Hi everyone

Jennie here:

Whenever I do something exciting with the mag, like meet a really famous rider or go to a special event, my mum and dad are always really jealous. Mum says how much she’d love to do some of the stuff I get to do with H+P. I am pretty lucky, I know!

And so, as a special treat, I took my mum and dad to Guards Polo Club last weekend for the Al Habtoor Royal Windsor Cup Final.

It was such a nice day out. When we arrived we enjoyed a drink in one of the bars and then had a picnic on the grass, right next to the pitch, in the sunshine.

Come three o’clock we headed to the stands to watch Geebung take on Zacara. Pepe Araya playing for Geebung, got knocked off his pony in the first chukka by a stray ball - which was pretty dramatic. He was okay but unfortunately his team lost to Zacara 7 goals to 10.

The Queen was there to present the trophy, wearing an apple green suit. My mum was beside herself with excitement to be so close to HM.

Check out www.guardspoloclub.com for matches over the summer open to the public. We’re certainly going again!

Hiya

Sarah and Tippy here:

Have you heard? The countdown is on 'til Holly and Tippy's first show. They're heading for Holly's local PC Show a week on Saturday.

Holly has started practicing her individual show and getting Tippy's tack ultra clean and I'm going to be helping her start sprucing Tippy up this weekend. I'm gonna pull her mane, trim out her hairy heels and chop the end off her tail so it's smart and level. The makeover is on!

Tippy enjoys looking smart so she should stand still while I whizz around her with a comb and scissors.

Fingers' crossed it all goes okay next weekend and Tippy is well behaved.

Hi there

Laura and Thomas here:

As promised I now have MEGA cute video of the stable kittens – well just two actually as the others were camera shy!

They are getting much braver now though and will come outside to eat with their mum. They’re still teeny and really, really cute.

Oh, the feet in the film are my sisters - she had to stop them making a run for it while I made my mini movie!

Enjoy peeps !

Hi everyone

Jennie here:

You know me and Laura went to Mudchute Equestrian Centre the other week to have a lesson? Well, even more ‘celebs’ have been to visit the team. Radio 1’s Greg James (who normally presents the early morning breakfast show, but has been filling in for Scott Mills in the afternoon these last two weeks) has also met my fave pony Pickles and his mates.

As part of Radio 1’s T in the Park festival promotion, Greg got to meet a ‘GG in the Park’ (see what they did there?)! He made friends with Nokia who we’ve got to say is looking really well.

When Laura and I met him a few months back he was wearing a rather large plaster/bandage thingy over his forehead cos he had developed the habit of whacking his head on the stable door. His scars are looking much better now and the big lad has obviously calmed down a bit.

Anyway, see for yourself how Greg got on with Nokia HERE http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/gregjames/2008/07/gg_in_the_park.html
But we’ve got to warn you Greg’s grooming, picking out of hooves and leading leaves a little to be desired. Funny stuff!

Greetings!

Sarah and Tippy here:

Yes, I know it's only Thursday, but I've got to blog early this week as I'm off tomorrow (Friday) getting Tippy ready for her big day - that is going to a show.

I've already pulled her mane and trimmed her heels. She also had her shoes checked on Monday. She was a total yob for the farrier though. She decided as Poppy wasn't actually in sight, she'd leap around, refuse to stand still and try to balance on one leg - thanks Tippy! It made the process take twice as long so instead of being finished when the heavens opened we were all still stood out in the middle of the yard getting soaked.

I'm really worried she'll be naughty at the show and upset all the other ponies and their riders. So if you're one of them - sorry (in advance)!

Hi there

Laura and Thomas here:

You guys won’t remember Burrough Hill Lad. He was one of the top racehorses in the 80s, winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1984 and various other big races too.

Anyways, Burrough Hill Lad used to be stabled near where I live and is named after the hill where me and Thomas go hacking (Burrough Hill) so when any news comes out about him I always read it.

Burrough Hill Lad's owner Mr Riley is selling off a load of the stuff that his horse won during his career including The Gold Cup he won in 1984 and a set of his racing silks so I’m thinking of saving up to buy a few bits!

Only kidding, the Cup is set to make £6,000 or more, that’s a bit out of my price range but it would be mega if I could afford it though.

Hi everyone

Laura and Thomas here:

The Blue Cross centre at Rolleston has just got a bit busier, they’ve announced that they’ll be putting up the Coors' brewery horses after the decision was made to close the Coors Visitor Centre and Museum of Brewing which was home to the horses.

A final decision about the brewery’s future has not yet been made – so the brewery horses - Carling, Reef and White Shield will be moving in at the Blue Cross centre until a more definite plan is made.

