Sadly my plans for cross country schooling have been scuppered today due to the weather, which is beautiful as we have bright sunshine but the bitter cold has left the ground too frozen and slippery underfoot. So instead we will do some skinny and accuracy fence practice over the portables we have in the school. [...]

Things are in full swing at the yard since I last wrote. The older horses are on with their core fitness work and are hill trotting, and I’m busy trying to consolidate their flatwork. All the horses have started jumping and so there has been much squealing and frolicking in the school which is nice [...]

It’s been rather a stressful 24 hours at Little Charingworth Stud. As some of you may know Ursula got a goldfish (which she called Bubble) for her birthday. Well Bubble has been causing me some anxiety.

On Sunday night we found him tangled up in the water filter ‘thing’ he has in his tank (apparently you [...]

We’ve just had a very special weekend. During the off season we try to be a little more ‘normal’ in terms of family life – as the life of an eventer is very much on the road for at least nine months of the year. So this weekend we organised (well, Jenny organised) for us [...]

I’ve been selected for the Australian Elite Squad with Coco and Hipp which is very exciting. It doesn’t in itself mean selection for the Olympics BUT it does mean we are in contention, with all to play for – so good news and very exciting. See link for full press release!

We also received more good [...]

Just finished a day of  dressage lessons with Bettina. I was toasty warm as riding but pitied Bettina as she must have been an ice block by the end of it!

With Cocoa we worked on changes and he did the best ones he has done which was pleasing. With Hipp we worked on the [...]

It’s been an action packed day at Little Charingworth as the hunt were meeting on the next door estate and the foxes had great fun using our property to play hide and seek in! Luckily the start of the hunting got pushed back until midday due to the heavy frost so we were able to [...]

I’ve had an interesting meeting today with Jon Pitts who is helping the Australian riders to ensure they are as well prepared as possible to do their job of riding at their best on a horse. He has been helping me develop a system to ensure I manage my own physical fitness as best as [...]

I’m mentally exhausted and now know why I could never work in an office, or maybe more accurately should never be given an administrative job as it’s not by strong suit! We’ve been advertising this week in the Horse & Hound for staff (WPs and a groom) and I insisted to Jenny that I would [...]

Today is Josh and Ursula’s seventh birthday – hard to believe, I don’t know where the time has gone!

The day started rather early, driven by jet lag and not helped by the aerator in the fish tank we’d given Urssie (sounds grand, it’s only for one fish – crazy requirements for a goldfish if you [...]