So after the most amazing Badminton, I'm feeling so excited for the WEG in only a few months time. Truly I cannot believe that it's almost here. Although I work with show jumpers, my heart still lies with my first love, eventing. But here in Normandy, it is the land of the show jumper. The Haras du Pin is only about one hour from here, but since Martinvast , near Cherbourg stopped holding an event , it's difficult to get my fix. So I'm really looking forward to WEG. Still waiting for my tickets to arrive, I'm getting a little bit nervous, but they assure me they are on their way.
It's been a while since my last blog, my apologies , but unfortunately I always feel like a little bit of a fraud. The day to day ins and out of my job are never that exciting, but something about Badminton this weekend has fired me up again. I am very privileged to work with and ride some very talented horses, and that's to be celebrated. So bad luck, here's a little update on my life!
The yard I work for has seen lots of changes over the winter and we now have a lovely new indoor school, which has made working the horses over this incredibly wet winter, so much easier! Also we have the most beautiful indoor barn, which holds 12 horses. So the whole yard is together on one site, rather than a five minute trek up to the old yard, which was part of our trotter neighbour’s yard. The new barn is so lovely, with windows in the back of each stable, so they can look out. They love it, and I love it when it's peeing down, windy and down right horrid!
We have 26 horses in, so a full yard which is great, and so far the young horses , who have been competing since March, are going very well. Lots of ‘nil point’ (no faults). The four year olds have their first outing tomorrow (Monday) so that should cause lots of fun. There are 13 competing at Saint Lo, this week, from the yard, so lots of plaiting, and quick changes.
The best news, for me, was that my absolute favourite horse of all time ( perhaps with the exception of my little homebred) Tzarine, came back to the yard , after her break last year. It's always a worry that plans might change, but I had the loveliest surprise. Franck hadn't told me she was back, and sent me on a false errand into the barn, and there she was. She's such a great mare. She's currently doing very well having moved up to 1.35m - long may it continue.
Onto the aforementioned homebred, Muffin. She has had the most awful winter spending most of it in a box, or at the vets. Up side, she loads and travels really quite well now. She had the most enormous abscess, which just would not clear up and every time it looked like the vet might have got it, it would burst out somewhere else. Luck was on our side though as it didn't get into the bone, but goodness I was worried. Then because she's wasn't taking her weight correctly on her foot, she slightly damaged her tendon sheath. However, she's back sound, and healthily and hopefully (everything crossed) she will be backed at the end of summer.
The best news since my last blog is that my other half, who worked in the UK is back in France for a prolonged period. Whoop. It is so much easier, juggling children, work, my horses, dogs, dinner making (apparently it's necessary to cook a meal every evening, who knew?) it's wonderful so I'm a little more relaxed.
