Well the eventing season is now officially over! I am already counting down the days until next season starts, and of course I have the Jumping And Style series to look forward to as a fantastic warm up for the season.

So the next couple of weeks have flown past and the season is quickly reaching its finale. That can only mean one thing, a winter of freezing cold indoor show jumping! But as they say, perfect practice makes perfect and that is what I am trying to achieve.

So what has been going on? Well we were at Pulborough BE last Friday with both Lily and Coco. Lily was doing her first BE100 - see the video HERE. She was on fantastic form and a generally good test with a couple of young horse mistakes left us on a very respectable 33.5. She was rather cheeky in the Show Jumping, however it was really spooky. So she had a stop at the planks. But after a quick and positive discussion she decided she would jump after all and flew round clear. But the result was 4 jumping and 6 time. Then on to the cross country and I was quite worried as it was technical and although she has been going better and better cross country it was a big step up. However I needn't have worried. Steps, ditches and even a step into water and she flew them all so I was delighted. They had done a fantastic job but the ground was deep in places so to jump clear in those conditions was even better.
Coco was also fantastic. He did what we thought was the best test we have done together, unfortunately the judge disagreed and gave us a 40.5, but the best score was a 33 so it wasn't too bad in the circumstances. A silly pole coming out of the double was a shame as he jumped the most beautiful round, but there were only 3 clears in my section! Cross country he was just fab. He tries so hard to please but makes it all so easy. Getting lost resulted in 4.4 time faults but with all that it was still good enough for 4th. Clever pony! We used Target feeding with Lily and Coco at Coombelands, to give them some specific energy and also as they spent a long time in the lorry so it gave them a change of food. It is a really good way of getting water into them through soaked Lucie Nuts if they don't drink.

Then on to Felbridge yesterday. Lily and Ozzie were in the BE100 and Coco in the Novice. Lily was really good, and did a good test for a 35 which was fair. She then was rather exuberant in the show jumping and had one down, otherwise she would have been placed. Ozzie decided that I was asking for canter most of the way through my trot serpentines so we lost a lot of marks, but apart from that he did a nice test so a 41 it was but that was because of two major mistakes. He then was rather spooky in the show jumping but got going and jumped a lovely clear! Coco then did a lovely test, which I rode in sitting trot as a practice for Aldon next weekend. The judge just said he looked a bit tense because he wasn't tracking up, so I need to make sure I still ride him forwards enough when I am in the sitting trot. He got a 33.5 and show jumped clear to win! So a good final prep before Aldon!

Today we were at Larkhill with Lily in the BE90 to put our Spring problems to rest. The dressage was slightly entertaining as the army had their morning marathon during my warm up and test and 50 men runnning and shouting through the middle of the dressage warm up didn't help the tension in any of the horses. So I was pleased with a 35 as she was a bit on edge, but was working really well. The show jumping was very small, but she jumped such a lovely relaxed clear and I was really working on being soft myself to allow her to be more smooth round the corners. Well it worked. Cross country was technical enough, but she was so classy. She popped round like it was nothing and felt like a different horse to the one I had in the Spring. She landed over a fence, her ears would prick and she would be off again which was lovely. So not an easy season with her but we came up with the goods in the end. I feel really proud of what I have achieved with her as I have done it all myself in terms of getting her over all her worries. Which is all the cross country problems were. She simply didn't understand. She is now loving it and I can't wait to get her out and crack on next season!

Thats all for now.

Georgie xx

Well where to begin! So much has been going on since my last update that I haven't had time to write a new blog, so apologies in advance if this rambles on for what seems like forever!

The Paralympics seems a sensible starting point, although I'm gutted it has now finished and London 2012 really has been and gone. But what a spectacle we put on, I think I am right in saying that it has exceeded all expectations.
What an inspiration the Paralympians were. I think it is fantastic that the general public have finally got to see how truly amazing these athletes are. I was lucky enough to get to visit The Paralympic Village thanks to Lee Frawley who did herself proud with her horse Rhapsody whilst representing the US Virgin Islands. Mum, Dad and I also went to the closing ceremony and I was even lucky enough to be included in the invitation to Team GB house first where all the Gold Medal winning Paralympians were having a photo with their medals. I had a lovely chat with Sophie Christiansen about Royal Holloway and what it was like which was really helpful. I also met Aled Davies, the Discus Gold and Shot Putt Bronze medalist. Mum nearly had a heart attack as Tony Hadley (I know I didn't know who he was.. Apparently the lead singer from Spandau Ballet [look it up if you don't know]) sang Gold with all the Gold medallists behind him, and I have to say it was incredible. The closing ceremony was also fantastic so bring on Rio 2016 is all I can say! I did feel genuinely lost when there was no longer any sport to watch on the tv from London 2012. Then the football season restarted and I felt even worse!

