Pauline Harkin Racing

2012-02-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

Doug on Jake, leading Harry

The beautiful snow has turned to a nasty sludge today - it makes working the horses impossible as it is too slippery to get anywhere even if the gallops weren't frozen, so they went on the walker and then all went outside to play. During the cold spell we have been giving them their breakfast outside so they have something else to do and don't hoon around and slip over. It is so good for them to be outside and they do a certain amount of exercise which seems to maintain their fitness. They all go out in pairs, and part of the challenge is making sure that they are paired up correctly otherwise you get bullying which can be bad for the individuals self esteem which can then show on the racetrack. A horse has to have confidence and belief to win races and it is all about keeping them sweet so that think they can win - even if more often than not they don't!! So we have Harry with Jake, Laverty with Moonie, Paddy with Aitch, Shade with Oaka, Leon with Jess, Frog with Whisper and Cloud with Dolly. Cyril goes out on his own as he isn't very sociable and chases anyone brave enough to share his paddock.

Turning them all out in the meadows and then bringing them all back in the afternoon is a full time job and somewhat exhausting, but you either have to do it everyday or not at all, as if you just let them out occasionally then they go mad with excitement and end up hurting themselves. Doris is due back home this week and will continue her recuperation in the barn with Dream. Apparently she has been the most perfect patient and the girls at Flawborough Equine have all fallen in love with her.

In between trudging backwards and forwards from the field yesterday we watched the Ireland v Wales rugby match - absolutely brilliant game and it could have gone either way right up until the end. Most certainly a lot better than the English /Scottish game the day before, but hopefully England will improve next week-end as we are going to Rome to see them in action. I have never been to Rome before and will make sure we see the sights as well as the rugby. Really looking forward to it - just hope the bad weather doesn't affect the flights.

2012-02-05T11:01:00.001-08:00

Brrrr!

2012-01-31T04:29:00.000-08:00

Photos from the week-end

Cyril and Christopher (left), Amy and Haunted House (green and yellow) and Will on Paddy (green and yellow)

All the horses that raced are very well indeed, which is great news.

2012-01-29T14:25:00.000-08:00

Christopher did a full circuit and didn't fall off !! - They went really fast and he kept with the pace for a couple of fences and then Cyril decided that his jockey probably didn't need to go quite so quickly, and settled into a comfortable pace for a few more fences before Christopher very sensibly pulled up - thank goodness - we were SO relieved. Phew. He was absolutely delighted as were his many supporters, who were having a classic 'point to point picnic' out of the back of their various four wheeled drive vehicles. All very jolly.

We then had three horses running one after the other, which was a serious test, but one which everyone passed with flying colours - the first to go was Laverty - it was a really hot race with 12/13 runners, the ground was far too quick for him and they went a cracking gallop, but we were astonished when he kept with the pace and ended up finishing a really good third, had he not made a couple of jumping mistakes he would have been in with a very good chance of winning so we were delighted with him. Then it was the lovely Paddy, who was so chilled out that he was very nearly dozing in the paddock - once again the ground was far too quick but we were amazed that he managed to keep with the pace for a circuit and a half, jumped beautifully but then got outpaced towards the end so Will pulled him up - he needed the run to bring his fitness on, and this was perfect for him as a stepping stone for next time where he will need more of a stamina test. Haunted House was the last of our runners (we had decided not to run Harry as we didn't want to run him on quick ground) Amy was in the Ladies race and had done a full circuit up with the pace, jumping like a stag and going really well when Aitch pecked on landing and Amy came off - Amy got straight up, but then Aitch (on his fragile legs) proceeded to gallop around with the others, then he found a fellow riderless horse and they both took off into the open country jumping whatever got in their way - this was the most worrying part, as we have been so precious about his legs and there he was galloping flat out over rough terrain, but thankfully the hunt servants eventually caught up with him and brought him back seemingly none the worse and looking as though he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Thank goodness... Fingers crossed his legs will be OK tomorrow and all in all it was a great day. Have just got back from supper with Amy's parents and it's time to go to bed...

2012-01-28T12:12:00.000-08:00

Big Bucks winning at Cheltenham.
Big day tomorrow - we are taking five horses to Thorpe - Cyril for Christopher in the club members......., Haunted House for Amy in the Ladies or the Novice riders, Laverty and Paddy (The Irish RM) in the restricted with the hope that it will be split as we don't really want to run them against each other, and Harry (Unnoitmakessense) in the Intermediate. Harry has been doing some show jumping in the indoor school to improve his jumping, and it will be interesting to see if he can just run a sensible race without falling over and whether he has fully got over the virus that he picked up last season, which up until recently still seemed to be affecting him slightly. We have had a great day at Cheltenham today, excellent racing, and it was fantastic to see Big Bucks win his fifteenth consecutive win - He's a legend. W then e went to the Brightwells sale to see what the trade was like as we are looking for a horse for Doug's brother in law, Robert, who has got a lot of flat horses in Australia, but has decided he would quite like a jumping horse with us. There was nothing suitable but we have got a contact in Ireland who is looking out for us. VERY exciting.
Better get ready for tomorrow as we have a very early start - fingers crossed we have a slightly less 'entertaining' time than we had last week with Christopher, and that everyone (human and equine) comes home safe and sound.

2012-01-24T04:38:00.000-08:00

Not the best day's racing - In the first race we had Christopher's debut which didn't quite go according to plan..... Poor Christopher had starved himself for months to get to the required weight of twelve and a half stone, only to find that it was a 12 stone race, he was 10 pounds over, so the first announcement over the tannoy was declaring to the general public that he was a 'fat boy'. Christopher had invited all his friends and family into a specially organised marquee with food and champagne to celebrate his first ride, and needless to say the announcement was greeted with a fair amount of hilarity, then it was announced that Christophers Padfield had a change of colours, and his cap was a different colour to the one in the race card - apparently Christopher thought that the draw strings on the cap looked a bit girly and cut them off.- (these are needed to make sure the silk cap doesn't come off the skull cap) Doug then got Christopher down to the start - We had spent some time practising the start and Doug had stressed how important it was not to get left behind and how quickly they would go into the first fence, well, the starter dropped his flag and they all set off, but fairly slowly as no one wanted to make it, Christopher thought that it was a false start and was asking the fellow jockeys if this was for real, of course they ignored him and continued on over the first fence whilst poor C went straight around it - Doug was absolutely speechless, the one thing we hadn't told him to do was jump the first fence!! C then realised that it wasn't a false start after all and joined in, jumping the second at a bit of an angle, at which point he lost his iron, and because of the high winds it blew straight over to the wrong side. By the time he came past the crowd he was sitting on the iron but frantically still looking for it - as you can imagine to the great amusement, but slight concern of all his friends who had backed him into second favourite, he then jumped the next couple of fences with only one iron and then thankfully pulled up. Oh my goodness, what a relief..... Of course he was then hauled in front of the stewards for continuing after missing a fence (more announcements) and then let off with a caution as it was a genuine mistake (Yet another announcement) I don't think there was a single person on the whole racetrack who hadn't heard of Christopher Padfield by the time the day ended!! On the plus side, he didn't fall of and we all very much enjoyed the entertainment and his hospitality in the marquee. He has seriously got the bug now and wants to have a go at Thorpe next week. Watch this space...
It was then Frog's turn and we were slightly disappointed in her, Dickie Collinson rode her as Will was riding at the Heythrop, we had told him to keep her handy but not to hit the front too soon - in hindsight it was the wrong instructions as they crawled for the first circuit and a half and Dickie was having to pull her back all the time as she was trying to get to the front, she basically pulled like a train for the first two miles and made lengths every time she jumped. but when it came to kicking on at the end she had run out of puff. Dickie said that she gave him a great feel and had he allowed her to bowl along in front nothing would have got near her. Oh well, you live and learn. Next to go was Doris with Josh Hamer on board, his instructions were to try and settle her out the back, and if she settles then to get her into the race, Josh followed the instructions perfectly and settled her beautifully out the back - second time around he just gave her a bit of rein and she cruised into the lead, it was incredibly exciting to watch, but then she lost a bit of ground at the open ditch and ended up finishing fourth. We were all delighted until we saw her nodding after the finishing line and realised to our dismay that she was lame. We were gutted, as it looked very much like a tendon injury. Luckily, we had Emma with us who owns Aitch and Paddy and she owns a rehabilitation centre and as it was on the way home, we got the vets to bandage her up[ and dropped her off there where we knew she would get the best treatment - Emma has been keeping her informed and Doris is a great patient and responding well to treatment. Very sad, but the really exciting thing was how well she settled, jumped, and how quick she is. She is only five and has plenty of time on her side, so fingers crossed she is a very exciting prospect for the future.
We were lucky enough to get a lift in Sarah's big lorry and it was such a luxury, sitting in the living area on the way home, with Lucy as 'trolley dolly' serving us drinks. As we have rather a lot of horses entered for next week-end she has very kindly agreed to drive us then as well.

2012-01-21T10:34:00.000-08:00

Big day tomorrow...... It is Christopher's 'Big Day' and also a 'Big Day' for Doris, Frog, Jess and Whisper who are all going to try their luck at the North Carlton. It has been raining steadily there for the last two days so the ground should have eased just enough to make it perfect for them. We will walk the course when we get there and decide then, but hopefully it will be all systems go..... As long as they all come home safe and sound I will be happy.

