2007

Diary March

Week 1

To get more information on horses mentioned go to Our Horses

To get more information on Mark & Tanya go to  About Us or anyone else go to The Team

 We really did hit the ground running after our trip to the USA, with only 7 days before Oasby Horse Trials our first event of the season.
Lauren, Mark, and Booli, were competing from the yard those of you regular readers know Lauren, raised in the USA but a UK citizen, Lauren has been a student and based with us for the last fifth year, she was on 2006 British Young Riders team winning team gold.
Booli is from the USA she spent a month with us in November when she bought a very nice young horse from us, Oscar. She is now back and the plan is to stay with us until June during which time she be competing  Oscar.

Mark had 8 horses Lauren 7 and Booli 1 horses they were competing  six were doing there first event. So it was important to get out XC schooling this week.
With the ground still waterlogged all the XC training venues around us were closed. Luckily we managed to find a venue near Lincoln, 60 minutes away that not only had great going but had a small training XC course and a set of show jumps on the grass.
We went on Tuesday, and were so impressed we went again on Thursday.
The 'babies' all went well, improving with each fence they jumped.

The weather was so bad at the start of the week we really did not expect for Oasby to be running, rumours of its cancellation proved wrong. Although we did get some rain during the week it was not nearly as bad as predicted.  When we arrived nice and early on Friday morning for the first day of competing we expected to be towed onto the site, but the going was excellent.

Friday;
Mark had 3 and Lauren 2.
Mark had Willow, Nitetime & Duke in the Open Pre Novice they were all good although somewhat excited about being out, Mark nearly made it 3 double clears only spoilt by Nitetime having one show jump down.
 

Willow

Nitetime

Saturday;
Lauren & Mark rode 2 each. Lauren rode her 2 'Babies' Dexi & Denzil in the Intro. We could have not been happier with them both jumped double clear with very good dressage tests.
 

Dexi	Denzil
Mark rode Felix in his first event, he was a little tense in his dr. but jumped a very good double clear. Johnny was in the Open Novice he did a good test, had an unlucky fence down SJ and went clear XC placing 9th. His other ride Step in Time (Johnny) did a very test one down SJ and clear XC to finish 9th.	Felix

Sunday;
We took 1 in our lorry, and 3 for Mark and 1for Lauren. Lauren also rode Jane's 2 horses.


Mark rode Bunny & Bear in the PN both did good tests and jumped double clear to finish 3rd & 4th.

Bunny	Bear
Daz	In the Intro he rode Daz who did a good dressage & XC he was unlucky and the last fence down SJ

Lauren rode Fox and Conker in the Intro. Conker jumped a good double clear and did a good test. Fox was a little tense in his dr. then had one down jumping and a glance of  XC

Fox

By the time we were on our way home we were all pretty shattered, it had been a long and busy week - I'd like to say things will get easier now the season has started, we'll see!!!
Although we really can not complain, this time last year we had horses some horses still at Arena UK (30 mins from the Farm where we were living) whilst some horses were at the farm in crew yards. Mark was laying concrete to get stables up.
This year we have hot water, lights, a great tack room. - we really do not know ourselves!

 For those of you wondering why Tanya is not competing.....

Tanya is five months pregnant, the baby is due in July, she is still riding but thought it sensible to leave the jumping & competing to Mark.