Welcome to blog! I started it in 2020 to chart my recovery from breaking my ankle (hence the name). I guess no-one saw a global pandemic coming. It's turned into a place where I can talk about the things happening in my life, my horse and my cats. Enjoy!
I think I might need to buy myself some new ‘lucky socks’. I bought these when I first started competing Murphy. That was a very long time ago now. Well I bought him in 2010. I wonder how many competitions I have worn them for. I’m not usually a superstitious person, but when it comes to competing, it appears I am. I have to put my right sock on first. Funny huh?!
I bought myself a new competition shirt when I was at Hickstead. Typically I didn’t look at socks.
I can’t even remember why these became my lucky socks. Maybe I just liked them. Whatever they have served me well.
I’m home after a very long, very emotional and very wonderful weekend at Hickstead. My god, I bloody love RI.
I am so proud of each and every one of the 11 other Carleton riders today. If I thought being team manager last year was an emotional rollercoaster, adding riding in too and it was one hell of a ride!
With hindsight, my focus had been on getting us and everyone there, rather than my preparation with Buddy. He was in one of his more feral moods. Still we started well and ended well, shame it unravelled a bit in the middle.
He got his legs in a muddle at Fence 3 and had it down. After a rather awkward jump at Fence 4, the arena came rushing towards me at an alarming rate. Thankfully I managed to stay in the plate. Just. But it killed our canter and we had a stop at Fence 5. He cleared it at the second attempt and we headed to Fence 6 – the iconic planks….
Yup, you guessed it. He had it down. He was in good company as so did many other competitors. And Fence 5 saw a number of stops. So I didn’t feel quite so bad about our round.
I realised that it was only his second competition of the year. Talk about throwing him in at the deep end. I know I can ride better. I didn’t eat or have coffee before my round. I didn’t get the best night’s sleep. Driving the new lorry took more out of me than I thought. These are things that I can work on.
Overall we did it. I can now say that I have jumped twice at Hickstead. Maybe third time will be the charm?! For now I have more memories and another two photos to add to the collection.
We’re at Hickstead! A few firsts for me. First time driving a lorry on the M25. First time driving a lorry over the Dartford Bridge. First time driving Buddy to Hickstead. Longest journey in the new Buddymobile. Toby did good!
Now it’s a journey I have done hundreds of times before. I could find my way here blindfolded. I didn’t of course.
My co-pilot slept most of the way. As soon as we arrived, he jumped into the drivers seat. He’s been for a walk round the Showground.
Buddy, on the other hand, was a little full of himself. I thought he’d be tired after the journey. He clearly thought we’d been going so long he’d arrived at the Spanish Riding School! Still, he popped a few jumps and is now tucked up in bed ready for tomorrow.
I’m loving my new lorry. I’m getting used to the size of it. Working out how things work. I’m tucked up in the Luton. It’s so comfortable. Hoping we all get a good night before tomorrow’s competition
This made me smile today. I do love it when you get a lovely reminder. I posted this when I was seriously miserable without a horse. Six months later, Murphy would arrive in my life and my adventures with horses would recommence.
Fast forward 16 years and I’m all packed ready take Buddy again to Hickstead tomorrow. We’re competing on Sunday in the BRC Team of 3.
Pip from back then would never believe that I would get to jump at Hickstead once, let alone twice. When I first did back in 2023, it was a lifelong dream come true… {yes I am still going on about it}.
Sunday I hope to do better than our last effort. Regardless of what happens, I’m incredibly proud of the horsey journey I’ve been on. The three horses I’ve had in the last 15 years have brought me so many memories – good and bad.
I’m taking this as a good omen. Of course this was watching the King George V Cup. Our round will be a lot smaller, but just as important. Well to me anyway.
Buddy had his maiden voyage in the new Buddymobile (or Toby Truck to his friends). We headed over to Easton College for their arena hire to pop a few jumps.
