It's a last hello from me Jen

I’m afraid this will be the last blog update you’ll get from me. I am moving out of the H+P stable and on to pastures new. I have a new job. I’m sad to be leaving the magazine, but equally very excited about my new career.

I’ve had an amazing three years with Laura and Sarah, jam-packed with very special opportunities. Among the highlights were:

o Learning to ride. Although riding school pony Breeze and I didn’t always see eye to eye, I’m grateful to her for being so patient with me and helping me to complete Equetech’s Canter for a Cure sponsored ride. (October 2006 issue)

o Meeting some amazing top riders. The nicest, I reckon, were Will Whitaker, Tim Stockdale, Lucy Wiegersma, Sharon Hunt, Becky Moody... in fact all of them were pretty cool and I feel really lucky to have been to their yards, had a good old nose around and learnt some awesome tips.

o Going to Olympia. Without doubt, this has been my fave event of all the ones I’ve been to. There’s something really special about it and I do hope I can go again one day.

o Going to the circus! I’d never been in a big top until I met one of the performers at Zippos Circus. It was truly spectacular and I was clinging on to the edge of my seat from beginning to end. (September 08 issue)

o Going to Spain and galloping an actual Andalucian horse along the beach… and almost falling off! (September 2006)

o Interviewing Katie Price and Leona Lewis… they’re two amazing ladies and love their horses too! I’ve never been so nervous interviewing someone as when I phoned Katie! (July 2007 and May 2008 issues)

o Meeting Lex the wonder dog! You think your pooches are amazing. Sure, but that lab is a genius. He helps his disabled owner ride her horse. What an amazing team. (April 2008 issue)

o Going to watch one of the Sports Relief Only Fools on Horses showjumping competitions being filmed. I got to meet the horses and their grooms too. (September 2006 issue)

o The Devil’s Horsemen. I find I’m always looking out for horses in films I may recognise from the world famous stunt yard. (April 2006 issue)

o My fave charities are The Donkey Sanctuary (April 2007) and Redwings. They do such a good job and their visitor’s centres are fab! You should defo go sometime!

So, it’s been emotional and fantastic! Thanks for reading, and keep up the riding. Love, Jen

My pics

Me interviewing a Donkey at the Donkey Sanctuary’s Sidmouth Visitor Centre.

Holding up the biggest reflector in the world for one of our photographers at Ellen Whitaker’s yard!

Having a lesson on Pickles at Mudchute Equestrian Centre with the legendary Mary Anne Trevor-Roper as part of Petplan’s National Riding Festival.

Getting chased for breakfast by Bonnie and Lottie at the Shire Horse Centre at Sacrewell Farm.

Having a natter with Ben Maher at the Quainton Stud’s Show.

Riding like a cowboy on Picasso!

Me and Laura on a fashion photoshoot with some of our lovely models!

At the circus!

Getting the low down from eventer Polly Stockton.

Hey there
Sarah and Tippy here:

Yes, it's official I've already nipped down to like the greatest Horse Trials ever. I live sooo close to Burghley Park, I run through there on my training runs for the half marathons next month. So, I've got to see the event put together at close quarters and I whizzed down there to catch some of the dressage...

Congrats to Oliver Townend and the lovely Flint Curtis who are currently in the lead in the dressage. Fingers crossed for Oli and Flint as they have been working sooo hard all summer preparing for Burghley. (Oh, and don't miss the Oli T. training sesh in the Oct issue of H+P which is out now!)

I'll keep you posted as to how the comp is going as I trot through on my run everyday.

Hi everyone

Laura and Thomas here:

I’d like to say well to done to Jessica Cook, who’s 19, and just qualified for the SEIB Search for a Star Cob class at Horse of the Year Show. Jessica's cob Spartacus isn't your regular show horse - he was rescued, along with his mum, in 2004 by Millhouse Animal Sanctuary in Sheffield.

Spartacus's mum Tia came to the sanctuary after she was found on the roadside, she was very poor and weak after being neglected for so long. She had Spartacus (stable name Charlie) and Jessica and her sis took the pair on, unsure if either would make a full recovery. After some serious TLC, mother and foal got back to full fitness and last year Tia pulled out all the stops to win the Search for a Star Cob class and now Spartacus (and Jessica) is trying to following in this mum's hoofprints this year!

This is a pic of Spartacus as a young foal with his mum Tia, just after they were rescued.

Spartacus looks awesome now. This pic was taken as he qualified for HOYS.

Stories like this are great, they just show what a bit of love, care and TLC can do (and also what a great job all those charities out there do).

So everyone keep an eye out for the pair at HOYS. The show is running from Oct 8-12, all the top riders will be there along with some great displays too. Visit www.hoys.co.uk to find out more.

Big congrats to William Fox-Pitt and the amazing Tamarillo. William has won his fifth (yes, his fifth) Burghley; closely followed by a second place with Ballaincoola. I mean most top eventers dream of winning Burghley - not finishing first and second at the same comp!

William totally deserved his win. He simply rode every step of the way round the cross country course on both his rides, but especially with Tamarillo, who does sometimes have a cheeky run out (see, there's hope for us all - even top horses 'try it on!').

