Enjoying weekends off in the off season but it's all starting agin now .............
It doesn't seem all too long ago that the 2015 season was finishing up and suddenly the winter is over and the 2016 season is about to start!!! The beginning of this season will start a little differently as we head down to Spain for a week’s showjumping up against the professional jumpers. A change to our usual pre-season Team Australia Camp at the Unicorn Centre in Stow-on-the-Wold
It's a three day drive down to where we will be competing, and it will be a first for me, but luckily our horses are used to travelling around so much so hopefully the four horses we are taking, Paulank Brockagh, Angelo, Dushi Term and Gurtera Cher should cope with the travel well enough. It will be lovely to get a little bit of warmth for a week and see how the horses cope with some proper jumping tracks. I'm looking forward to one set of tack, one bridle and the same type of boots....should be a dream compared to eventing grooming!
A special day with my professional rugby playing brother, captain of Bath
I was fortunate enough to have a complete month off through November where I caught up with family and friends who normally see me disappear into thin air for most of the year. The season is so full on - weekend after weekend of events and week days not only filled with day to day life on the yard, but also travelling to training sessions. It's nice to feel 'normal' for a month, no hay in my hair and no alarm clocks!!!
Off season fun with Lucy Miles, Emily Littlejohn and Kirsty Smyth
I went to a few hunt balls and enjoyed a few short breaks away with friends( after a big trip to Australia last winter the funds were down) but it was just what I needed. Sam and Lucy then headed to Australia for December to visit Sam's family but also for the important Burton Wedding!!! Their three year old son and Chris' godson, Ollie was page boy and I think melted a few hearts as he wondered down the aisle. This meant that I headed back to work to bring some of the horses back into work, such as Happy Times and Paulank Brockagh who had been off since Burghley, and keep an eye on the Symphony poultry!!!
Generally most of the horses are still in the field until after Christmas, this means they have had a good 6-8 weeks holiday and nice and plump by the time they come in. We do so much with them through the season travelling, training etc. that it's so nice for them to be horses for a bit. As it hasn't been too cold this winter so far they have all been relatively well behaved so far through their fittening work, we've only had one cake for a fall so far!!
Stunning winter views
We've got a busy enough campaign for the beginning of the season, with Badminton, Houghton, Tattersalls and Bramham potentially on the horizon, May and June tend to be quite full on with so many three day events back to back. In June I will be a bridesmaid for a very good friend of mine, Lizzie Coleclough, who use to be head girl for Chris Burton when he was based with us. I'll look forward to her hen weekend the weekend after Badminton, however I don't feel I'll come back full of running after that weekend off!!
Time to pack up to head down to Spain, and I'm going to enjoy not having to wear three or more layers on top and bottom for a week
P.S We're already on the road and have had a few outings! One very cold freezing Friday evening we went to a local college and did a demonstration which seemed to go very well We've also been out for some dressage lessons with Gareth Hughes and then headed to a local arena to practice over a course of show jumps so it's already all go!!!
On the road again - Happy Times loves a party or trip out in the lorry