2012-01-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

Costa Caleta - Fuerteventura

We have had a lovely few days away - ideal for this time of year when you don't want to spend hours on a plane (just under four hours from Birmingham) but want some sunshine, added to that we had worked it out that it was cheaper than going to Cornwall, with the cost of diesel, so it was a 'no brainer'. We spent the week, walking, reading, enjoying the beautiful weather and eating far too much in lovely restuarants - Just perfect.

We are now back full of enthusiasm for everything but frustrated by the weather - we had hoped to run Laverty, Doris or Frog at Ampton, but the ground was given out as good to firm with firm patches - It's just not worth risking horses on those conditions, we just have to be patient and hope we get some rain. Added to this it was my mothers 82nd Birthday lunch and also Jay is at home but going back on Sunday night so I wasn't too disappointed about the lack of racing and it was lovely to spend time with my family.

It was minus 4 this morning and the ground was solid so the horses had an easy day on the walker and then all turned out. We have double entered for this week-end, in case one track is frozen off, so Frog, Doris, Cyril, Whisper, Aitch, and Jess are entered for the Burton (North Carlton) and Frog, Laverty, Oaka and Jess are entered for the Heythrop ( I have to say it is my least favourite track) so hoping that the Burton is on, especially for Christopher's sake having been 'in training' for the last ten months for that specific race.

I am supposed to be on Jury service this week, but having spent most of the day at Oxford Crown Court they didn't need me as one trial at been postponed, and won't need me tomorrow either so hopefully that will be it and I won't be required again. It is a massive commitment for a self employed person, plus the fact that it takes over an hour to get into Oxford and then the parking is ridiculously expensive, so I wasn't in the best of moods this morning, especially as there I was, reluctantly on my way to do my 'public duty' when I got pulled over by PC Plod as I had forgotten to put my seat belt on, a nasty fine was then added to my very expensive day - Grrrrr!

2012-01-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

Christopher was in this morning - we are beginning the countdown until his first ride which is on the 22nd of this month - He must also be having a mid-life crisis as he is over 50 and has lost two and a half stone in the last three months, as they don't allow fat boys to take part anymore. (The weight limit is now 13 stone whereas before it didn't matter too much) We are training his horse, Cyril, who is a great schoolmaster, and today Will took Jess and they went over the big fences, then they did a canter around the round gallop and then back over the six big fences again. Jess (We Never Give Up) was giving Cyril a lead and Will came back beaming saying that she was absolutely awesome - Quite incredible for a youngster. She is quite an enigma, as you can put a complete novice on her back and she literally goes to sleep, or a 'proper' jockey and she gives you no feel at all, but then suddenly she will do a fantastic piece of work and take anything on. It will be very interesting to see how she is in a race - but at least we don't need to worry about her jumping. Christopher also did really well and him and Cyril are beginning to form a partnership, which hopefully will stay intact for the duration of the race....

While Will and Christopher were going over the schooling fences the rest of the horses were doing a piece of work around the grass field. Everyone went out except for Dolly who works every other day. The horses are all in a really good place at the moment which is very pleasing.

As there isn't an imminent race for any of them Doug and I are escaping for a week in the sun as from tomorrow - We are going to the Canary Islands and coming back on the 14th. The team are in charge in our absence and the great thing is, we know they will do a marvellous job.

Better go and do some packing - At least I've got the right date this time!! For those that haven't been following my blog for more than a year you won't know that last year I got the wrong date and told everyone we were off on our annual skiing holiday a week early - bags all packed and just about to set off to Gatwick to stay the night before the early morning flight, when I happened to phone one of our skiing 'chums' about another matter, and just as she put the phone down she said "See you next Saturday" NEXT Saturday?? I thought, horror in my heart, I trawled back through our e-mails and found that I had completely got the dates wrong. As you can imagine it was highly embarrassing and Doug was none too pleased but it caused a great deal of mirth amongst all our friends which considerably brightened up their January. Oh dear. What a plonker!

2012-01-06T05:20:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday Doug and I went hunting with the Pytchley, Doug was on Harry and I was on Dream. We met at Ann and Mark Spicers near Staverton. There was a sharp cold wind and after almost an hour of standing on the hill with the wind whistling through me I started to lose enthusiasm. We were standing by my least favourite crop, elephant grass, where the hounds just seem to disapear into, go very quiet and nothing happens for what seem like an interminable age. It was good for both Harry and Dream to be out though, but when Harry pulled a shoe off we weren't too unhappy to call it a day and head home.
Yesterday Doug was clearly suffering from a mid life crisis and decided to school Harry over the fence in the menage - Will had been winding him up all morning and had challenged him and Harry to jump the big fences three times (18 fences) so that he could see what it was like to be in a real race. Doug had (jokingly, we thought) accepted his challenge and they were planning how much to charge people for the privilige of watching, bearing in mind that poor Harry, who isn't the brightest light on the Christmas tree, is a woeful jumper, and either falls or wins. When we got back from the gallops, Doug quietly slipped away, apparently to do a bit of practising, unfortunately, I didn't see the forthcoming 'incident' but apparently Harry was jumping beautifully, and Doug was in his best 'jockey' position, just leaving Harry to it, but then he got a bit carried away and asked for a big one at which point Harry put down, and with the forward weight of Doug (slightly more than the normal racing partner) Harry crashed into the hurdle and Doug flew over his head to land in a heap on the other side. Will was watching and tried very hard to keep a straight face until he knew Doug was OK but then he just fell about laughing. Becky came by a little later and saw Doug with the rake smoothing out a great big hole in the sand, she asked what he was doing and he said the pig had been lying on it and made a hollow in the sand!! Needless to say there was much hilarity in the yard, and poor Doug's pride is somewhat dented, as well as being £10 lighter for the drop pot.

2012-01-03T10:53:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness - you should have heard the wind this morning - I very nearly contacted everyone to tell them not to come in as I thought it would be too dangerous to ride out, but Doug reminded me that the 'drop pot' was looking a bit low and we could do with a bit of extra cash for the end of season party (!) (anyone who falls off is 'encouraged' to contribute to the drop pot) So we braved it and just went to the nearest field, rather than the uphill gallop, as we would have been blown off the top of that, and all managed to stay on board - although there were a few hairy moments. We worked 14 horses and managed to get back just before the heavens opened - torrential rain and 60 mph winds. We stopped for coffee in the shepherds hut and the rain and the wind were lashing at the window, it was just like being in a ship during a storm at sea. Needless to say we didn't turn them out and they had the day in their warm stable.

In the meantime we had been invited to join Bill and Mary Adams. Wake and Chuff Adams and Dave and Nicki Hurst from New Zealand, who were my host family when I went on my Nuffield in 1999 abroad. They are here to visit their daughter who lives in the UK now. We met at the Butchers Arms in Priors Hardwick. It was great to see them again. They hadn't changed a bit,and still had the same enthusiasm and interest in everything, and it was lovely to catch up on their news and have a lovely meal in a very nice restaurant at the expense of Bill Adams who is sometimes known to be so tight that he squeaks when he walks (only joking, it was very generous and thank you very much Bill! )

It is still rather wild out there but hopefully will have calmed down by tomorrow as we are hoping to go hunting.

2012-01-01T11:07:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE !

All horses back safe and sound - because we didn't run them! The going reports had been overly optimistic and the rain hadn't made as much difference as we had hoped so the ground was still very much good to firm with firm patches. It is only the beginning of the season and we have plenty of time yet, added to that Doris had a slightly puffy back leg which she had knocked n the box the night before so that added to the decision. We felt particularly sorry for Will who had been dieting to do the weight on her but he agreed with our decision that we have to put the horses first and hopefully went home for a good scoff.

We went to a superb New Years Eve Party last night at the Sheps - they are brilliant hosts, and it was one to remember - consequently we both felt a little shabby this morning, so doing the horses was a of a test.... We then went on to Cheltenham for the racing. A big crowd but we still managed to bump into a lot of friends, so a great way to start 2012.

2011-12-30T13:11:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Jay! It's Jay's 22nd birthday today - She is in New Zealand so we can't be with her to celebrate it, but we hope she is having a wonderful time. This is a photo of her this time last year (in her pyjamas!) with Geoffrey, her one and only true love.....
We have had the rain we needed so all three horses are going to Cottenham. Haunted House,(Aitch) Velvet Shadow ( Doris) and Quand je Reve de Toi. (Frog) I feel nervous just writing this as Cottenham isn't my favourite course but I do actually think that the ground and the track will suit all three. It is going to be fiercely competitive with massive entries, so as long as they all come home safely having done the best they can then we will be more than happy.

2011-12-28T09:41:00.000-08:00

Charlie Poste schooling Doris

Charlie Poste very kindly came over this morning to help with the schooling - we had booked him a few days ago but then he won the Welsh National yesterday on Le Beau Bai and we assumed he would have better things to do than visit a little yard like ourselves - so we were highly honoured and him and Will did a great job of schooling Doris and Frog who are supposed to be running on Saturday at Cottenham. Charlie thought that Doris schooled really well and if Will can get her settled in the race and over the first few fences then she should give him a good spin. Amy also had a pop on Aitch who was foot perfect, he will be running only if we have some rain as his legs are a little fragile and he could do with some more cut in the ground.

