Hey all

It’s been a busy week as far as Foxy is concerned. It was Cheshire Show week so I was washing and plaiting to get Foxy looking spick and span.

We did the pairs cross country on Sunday and we did have to dress (ride side by side over a jump) at TWO fences! Luckily the sun was in the right position so I could still see and wasn't totally in Alfie's massive shadow! We would have come 3rd but because Alfie’s stride is so much bigger than Foxy’s we gained five penalties for bad dressing! Later Foxy and produced a wonderful clear in the Open but we were two seconds too slow to get placed.

On the first day of the Cheshire Show (Tues) my Pony Club took part in the inter-hunt relay. I was picked for the B-Team so it was stress to get Foxy REALLY clean for the Tack and Turnout. It turned out to be a great success because our A-Team came 3rd and my team came 4th.

The relay itself was good fun. It was a course of jumps and you had to go through some bending poles in the middle. We had to hand a whip over to each of the members of our team so they could then do the course. What made it so much fun was that you had to race another team! My team was very inexperienced (including me!) so we didn’t get past the first round. It didn't matter though because we all had fun and we were really pleased with our ponies who had all tried so hard.

The relay handover.

On the Wednesday I did the novice working hunter class. It wasn’t too technical but the course did pose a few questions. Only half of my class turned up because of the awful weather and even fewer went clear. A lot of people got eliminated at the last, which was a grass covered water tray. Someone was even taken away in an ambulance after they had a fall at it!

Foxy makes the hardest jump of the course look easy!

Foxy jumped her heart out and when I didn’t place her too well for a fence she helped me, and vice versa. There were no slip-ups, even though I did jump the last a bit sooner than Foxy, and we jumped clear! I haven’t had a lot of practise in showing so it wasn’t top notch, but I was happy with it! The in-hand show was great fun and it went well! The judges had to confer for a short time and then they called out the line up and I came 4th! I was so pleased! We then came back home after a long day.

I have combined training at the weekend, in the rain! In a fortnight I have another ODE, finally! Foxy will be just as pleased as me!

I hope that this awful rain goes away soon; it’s hard to jump in this weather!

Keep riding
Hilary