To be fair my money was on Ballincoola winning this year. I love that horse and I thought the wet going would favour mud lover Ballicoola rather than Tamarillo, who's an Anglo-Arab which as a breed are not reknowned for their mud paddling skills.

Then of course Mary King won third and fourth with the impressive Imperial Cavalier and Apache Sauce respectively. Mary's brill, she totally loves riding and as a spectator you always feel you are watching someone who thinks they have like THE best job in the world.

It's been some time since we've had a wet Burghley and this year's course favoured the brave. If there was any doubt in the rider's mind at any fence then that was it you were going to have a problem.

I can remember one wet Burghley, when I was about 15, which was on an equal footing for slipperiness on the shopping aisles. Back then Cabability's Cutting was a deciding complex and it was good to see it sorting out the finishers again. Just over half way round the course, the steep drop and pull back up just finishes off those horses tired from mud-wadding and it again saw loads of top riders pull up. Over the last few years Capability's Cutting has sort of been ignored - just another fence - but this year it got back the respect it deserves.

I also want to give a special shout-out to Phoebe Buckley and Little Tiger who finished in 16th place. Little Tiger isn't called 'Little' for nothing she's only just tall enough to be allowed to compete a Burghley, she's only 15.1hh. Imagine, tackling those fences... the Leaf Pit, the Discovery Valley... on little more than a pony.

Phoebe doesn't care she just trusts her horse and gets on with it, although she does say it can be tricky getting cross country times and making the technical distances on courses, designed for much taller, long-striding horses. Good on her for finishing so strongly when many top riders didn't make it round!

William and Tam at home.

We love Tam! Here he is competing at an event last year.

Hi everyone

Laura and Thomas here:

Thomas has a new friend and he is not a good influence!

Regular readers of my blog will know that when I’m not at H+P I spend, oh about all of my spare time trying to catch Thomas, who in a former life was a wild Brumbie (or so he thinks anyway).

Last weekend a new neddy arrived at the yard, a chestnut Thoroughbred with (strangely) no forelock!!!

Since the boys met on Monday they’ve become the best of pals and have taken up tag-team-no-catching! Thomas breaks to the left and Simon to the right and off they set around the field, leaving me in the middle, headcollars in hand with no actual hope of ever catching either of them. What’s more strange is that Simon is usually good to catch so this new found cheekiness is care of my horse.

I’m team chasing on Sunday so wish me luck!

Bye for now

Laura

Hey all

Laura and Thomas here:

I’m well pleased, we came 6th at the team chase last weekend which was really good – mega pleased!

After all of the rain we've had over the last few weeks, a couple of nice days leading up to the weekend made the ground really good for jumping.

I clipped Tom out on Saturday. I gave him a hunter clip, as his winter coat had grown loads recently and I didn’t want him to get too hot in the competition.

Thomas jumped really well although I think his new hair do made him extra streamlined as I could hardly stop him!

A big well done to Emily too, who was one of our team mates and it was her first ever time riding a cross county course so she did great.

Hi folks!

Sarah and Tippy here:

Just to let you know - Hollie took Tippy to another show last weekend and they got a fourth and a fifth. Hollie was a bit down about her fifth place but she really deserved it as she was competing in the best rider class, except most of the riders were adults. I think there was only her and another girl who were teenagers the rest were adults including some professional riders. There were 13 entrants in the class and she rode Tippy really well, doing the most foot-perfect show ever. So well done Hollie.

On a more serious note; I need your help. I'm going to be doing the Run to the Beat half marathon in London on October 5 and need sponsorship. As I couldn't decide which horsey charity to run for, I've decided to run for the NSPCC which I'm sure you'll agree is a brill charity.

If you'd like to sponsor me click on www.justgiving.co.uk/sarahwhittington

All donations gratefully received! If you're in the Greenwich area on Sun Oct 5 give me a cheer as I trot my way through in the race.

Hey guys

Laura and Thomas here:

I am having a rant – when you all get the November issue of H+P (on sale October 4) which is hot off the press having just arrived in the H+P office, take a look at the less than fetching snap of me on the Stables confessions pages (p54-55).

Sneaky Sarah, and her sidekick designer Shaun, snuck in a less than nice headshot of me without me realising. I only noticed when the copies of the mag got to our office today.

I’m not happy - not that I’m vain or anything but no one likes to look at a shocking picture of themselves, especially when everyone who reads H+P will get to see it too.

I am now planning my revenge, any ideas peeps!?

Laters

Laura

Hi everyone

Sarah and Tippy here:

Very exciting - my running vest for the half marathon has arrived. I have about sent Laura crazy parading around the office in it. I have to get used to wearing it before the big race next Sunday.

My number is 11074 - so near the back!

I went to see Tippy on Saturday as she was having new shoes. But guess what the old devil did? Just as Steven was removing her near side hind shoe, she lifted her tail and did a poo, no warning or anything! The naughty old thing, luckily Steven was quick on his feet and I was left apologising and blushing for her actions. She never changes!