After the schooling session we all retired to the shepherds hut and cracked open a bottle of champagne to celebrate his win - it is the biggest of his career and much deserved as he is a very talented horseman. Funnily enough we also know the owner of the horse, Dr Darian Lott, who is terribly excited about the whole thing and wants us to help celebrate his win as well - we saw him run at Cheltenham last season and couldn't believe how tiny he was, barely 15.2 hands, and cost very little, so it is rather a fairy story and definitely worth celebrating!

Cloudy Moon has come out of her race incredibly well - She has eaten up and is full of beans. We will have to look for another race for her, sooner rather than later as she is bursting with energy.

2011-12-27T09:39:00.000-08:00

Family on Christmas Day and Joseph with Geoffrey on Boxing Day

Christmas Day went really well, even though we got our timing slightly wrong with lunch and missed the Queens Speech by 20 minutes, it didn't seem to matter much as Dad had already seen part of it on the news ("Just not the same - it always used to be a secret until the day") Boxing Day was very relaxing - after doing the horses we ended up watching Kempton races on the TV rather than going there in the flesh, and it was something else watching Kauto Star winning his 5th King George - What a horse, and it would have been great to have been there, but we saw him watch the fourth and never thought he would go better than that. Hats off to him and connections. Ultimate respect.

Joseph and Sophie came around in the evening for a meal, and it was lovely to catch up with them. Sophie is about 7 weeks away from giving birth but it looks as though it may be sooner than that as she looks quite forward. They are very excited about it - just hope they feel the same after the little darling has been born!!

Today we ran Cloudy Moon at Chaddesley Corbett (Harry kept her company - bless him) - It was important for her to get a nice run after her fall last time. Will couldn't ride her as he is still slightly injured so we had Ben Poste (Charlie Poste's brother, who has just won the Welsh National) There was 17 runners in the race and we were delighted with the ride Ben gave her - He kept her in mid division, on the outside so that she could see every fence. She managed to avoid the inevitable carnage that you are bound to get with 17 maidens, was settled in very nicely and came a good 7th. Ben rode her beautifully and was really pleased with her and thinks that she will run a big race next time. John and Sally (her owners) couldn't believe that it was the same horse as she seemed so grown up and workmanlike - very pleasing.

We have just got back with Laura, who was helping us, and found that Becky and Lucy have very kindly got the other horses in from the field and fed them. Really good of them as after a long day at the races the last thing you feel like doing is trudging up and down in the mud bringing 14 horses in from the field. Thanks girls!

2011-12-24T15:51:00.000-08:00

A great Chrismas Eve - We started off by going to the carol service at Priors Hardwick - it was absolutely packed and was a lovely relaxed, happy service , with the vicar trying very hard to make people understand the true meaning of Christmas, I think it went over the heads of the majority, but he tried nontheless, and it was great community occasion. We then went on to Huw Derbyshire's who lives in a lovely little cottage in the High Street for a little drinkie, and then on to The Butchers Arms where they were serving mulled wine for all the church goers, (halo's beginning to slip somewhat) It was beautifully decorated and just what you would dream of for the perfect English Christmas - We had also been invited to John's celebrations in the village of Chipping Warden, where we arrived just as they were serving the food - perfect timing and a great ending to a wonderful night - we had spent some time during the evening reflecting on how different things may be in a few years time if the government decide to go with the High Speed Railway, which will cut through our community and force 40% of us to move away - one can only pray and hope that they will see sense and not approve the project which at best will only increase the journey time from London to Birmingham by 20 minutes - at what cost? Not just financially but it will split communities up that have been together for generations - this is just something that cannot be quantified, and no amount of 'research' can put into words the impact it will have on our rural community in the future.

Hey!! The clock says it is just after midnight so HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE - I had better start think about wrapping up some pressies...

2011-12-23T14:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas ride 2011

Great day today - we had drinks in the shepherd hut first and then rode to the Hare and Hounds where the horses rugs, head collars and hay nets were waiting and they were tied up while we went inside to partake of a little Christmas cheer...

2011-12-21T13:44:00.000-08:00

Another photo of our stable star, Jake, who went hunting yesterday, as did Leon, Oaka, Jess, Shade and Paddy - the meet was at our next door neighbours, the Thames, and there must have been over 100 people out. There was lots of jumping and really good fun, the horses all loved it. Mike Mitchell was on Leon and got a great tune out of him, leaping everything in sight, Will was on Jess, Laura on Shade, I was on Oaka, Amy on Paddy and Doug on Jake - on the way home we stopped at the Royal oak at Eydon for a couple of Christmas drinks and then hacked across the bridleway home. After we had done the horses and fetched the others in we went for a hunt tea at the Thames - The hospitality was fantastic - All the local people were there, even those that don't hunt - a very good public relations exercise and very kind of the Thames to go to so much trouble. They really do a massive amount for the hunt and are incredibly generous and energetic people

Today, we worked the horses and then I knuckled down to do my Christmas cards - I seem to get later and more disorganised every year. Christmas shopping tomorrow ....

2011-12-18T10:45:00.000-08:00

Jake WINNING!!! and Laverty in the paddock

A great day at the races - Laverty started the ball rolling with a very good run - he came 5th/6th out of 14 and it was a seriously hot, fast race where we had him right out the back, assuming in the testing conditions that the front runners would come back to him, but they just kept galloping, which left Laverty a bit too much to do, but he still ran a great race bearing in mind that he hadn't run for two years and he doesn't like sticky ground. He will have come on enormously from the race and will be a horse to have some fun with later on.

Jake was the next to go - He looked less than enthusiastic for the first lap, when he was behind the main field. but then Will urged him up to the front where he completely changed character and took the bit and flew - he was challenged by the hot favourite two from home and went into second, at this point we were all thinking that we would be delighted if he holds his place and came second, but then he went up another gear, took the next fence upsides and then won by five lengths. We were over the moon - he has now qualified to run at the Cheltenham Intermediate final in May, Happy days!

Harry was the next to go and was so chilled out that he was almost comatose - he has got so used to being taken to the races as company for the other horses that he didn't seem to realise that today he was actually supposed to be racing - having said that, we knew that out of all our horses he was the least fit, so when Will pulled him up having done a circuit and a half and he was still intact and hadn't fallen (as he normally does) we were more than happy. Three horses home in one piece and a winner AND best turned out TWICE (the girls would be upset if I didn't mention this!) You really couldn't want more than that.

We are off to celebrate....

2011-12-18T01:50:00.000-08:00

Although there was a very hard frost last night it looks as though racing is still going ahead today - it may not be as soft as we would have liked it for the three boys (Laverty, Doctor Kingsley and Unnoitmakessense) but they are ready for a run and fingers crossed they have a good race and come back safely.

We have got the full team to help - Lucy, Laura, Amy, and Becky and a big picnic and drinks cabinet so looking forward to a great days racing - there are NINE races on the card so it should be great sport.

2011-12-15T14:08:00.000-08:00

Whisper, Doris and Shade schooling

We had a great morning schooling all the horses - they all went really well and we were very pleased with the way Doris is now settling in behind or in front. It was Whispers first time in front and she was impressive and Laverty was electric. Leon was being 'schoolmaster' for Michael and they both went very well, particularly when Leon went upsides Dream and then he got very competitive.

In the afternoon I tried to get Christmassey and did a little bit of Christmas shopping....I have bought some Xmas paper now, which I'm rather proud of, but still have to buy presents to put the paper around. Every year without fail Christmas seems to catch me unawares and I am always on the back foot. I cannot believe how organised some people are. I haven't even bought any Christmas cards yet - it will all go ahead even if I am a bit slow of the mark, so there is no point worrying about it. Jay is going to New Zealand on Saturday to spend Christmas with her Dad, so that is another pressie I don't have to worry about! Only joking Jay....

2011-12-13T09:52:00.000-08:00

A bitterly cold day today - All horses went well and did three canters up the hill except for Doris and Jess who did long canter work around the grass field as we are trying to get Doris to settle and not get racing all the time. It rained most of the night and was plenty wet enough, so the track on Sunday should be good to soft, which will suit Laverty and Jake (Doctor Kingsley) and by the time it gets to the last race it will be a complete bog which will really suit Harry (Unoitmakessense)
Frog has come out of her race really well and seems very happy in herself - if you click onto the link you will see a photo of her going down to the start.
On a completely different subject I cannot believe Nick Clegg not turning up to question time yesterday - One minute he was agreeing with Cameron about his vetoing a new EU treaty and then as soon as he got some criticism from his own party he changed his mind and went against Cameron. He is coming across as a gutless person very much lacking a spine and to just not turn up on such an important day spoke volumes about his weakness of character. It does not bode well for the future of the coalition as I really cannot imagine Cameron having any respect for him at all now. The alarm bells rang for me way back after the election when Clegg was wheeling and dealing with both Cameron and Gordon Brown to try and get the best deal, regardless of his beliefs and being particularly sneaky about it all.
Anyway, enough of politics we are off for a bar snack at the local pub - far more important!