I tried loaded him on Sunday when he’d walked straight on. And christened it! But this is Buddy, so anything could happen. He walked straight on again and started munching his haynet.
He travelled well. It’s weird cause after my little lorry where I can feel him moving about, in the new one, I could almost forget he’s there!
I’m starting to get used to it. I found the windscreen wipers. I found most of the gears at the right time. I still find it massive compared to my old lorry. And I’m still ‘Driving Miss Daisy’.
Thankfully we were much faster round the jumps.
I was so busy concentrating that I totally forgot to take a photo of him onboard. So here’s a photo of him happily munching away when we got back.
Bert and I got very wet on our walk this morning. Now as a good equestrian, I have lots of wet weather gear. So you’d think I would be prepared. And I was! I put my Reincoat on as I thought it might rain. What I wasn’t prepared for was the torrential downpour.
I was laughing to myself as the rain dropped off my hood. While most of me was dry, my legs weren’t. It didn’t help that I stopped to chat to another dog walker. Because as she said, we weren’t getting any drier. Good to know that dog walkers have the same sense of humour as horse riders.
When we got home, my jeans and my puppy needed to go in the conservatory to dry out.
I broke out my new yard boots today. I bought them when I was at Badminton, but they’ve sat in the box. The reason? Well the old ones were still doing OK. Sure they have holes in them, but it’s been so dry it hasn’t been an issue. I did end up with rather dusty socks though.
Today was a different weather day, so I didn’t want squelchy feet. They are slightly different from my old ones. Still Ariats. Still super comfortable. They’re almost too good to get covered in muck and mud…
I decided to stay at my Dad’s last night as I didn’t fancy the joys of the M25 on a Friday evening. Instead, I had the joys of the M25 in heavy rain instead. Can’t win them all. At least it was moving pretty well and I had a good run through.
Stopped at Birchanger Services for a ‘comfort’ break for us both. Ended up being just Bert who relieved himself as the queue for the ladies was well out the door. It was packed in the services. Stopped at another services and it was the same – packed!
By contrast, it was lovely to take Buddy out. So quiet and peaceful. Hardly saw a soul. Well unless you count the flies and horseflies. They were everywhere!
Do horseflies have souls? There were a few more dead ones after they tried to bite me or Buddy. My poor boy took the brunt of it. Even after I covered him in flyspray. He looked like the character from Charlie Brown with the flies round his head. I always thought that was Linus, but apparently his name was Pig Pen. Can’t say I remember that at all.
Bert has had a lovely day with his Granddad. He stayed with my Dad while I went to do the hotel site visit in Brighton. The site visit and meetings went really well. It’s a lovely hotel. One I’ve been to many a time before. One I’ve stayed in many a time before. One I’ve been rather drunk in many a time before…
At least I know that when I am next there, I won’t be getting drunk. I’ll be running around like the swan I am.
As I left, I walked down the promenade past the old West Pier. It looks so sad. Once a beautiful Victorian Pier, it’s now a tangle of metal work after two separate arson attacks in 2003.
It’s sadly beyond repair and left to the ravages of time. Though still a key feature of the Brighton seafront. That’s seen many changes over the years. But as I drove through Brighton today, there were so many things I remembered from when I lived there. And in Hove Actually (in joke for those who know).
I have so many wonderful memories of the city. It taught me to be able to parallel park into the smallest of spaces. And on both sides of the road. Believe me that when you find a space in Brighton, you will get into it even if it takes a few attempts.
I was reminded of this when I sat for what seemed like an age on Grand Avenue watching two separate drivers reversing into spaces. It did make me smile. Funny the life skills you pick up along the way.
I have to do a hotel site visit in Brighton tomorrow. So I came down to stay the night with my Dad. I bought some snacks for the trip – including a big bag of Marmite crisps. I love Marmite, I love crisps, so I really love Marmite crisps.
I may have accidently eaten the whole bag! It was only afterwards that I saw the warning. They were spot on there….!
Tales, Tails and Talus 