What can I say apart from its good to be back out eventing! After two months of no events I was glad the sunshine was out this weekend, we were headed to Bishop Burton on the Saturday and then Eland Lodge on the Sunday.

Candy was booked into do the BE100 at Bishop Burton as a warm up for her first Novice next weekend. It couldn't have gone any better, Candy did one of her nicest dressage tests to date scoring 29.5!!! (Yes you read that correctly, and yes I was a little surprised too!) I didn't actually know what I got dressage until I had completed cross country. It always seems to work out better when I don't know my score! 

The show jumping was a lovely course on their new fantastic arena (an arena most people dream about!) Candy did another superb clear round, we hurried off to cross country as soon as we were ready. The course looked lovely with a few fences on tight angles but nothing I was particularly worried about. I set her up well so she could see the second elements and breezed through them all. The water complex was fantastic for a BE100 it had a big log 2 strides into the water then another log in the water, not many 100 course have a jump in the water (in fact I can't really think of another place that does!) Luckily we had practised jumping a few in water at Somerford Park. She flew over it and around the rest of the course. I heard my mum shouting something but didn't fully understand until I had finished the course. She had a huge smile on her face and started to giggle like a little girl, so code for that could only mean one thing... We had a great dressage! (anything under 30 is a huge achievement for us, like getting 4 numbers on the lottery!) Another double clear under her belt, set us up perfect for our first Novice next weekend. We went to look at the score board to find we had come 2nd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As much as its my dream to win a BE section one day I was thrilled with our best BE placing at 100 level and on my self produced 6yo felt an even bigger achievement. 

We got home at 10.30pm! Then had to bath and plait Lady for an early start on Sunday. I didn't get in bed until 12pm! Lady was entered the BE90 equivalent at Eland Lodge. We gave her the Blue Chip karma before setting off and then half an hour before dressage. What can I say the difference was huge! It had taken all the worry and nervousness away and she was the most trainable horse warming up. I felt really confident going in and it made a big difference in our test she came out with 36.5 which put us 9th after dressage. The show jumping was on the small side today (or maybe it just looked small being as she is so big!) she flew round for a perfect clear. The cross country had to be the most challenging aspect all day, after walking the course I was a bit worried about some of the fences especially the skinnies and water complex as she hasn't done any cross country training other than hunting (if you can call training, going hunting twice!) I rode her really positive but wish I had put a pair of spurs on so I didn't have to work so hard! She was a little apprehensive at a few fences but after a some encouragement and shouting on my behalf she had completed her first BE90 track clear. I was so happy with her and felt real progress half way around the course as she was already starting to pick up what was required of her.

So after another great double clear (even though I couldn't walk in the morning!|) she had moved up to 7th after SJ, then even higher after the cross country results were up. We finished in 3rd place which I couldn't believe for her first ODE. I have both horses competing at Brand Hall next weekend, Lady is doing her first 4yo class (which is BE90) and Candy is doing her first Novice. I can't tell you how excited I am after such a great run this weekend. 

I have videos of them both in action as well as course pictures for BE100 at Bishop Burton. 

A lot of people have been asking me when will I get round to writing about my trip to Goresbridge. So I finally have a spare few minutes to put into words my experience of buying horses from a sale. 

Day 1- Most people think buying a horse from a sale means picking up a serious bargain... well you couldn't be more wrong!! After sitting through the entire 4-day sport horse performance sale I can happily tell you that its not all what it seems...! After a very long first day starting the first sale at 10am until the last hammer went down at 10pm I had seen close to 115 ponies up for sale. Its not always true but I felt it was more a case of who you know rather than what you know that day. My friend who goes to nearly every sale know's nearly every rider and many of the owners so is in the loop about the great horses and the... shall we say not so great ones! That day they did buy 3 horses but 2 wasn't from the sale. A well known friend had told them about a unbacked 5yo about ready to go which once we turned up to see it had the most incredible loose jump, the stamp of a classy eventer and turned out to be the first purchase of the day! The second purchase was again a friend of a friend with a well known bold brave but sensible hunter that are very hard to come by suitable for even the master of a hunt.

It was also the day of the 5-year-olds + and after approximately another 116 passed my eyes there were a few nice horses that I had seen. I really liked a 6yo bay mare which was listed as... Broken and riding very well, competed at training shows. Good temperament. quiet to show, box, clip, ride and in traffic. Schooled over cross country. I first saw it jumping with a girl in the outdoor school, it was jumping nearly the top of the wings with little effort and looked a very easy ride. Most horses then come into the indoor school to jump again to a much bigger audience. I didn't recognise it at first as it didn't wow me in the slightest jumping with a different rider on it. It was only until I saw its number that I realised it was the same horse. It knocked a fair few fences & looked very strong. The complete opposite to what I had just seen outside with the other girl riding, it certainly put me off parting with my money (if I had gone over to buy a horse that is!). Most horses you only get to see for 5-10mins and they are jumped over the same fence just putting it up higher and higher every time until the horse simply cannot get over it or you start to see the talent in some horses making it look incredibly easy! So how easy is it to judge a horse and deem it suitable for yourself or another person after just 5 minutes of seeing it in action? Well I'll tell you the truth... its bloody difficult and a gamble at that! As the second day drew to a close a last minute purchase of the day, my personal favourite 'Wee Tom' a stunning brown gelding 6yo competing currently at 1m20. Well it jumped out of its skin and was well worth the long wait. From the same owner we had previously seen a a striking chestnut gelding jumping round a full course of 1m30 fences in the indoor school which wowed everyone! It was a tough decision whether to purchase a 7yo that already had a inconsistent record but had jumped a few clears at 1m30... was it worth the risk?.. In the end it fetched a fair few bob and I think it reached the highest amount throughout the whole sale. The question kept popping into my head.. "why would they be selling it if it was that good?" After one of the best (but most expensive) Indian meals I had ever had that night it was soon time to get up again. 