2011-12-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

Frog came third!! She ran a cracking race and led for most of the way before tiring on the soft ground two fences from home. We were delighted with her as we know how much better she will be on good ground and the two horses that beat her are good horses that have already run a few times and shown a lot of promise. All being well now she will run at Cottenham on New Years Eve where the going should be more to her liking.
For Whitfield next week-end we have entered Cloudy Moon in the maiden. Laverty in the restricted, Doctor Kingsley in the Intermediate and Unnoitmakessense in the club members. The weather looks as though it is going to be rather wet this week, so soft ground is likely which is why we didn't enter Velvet Shadow as she is that bit younger and it might pull her about a bit.
There are 174 entries for Whitfield so it will be very competitive racing.

2011-12-09T11:31:00.000-08:00

Leon schooling with Michael
Both Doris and Moonie are absolutely fine after their 'mishap' during the week-end.
They were schooled over the big fences today and although Doris was very deliberate first time up, they schooled really well - it is a fine line between being too bold and too cautious and it is a good thing that she is thinking about what she is doing now instead of just crashing through at speed - Moonie didn't seem to have remembered her fall and was just as enthusiastic as usual. We tried her in a french martingale which brings the head down and it seemed to help.
We had a young chap called Michael Mitchell whose parents are good friends of ours - he has just got back from working in a yard in new Zealand where he has secured a three year contract as work jockey but just needs to have a ride over hurdles in this country before he can get a full work permit - he has never schooled over fences before so Will gave him a few lessons on Leon over the hurdle - he was keen to learn and picked it up really quickly, a couple more lessons and he will be ready to go over the big fences, he only has until February before he goes back to NZ so it's a bit of a crash course but I'm sure he will be fine.
Today over the big fences we schooled Laverty, Frog, Oaka, Shade, Leon, Cyril, and as already mentioned Doris and Moonie. We also put Whisper up the line of hurdles but as it was her first time we didn't want to over face her by the big fences. Toby and Shane came in to help and we were delighted with them all.
Frog is entered for Tweseldown on Sunday - she is in a very good place at the moment and schooled brilliantly so we are hoping not to have a repeat of last week-end, although if the ground is too soft she may struggle as she prefers it top of the ground.
Jay is on her way back from University to drop Titch off as she is going to catch up with some friends at Nottingham - better get some supper on.

2011-12-05T10:23:00.000-08:00

Haunted House and Cloudy Moon

Not the best day's racing as Moonie fell five fences from home -she over jumped and buckled over on landing. It was the downhill fence right over the other side of the track and the same fence that Doris unshipped Will on - it looked a soft fall from where we were standing but they put the screens around her and didn't move them for what seemed like an age, by which time we had begun to fear the worst. Lucy went running over and phoned to say that she was just winded. We were so relieved. She was actually going very well and in the leading group when it happened, so, although she fell, she has shown enough for us to want to persevere with her and try and get her to jump with her head in the right position rather than 'sky gazing'

Aitch was the next to go and he looked absolutely fantastic in the paddock and behaved beautifully - we had heard from Emma (his owner) that he was a complete nutcase in the preliminaries before when he was with Henry Daley, but he couldn't have been better. Amy had a really good first ride and absolutely loved it. It was a really hot Ladies race with Kicks for Free as favourite and they went at a frantic pace. She very nearly came off at the first fence, but then regained her composure and did a circuit and a half. She then had a little mid air collision with another horse as it jumped into her, lost her iron and very sensibly pulled up. We were all over the moon that the partnership had stayed together and that they were both safe and sound. Emma was so happy to see the change in Aitch as she had been told by past connections of the horse that 'he was a nutta and should be shot' It was also very emotional for her as it was the first time her fathers colours had been on the track since he had passed away. His legs were fine this morning which is quite astonishing as they were really not good at all when he arrived 18 months ago and we didn't think we would ever get him on a racetrack. It just shows that you should never give up and some horses are worth the effort.

Will had a dreadful day and had his third fall in a row on one of Gary Hamner's horses, a full sister to Border Fusion, who very sadly broke her shoulder and had to be put down. Very sad.

The highs and lows of racing.....

2011-12-03T15:58:00.000-08:00

Well - Doris had a lovely day out and won her race easily - sadly she had unshipped Will at the second fence so it didn't really count - She got very excited and with sixteen other young horses in the race, and a loose horse next to her it was like a cavalry charge, when the second fence came up she wasn't concentrating and ploughed through it decanting poor Will - She finished the race very happy and full of running and Will is fine. The owners are a great bunch who understand horses and racing so we still had a good day and we are all here to fight another one, which is coming far too soon..... Now we have the really nerve racking day tomorrow with Amy having her first ride on Aitch with his delicate legs, and then in the maiden we have Moonie, who charges at every fence with her head in the air and has 'I'm going to fall' written all over her. I can see a fairly eventful day ahead.......

2011-12-02T13:04:00.000-08:00

Oh dear - Doris is running tomorrow and the nerves are kicking in.....She schooled really well this morning and just had one canter up the gallop where she was on top form, so there is nothing more we can do except hope that she has a good educational run and finishes the race wanting to do it again, where she can be more competitive. You have to be very careful with mares not to bottom them first time out, no matter how good you think they are, as if they give their all and find it hard then they wont want to do it again.
Carolyn Tanner from Weatherbys came to look around the yard yesterday as she was keen to write a yard report which has just been posted on the internet. makes quite amusing reading...
Anyway, must go and get things organised for tomorrow. All we want is for Doris to come home safe and sound..

2011-11-30T09:48:00.001-08:00

Paddy and Jake (top left) Dolly (right) and Frog on the gallops.

All horses had a big day today - Doris, Jake, Shade, Frog, Laverty and Dream schooled up the big fences and we were delighted with them all, particularly Doris who had never been up them before and was a real natural. She absolutely loved it. The other horses did three times up the all weather and worked very well. Doug is sidelined at the moment as he hurt his hand hunting on Saturday when Jake pecked at a fence, he had it X-rayed a couple of days later as he was still in pain and it showed that he had broken a bone in his hand, it was decided not to pin it but just to strap it up as long as he didn't do too much, but in true Doug style he carried on riding etc, but then tried to put a shoe on Doris this morning and he is back to square one - grrr, he just wont be told!

All is set for Saturday with Doris having her first run over fences and then Aitch and Moonie on Sunday. Amy schooled well this morning on Shade and then on Dream - It is all coming together now, there are so many things to think about when you first ride over fences at speed and it takes a while for everything to fall into place, but she is doing really well and Aitch should give her some spin. It will be nice for all of us to get this first run under our belts - I am trying not to get too nervous about it but that is easier said than done.

Jay was at home for the week-end, since she was last back she has cycled to the other side of Brussels (on her own) as she was going to a concert, and meeting up with some friends who brought her back. She has now taken Titch (our Jack Russel bitch) back to university with her, I'm sure that will help with her studies.... that girl is as mad as a box of frogs and it worries me greatly where she has got that from....

2011-11-27T09:58:00.000-08:00

We didn't run Frog at Cottenham as it was too firm - The Cambridge area has had very little rain, which is so unusual for this time of the year. We are just doing entries for next week now and have Velvet Shadow (Doris) entered for the two and a half mile maiden on Saturday and Cloudy Moon (Moonie) entered for the mares maiden and Haunted House (Aitch) entered for both the Ladies and the novice rider race on Sunday. The going is good there at the moment and there is some rain forecast for the week so hopefully it will still be good ground for next week-end.
I must apologise for the rather short posting but we have had a very busy week-end - We had supper with John and Mary Pritchard on Friday, then went to John Lees 60th last night and got home at 3.30 am and then today we had lunch with Trishia Ansell - a great week-end but feel somewhat shabby now....

2011-11-22T10:15:00.000-08:00

The gallop at Towcester went very well although we only ended up taking Frog and Doris as we couldn't get transport organised in time for Aitch and Moonie, also Amy was in London the night before and due to the fog it would have been really difficult for her to get to Towcester by 7 am. Toby rode Frog and Will was on Doris, they both looked (what we could see in the gloom) very impressive coming up the hill for the last time and hadn't come off the bridle although Doris looked particularly impressive. Will said afterwards that she attacked the hill as though it wasn't there - he was very excited about her performance. Sadly, his hamstring is still giving him a lot of pain and he hasn't been able to get fully fit so we have booked Toby to ride Frog on Sunday at Cottenham, depending on the ground.
The other horses went really well this morning and we are still on course for Moonie and Aitch to go to Barbury Castle on Sunday, and possibly Doris either there or Chaddesley Corbett depending on the ground.
At the beginning of the summer Red and Skye went to a certain lady (who will remain un-named) as she wanted to buy one of them and said that she would find a good home for the other. She wanted them both on trial so she could decide which one she wanted for herself. After a lot of umming and aaahing she finally made up her mind that she wanted to buy Red but couldn't find a home for Skye, yesterday we went to pick her up from the field where they had been summered - When we saw them we were horrified by their condition, they were both skeletal and very nearly RSPCA cases. The lady in question had previously assured me that they were both really well and were being fed twice a day, but was clearly not being completely truthful, so even though we only had one head collar with us we 'kid-napped' Red. We could not believe that she could treat such lovely horses in such a way. They are both back here safe and sound and haven't stopped eating - they are very pleased to be home. I left a message with her to say that we had picked up Red as well and how disappointed we were in the way she had been looking after them - Needless to say I haven't heard back. SO annoying as they were both very saleable during the summer, they looked great and were going really well but I trusted this woman to find a good home for both of them. Grrrr - Some people......

