Hi all!

Dad and I are sick of this weather.... I'm supposed to have had a couple of XC schooling sessions but things have been closed!!!!
The good news we are in at Oasby (open BE100), Lincoln (open BE100) and Gatcombe (novice)

Hopefully we'll get to have a practice befor hand but if not at least I know my way round Oasby!!!!

Well sorry didn't post last week, but Dad had a bit of a holiday, and went skiing.He was away for five days so I had fun in the field. Since he's been back we've not done a great deal, but Dad has told me that we are entered for our first 2 events of the season!!!!! I can't wait, we've been galloping a few times so I'm fit and up for it. We are apparently going to do some XC schooling on Saturday as part of our preparation, so hopefully will report then.

Hi again, Dad just found some photos of our CCI1* (2009 and 2010), thought   we'd share!!!

 This was a fence Dad was really worried about in 2009, big skinny off a turn then four strides to an open ditch. Don't know what the fuss was about

This table was bigger than it looked at the top of a hill after a bit of a gallop, this year dad was a bit more relaxed (although a lot more knackered!!)

Thanks to Jo Prestwich (joanna.prestwich@sky.com) for permission to use!!!

Countdown to Oasby!!

Well, been out twice this week. Clear roud SJ at Vale View, and then a private less on on Friday. Not a lot to report, Dad still a bit tense show jumping but getting there. We had another lesson today, bit of flat work then some jumping. Had another gallop in the fields on Thursday, and a play on Saturday. I'm not that keen on the wind but Dad has been telling eveyone how calm I've been!! Especially when the wind took the door off its runners at Vale View on Friday, Dad was a bit rattled, not sure if he was worried about how I'd react, or how the yard owner would react if it had blown off!!!!

I'm told ther's not much happening next week as Dad is going skiing (whatever that is!), so won't be anything to report for a fortnight! See y'all

A relaxing week with a bit of fun at the end!

Well another fairly quiet week. Haven't been out for anything exciting, but Dad has put our first entry in...Oasby BE100open (?). Dad has decided just to start small and then build on our confidence at Novice this year and aim to be competitive at Osberton at the end of the season. Don't worry I'll work on him, I can cope with much bigger than that!.We did have a bit of fun today, the fields dried out quite well so we did some circuit training which sure beats going around a menage with Dad bouncing on my back in so called rising trot!!!! After that Dad's foals came up and both had a sit on me, the filly was fine, but the colt didn't half make a fuss to start with, not sure why, I was on very best behaviour.

Then we did some jumping, and for some reason, we ended up jumping Dads' filly's pet bear!! Hopefully photo will explain - look for him on the front pole, he didn't scare me though!

Well quiet week this week,  Dad has only been up to see me twice, he did tell me he had to go into hospital to see the vet for humans as he'd been poorly, but he is better now. We did have a nice ride on Friday though! On the plus front, it does mean that I have had several days just playing in the field.

One strange thing though, since I've owned him, Dad has always leant to the left, which took a bit of getting used to, however, now he is sitting up straight!!!! Now whilst this will mean I'll have a better idea of what on earth he's trying to tell me, it's a bit confusing at the momment.

Well that's my news for this week, speak soon.

Well, what a week!

So brief round up of the events this week, after our dressage outing on Sunday, I had an easy day Monday, then schooling (again) on Tuesday. And Wednesday, in fact I'm getting a bit bored going in the school doing flat work around the jumps, 'cos the lights aren't good enough, and I know there are gremlins in the shadows. Trouble is Dad thinks I'm being naughty, whereas I'm actually saving his life!!

Thursday I was lunged, then Friday off to Vale View for a jumping lesson which was fun, on Saturday we went to another yard for outdoor cross country schooling (they even had a water complex!!!)

So that takes us to the JAS competition at Vale View today!!

Dad had entered us for two classes, the Novice (1.10m) and the Open (1.15m).  He went to walk the course early on and then came back for me (only a couple of miles from us).

Warmed up enthusiastically because I could tell this was a competition, and in we went. For some reason Dad was a bit tense, (first affiliated competition for some while!!) so he falpped a bit into the first and I knocked it down. It was then a circle to the left then a skinny to No.3, wavy planks, round to the right to 4 an oxer, then for some reason Dad lost the plot, missed the sharp turn to no. 5, a large oxer, and then tried to get me to jump it on the most ridiculous angle, which was impossible, so we glanced off it!! When we represented Dad did his flappy thing again ...it is sooo distracting, and I tried to stop but we went through it, next thing I know Dad had his arm up and we retired! Dad popped me over an upright a couple of times and then popped me back on the lorry

Just before the next class we went back in the ring, Dad was now even more tense, and if we weren't on a good one he got really tense and we ground to a halt!!!! His groom (middle daughter) gave him a good talking to and things improved. In we went and he was so much more relaxedwe sailed over the first five then down to number 6 which you had to double back to get to, 7 another oxer, then round left handed to 8 a brush fence, 5 stides to a corner, then again double back to a gate. No 11 was a double of arrow heads on a left curve down to a wall, as I went over this I noticed a big spooky sign that wasn't there on Friday so I jumped left, and then realised Dad was pointing me at a roll top, jumped this but was a bit unbalanced round the left  turn to what turned out to be a triple so Dad waved his hands around again and I stopped we circled, I jumped the first part and Dad went tense again so, second refusal, finally Dad got his act together and rode properly without going for impossible long strides and we were fine, we then had 5 strides to an upright of planks, then a 180 degree turn over last, an plank upright with a water tray. We finished with a couple down, the 2 stops (only get 4 faults in JAS) and loads of time.

So not the best start to the season, however Dad has realised we did a lot more competing over the winter last year, and the problem is his nerves, so hopefully he'll "man up" and get on with it.
Well, thanks for reading folks

If there are any not to embarrassing photos, Dad will work out how to load them