Anyway back to the horses who I have to say (touch wood) have been going great guns! So I am hoping this season will end with a bang! On the 5th of September I took, and passed my Pony Club AH exam. It was an exhausting day but in a weird way was quite enjoyable. My only really dodgey area was my lunging but that was a border pass.. Onwards and upwards to my riding now and if anyone has any tips or advice for my pony club A test please get in touch!

On friday the 7th of September we headed to Blenhiem for the Pony Club Eventers Challenge. Ozzie hadn't quite come right in time so we took Punch instead! I have to say he flew, one of the best rounds we have ever jumped together and he made it feel so easy. He was one of very few clear rounds, as a result we finished 3rd in the style competition out of around 140 competitors. The team was just a bit unlucky and finished on a total of 8 faults which was just outside the placings. However an enjoyable day had by all.

On the 15th of September we headed to Pycombe for some affiliated show jumping with Punch and Coco. Punch took exception to one of the fences in the 90 Amatuer 2nd round but after a sharp reminder of what his job was he flew round. I then jumped both Punch and Coco in the 1 meter Amatuer first round. They both jumped beautifully to finish 4th and 5th respectively.

On the Sunday it was Lilys turn at Munstead BE90. I have to say she was feeling incredible. A huge thanks to Simple System for helping us to sort her feeding out appropriately as she feels a different horse now that she is a bit fitter and her diet is suitable. She did a 30.5 dressage, and a thoroughly deserved mark too, she went really really well. A minor strop at the pole pickers chairs in the arena lead to a silly fence down in the show jumping ( she is definitely ready to move up a level in terms of the show jumping) but a beautiful clear inside the time cross country left us fifth so I was really pleased with her. She felt like a different horse on the cross country, I think she is finally getting it so hopefully we can crack on now and really get going. Especially if we can go show jumping and jump some bigger tracks this winter.

Next up was South of England Novice with Coco, in attempts to get our 2nd Novice clear cross country so that we could go to Aldon CIC*. His dressage was so much better, it was much more engaged and as a result he was more rideable. I think that has come from us starting to build a real partnership so he trusts me more. Show jumping, he jumped really well and just had 2 fences down which was a shame. One he barely touched, and the other I think he just took his eye off slightly. But he jumped really well so I wasn't too disappointed. Cross country was causing a lot of trouble, and as a result was running really late. I started panicking that I wasn't going to get to run, but thankfully due to the efficiency of the starting team they managed to get everyone round, so a huge thanks to them. Apart from a sticky moment coming out of the water at fence 3 and then having to take the long route a couple of fences later due to him being a bit worried he flew round. He gives me so much confidence and makes it feel so easy, I feel very lucky to have such a lovely horse to ride.

On the Sunday after South of England we thought we would go to Pachesham unaffiliated dressage to practice. Mum rode Lily and did really well getting over 71% in the Prelim and 63% in the novice. Considering the weather and the lack of warm up for the Novice test, it was a great result. The weather was foul, horizontal freezing cold rain is unpleasant at the best of times, however practice makes perfect (I tell myself anyway!) Punch was also really good and won one test on 66% and was 2nd in the other on 64%. I also took Ozzie along to the party as he was feeling left out! I wasn't holding out much hope as I had the wrong bit and 10 minutes warm up. But to prove how far his dressage has come (Thank you so much Tracey) he got 66% and won the class - he even got a 9! I love my mad little grey pony!

On the Tuesday it was Lilys turn again, this time at BCA. With her all sorted in the dressage by mum I went feeling positive that we could perform to our best, and we did. A 24.5 dressage, she did go really fantastically (thank you mum, you can ride her again!) A rather energetic but clear show jumping round meant that it was game on cross country provided I could stay on in the warm up! Well I managed to and as soon as we came out the start her mind was totally on the job in hand. She popped round so well I dont think I could have made her stop to be perfectly honest! The result of it all was that she WON! I am so pleased that my hard work has finally payed off and I feel set up and ready to tackle the BE100 with her at Coombelands on Friday!

Then on Saturday we were off to Dauntsey with Punch, for his BE100 regional final. Third time lucky I kept telling myself. To say the day was stressful was an understatement. He did a fantastic test, and I felt that it was one of the best tests I had ever ridden on him. After the dressage we then had a nervewracking wait before the show jumping. Some of the time was used up walking the cross country, the rest of the time I used to make myself as nervous as possible as we decided it was best if we hadn't seen the dressage marks!! Then it was show jumping time. The warm up was really deep and Punch was hating it, even touching fences which he never does. So more nervous than ever I went into the ring. Well he jumped his heart out, if there were marks for trying, Punch would win every time. The ground was sticky, so what did he do, jump a good 3 inches bigger! So a clear round it was, and I have never been so relieved as my dressage mark was 32. This was in 5th after the dressage, so I knew a clear inside the time would stand us with half a chance of qualifying!