2011-11-20T09:55:00.000-08:00

We went to Towcester races today after doing the horses - it was a lovely sunny day when we left but by the fifth race the fog had rolled in and it was a proper 'pea souper'. They had to abandon the race as it was deemed to be too dangerous to jump fences that were difficult to see. Yes, I suppose I can see their point...
We have got permission to take some horses for a race course gallop there early tomorrow morning, so we are taking the horses that are going to run first - Doris, Frog, Moonie and Aitch. The ground is safe enough and it will be good for the horses to do some proper work on grass before their races.

2011-11-20T09:45:00.000-08:00

Kauto Star winning again!

Wow - What a race... It really was an absolute classic. A titanic courageous battle between the top equine heroes with the old warrior fighting to the finish and putting his younger rivals to the sword. It was a proper tear jerker and everyone was so relieved to see him come home safely, with the win a real bonus. he has proven now that he is one of the all time greats.

2011-11-19T03:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Chooks and the lovely old Oak tree

You will all be very pleased (particularly Dave who is far more concerned about the chooks than his horse!) to hear that the new chooks are settling in very well - Sadly the two hens that refused to go back into the hen house in the evenings and preferred to sleep in the barn have disappeared, presumably taken by the fox, but the well behaved ones are thriving and loving their new life. The oak tree is still in full leaf which is rather unusual for this time of year - a couple of frosts and a windy day will soon change that so we are making the most of the beautiful colours at the moment.

It's a great day's racing today with all the big guns out - Kauto Star, Time for Rupert, Diamond Harry, Long Run and Wierd Al at Haydock and Master Minded is up against Medermit and Somersby at Ascot - Very exciting - must get some gardening done before settling in for the afternoon...

2011-11-19T03:39:00.000-08:00

Prudence scoffing apples as fast as they fall off the tree

2011-11-18T10:57:00.000-08:00

Yogi Breisner with Amy and Christopher - Yesterday Amy and Christopher went to Newmarket racing school where they were taking part in a training course especially for jockeys intending to run in their first point to point. We took Jake and Cyril (Christopher's horse, who we are training) where Yogi Breisner put them through their paces. He is such a good teacher and you can see why he was the coach for the Olympic Event team. He made them jump poles first, correcting them on their position, balance and pace and then when he was happy with them put them over the point to point fences - it was great to see how much they improved and they both benefited enormously from the session - I only wish that I had such a wonderful opportunity before I started racing - perhaps I wouldn't have fallen off so many times!

Amy is hoping to have her first run at Barbury Castle on the 4th December on Haunted House, who Emma Hawthorne has been kind enough to let her have the ride on, and Christopher, who is a little older (like twice as old...) is having his first run at the Burton on the 27th January, on his own horse, Cyril, who he bought especially for the job.

2011-11-15T09:18:00.000-08:00

Leon jumping his first ditch with Paddy

Laverty - who wants to be a brown horse (not grey) and Moonie looking on

I daren't say it but the horses are working out of their skins at the moment - that's done it - no doubt they will all go down with the virus now..... They all seem to be progressing at a very satisfactory rate and very happy - the grass is still too firm to gallop on so we are restricted to the all weather but the horses seem to like the routine and go out every morning with their ears pricked.

We had a lovely time at Cheltenham on Sunday, beautiful weather, good racing and not too crowded, but caught up with a few friends.

I can't believe that it is the middle of November and I am still mowing the lawn, which I did this afternoon, presumably for the last time. It is fabulous weather at the moment, we have been nicely spoilt which hopefully will mean that the winter won't seem so long.

2011-11-12T09:40:00.000-08:00

We had a great day at Cheltenham yesterday, and are hoping to go again tomorrow. This morning we went hunting, I was on Dream and Doug was on Jake - the scent was really good and we had a great run with lots of jumping which both horses thoroughly enjoyed. This was particularly pleasing for Jake as he used to be a bit of a wimp over cross country fences but a couple of big hedges to begin with got his courage up and he was awesome. Dream (even with her one eye) was a legend and gave him a great lead.
We managed to get back in time to watch the Paddy Power Gold cup, which was won by Great Endeavour, ridden by Timmy Murphy and trained by David Pipe. It was a really gutsy performance and so good for Timmy Murphy who hasn't had it easy lately and very nearly hung up his boots for this season - he will be very glad that he changed his mind.

2011-11-09T10:35:00.000-08:00

Leon and Laverty leaping

Doug came back from Australia last night - It was a fairly stressful trip and the death of his father effected him a lot more than he expected.

This morning we took 16 horses out and schooled 13 - Doris's and Moonie's owners came to watch them work, there was Gordon, Dave, Derek, Mary, Ninna, Robert and Sally - we took them up the gallops and then jumped them in the menage, with bacon butties and pastries to finish the morning off nicely - both Doris and Moonie worked really well and are heading in the right direction for their first run of the season - Oh dear - that's when the nerves begin.... Sadly Laverty's owners, Colin, Darren and Steve couldn't make it which is a shame as we have worked very hard to turn him around from the RSPCA case that arrived here last year and they won't believe the difference when they see him.

2011-11-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

View from Dove's field

Dove (very pregnant), Subo and Spider are in a field right next to the big house and it is the most beautiful walk across the river to check up on them, which I did this afternoon.

It has been a really busy day, although Laura popped in this morning to help muck out and take the horses down to the field - Whilst I was bringing them in this evening there was the most beautiful sunset - with the hour change the day is so short now and it is difficult to fit everything in. When I was walking the dogs yesterday in the dusk I saw the most magnificent barn owl, it was hunting low to the ground and swooped silently in front of me. It is always such a thrill and one that I never get tired of.

2011-11-05T10:57:00.000-07:00

Aitch being washed
We have now got a hot water wash for the horses which is rather a luxury - Aitch, who used to hate the hose pipe rather enjoys his hot bath after work now.
Doug is away in Australia at his fathers funeral, although I would love to have gone too I am just so pleased that I saw him in July when he was relatively well and we had a very special time with him.
The horses have been working really well - we have started putting them up the all weather now and are really pleased with how easily they are going up, which means the preliminary work we have been doing has been spot on.
Frog will probably be the first one to run at cottenham on the 27th November - we are toying with running Doris in the two and a half maiden there as well, but we will have to think about that - the problem with cottenham is that it is a very flat fast track and although Doris seems to have the pace, it is probably a lot to ask for her to jump around there at such speed or her first time over fences - we will be schooling her this week so we will have some idea how her jumping is and go from there. Aitch (novice riders or Ladies) and Moonie (mares maiden) are hopefully running at Barbury Castle on the 4th December, with Amy having her first ride on Aitch. Harry may also go there in the intermediate. Jake (Doctor Kingsley) will be going to his favourite track, Whitfield on the 18th December also in the intermediate and Laverty who won his maiden there will be going in the restricted. Leon will be doing a lot of schooling and depending on how he gets on will go to Cottenham in December. Shade and Oaka are only just doing fast work and will need a little more time before we decide where they are going, Whisper has also got to do a bit of schooling before we decide and Paddy who needs soft ground will be going wherever the ground suits him the most. Dolly is still in work and will probably run in a bumper, Eeyore and Subo have been roughed off as they are still maturing, and Cloud is roughed off at the moment but may be bought back in after Christmas to race at the end of the season on her preferred firmer ground.

2011-10-30T10:24:00.000-07:00

Autumn colours

The colours are absolutely beautiful at the moment. I have just been for my evening walk and this is the river at the bottom of our field. The house above is the Old Mill House and Chris and Han who live there are our nearest neighbours.

Yesterday we went to the Pytchley open meet, I was on Dream and Doug was on Jake. There were 150 horses out and both horses really loved it, with Dream, who is normally very steady, behaving like a proper racehorse and was leaping around trying to get to the front - if only she would do that in a real race! We stayed out for around three hours, it was such a lovely day and it was just so good to be out and catch up with a lot of people we hadn't seen since last season. It was just what Doug needed to take his mind off his father's death.

During the past week we have had a father and daughter, Hannah and Quentin in to help ride out - it was completely by chance that they came as Quentin originally phoned up to ask if we gave riding lesson as we are wrongly listed in the phone directory - I told him that we didn't give lessons and he asked if he could just bring his daughter along for a ride to try and boost her confidence. Anyway, we reluctantly agreed, thinking that it would be rather a nuisance, but they turned out to be very good riders and really helped as out these last few days, as with my bad knee and Will with his dodgy hamstring, we needed all the help we could get. Hannah absolutely loved being involved in the yard and helping with the horses and she really wants to come back in her Christmas holidays.

The clocks went back last night and as we had a late one it was much appreciated to have the extra hour, although I don't like the short days.

Must go as we are off to our local pub for a bar snack.

2011-10-29T10:41:00.001-07:00

Very sadly Doug's father, Henry, died in the early hours of this morning. Although he will be missed terribly it is lovely to know that he is no longer suffering.

