Alfy's first show out, we started off small after having 3 months off due to injuries and then a rotational fall whilst jumping at home which was very scary for both of us. Luckily it doesn’t seem to have knocked his confidence too much and he won both his classes at 80cm & 85cm, jumping two lovely double clears.Images can be found on:
http://www.dephoto.biz/

 Brook jumped the 1m open qualifier for the Main ring in September, she felt a lot more herself and was really taking me to the fences, I think she has finally got her confidence back, after the last time here at Hickstead. she just had an unlucky pole, I didn’t quit have enough control, so I think she can go back in her original stronger bit, now that she is back to normal.

Pictures can be found on Spidge

Brooke won the British Novice with a lovely double clear taking the lead by 3 seconds. Although I still didn’t feel she was back to herself after the confidence knock sliding through a fence at Hickstead previously. She then had a stop in the next class, napping to the gate!

Another one of our own run shows, this time it was dressage. The shows run @ home give competitors the chance to relax a bit more than they would at a local show & not have as much to worry about, it is also a lot cheaper for everyone and all round good fun.
Results and images can be found below.

I won both the Walk & Trot & the Prelim on Collets pony Lilly. She qualified for the NPS championships with very high percentages. Not that I was supposed to be riding, as my ankle was still very swollen & I could only just get a riding boot on!

Finally a weekend off! Only due to the fact that earlier in the week I had a suspected broken ankle, so wasn’t allowed to ride or do anything, although I did walk all round Kent County Showground (on crutches)!

Brook was still a bit sticky and not quite back to herself after Hickstead & had a few spooks in the British novice but just had one pole down. In the 90 Amateur she jumped a lovely double clear which was a bit more forward but still not quite her normal self, although she did come 3rd which I was really pleased with.
I then jumped Rupert in the 1.10 and did a nice double clear coming 2nd & then unfortunately his shoe flew off in the jump off of the 1.15 but he jumped a nice clear in the first round & just had to go steady round the jump off, but he jumped really well.
Images cna be found on:
http://www.everybodysmile.biz/philipboothbyphotography/evnts/index.html

14'2, Welsh, 4yo, Flair comes to me for two weeks schooling! Previously Flair had only ever walked with a rider on board and was very nervous, had spooked and galloped off putting a previous rider on the floor and hadn’t really done much for a month or so after.
Day one we did a bit of lunge work which she soon settled too although she didn’t have a clue how to canter, as she's never done it before. I then got on her which she was a bit nervous about, but began to trust me, so after a bit of walk and halt with my mum next to me she moved away, which Flair wasn’t sure about, as she has done a lot of in hand work, so is insecure when on her own. She got used to it so I then went for a trot, even over some poles and she was a bit nervous about me moving above her but did nothing more than shoot forward a stride.
Day two we did some more lunging working on the canter, which was getting slightly better having two strides!! We did some small jumps, that didn’t really bother her. I got on which was much more relaxed than the previous day and trotting seemed to be more settled, so I had a short canter, which took a while to get as she didn’t have a clue what I was asking!
By day 3 we were doing small jumps and even more strides of canter which was really good!
After week one Flair had developed a more consistent rhythm & did a few hacks, getting used to traffic which didn’t bother her much at all, as well as some small jumps.
At the end of week two Flair could canter round the school all day, and when given the aids to canter she went immediately, she could keep the canter rhythm over a jump, on approach and landing & the trot work had a consistent outline.
Know looking forwards to seeing Flair develop with her owner & riders & I’m sure she will be winning at shows very soon!