High Flyer

Kate and Mario fly high at their first Grand Prix SHow-Jumping Competition on Sunday!
1 rail down. A super start!

Judging stress

Was roped into dressage judging a Newcomer's class at Denman One Day Event last weekend. Two lovely sunny winter days followed a foggy start on Saturday. A great roll up and a very friendly, beautifully organised event. President, Winks Armstrong, and Technical Delegate Sue Gunn have put together a great addition to the Eventing Calendar. They had a great band of supporters to cater for judges, volunteers and riders in the best of country hospitality tradition.

Loved catching up with fellow ex-riders, and current rider-friends. Miranda Moore had a great first outing on her new mare "Rosemount Adele", and "Bols" Armstrong gave two youngsters a great run.
Emma was in Sydney riding/presenting 'babies'at "Auction of the Stars" .

Didn't have time to catch up with Jeremy and Maybellene, but took the coats off the mob at home on sunny Sunday, to give them a dash of sunlight and check their coats &c. Cloud & Laddie instantly got stuck into some mutual grooming while the others all lined up for as much grooming-and-socialising as I had time to give!
Coats back on as the evening chill set in!

Gracie's home

Went up to Taree last weekend once the waters had receded at Inspiration Farm and the driveway was navigable!
Fortunately the waters went down as rapidly as they came up, and Lesley didn't need to meet me in thigh-high gumboots!
Gracie was having a tough time with two abcesses in one foot. Lesley did a great job with Farrier and Vet treatment and bandaging, but I've brought her home to relieve the load on Lesley and give Gracie some one-on-one TLC.
Thought we might have to lift her onto the float to transport her home, but NO! She walked straight on, ready to get going.
The mob back home were happy to see her, and she got her appetite back with a bit of competition from the youngsters over the fence.

The weather has changed in our favour. It's been dry since she came home, and good winds have dried out the paddocks. Should be able to put her in the paddock with daughter, Cloud, on the weekend!

Power shift

The Boyz have Upped the ante!
Not quite sure how it's happened! Perhaps Cloud is 'backing off', being protective of her fragile status!!??
Anyway,there's been a turn-around in the pecking order at feed time. All four have a biscuit of lucerne hay to occupy them and curb their impatience while I get their hard feeds ready, then I feed individual feeds in the order they decide! The order used to be: Cloud, Laddie, Victor-with-Harry, then Harry himself! One day I came back from work at the end of the day and had Victor and Harry lining up in Cloud/Laddie's old spot, so the New Order is Victor, Harry, then Cloud and Lad!

Tonight, Harry decided to Bags 2 bins!!

These are mine! You get your own!!

Funny boy! He ate all his food with his hind legs stationed in an empty bin!!

Cloud went to the next paddock for hers, and Laddie retired to the Yard, solo!

Novice Start

Jeremy Janjic has progressed with Maybellene's training and today stepped her up to Novice level in the competition arena.
She showed some lovely leg yielding and counter canter loops which are introduced at this level. At 6 yrs old, she is still growing into herself so getting the hang of extension and collection is in the beginning stages. She came 5th in the 2B test with 59.5% (top score = 64%) and 11th in her second test half an hour later, scoring more 7s but a couple of 5s for transitions, in the 2D test with 58.4%. (This test was won by AnnMaree Cambridge on her imported palomino Swedish Warmblood stallion Byalee Briar.)
She is very laid back at competitions; loves the fuss, but is very keen to get back on the truck at the end of the day as well. "Don't go without me!"

I was very proud of her.