Day 2- Another day of 5-year-olds, and another 200 horses passed me by! There were a few nice horses but none worth raising a hand to purchase so that day they left with some money still left in their pockets! A second night out eating in Ireland was enough to make you realise how cheap the food is back in England. Although be careful when you order a steak, its comes as a cow on your plate! Seriously the biggest, thickest piece of meat I had ever seen!! That night we discussed the horses they had purchased the day before, it seems that after seeing over 400 horses we had what we thought were the best ones by far. 

Day 3- The 4-year-olds. 133 horses later they had bid on a few but had lost them with some prices going ridiculously high. After we walked around the stable yard it was amazing to see how they selected the horses they liked just by looking at them, they said they would buy this horse just from looking at it and sure enough they did, after seeing it jump there was no doubt in their minds they wouldn't go home without this horse and I think the bit of cheeky behaviour put off a lot of people so the horse was theirs for the taking. It was a very smart Luidam horse which was one of only two horses with this breeding in the whole sale. A lady had travelled just to see what it was like as she breeds Luidam horses herself and they had made Grade A jumpers. It was clear to me after seeing it jump so consistently and accurately at just 4 it wasn't short of any talent. Another purchase mid day was a sweet Temple Clover horse similar breeding to my horse Lady. 

Day 4- The last day 3 & 4-year-olds. If you want to go and get the best value horse, I would suggest getting a 3yo. Yes its more of a gamble as most are unbacked but they are less desired at this age as you simply cannot do much with them. Oh and one last tip.. do not be fooled by the jockey in jeans and trainers! I was! If you visit Goresbridge you will know what I am talking about. Let's just say they give off a false sense of security! 

So after all that is it worth buying a horse from the sales? Well yes & no! If I was buying another horse for myself & my mum who schools and exercises them while I am at work I wouldn't take the risk personally. You don't have a clue what you buy until you get it home, I don't do it for a profession so there is no need for me to go out and buy a horse from a sale. Yes its nice to get a bargain every now and then but is it worth a potential accident? The reason I go back to my friend every time I look for a horse is the fact that she has tried and tested the horse herself. Horses that we look at must have a good temperament, be fairly easy to manage but most importantly be good with seriously heavy traffic and obviously do the job needed. I feel after seeing a horse for just 10 minutes you cannot paint a full picture of the horse. I would rather pay a bit more to have a horse already vetted in every way before sitting my mum on it. Looking at it from a different perspective yes like i said its nice to get a bargain, everyone loves a bargain but only a few will pay off. 

The other factor to bare in mind is the cost... When you bid for a horse at the auction you don't just pay the price that is showed above your head. You have to add on 10% commission to the sale room for whatever the final price was (i.e. if it fetched 3800 you would pay an extra 380 to Gorgesbridge), transportation costs can be anything around 300 if your lucky, hotel prices anything from 70 a night for a double room, meals range from 10 for lunch up to 30 for dinner. Then if you rent a car anything around 150. It soon adds up and makes the horse you thought was a bargain not so much a bargain anymore! Oh and not forgetting flights at 80 return. (or a couple of hundred if you go by ferry!)

My friend once said "Its not difficult to sell a good horse, its difficult to keep finding the good horses!" 

Is it worth the risk & the costs that are involved? Only you can decide that!

Lots of exciting things happening at the moment, 2 new sponsors are joining my team... One is a huge company who I can't wait to be associated with, and the other something I have always wanted to do & be part off with a fantastic competition to follow shortly after the sponsorship is announced so stay tuned! 

Even though our event and last run before Chatsworth has been cancelled the rain hasn't managed to keep us down! I have had 2 super dressage lessons with Steph Cooper seeing some great improvements, and I took Candy for a spot of BSJA at Hargate Arena she jumped the discovery coming 4th and then the Newcomers absolutely foot perfect to be placed 2nd. 

I was interviewed by Julia writing for Eventing Magazine (a national magazine!) about how I use social media sites to my advantage and what I get out of them. It will be out next month so be sure to pick up a copy it will be a great article to read as I have met so many amazing people through these sites as well as securing 3rd place in the ESMA finals. (must be doing something right!) I had a lovely message to say they think I could be the one to watch! Excited much!!! 

Last but certainly not least I got a phone call from Safe Care For Animals (Equine and Pet Products) to say I had won their competition to win a years supply of their products... all I could say was WOW!! What a fantastic prize.12x Total Body Wash
12x Tail n Mane
12x Show n Shine
12x Fly Repellent
12x Cut n Graze
Leg Ice Clay