2011-10-24T10:03:00.000-07:00

Scruffy Chooks

The chooks are settling in well and are out for the first time today - they're weren't as bald as last years lot, but are still rather scruffy and wouldn't win 'best in show' yet. Fred, the bantam cockerel has spent the last two days hovering around their house waiting to 'acquaint himself'' with them, but when I let them out he was less than impressed and stalked off, ( MINGING he thought!)

We had 16 horses out today, with just Cloud and Eeyore having the day off - I managed to come out the side door when Paddy copied Mooney and shied at something, which wouldn't have been too bad but I got my foot stuck in the stirrup and have twisted my knee (the same one as I hurt last year) It had never fully recovered from then, so it may be the time to get it seen to and booked in for an operation.

All the horses went really well - On a Monday we just do trotting work up hills and it is surprising how hard it makes them work. We had the heart monitor on a few today and it was really interesting to see how high their HR got, The ground is still so hard that we can't do the grass canter work we normally like to do at this time of year so we are having to make do with trotting on the stubble and using the all weather. The horses don't seem to be getting bored with their regime at the moment, and as soon as we get some significant rain we will be able to break the routine up with some hunting and some grass work. The one plus is that it is so easy to get them in and out of the fields without getting stuck in the mud AND the weather is beautiful. Lovely to have this before winter sets in. Anyway, it is getting dark and I have got to round the chooks up that haven't yet worked out how to get home. (Sad chook women...)

2011-10-22T02:42:00.000-07:00

Great excitement - Rescue chooks arriving today!

I am picking up some more ex-battery chooks today -

we have got four left from last year, which will have to be kept separate from the new chooks as they may fight. They have had their beaks put out of joint because they have to sleep in the stable, (instead of their penthouse suite hen house) for a few days until the new one's get stronger. I know I am a bit sad, but I just love watching those poor bedraggled chooks, who have never seen the sun, grass or worms before, learning to use their natural instincts again, which surprisingly, they have still got. Seeing them scratch soil (not so good when they get into my garden!) run, and sunbathe for the first time is just wonderful. Doug thinks it's hilarious and thinks that I should be knitting little coats for them as they may get cold, as they will be fairly bald when they arrive - the worrying thing is that I even half considered it - If only I could knit....

Doug's father is still much the same. We can only hope that he is more comfortable and no longer in pain.

The whip debate continues. I watched Morning Line (Ch 4) today and have to say that I thought it was rather one sided. They had Nick (Lord Snooty) at a race meeting, interviewing a little flat jockey, who was saying that the whip didn't hurt at all. He was then asked to hit a punter on the hand 'as hard as he could' - he then literally tapped the man's hand so softly that it was laughable, the man said 'it didn't really hurt' - that was the strength of their argument and it was quite frankly a joke. The bottom line is that the whip does hurt if used hard enough and should only be used when necessary. Many jockeys continuously broke the whip rules that were there before so a new system had to be put in place. They agreed to the new system but then started to squeal when they knew how much it was going to hurt their pockets and threatened to go on strike. The BHA then had to revise the rules which have just been released. The new rule still has the maximum amount of times you can hit a horse in a race as 7 on the flat and 8 in a jumps race but now this is spread through the whole race and not just counted after the last furlong. This morning the chairman of the PJA (Professional Jockeys Association) said that the jockeys agree with these new rules but do not agree with the penalties - This just makes me shake my head in disbelief - If the penalties are not harsh then certain jockeys will continue to infringe with no thought of the integrity of the sport - as they did before. The obvious answer is learn to count and don't get penalised in the first place.

Anyway, I will step off my soap box and on to far more important things - I'm off to pick up my chooks!!

2011-10-19T13:10:00.000-07:00

Another big day working horses and catching up with orders in the office. A contact of Will's, called Toby, who is an aspiring jockey came in to ride out today and he got on really well. We put him on Doris and Frog, both of which need careful riding and he rode them both beautifully and really liked them. He was also very good company and not at all arrogant. A pleasure to have around. He will be coming in now on a regular basis which is great as we have been struggling lately with Will wounded and Becky absent because of children commitments.
I rode my normal three, Paddy, who was excellent and worked in a lovely outline three times around the flat gallop, Leon, who very nearly carted me as he suddenly, and rather out of character wanted to get to the front, (also on the flat gallop) and then Whisper, who isn't great on the flat gallop as she gets a bit panicky - coming from a flat yard where she has only been galloped at top speed it has made it difficult for her to understand how to do a slow canter, so I do trotting up hills and then put her slowly up the all weather - She has been going really well but had a 'chestnut mare' moment when she saw Mr Allen's horses and carriage come towards her and went somewhat mad, bolting backwards, nearly going over the railings. She was genuinely frightened as I could feel her heart leaping in her chest - she calmed down eventually and we all returned home safe and sound.
The horses have got a bit woolly with the colder weather and we have started to get them clipped out. Laura, who clips horses professionally came back to help Will and Doug this afternoon. Six done, twelve to go.
Doug's father has taken a turn for the worse. He has fought so hard but it seems as though his courageous battle may be coming to an end. We will be waiting with trepidation for any calls from Australia.

2011-10-17T13:39:00.000-07:00

We have had a really good week-end. The wedding in London was fun and very different. It was the wedding of a very old family friend, Alan, who I have known since childhood and is full of fun and a larger than life character. He was married (seemingly happily) for 27 years , with two lovely children, living in the Grand Canary Islands where he had a job overseeing the large telescopes and satellite dishes that are stationed there, when his wife, who was probably rather lonely as she hadn't really got into the Spanish way of life, went on the Internet site 'friends reunited' , met an old flame and within six months had left the family home to start up a new life with this chap who she had last seen when she was 16. Needless to say Alan was totally distraught and no one thought he would ever be able to get over it. Anyway, two years down the track and to cut a long story short, due to a mutual friend of both of ours, Jayne, who happened to know that her friend Sara, had just gone through a similar situation with her husband and who funnily enough used to be part of our group when we were in our teens, introduced her to Alan and before long they realised that they were made for each other - it sounds really corny but I have rarely seen a couple so suited and so happy. The wedding was literally bubbling over with joy and what was so lovely was how happy Alan's children were with the situation. It was rather like being in a time warp as we all felt sixteen again, It was probably a little disconcerting for Doug but he coped very well. It was a really wonderful occasion.
The team chase went well and they had got the ground better than expected bearing in mind the firmness of the ground. The bar did a good trade and afterwards we went back to the local landowners farm - good fun. We then met up with Jay, who is back for a couple of days from university, for a bar snack.
We got 15 horses out today (Subo, Dream and Cloud had the day off) They all went on the gallop and all worked really well. Will still can't ride because of his injured ham string but he was a great help in the yard. They are cubbing locally tomorrow but we have decided not to go as the ground is too firm and it would be a shame to jar them up. We are so lucky to have the all weather facilities as we would be really struggling to get them fit otherwise

2011-10-14T11:22:00.000-07:00

It has been a very full week - the meeting on Tuesday went really well - we had to sign a confidentiality agreement so we can't say too much at this stage, but basically they have done an amazing job with the software for our heart monitors and they want us to be partners with them. They are a worldwide company with a very good IT section. It was particularly impressive how they have made the software so user friendly and meaningful in a very practical way - using a heart monitor is all very well but you have to know how to interpret the data, and they have come up with what seems to be the perfect solution. They are launching the product at the beginning of next year and have done an enormous amount of work to get it this far. All very exciting and will be great for the industry.
I have just heard on the news that the jockeys are going on strike because of the new whip regulations brought in by the BHA. I must admit I don't really understand their problem - the rules that were there before were broken so many times that something had to be done, and now it is black and white - as long as they can count to eight, which is the maximum amount of times they are allowed to hit the horse, then they should be OK. The other option is to ban the whip altogether which they would like even less. Hopefully the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) and the British Horseracing Association (BHA) will sort it out before it gets out of hand and shows the industry up in a very bad light.
The weather has been absolutely perfect these last few days, with the only downside being that the ground is very hard due to the lack of rain. It makes us realise how lucky we are to have such superb facilities and we have started steady cantering the horses on the all weather flat track which they seem to really enjoy - after the canter work we have to walk past some apple trees where we always stop for the horses to help themselves - some find it easier than others to grab an apple from the tree - it's a bit like Halloween apple bobbing - Paddy is the champion at the moment with Doris a close second. They have all worked really hard this week and we are delighted with them. Will's hamstring is not getting better so he has had a few days off, but we have had Emma in for a couple of days and Lucy was in today - a very happy team and happy horses (until it gets cold and wet!!)
We have a busy week-end to look forward to with a wedding tomorrow in London and then the Pytchley team chase on Sunday where we are running the bar which is always good fun.
In between doing horses and going to the wedding we will be watching the rugby - I have to admit to not being the biggest fan of Wales and Welsh rugby in the past but I will be supporting them tomorrow - they have been playing brilliant, committed rugby and deserve to be in the semi final, unlike England who just didn't want it enough. Very disappointing. Doug and I were lucky enough to be at the World Cup Final in 2003 when England won with a breathtaking drop goal from Johnny Wilkinson in the last 26 seconds of the game. It was a game I will never forget for the intensity and passion from the players - an amazing experience, but it makes you wonder whether we will ever see that sort of play again.

