A never ending quest where the obstacles keep multiplying along the path, or so it seems. Maybe the universe knows better and it's just a way of giving us more thinking time or more time to catch up on the other things that are a necessary part of the rest of our lives or purpose? Whatever the reason it's damned frustrating on the horse front. Last year we made real progress, or so it felt. Patrick and I got out and did stuff. Stuff that involved a few competitions - something that I lost the desire for about 8 years ago when I came upon this Horsemanship path and found sufficient new challenges that negated that particular need. There were many highlights in 2018; the POR phase of our first ever TREC competition at Berriewood, and tackling that selection of cross country fences at home under the direction of Dave Stuart reigniting my love for jumping. After that I was raring to go but yet again fate stepped in and Patrick is now on an extended holiday until the spring. Once again though I have found positives as I'm not sure when I would have found time to complete and file last years accounts without the enforced time-out and I even got to wield a paint roller to do some decorating when we moved Mum to a different part of the house and Graeme switched to the annexe a few days before Christmas.
With a bit of luck and a following wind, 2019 promises more opportunities. Buck Brannaman returns to Aintree for the 3rd time and having had to sit out the 2nd, that will be our primary aim. The plan is also to clock more miles out and about hopefully including new challenging places, and progress the jumping, not the height but for the forwards. I have been jealously following my good friends Sally & Jo as they have been coached by Alec Trickett having had to withdraw from the first date and now feeling terribly left behind - we are going to have to step up seriously when back in work.
3 main events here in the diary now for 2019 - a camp weekend with Sally Brett in May (in addition to regular clinic days throughout the year), another TREC Experience weekend camp in July organised by Julia McHugh, and 3 days with Dave Stuart in August. Arena facilities as always are available for hire - bring your own instructor/lecturer if you wish, play field/obstacles subject to ground conditions, classroom with seating and whiteboard, breakfasts and lunches may be available or pub just across the road, package rates if you wish to set up and organise your own events/camps with usually no deposit commitment so no financial risk if you have to cancel. The only pre-requisites I ask you to bring are positivity, open mindedness and be ready to exercise your chuckle muscles.
Keep Kicking On...
With a bit of luck and a following wind, 2019 promises more opportunities. Buck Brannaman returns to Aintree for the 3rd time and having had to sit out the 2nd, that will be our primary aim. The plan is also to clock more miles out and about hopefully including new challenging places, and progress the jumping, not the height but for the forwards. I have been jealously following my good friends Sally & Jo as they have been coached by Alec Trickett having had to withdraw from the first date and now feeling terribly left behind - we are going to have to step up seriously when back in work.
3 main events here in the diary now for 2019 - a camp weekend with Sally Brett in May (in addition to regular clinic days throughout the year), another TREC Experience weekend camp in July organised by Julia McHugh, and 3 days with Dave Stuart in August. Arena facilities as always are available for hire - bring your own instructor/lecturer if you wish, play field/obstacles subject to ground conditions, classroom with seating and whiteboard, breakfasts and lunches may be available or pub just across the road, package rates if you wish to set up and organise your own events/camps with usually no deposit commitment so no financial risk if you have to cancel. The only pre-requisites I ask you to bring are positivity, open mindedness and be ready to exercise your chuckle muscles.
Keep Kicking On...