Posts Written By Chloë

#teamtottie takes on the Badminton Mitsubishi Motors Cup

by on ·Interviews

Badminton’s newly re-named Mitsubishi Motors Cup competition (previously The Grassroots Championships) for BE90 and BE100 level riders is probably the highlight of the amateur eventer’s calendar, and to qualify and compete there must be simply awesome (it’s definitely on my bucket list!). Thanks to my new #teamtottie role as their ‘roving riding reporter’ I got to go along on Wednesday and meet up with fellow #teamtottie rider Emma Carvey who was competing in the BE100 class. Qualifying for the MMCup is not to be sniffed at. For BE100 qualification riders have to be placed in the top 20% in a BE100…

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The best of Badminton shopping: weird, wonderful & wanted!

by on ·#horseygirllife, Competition Reports & Training

Badminton on the Thursday is a very different beast, it’s quiet and low key and has a really relaxed atmosphere. Some exhibitors are still putting the finishing touches to their stalls, and everyone seems to be really chipper (not yet jaded after several days trading, and answering questions!). I really enjoyed the smaller crowds and getting the chance to sit in the sun and watch the Mitsubushi Motors Cup competitors relishing their cross country rounds. Because the 4* event hasn’t yet begun the focus is very much on the shopping village, and it does NOT disappoint. I don’t know if…

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Badminton Preview Evening at The King’s Head

by on ·#horseygirllife, Competition Reports & Training

High tailing it after work last Wednesday I managed to get to The King’s Head, Cirencester in time to enjoy their Badminton Preview Evening in aid of a local RDA group. The evening started with drinks and nibbles and then proceeded to a Q&A session with an expert panel. Before the Q&A I had the pleasure of catching up with Badminton bound Dani Evans and interviewed her about her riding aspirations, approach and thoughts on her second chance to compete at Badminton. (I’ll be posting that interview soon!) The expert panel consisted of Hugh Thomas, Nick Burton, Dani Evans, Tom…

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I’m Tottie’s new ‘Roving Riding Reporter’

by on ·#horseygirllife, Interviews

When an email from Tottie dropped into my inbox offering me the opportunity to work with them I jumped at the chance! I was familiar the brand because back in the day I had a blue Tottie gilet that I wore to death, and had to eventually consign to the bin when I tore it open climbing through some barbed wire fencing. (I wasn’t being chased by an angry bull or anything I just have poor spacial awareness!!) Rode both horses this morning. Mile long canter with Bolly and some school work with Dustry now for some guilty pleasures! Chillaxing…

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Wicked time at Wickstead Horseplay

by on ·Competition Reports & Training

Now the lorry is back and the eventing season has begun it was time to get Bolly out to do some SJ practice before his first event. We boxed up and whizzed to Wickstead Horseplay a great local arena with lovely SJs and a few XC fences dotted about the arena making it a great place to kill 2 birds with 1 stone.   Bolly is such a dude I totally love this guy, it’s like riding a big hairy marshmallow. A little bigger than I would like atm as he still appears to be ‘carrying a little Christmas weight’…

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No more jumping over the lorry partition with these new anti-jump lorry modifications!

by on ·Tried & Tested

When a horse tries to jump over the breast bar partition into the Groom’s area it is quite frankly bl**dy terrifying and not an experience I (or Mummy Groom) ever wish to go through again! If you missed the drama first time around click here to read up on Bolly’s lorry leaping escapades!! To prevent the little bouncing beast from attempting this ever again we took our lorry to local coach-builders Trevett & Smith near Salisbury for some modifications. Dustry loves the lorry and has never even hinted at thinking about jumping over the breast-bar into the open Groom’s area…

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A scoop, is a scoop, is a scoop, right? wrong!

by on ·Tried & Tested

Not when a scoop is a SKUP! Emma from Huf Designs the brains behind this new feed scoop design got in touch to see if I would like to trial the SKUP and review it. To be perfectly honest at first I thought, well…. how much better than an old milk carton cut into a scoop, or the battered old Stubbs round scoop I have can this thing really be??? Putting scepticism to one side, there was only one way to find out so Emma popped my Skup in the post! Straight away you can feel that this Skup will…

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That awkward moment when you lose a sponsor…

by on ·#horseygirllife

I’ve spent the last 7 years decked out in the latest and greatest Mountain Horse gear, from head to toe I’ve been warm, well shod and waterproof, but today I sadly got the official news that their sponsorship has to come to an end. When I first contacted Mountain Horse back in Jan 2009 I was overjoyed by the positive response I got, and when my first delivery of goodies arrived I almost spontaneously combusted with excitement. My speculative email had some how done the trick and here I was riffling through a box jam packed with ridiculously lovely gear,…

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We are not enjoying winter today & will not pretend otherwise #hobbyshaming

by on ·#horseygirllife

You know those girls that say ‘Oooh I love Winter it’s my favourite season!’ well I am NOT one of those girls. I imagine those girls must be capable of matching their bra and pants 6 out of 7 days a week, have hair which is always ‘on fleek’ and sport immaculate intricately painted nails (nice indoors-y hobbies and pursuits) because one thing’s for sure they do not own a horse! This time of year is a series of early dark mornings, regular rain drenching, daily equine dung disposal, heavy lifting, hosing, hay net haulage, mud fighting, money draining of vampiric…

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Something lovely made by These Fair Hands

by on ·Tried & Tested

Dustry aka Captain Calamity is very unhappy at the moment, being ridden in walk for 20mins really isn’t cutting the mustard for this little workaholic. Add to that the fact that ‘the hairy marshmallow’ aka Bolly came back last weekend gloating about his foot perfect cross country and 1st place, and he’s got a bad case of ‘the blues’. Thankfully something just arrived in the post to cheer up the old sad sack, and if this doesn’t work it will have to be ‘Pony Prozac’ The crafty peeps at These Fair Hands got in touch to see if I would…

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