2011 seems to have disappeared into a haze and the 3rd January arrived all too quickly! After an enjoyable Christmas with my parents in Kent and New Year with Alice’s parents in Gloucestershire it was time to get back to work.
During the winter months everything slows down a little and the staff changes occur while it’s quiet. The end of 2011 saw us wave goodbye to riders Louise Bloomer, who has gone home to Ireland after two years with us to run her own yard and Italian rider Dan Bizzarro has set up base in Hampshire so we wish them both well. Jackie, Charlie & Fred were on duty during November & December and kept very cheery despite the wet weather!! January saw Jason return, back with us for his third season. He enjoyed 6 weeks at the Funnels over the winter which was a nice change of scene for him. New team member Tom Grant has started and seems to be fitting into things well. Hannah is back in the office after a two week break over Christmas and will continue to work a four day week until things get busier in February. We are awaiting the arrival of our two new riders, Kelly Prather & Olivia Loiacono, two CCI4* riders from the USA. Visas are proving complicated but we hope to have them settled by mid-February.
The horses have all started their walking and the first few weeks are always quite exciting with fresh, well rested horses. We are definitely drawing straws for the nicer rides. Although so far we have only had one faller, bets are on Neuf Des Coeurs dispatching Jason in the near future! It is a fun time of year for me and exciting to see which horses have come on over the winter but for the staff it is as busy as ever with woolly coats to be clipped and long manes to be pulled to turn the grubby gremlins back into event horses!!
Before Time, Gaucho and Henton For Fun enjoying a good scratch!
Over the coming weeks there is plenty to look forward to. We have Team Training starting in February and plenty of dressage and show jumping shows to attend, as well as fitting in visits from all the owners to see their respective horses. The Press hype ahead of what will be an exciting season is picking up too so there will be plenty to keep us all busy. It is scary to think it is only six weeks before the first events start – where does the time go!
The sad news for 2012 is I don’t have Cool Mountain to ride. He suffered a minor injury in Luhmuhlen last year and unfortunately will miss the 2012 season. This was quite a blow for myself and the team, he was so consistent at Championship level and he was my ‘banker’, for the 2012 season ahead. But on the up side, Parklane Hawk, Oslo & Lionheart really upped their games in the back end of last season so all three have a very real chance of selection and I would be delighted to be riding any one of them come July.
