Browsing Category #horseygirllife

Badminton 2017 – Shopping, Scoffing & Jaw Dropping!

Wednesday Badminton is getting busy! It seems that people have cottoned on to the fact that the BE90/100 competition days provide all the same shopping opportunities minus the huge crowds and as such it seemed decidedly busier this year compared to last. With no particular shopping list except ‘lunch’ in mind we set off moseying round the stalls, with our usual plan of shop – lunch – watch some xc – more shopping – maybe a sweet treat – home. Typically the first stall we came across was brilliant (so we did the browse-and-make-a-mental-note-to-return-later-stall-sweep walk) Will Bees Bespoke. I love it,…

Continue Reading
0 Comments

Rehabilitation Plans After Kissing Spine Operation

It has been 8 months now since Dustry went in for his kissing spine operation and to coin a phrase ‘its been emotional’. He has wintered out really well. Thankfully he has had a little furry friend ‘Rufus’ (Dustry’s ‘handbag’ as he has been nicknamed!) to keep him company and the winter weather has been kind. So the start of his rehab is imminent as soon as the yard switches from winter back to summer routine and he moves to a paddock nearer the yard then his work shall begin. Last month he had his 6 monthly dentist appointment (and…

Continue Reading
1 Comment

Birthday Dressage Bootcamp @ Pepperwood Park

Cards, cake and a 2 day residential dressage bootcamp, what more could a girl want for her birthday!? Packed and prepped Bolly and I set off in the lorry to my instructor Grand Prix rider Karen Sherperd’s home Pepperwood Park near Stockbridge, leaving Mummy Groom to follow us the next day and watch the final lesson of the boot-camp. Bolly is such a pro he settled into a strange stable and just tucked into his hay net like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. There were 6 of us on the boot-camp riding from Prelim to Elementary, and it…

Continue Reading
0 Comments

Kissing Spine Surgery – before, during & after care

Avid readers will be up to speed with Dustry’s lameness diagnosis, but if you’ve just discovered my blog and want to know the history it’s here. He went for his kissing spine operation in Lambourn at Valley Equine Hospital. It’s a great facility and pretty local to me, but unfortunately it doesn’t exactly hold happy memories. The last visit I had there in 2011 was with Soap who as a result of an injury sustained in the field had to be PTS and we drove home with an empty lorry 🙁 Brushing off thoughts of the past I dropped Dustry off for…

Continue Reading
0 Comments

Kidney for sale. 1 careful lady owner!

If the last 20 years had done anything to fade my recollection of just how incredibly MEGA polo was then within seconds of arriving at Cirencester Park Polo Club and hitting the ball it all came flooding back with a vengeance! It’s so hard to explain to an eventer, show jumper, dressage rider etc the sheer buzz that polo delivers. I can imagine the counter arguments: ‘Yes polo looks fun but……’have you but have you ever jumped clear round a 1.30 course of show jumps?’ ‘ridden the perfect passage?’ or ‘felt the thrill of notching up a clear xc round…

Continue Reading
1 Comment

POLO…because YOLO!

I’m a great believer in the saying ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’  and probably on the strength of that phrase alone I have ended up in some unusual, amazing and down right odd situations. Let me elaborate…. Last summer (which is becoming a bit of a habit) I went along to The Rundle Cup Polo Tournament. It’s a local event to me, great for spectators, and the perfect opportunity for some “competitive picnicking”. If you like lounging about in the sun, quaffing back Pimms with chums, watching fast horses gallop inches from your face, and pottering about the luxury trade stands…

Continue Reading
2 Comments

Fat horse, lame horse, cardboard boxes & moving house!

The last few weeks have been a blur!! In the midst of moving house I also had to take Dustry to ‘Horsepital’ and as such have been whizzing about the B-roads of Wiltshire in my trusty Ponymobile driving either cardboard boxes containing my worldly possessions to their new home or (even more precious cargo) my broken pony back and forth to the vets. There are times when my mind has been so frazzled by stress that I’ve half expected to see Dustry delivered to my sitting room and my sofa standing out in his paddock. Broken pony news first. Since…

Continue Reading
0 Comments

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

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…

Continue Reading
0 Comments

Badminton Preview Evening at The King’s Head

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…

Continue Reading
0 Comments

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

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…

Continue Reading
0 Comments