Hi everyone

Laura and Thomas here:

Well, Scout actually, but there's no alliteration there! H+P's fave showjumper Ben Maher has been awarded The Scout Association’s Equestrian Badge, as part of the celebrations to commemorate their 101st b-day.

He’s been announced along with ten other celebs including Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, Ray Mears and OMG The Stig (any Top Gear fans will be lovin that!).

Jamie Oliver was given the Healthy Eating badge - any of you enjoying eating school dinners will agree he deserved that - I haven’t seen a turkey drummer in months.

Ben and Rolette will be competing at the Olympics in a couple of weeks, so remember everyone to cheer him and the rest of Team GB on- spesh all you scouts out there!

The Stig has reportedly sewn his badge onto his racing suit - do you think Ben will sew his onto his Team GB jacket?

Hi everyone

Sarah and Tippy here:

WOW! The Olympics have started.

Word from Team GB is that all the horses have travelled really well and have settled into their deluxe, air-conditioned accommodation like it was home.

Fingers crossed all the GB riders perform well, the horses enjoy themselves and bag themselves a medal or two. Don't forget to check your telly schedule. Most events will be on early in the morning here so you might have to get an early night if you want to watch live.

Check out this interview from eventing Olympian Mary King.

She's got involved with Living Paintings - a charity helping young blind and partially sighted people understand images through touch with audio commentary. Mary was interviewed by Clare Balding, along with Colin Jackson and Tanni Grey-Thompson for the charity.

If you know someone who could benefit from Living Paintings they can do by calling 01635 299771. Their library includes children's books, science, history, famous works of art and more and every item is loaned and posted free of charge.

Hi everyone

Laura and Thomas here:

Yikes - for all of you out there who just love going to horse shows - I can officially tell you it’s not as much fun when you're having a stand at a show.

There’s a lot to think about. We have a stand going to the PC Champs next Sunday, so all this week I’ve been running round getting stuff together, packing bags, filling in forms and then unpacking to check I’ve got everything – it’s a nightmare. I remember going to shows and thinking it was fun, guess again me thinks.

At least it’s Friday now, a few days off but then it’s back to work for yet more bag packing!

Wish me luck, I hope I don’t forget anything!

Howdy folks!

Sarah and Tippy here:

Soz to have to be the first to tell you this but the latest news is that Michael Whitaker's absolutely amazing mare Portofino is lame and is coming home from the Olympics.

Jen's just had a call from Cynthia - Michael's groom - to say that sadly Portofino is unsound. How gutting is that for Michael and his team! All that work to get to Hong Kong, to represent your country (again) and it just doesn't happen. H+P has sent best wishes to the whole team on your behalf.

On another note - we did have the eventing on in the office yesterday. The H+P den was very rowdy cheering on team GB. Big congrats to Tina Cooke! She's a hard working eventer and mum and really deserves her individual medal.

Hi everyone

Jennie here:

Life at H+P right now is top stuff!

We watched the showjumping phase of the eventing on the computer in the office on Tuesday afternoon, which was a bit naughty, but simply could not to be missed! We’re all so pleased for Tina Cooke.

I’ve been to see Ellen Whitaker for a catch up on all the latest goss. She told me that unfortunately Locarno has been injured and is on 12 month's box rest as he’s hurt a tendon; her and Tim Gredley have decided to end their relationship and she has got a new dog - a Yorkshire Terrier called Lucy.

On a trip to North Wales I met a real life PC Pony hero, Pippin, and his owners Oliver and Freya Jones. Oliver won a PC competition with Breyer model horse manufacturers to have Pippin made into a model - just like some great horses before him… check out the full story in the November issue of H+P.
They live on a dairy farm and while I was there I also got to meet some very cute calves. One of them even sucked on my fingers, which I’ve never felt before! It was soooo cute.

And, despite being at H+P for three years now, I went to Burghley Park (when the Horse Trials isn't on) for the first time today. The Burghley PC were celebrating their 50th birthday with a ride around the park. It was an eight mile circuit and truly beautiful! They went around all the lakes, past the famous house and through herds of deer. I’ve never seen one so close up! I took a piccie so you could see how handsome they are.

What a wicked week, I think you’ll agree. I wonder what other cool stuff I’ll get to do at PC Champs next week. We’ll see you all there…x

Hi everyone

Laura and Thomas here:

The horse round-up that is trying to catch Thomas after his summer hols has happened and this time I’m the winner – yep, on the first attempt, after 20 minutes, taking every other horse out of the field and tempting him with my mum’s best home-grown carrots the wild beast was caught – one nil to me.

He is now in a much smaller field, he knows his chances of avoiding capture aren’t great in this field so he gives up relatively quickly esp. if you take all his buddies out of the field first.

So, getting fit begins. We have a team chase in October so I’ll be working on getting him fit again (on the days I can catch him that is, other days I will no doubt be watching him charge around the field like the wild Brumby he was in a past life – typical Thomas)!

Bye for now

Laura

PS off to the PC Champs on Sunday, so anyone going to the event come to the H+P stand!

Hi there

Sarah and Tippy here:

A spesh shout out to everyone who came to say 'hello' at the PC Champs this week. H+P have arrived back in the office for a short debrief before Laura and I head off to the novice champs.

Well done to all the newly crowned champions; it was a testing week as the weather wasn't perfect but you all rose to the challenge and did really well.

Oh and we think someone from Croxteth Park's supporters club left something on our Mini-Jumps course. If it was you, give us a shout, describing what you left behind and we'll send it over to you.

Hey there
Sarah and Tippy here:

To all those of you who thought we'd get wet at the Novice PC Champs - we didn't! It did rain, and I guess those poor souls camped out in the horsebox park would have got wet but Laura and I didn't! We were tucked up in a cosy B&B when it poured with rain at night.

Congrats to everyone who competed at the event. The cross country course was amazingly well dressed - like a mini-Blenheim - and just testing enough to give you a real challenge.

It's been a quiet day in the office today as Laura and I said goodbye to Jennie yesterday. She's off to pastures new and I'll post her farewell blog on Monday (couldn't do it today as she's chosen so many pics I've run out of time resizing them all for the web!).

Hiya
Laura and Thomas here:

For a lot of you, you’ll be reading this after your first couple of days back at school ☹

I know boo hoo not fair. Well it’s a bit like that in the H+P office, we have been so busy in the office with photo shoots, the PC Champs etc, etc - it’s like finally back to normal, back in the office.

I’d like to give a shout out to all the guys I’ve met this summer on the photo shoots, Emer, Libby and the girls at Park View Equestrian centre, Janni and Ida along with, Emily and Izzy, Emily and Rosie and everyone at Woodwalton Stud too, you’ve all been perfect models making my job much easier.

Now we’re back to normal I suppose I should be getting on with some work, there are a load of new VIP applications to go through and all your emails to read and reply to, that should keep me busy till half term at the least!