2011-10-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

Pelion peninsula - Katigiorgis

Views from our balcony

We have had the most wonderful break in Greece. We stayed in a self catering apartment overlooking the sea. As it was the end of the season there were no other tourists and we had the whole place to ourselves. We were within walking distance of three beautiful beaches and the local village which had two tavernas and a little shop. The locals were really friendly and made us feel very welcome. We did lots of walking, swimming and sunbathing. It was so nice to get a chance to read, and we got through almost a book a day each.

We had heard so much about how bad their economy was from our press, that it was interesting to see first hand how they were coping - it seems to me that their are two completely different economies happening in Greece - with the cash economy being the strongest. No shops or restaurants accept credit cards, they only accept cash, and they never give a receipt - it would be incredibly difficult for the government to know how much they are earning and would therefore not be collecting much (if any) tax. Having said that the villagers all seemed to work very hard and were up all hours fishing, or tending to their olives. On the other hand you have the civil servants, of which there are many who retire on a full pension at 48 years old and also pay very little tax.....The biggest surprise is that it has taken so long for the deficit to be noticed.

Will, Laura, Lucy and Amy did a great job in our absence and kept the horses up to their work. They are popping out of their skins at the moment - it was really windy this morning which didn't help, (Paddy very nearly bucked me off!) and are now ready to do some steady canter work.

The girls are taking Jess, Leon and Jake cubbing tomorrow morning, Will has pulled a hamstring playing football so he is 'yardman' and Doug and I have to go to a meeting in Manchester with a software company (the same company who invited us to their box at York races)) They are interested in taking our heart rate monitors to the next level and want our involvement. It should be interesting. They are owners of some flat horses and have bought a number of our monitors, but have now designed some software which makes it easier for the owner and trainer to analyse the data and for the trainer to actually see what the horse is doing rather than the jockey. I will have a better idea after the meeting whether it has a practical application or not. Up until fairly recently trainers in the UK have been fairly traditional and not always open to new ideas, but there is a steady increase in younger and more educated trainers coming up who are showing interest in monitoring a horse's heart and if we can offer something new, innovative and easy to use then it could be quite exciting to be involved. Having said that, I would rather be cubbing.....!

2011-09-29T12:30:00.000-07:00

Hey! We are off on holiday!! We are going to the Pelion penisula in Greece for a week. We have had an incredibly busy last few days, added to which our server was down, so I couldn't do any posts. All horses going really nicely, Oaka and Shade arrived today looking very well after their summer holiday. They have both thickened out into lovely horses.
Must go as off to Gatwick....

2011-09-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

Paddy, first time hunting

We went cubbing this morning, it was the Bicester festival ( a two day fest starting off with a hearty breakfast after hunting) which meant that there was an awful lot of people out on horses (170). We took Jess (Doug) Leon (me), Paddy (Laura) and Jake (Lucy) - Paddy and Jess had never been hunting before and their eyes were on stalks but they behaved beautifully. The only hiccup came when Paddy didn't want to leave and had a little tantrum. It was just lovely to see his enthusiasm though, as when he first came to us he was a very 'tired' horse, and you couldn't imagine him getting excited about anything. Leon already knew what to expect and was a bit of a handful as there was a lot of standing around. He just wanted to gallop, which is great, as that is exactly what we want him to do on the racetrack!
We got the horses home, washed and fed and then Doug and I went back for breakfast. The ladies do a great job and served 200 people, a very good fundraiser for the hunt and a great social event for the community. After breakfast they always have a sale of lambs and chooks, I was getting very excited as I want some bantam hens but there weren't many this year and they were too expensive. There were a few Tamworth gilts which I was very tempted with, but I don't think Matilda and Prudence would appreciate sharing their five star accommodation with unruly 'young things' M & P are living the most perfect piggy life at the moment - They get out of their deep straw bed for breakfast served by Dad at 7 am, run down to orchard to eat apples before Mum gets there, when the apples have gone they wander down to the oak tree for an acorn feast, snooze under the tree until tea time and then waddle back to bed in their own time. They have been very well behaved lately abut I'm sure if we introduced some young blood they may be encouraged to wander, which would be a shame, as then we would have to shut them up.
Anyway, back to the horses, we were delighted with them all this morning and Doug was over the moon with Jess (We never give up) who he said gave him a great feel.

2011-09-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

Another busy day. All horses either ridden or on the walker. My 'quiet' horses from last year, Leon and Paddy seem to have taken on a personality change and are completely different horses. Yesterday I was walking Leon home after a hack and the dogs came running past - Leon was having none of it and tried to chase after them leaping in the air and striking out with his front hooves. Today on Paddy we had hacked up the hill and were going to walk down the all weather gallop, Alex Hales's string of 12 was in front of us and Ben Case's string of 10 was behind. When we got to the bottom of the hill Alex's lot cantered to the starting circle. Paddy thought he was going to be left behind, stuck his head between his legs and broncked all the way until the front lot pulled up. I was sure I was going to get bucked off and was just thinking that it doesn't get much more embarrassing than this - being bucked off in front of all those sniggering (and much younger) jockeys. Thank goodness he stopped when he did. Although secretly I was absolutely delighted with both him and Leon's behaviour as they were too quiet last season and didn't feel like racehorses. Leon had come straight from Paul Nicholls and had never had a break and Paddy had a hard season in Ireland, winning a very competitive maiden, before coming to us. They have obviously really benefited from their holiday and it's very exciting to feel the difference in them. Laverty was also very full of himself - the younger one's you would expect to be naughty like Dolly, Doris, Whisper and Subo were all as good as gold. Eeyore and Cloud are waiting to be shod and haven't been ridden yet although I rather suspect that they will behave as expected and let the side down...
We watched a programme last night called 'Inside Nature's Giants' where a team of vets dissected an elite racehorse that had been euthanised because of leg problems to find out why such a big animal is such a supreme athlete. They showed the spring system (it's legs) that propels it to 45 mph, it's massive organs ( a horse's heart is twice as big as a cow's) I couldn't believe how big it's lungs were. What it did show, though. apart from how amazing a horse's anatomy is, was how vulnerable a horse is to injury when they are at peak performance.
We are treating ourselves tonight to a curry, which is about to be delivered to the shepherds hut. It doesn't get better than that, does it?!

2011-09-20T05:15:00.000-07:00

All horses are now back at 'school' with Oaka and Shade joining us next week.
It is great to have them all back and in work and having all the stables full. They have settled into the routine really well, and are just being walked at the moment. While the weather is dry and mild they spend the night in the field with rugs on and are in the stables for most of the day. We have - Haunted House (Aitch), The Irish RM (Paddy) Unoitmakessense ( Harry) Doctor Kingsley ( Jake), Laverty, Couer de Lionne (Leon), We Never Give Up (Jessie), Intimate Whisper (Whisper), Cloudy Moon (Moonie), Cloud, Velvet Shadow (Doris), Blue Monoaka (Oaka), Mon Romier (Shade), Quand Je Reve de Toi (Frog), Eeyore, Dolly, Subo and last but not least Velvet Dream. 18 horses, and 16 stables, so Dream and Frog will be living in the barn. Oh, goodness me, are we going to be busy this season!!?

2011-09-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

Storm - 22 years old

We had a lovely e-mail and photos from a couple who had Storm after she retired from hunting - I bought her as a potential racehorse from Ireland when she was three, she was beautifully bred, by Strong Gale, out of a Crash Course mare but never got to the track because of problems with her breathing. She did however, make a wonderful hunter and took Doug across country for his first few seasons in great style until the age of 18. She has been with Charlie and Jan now for four years and looks so happy - she wasn't the easiest of horses as she had obviously been mistreated in Ireland and was very nervous, but they have done a wonderful job of building up her trust and they absolutely love her. Whilst I love training racehorses, I really think that the skill also lies in making them 'nice people' so that they have got a job to do when they retire from racing - So far, I'm rather proud to say, all my retired racehorses have gone to lovely homes and have had a wonderful retirement.
The boys were all back at school today - Paddy, Aitch, Laverty, Harry and Jake did a good hour on the horse walker and have all been fitted with rugs. They were very well behaved apart from Aitch, who wasn't quite ready for his holiday to be over and didn't want to come up from the field. However, with a bit of coaxing with a few apples and once he met up with the rest of the boys he was fine and happy to be back in work.

Leon and Jess will be trailered back this evening as they are in the field over the river and the rest of them will get another week before they come in.

2011-09-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

Jays party

The last of Jays friends left this afternoon - they did a great job of tidying up and really enjoyed themselves. Almost back to normal....

