News

September

No updates for a while due to pressure of work. Have managed a few outings during that time but not many, sadly. 

August brought two endurance rides the first at Kirkton Manor, near Peebles which was our last camp/corral ride of the year.  Was an absolutely brilliant ride and P seemed to skip round it, very disappointed when we reached the finish so soon!  He managed to embarrass me after the final vetting by waiting till he was just infront of the start car and then rolling for Britain!  Not a great distance by endurance standards but a milestone for us, this ride took us to 162km completed this season, just over 100 miles.  At the end of August we took part in the dressage endurance event run by SERC Lothians - an abysmal dressage test as expected but with encouraging remarks from the judge - then the fun started with a 16km ride with chum Mette and her trusty steed Chanter, lovely to be out and about with them at a SERC ride, first time since May.

September brought Dunedin back to Edinburgh courtesy of Tugs Transport. His owner is moving down so he is back in the same field as his half brother Pendragon and it's lovely to see him again.  Not quite sure Pendragon is as keen to see him  but he'll come round once he realises he doesn't have to share me!

Dunedin with a slightly suspicious P in the background!

July

SERC Longnewton Endurance - our first competitive ride since P was off with an injury last year, in fact looking back only our fourth competitive ride ever.  We again went down the night before the ride (through some monsoon conditions!!!) and camped/corralled ovenight - thankfully the rain stopped for us to sort base camp, reccy the route and bbq with Team Bell.  The ride was fab as it always is in Longnewton - Lorna my lovely crew met me everywhere needed with sloshes and fud for Pendragon and he just loved being back down there. We got round the route averaging 10.65kph (not far from the top of our declared speed category) and finished on heart rate of 47. Really really pleased with the boy, especially considering if my gps was correct we actually rode 34km and were therefore actually going quite a bit faster.  Here's to Peebles in two weeks - back to pleasure ride then.

Gaoth does it again again - many congratulations to Jackie and everyone else involved.  Gaoth now has an intermediate ridden ticket - best exmoor in his class at NPS show.

SERC Broughton Endurance - great weekend down at Broughton for two days of endurance riding.  We couldn't make it down in time for the Friday night pleasure ride but went down in time to sort P for corralling and settle in for the evening.  Trailer made a very pleasant hotel for the weekend, views from the hotel "window" coming soon!  Saturday's pleasure ride went along the disused railway and then up onto the hills, absolutely amazing views.  Sunday went the other side of Broughton and round near Stobo Castle - different but equally fabulous.  I expected P to be a little tired on the Sunday, but ended up being towed round and was faster with a lower heart rate on day two! Next stop a 30km ride at Longnewton at the end of the month - more camping and corralling to add the icing to the cake!

June

Royal Highland Show - Lilliesleaf, Mercalli and Minuet all behaved really well and I'm really proud of them.  We ended up first, second and third in some, sadly, small classes so we were really last, second last and last!!!!  I know Minuet wasn't really in show condition but I am very proud of her on her first outing off the farm for behaving so well and taking it all in her stride.  Many thanks to SEPRC Taxi, Tugs Transport, for taking us and managing to get us back home early enough to mean my mega drive down to Lincs that evening didnt end in the dark!!!  Much appreciated having been up since 3am!

May

SERC West Fenton Endurance - typically the weather over the weekend was the wrong way round!  We had rain in the morning for the showjumping and then Sunday dawned HOT for the endurance!!!  Despite that the beasts did really well, P enjoying his Dales pals being out and about at endurance again and loving an old route which we have always enjoyed.  Heart rate back down to 48 so I'm happy too. Many thanks to George Bell for the pictures

Gaoth does it again - not content with his Picton ticket, he has now added the workers to his achievements.  Well done everyone involved...

SEPRC Unaffiliated Jumping - great day at the jumping competition.  Lisa very kindly lent me Pendragon's half brother Seton to ride. Still getting used to jumping again so did the little jumps but he was a superstar and despite a small hiccup early on he stormed round and I had such fun!!!  Stayed to help and enjoy the Festival of Champions qualifiers, in awe of people brave enough to jump that high!! Now just gettting ready for the 2nd endurance in 8 days, this time with my Dales pony chums - it's always exciting when they are let loose!! Let the fun begin!

SERC Westruther Endurance - Happy to report the weather forecast was not far off and we had a good weekend away, the corralls and tents were up and bbq lit before the rain started!!  Pendragon stormed round the pleasure ride at 10.54kph and that was with me asking him to slow down for quite a lot of it!  Still need to work on heart rate but was a great weekend.  Always made more fun by camping and corralling.

Fingers are firmly crossed that Metcheck are correct and the other forecasts I'm seeing for the weekend are wrong.  Next endurance is coming up, with Team Bell kindly providing the wheels again.  This time it's a camping/corralling & bbq the night before so let the weather be kind!!!  SERC Borders ride this time, down in Westruther - watch this space!

Gaoth's Picton ticket - congratulations to Jackie, Gaoth and rider Meg for their win at the HPEC Rare Breeds show - winning the NPS Novice Ridden Picton.

Exmoor Pony at Golden Horseshoe ride - While keeping an eye on a SERC friend who was competing in the Horseshoe itself it was great to see a good reception for the first Exmoor pony to participate in one of the competitive classes at the ride.  The news page from the Golden Horseshoe website described the biggest cheer on the final day being saved for Kingsby Nutmeg, ridden by Mary Hannah - finishing the 2 day, 50mile, Exmoor Experience ride.

April

Nisbet

Well when we finally completed the long trip of moving Rosie's ponies down from Turriff to Heathpool I took quick look at Caledonia and said she was looking more immenent!  Sure enough next morning she produced her third filly for me, Nisbet (Numpty Ned of Nisbet if you'd like her full name!!! Don't ask, it's a long story).  More on the youngstock page.

Seacliff Endurance - 12th April - Pendragon and I had a ball at this new venue for SERC Lothians.  Team Bell kindly provided the wheels for us to get there and the weather was very kind to us, it was almost too hot near the end.   It was a brilliant ride and a wonderful beach to canter alone on - I'm really pleased with the boy for doing most of this ride on our tod, roll on the next ride!

Nigel!!!

Flecknoe has finally managed a happy healthy foal!  Born 8th April, a stocky lump - think he's going to take after his ma!  See youngstock page for pics and more of an introduction.