Where to start, so much has happened since my last blog! It has been a very hectic summer.

Since, Levi has been to his first ever show at Crockstead where he did an indoor dressage competition. He was a total superstar and only went and won with 68.7%! It was a good day because we also took Jambo (who has now been sold) who won her class with a whopping 78%! Levi has also been cross country schooling where he jumped everything first time, including going straight in the water and over all the ditches. He is definitely one of my favourites, he is such a dude!
Click the link to his video.

At MJ Eventing we have welcomed new arrivals to the string at Symphony Sport Horses. These include Brendan (aka Danny), a 14.2hh New Forest x 4YO, Laddy Liam (aka Laddy), a 15.1hh Connemara 5YO, and finally Buttercup (aka B), a 15hh TB x ID 5YO. They are all coming on in leaps and bounds, hacking out alone and in company, doing pole work and small jumps. Laddy and Danny are also slowly accepting the hosepipe! Fortunately a good time of year to get them used to it. The yard is looking very full now!

We have had a few competitions which have mostly all been very successful. The first being Eridge Horse Trials where Elvis posted one of his best dressage marks of 32.3 at Novice (even the judge said at the end of the test what a good job we had done!). He went on to finish 6th with a clear XC inside the time. The course was great fun to ride and Elvis was still full of running up the notorious last hill! On our way home we were lucky to be invited to visit 'Sam' who now lives behind Eridge Park with his new owners. It was lovely to see him looking so well and in such a nice environment. He is one very special boy!

Click the link to see Elvis at Eridge.

After Eridge, it was final preparations for the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe so I jumped Elvis and Skip at the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead. We were blessed with good weather and the horses both jumped well. Skip jumped in the 1m and 1.05m classes, whilst Elvis jumped in the 1.10m and 1.20m classes. It's a great opportunity to practice jumping on grass in very big arenas. It was lovely to be joined by my sponsors from Arka Equipe that week who had come to support me and have a catch up with the other two ambassadors, Georgia Lovett and Emma Brooks. It's an honour to be part of the team! I also got some new gorgeous goodies from Lorenzini- titanium stirrups, bits and spurs. I am a massive fan already! All my young horses and Skip have been going so well in the new bit which is incredibly lightweight. All have become very soft in the mouth and completely un-fussy. It causes them to salivate more as it is bio-compatible with the body. I find the round ended spurs perfect for a sensitive horse that just needs gentle encouragement. Check out Arka Equipe's website for all new Lorenzini products.

Skip To The Beat | Royal International Horse Show

On the 7th August the big day had finally come, we had borrowed a lorry and it was all packed so off to Gatcombe we set at 12pm avec Elvis! Mum and Jackie set off in the car in front of Sue, Edward and I in the lorry. Well it was the MOST horrific journey, it started as soon as we hit the M25 the traffic was awful all the way, we crawled along the M4 until the moment we had a blow out! Sue managed very carefully to pull over onto the hard shoulder where we waited 2 and a half hours for rescue. We finally pulled into the stable park at Gatcombe at about 8pm. This was not ideal! We got Elvis off the lorry and settled in as soon as possible. This was his first time ever staying away from his home at Stuccles since the day he was born!

Saturday was dressage day and we did a reasonable test to score 44.1 (FEI marking) with only one mistake where he broke in medium trot. That afternoon, the 5 of us walked the cross country course in the boiling hot sun (thankful I was not jumping that day). The course looked bold but very inviting with lots of undulations in the terrain making it tricky. The water jump was at the bottom of a long run down a hill where you then had to jump over a house in, and then sharp turn left out over a log step. The first and last two fences were part of the 3* course which meant they were well up to height! That night was the drinks party where we caught up with friends, Bridget and Martin Lyne who had a horse with Izzy Taylor in the Intermediate championships, and Julian Thorpe who's horse was competing also in the Corinthian Cup ridden by Helen Millichamp.

Sunday I was up early to get Elvis ready to jump that morning. Unfortunately show jumping did not go to plan. Elvis was very tense as there were large crowds around the arena and made it hard for me to keep a rhythm so we had more fences down than we should have. I think he was too busy looking for the cross country course! As the starter counted down in the start box for the XC we had got to 15secs when the course went red, twice! My heart was racing. Both riders in front of me had fallen off at the water! When I finally got going, it was the most amazing experience. I have never ridden around a course with so many people watching and being on the big screens! Elvis was totally awesome, he flew about 20ft into the water meaning we had a hand brake turn to get out! We finished clear inside the time around our first time at Gatcombe. A very positive way to end and I was so grateful to everyone who came to support me including Karolina and Lucas from Arka Equipe, Jackie, Sue, my long suffering Mother and my boyfriend Edward. It was an amazing experience to ride among the best riders and horses in the world. Oliver Townend's 4* horse Armada was stabled just down from us and Andrew Hoy was our neighbour!

Brighton Rock II | TopSpec Corithian Cup

We travelled back on Sunday and I had one day to sort everything out before heading off to Windsor for Smith's Lawn horse trials with Skip in the BE100. It was a really lovely day out and I had Bridget's grand children as helpers who were very helpful indeed. Skip did one of her best ever dressage tests but she just struggled with the right canter so we lost a few marks there but we still got a mark of 30.0! Considering in January she practically could not canter on the right leg at all she has seriously come a long way! We had one silly rail which was my fault show jumping I just waited a little too much. Frustrating as she jumped mega and did not deserve 4 faults on the sheet! She flew round the XC with not a single hesitation and inside the time. She is such a superstar! Huge thanks to Bridget and Martin for their help that day and driving Skip and I there.

Skip To The Beat | Smith's Lawn horse trials

And last but not least, this weekend just gone we took Joss (Edward's horse) and Skip to dressage at Belmoredean. Joss did her first dressage test which was Prelim 13 and came a very respectable 4th in a class of 20! She goes beautifully and has lovely paces, however she thought the judges box was a little terrifying having never seen it before! And yes, I do have a habit of looking like a pea on a drum...

Click the link to see Joss's dressage.

Skip did Prelim 18 as a warm up test where she came 6th so I could familiarise her with the arena as it was her first time here too, needless to say she also found it terrifying! I then had a go at her first Novice test, Novice 34. I couldn't have been happier with how she went. We lacked a little in the medium trot but I was pleased she did not break into canter. I have not practiced medium across the diagonal much, only down the long side at this point to help hold her straight whilst she is learning. Considering I had practiced the test only once on her, I was thrilled to finish 3rd! I hope to move Skip up to Novice eventing very soon, but I am cautious not to do anything that may frighten her as she is so talented, but she is also a mare so can be more sensitive.

Click the link to see Skip's dressage.

The weather this week has made a turn for the worse making it hard to work the young horses. Winter is definitely creeping up on us!