Last Wednesday evening Stormhill Sun Bean and I attended a Dressage Demo representing the North West region at a Judge Training convention. I stepped in to help as Samantha Morrison (www.samanthamorrison.com) who would usually ride was unable to take part. After a strict briefing from Samantha about dress code and expectations at this kind of thing I washed the white bandages, jodpurs and prepared the thread for plaiting!

Although a little nervous about being scrutised by an audience full of judges on Bean who after all is really an eventer, I need not have worried because as usual Bean behaved impeccably. The list one Judge Kim Ratcliffe who was leading the demo judged Bean to be well trained and correct in her way of going. Kim gave me some exercises to help continue to improve the engagement of the hind quarters further and summarised that if she was to judge Bean she would be giving her plenty of 7's and 8's for the quality of her work showing good balance and rhythm. 

Another student of Samantha Morrison's Celia Tebbs also represented at the judges demo in a workshop focusing on 'the development of the contact'. Celia is on her way to Addington for the Nationals at prelim very soon after qualifying on her horse Lincourt Star. The judge was also very impressed with the correctness of training in Celia's horse, praising the training that we both receive from Samantha.

I would like also to thank Elaine Gray for her support on the evening. I am hoping I may be able to represent the region in future, hopefully on Redhill SR too who is showing herself to have real promise in the dressage arena.

With the winter well and truly behind us now we are looking forward to the eventing season and the outdoor jumping and dressage shows.  

Verity and Bean kicked off their season's eventing at the Blaze Stafford Horse Trials, our local event. After an uncharacteristically poor dressage Verity and Bean went on to make a good start to their season by going well in both of the jumping phases in the 'Pre-Novice Plus'. We must say big a thank you to Samantha Morrison and Paul Simms for helping Verity prepare for her 1st event of the season. 

Redhill SR has also returned to competitive action winning at BD prelim and jumping double clear at her first show back. Drew has been riding the impressive Mullentine Zola, jumping double clear and being placed in their first few outings. With jumping planned at Beaver hall this weekend, numerous other jumping and dressage show booked in the Diary and Weston Park Event getting ever closer, it's going to be a job to fit it all in!

Over Christmas Verity undertook a 5 day course of driving lessons with Bassetts of Tittensor. Whilst she has dirven a trailer for many years now she has never driven a lorry. Over the 5 days she improved in both confidence and ability and on 30th December she passed. We are now looking forward to buying a lorry when we can so that rain at the events is no longer such a pain and we can take both our horses to shows at the same time.

After what seemed like months of not being able to properly work the horses or go to shows we have finally got back to normal. During a welcome week off work we managed to fit in SJ practice at Lloyds farm wonderful indoor, dressage training with Samantha Morrison who is now permanently based at Kingswood EC, jumping BSJA at Field House and competing BD at Kingswood.

Beanie is now back in full work and Redhill SR  is just getting back to full fitness following their Christmas break (which was definitely extended due to the crazy weather).

All activities were very profitable despite Verity having to ride Beanie in driving snow during her dressage lesson. Bean showed that she is feeling on top form at the show jumping by jumping a fantastic double clear in the discovery and finishing fourth. Verity saw a few strange strides during the round as a result of being a little rusty but Bean knew exactly what her job was and didn't let it phase her at all. The dressage was equally as successful if not even better, Redhill SR won her prelim qualifier despite only having been back in work for two weeks and Beanie won the Novice qualifier too. This was Beans second win at Novice since October so she has now qualified for the Summer Dressage Regionals later this year. Not bad qualifying in the minimum number of attempts possible.

This weekend is full to the brim with horsey jobs (like emptying the muck truck), family birthdays and celebrations but we are also hoping to make the trek to Markfield for Verity's first experience there.

It is almost March.... and then the eventing starts again, Stafford BE100+ is already entered so I guess XC schooling should also be squeezed in somewhere!