingers crossed won’t be too long! I am trying to be optimistic by saying a month or two. Either way I’m hoping the horses will come out fresh and better – on the flat the horses have definitely improved a lot! 

« »