The horses will have a couple of weeks peace and quiet at the Rolleston centre before visitors can come and see theme.

Carling, Reef and White Shield get settled in at the Blue Cross.

To get to know more about the Coors Brewery and their Shires visit www.coorsvisitorcentre.com or to visit the horses at the Blue Cross www.bluecross.org.uk

Hi there

Sarah and Tippy here:

Well, we did it! Tippy went to her first show in about nine years last Saturday. Holly rode her really well and they won quite a few rosettes, although we nearly didn't get there at all. After spending all last Friday cleaning and polishing Tippy, she rolled in the field overnight and looked like a mud-pie the following morning.

It was cold, so we couldn't wash her. We just had to load her up while she was still filthy and go to the show. Surrounded by super-duper clean, fresh smelling ponies, including the most stunning ultra-white grey pony, Holly and I had to set to work trying to tidy Madame Tippy up. Anyway, we did it and Tippy looked pretty smart in the ring!

What do you think?

Tippy rubbed up okay didn't she?

Hi everyone

Jennie here:

It’s very much ‘Hi’ and ‘Bye’ from me this week. I’m jetting off to sunny and hot Greece for a last minute holiday with my friends.

As always, I shall be looking out to see if there are any horses or ponies lurking around and if they are I shall grab a snap with them so you can see what they look like.

I try not to use the horse taxis when I’m abroad as I personally don’t think it’s very fair for the animals to be working in such hot conditions. There are organisations though like SPANA (The Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad) and The Brooke that work with equine owners to make sure the horses, ponies and donkeys who do work are well looked after.

If you see anything you don’t think is right you can contact SPANA via www.spana.org or The Brooke, www.thebrooke.org

If you are going on holiday in your first week of the school holidays have fun and tan safely. Speak to you in a week! x

Hi there

Sarah and Tippy here:

I had a trip out the office yesterday to visit the Cottesmore PC Camp. The gang - all 34 odd - of them had just enjoyed their first night at camp so everyone was still bright-eyed and bushy-tailed; including all the organisers and instructors. I'm guessing they won't be looking so wide-awake in a couple of days' time.

Camp is always brill - alongside horses, ponies, riding and horse-care 24/7 there's all the fun and games too. Midnight feasts are awesome; just remember to stay of crunchy snacks and sweets with thick wrappers. Rustling and crunching is bound to alert the organisers that there's a feast in full flow. Stick to sweets you can get the wrappers off in the dark and are silent to eat.

I can remember we once filled our instructor Graham's leather boots with water. The problem was he didn't find out until after we'd gone home as he didn't wear them. He went nuts as they'd sat filled with water for three days and were ruined. Oops!

Anyway, so far on the Cottesmore camp some of the lovely ladies had painted the boys' finger nails red and then refused to give them the nail varnish remover. Looking on the bright side, the guys' hands will look nice against their ponies' manes as they are plaiting them up!

Hi everyone

Sarah and Tippy here:

Tippy tried her hooves at being a cat burglar yesterday! She shimmied under the electric fence, legged it over to the garden, dodged the guinea pigs' pen, skirted round the bird feeder and stood at the patio doors. Tawney had the shock of her life when she glanced round from the telly to see a big pony face butted up to the glass.

It seems Poppy had knocked over all the water buckets in the field and Tippy had come to let everyone know they needed more water. Hollie gave her a drink and Tippy then turned tail and trotted back off into the field.

Tawney had better keep the patio doors shut or she'll have Tippy sat next to her on the sofa!

Hi everyone

Jennie here:

I’m back!

Hey all, I’ve returned from Kos (I’ve been on holiday for a week with my friends). I spent seven days eating way too much and laying by the pool and reading some good books. I caught a wicked tan too. I was gutted it was raining when I got back to the UK after I hear you’ve had a good week of weather too.

During my first morning back at H+P, I went out to meet the Fitzwilliam PC at their summer camp.

I’ve never been to a camp – let alone a pony one. But, after meeting the Fitzwilliam camp goers and finding out all the cool stuff you get to do I think I might opt for a PC ‘holiday’ next year instead...

The ‘Huntingdon ride’ (all the rides at this year’s camp are named after racecourses) told me how they’ve been sleeping outside on the grandstand overlooking Huntingdon racecourse cos it’s been so hot. They’ve been riding loads (of course) and were doing their dressage tests in a ODE whilst I was there.

Apparently, apart from the riding, one of the best things about camp is the evening activities. They’ve had a 50 foot inflatable slide to shoot down, which sounded awesome, although it had been deflated by today so I couldn’t have a go.

So how have you guys been enjoying the last week of hot, hot, hot weather?