A GOOD START TO THE SEASON, A STUD VISIT FOR OUR BROODMARE AND 8 WEEKS TO GO UNTIL THE WEDDING!

April 2014

I’m back at work after a lovely Easter break and with a lot going on over the next few weeks.

Last week we took our broodmare to the stud to be inseminated so now is a very tense time waiting to see if she is in foal. We have a used a lovely stallion called Wish Upon A Star who stands at the Graffam Stud. Mum did breed a foal some years ago but as technology has changed a lot we have found the process really interesting and insightful….I think mum has got the bug for it! I will keep everyone updated as to how things have gone but for now it is a case of crossing our fingers and toes!

Last weekend I took both boys out eventing to Breckenbrough Horse Trials, it was Herbie’s first event of the season and Alfie’s first novice of the season. Herbie was on first and was an absolute super star! He did a beautiful dressage followed by a double clear with just two time faults in the xc phase, leaving us 3^rd. It was great to see all of the hard work we've done with him over winter starting to pay off and I am very excited about the rest of the season with him! He’s a big rangey horse and still only rising 6 but I think he has all of the ingredients to make a great event horse.

It was almost a perfect day at Breckenbrough when Alfie also did a truly beautiful dressage test to leave him lying 2^nd and then a clear in the showjumping meant it was all to play for. Unfortunately he found the big bold cross country course a bit step up from his last couple of runs and just went a bit green on me, glancing off at the second part of a couple of the more tricky combinations. It was a real shame but it showed me that he needs more time cross country schooling and I can’t take him for granted. He went so well at the end of last season and I think he thrives on having lots of runs so I’ve got my entries in and hope his confidence will grow.

Our next trip will be to the new event, Warwick Hall in Cumbria next weekend so it’s all systems go at the moment. I have a cross country schooling session on both of them this evening which is always fun!

The wedding is 8 weeks away so excitement is mounting, Jim goes on his Stag Do in a couple of weeks and spent the Easter weekend ‘in training’ for it…..!!

Best Wishes,

Team Cawood

THINGS ON THE UP AFTER A SHAKY START TO THE SEASON

April 2014

Well apparently it’s spring but I’m not seeing too many signs of this outside!!  Following my disastrous start to the season, things have started to look up! Alfie and I trucked off to Lincoln the week after Oasby and had a far better day. He was a little full of it having been munching on the Spring grass so his dressage test wasn’t the best but with just one down in the showjumping and a clear cross country I felt we put our falls behind us which was nice. I then took him affiliated showjumping to one of our local centres the following week and we were second in a competitive Discovery class with a lovely double clear so he’s back in my good books!

 

Herbie also came showjumping with us and jumped a lovely clear round in the British Novice which was nice. Both horses are now entered for Breckenbrough Horse Trials which will be Herbie’s first affiliated event of the season and Alfie’s first Novice of the season. It will be lovely to get back out and will hopefully give us a good footing to crack on with the rest of the season.

I have been working really hard on Alfie’s dressage over the past few weeks and he is showing some fabulous progression. We have been working on shoulder in, travers, counter canter etc which is lovely as these are by far the most complicated movements I have tackled so far. Zoe (my trainer) and I have had some fab sessions working on this so I’m hoping to wow the dressage judges next time out!

In other exciting news, we now have a broodmare called Umber who we are hoping to breed a foal from next year so we are currently back and forth to the vets and frantically studying potential matches for her. I’m sure it’s a bit of a lottery but it’s very exciting watching all of the stallion videos and wondering what a foal might turn out like so we’re crossing everything that it all goes to plan.

Maple is doing OK although her recovery has been far from plain sailing but I think we are on the road to recovery now. She is desperate to get out eventing with us and says I wouldn’t have had my falls if she had been there to give me a pep talk!!

We get married in 11 weeks so I had my hen do last weekend which was fabulous! It was nice to get away for the weekend and let my hair down and has made the wedding feel very soon indeed!

I think this next few months could be very hectic indeed but it’s all good fun and keeps me out of trouble!