2011-09-10T04:32:00.000-07:00

The party was a huge success - a beautifully mild evening - Jay and her friends had decorated the straw marquee and it looked amazing, Doug had made a big fire pit, and arranged the spot lights so they lit up the willow trees and the river. It looked stunning. The paella man came with a huge wok and cooked a great meal, followed by the customary ice cream van which trundled down the field with lights flashing and a jolly tune playing. The guests LOVED it and when they were told that they didn't have to pay, they were besides themselves with joy. Really funny, and I felt somewhat smug that I hadn't tried to be the perfect hostess and bake lots of different homemade puddings.
We left them to it after 10 pm as we didn't want to cramp their style, and Joseph and Sophie came to join us in the shepherd hut for a drink before they went home. Josh and Emma also came to the party - it is lovely that both daughters in law are such good friends and are both due to have their respective babies within 10 days of each other.
This morning we were joined by a few pasty faced chaps who had managed to get up in time to watch the first of England's games in the Rugby World Cup - England v Argentina. They just about scraped a win but played appallingly. Johnny Wilkinson missed four, if not five penalty kicks and the rest of the team totally lacked any sort of urgency, discipline or game plan. It appeared as though they were just playing a warm up match and they didn't deserve to win. I suppose they can only get better.....
It has just started to rain and there must still be about 30 of Jay's friends either down by the river or in the house, in no hurry to go home. They are a great bunch and it's great that her friends from Uni, Rugby school and locally have all got on so well.
Robert Thame has just come along on his horse so we all went down to the river in the hope of having some of the leftover beer - Andy's family owns a brewery called 'Joseph Holt' and they have won a lot of awards - one beer in particular is called 'Humdinger' , it has a hint of honey and is scrummy - anyway, needless to say, the bar had been completely drunk dry, and the whole place looked as though a bomb had hit it, with litter strewn all over the field. Needless to say we weren't impressed, and came back up to the house to find them all tucking in to bacon and eggs. They were given a bin bag each and told to go and tidy up, which is what they are supposed to be doing at this moment (having left the kitchen and house in a right mess!) Bless them.......

2011-09-09T02:34:00.001-07:00

Things have been manic here since we got back from Burghley - It is Jay's 21st party this evening and she wanted to have it by the river, which seemed like a great idea at the time, but gale force winds and driving rain earlier on put the whole idea into question - however, we managed to get the 'marquee' up yesterday - 40 big bales of straw with a tree in the middle and a tarpaulin over the top. Very quirky, I thought it was a crazy idea, but I have to say it looks great. Her friends have been arriving in dribs and drabs since Wednesday, and I have a sneaking suspicion that if it's a nice week-end we wont see the last of them until Sunday night. Luckily there is a pub within walking distance so as long as we provide breakfast for them, I'm sure they'll survive.
Burghley was a huge success - we had almost doubled our stock from last year and were heading towards selling out completely on the last day, but unfortunately torrential rain stopped everything in its tracks as potential buyers rushed for cover and then headed for home. We had fantastic feedback for the Stay Cold Boots with customers coming on the stand and saying that they were the best things they have ever bought. All very positive, we are now in the process of developing a cooling rug and did a fair bit of research whilst on the stand to see what people wanted. We have come up with a really good design which Rob Shepherd, our saddler, is dropping around today, we will then put it on our web-site and see what sort of response we get.
All horses are still in the field enjoying the last of their summer holidays before going back to school in a couple of weeks.
The harvest is nearly finished although the rain earlier on has left a few soggy fields waiting to dry. Our swallows have done really well this year and have just seen their third brood leave the nest, they are now re-grouping ready for the long journey back to South Africa.
We had some very sad news yesterday, Doug's father has struggled at home as he is now bed ridden. He will be going to the hospice today. He has been unbelievably strong and determined to fight this horrible illness but he is approaching his last round and it will be a miracle if he returns home this time. Doug's mother, has been amazing, but there is only so much you can do and it will be better for both of them to have the professional help they need around the clock. Terribly sad.

2011-08-30T10:44:00.001-07:00

We are off to Burghley until Sunday evening where we have a stand with our company http://www.equinefitness.co.uk/
We are well stocked up with Stay Cold Boots this time as last year we ran out. We also have a new cooling rug, which has the same cooling pads as the boots have sewn in along the back, and is designed to go on the horse after work, it is supposed to stop them breaking out in a sweat and speed up the cooling down process. It is the first on the market and will be very interesting to see if they sell.
No blog for a few days....

2011-08-29T04:07:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention that Jay is back safe and sound. She has had the most amazing time - Hopefully I will have some photos of her trip I can post next time.
Must go as supposed to be at Jenny's for lunch.

2011-08-29T01:19:00.000-07:00

The Open Day was a great success - Jackie Oliver the photographer was there and took some terrific photos. About 90 people turned up and all said how fantastic the horses looked - they behaved incredibly well which was a relief as it was complete chaos when we were trying to get them in, with loose horses everywhere.
Doris seemed to be the favourite with a number of people wanting to have a share in her, and it looks as though she will be syndicated, it's so funny looking back and remembering when we bought her home from Ireland we hid her in the back yard because she was so fearfully ugly - her head was huge and totally out of proportion to her body. It is hard to believe it's the same horse. Dolly and Eeyore also impressed, and there was a lot of interest in Frog. Laverty looked terrific and has transformed from the hat rack who arrived last year and someone was very interested in buying 'We never give up' who is going to be a lovely big mare.
The 19 horses were all paraded (including Dove and one eyed Dream) and then we went into the barn for beef rolls and refreshments - an ice cream van turned up at 1.30 pm and everyone helped themselves to Mr Whippies with lashing of chocolate sauce...it was rather amusing talking to Mrs Smythe-Forteque with ice cream all around her face.
The last person left at 9pm by which time we were absolutely shattered - great day with really good feed back, it has been somewhat stressful, but definitely worth the effort.

2011-08-28T02:24:00.000-07:00

Team Harkin ready for the Open Day -
Georgie, Will, Amy, Lucy and Becky have all worked really hard to get this off the ground, Lets hope all goes well.. 30 minutes until kick off!

2011-08-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

Oh dear, I thought it was going far too smoothly with Jay on her travels - she has just phoned her Dad, Joe, who was supposed to be picking her up from Heathrow tomorrow to say that she had missed her flight - apparently she was in a bit of a state and it was a very bad line, so we're not sure exactly where she is, but assume she is in Lima. Not the best airport to be stuck at, and now she will have missed all her connecting flights. Once again she has dropped off the radar and since her rather hysterical phone call there has been no word and we can't get hold of her on her phone - Bless her.....
All going well here - although at one stage it seemed that we were all running around like headless chickens, things are beginning to take shape. Not only have we got to get everything ready for the Open Day, but we are off to Burghley on Wednesday, and then the following weekend it is Jay's 21st Birthday party which we haven't even started to organise yet - I suppose we had better wait and see whether she gets back in time...
We picked up yet another horse today, Cloudy Moon, a rather nice grey mare. She is owned by a lovely lady, who lives in a very large manor house but can no longer afford to keep her in training - a sign of the times. She phoned and asked if we could help her so we offered to have her here for the Open Day in case there is someone interested in leasing her for the season. It's worth a try but if we don't find anyone we will have to send her back as we really have got enough horses for this season. Yes, I know what you're thinking, but I REALLY must NOT.
be tempted.
News in Libya isn't good with the rebels suffering very heavy casualties. I didn't think a tyrant like Gaddafi would give in easily. There is something rather discomfiting about watching the rebels in their old bangers and dirty trainers shooting merrily into the air with no one appearing to be in charge and knowing that their weapons are being furtively funded by the West - it's rather like watching a slow car crash happening. There is now a million pounds for anyone who can capture Gaddafi so it should all come to a head soon, one way or another. What then I wonder?
I have just had a text from Doug saying that "drinks are served in the shepherd hut" - I'm off!

2011-08-22T09:47:00.000-07:00

Paddy, looking embarrassed

The flies have been a real nuisance lately, especially with the darker horses so we have put fly rugs on a few of the worst effected - Aitch thought Paddy's rug was hilarious and wouldn't stop chasing him around trying to undress him.

We have put the same cooling pads that are in the Stay Cold boots in the rugs and they really seemed to help cool them down.

Had a great week-end, the weather has been perfect, so lots of swimming in the river and eating outside. We went to Richard Hunnisett's retirement party on Saturday evening which was held at Garthorpe racecourse, he is retiring sound from racing after 58 wins and a very commendable 6th in the Foxhunters at Aintree last year, he was the oldest jockey in the race and there was a lot of media interest in him. It was a great party and good to catch up with the point to point crowd.

We have been busy getting things organised for the Open Day on the 28th, all horses are going to have front shoes on so they can be paraded. They are looking somewhat portly at the moment, but at least we have got something to work on.

The riot news is dying down now - the papers have been full of mug shots of looters that have been caught on CCTV and the public have been great at helping police with their enquiries. The courts have been working 24 hours a day and the sentences have been really heavy - even people that were not directly involved but received stolen goods have been put in prison. Quite rightly so.

In Libya, Tripoli was supposedly taken over by rebels this morning -it all seemed too easy and I can't help think that Colonel Gaddafi has something up his sleeve and wont give in that easily. The Rebel army just look so incredibly disorganised and chaotic but lets hope that behind the scenes there is some order, otherwise there will be so much more bloodshed in the aftermath.

I cycled to the post box in the village this afternoon with the three panting dogs in tow. A lot of the villagers were out making the most of the late summer sun, and all in very good spirits. I cycled back along the river -it is such a lovely place to live, we are so terribly lucky to live here and I hope we never take it for granted.

2011-08-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

York races was really good yesterday - We had been invited by a company called Fine software solutions, whose parent company are called Fine Organics , the MD'S own a couple of racehorses and bought an Elite Heart monitor from us a little while ago - they are now in the process of developing some software so that the data collected from the heart monitor can be used and interpreted, which then allows the owner of the horse to log on to the trainers web-site and find out exactly what their horse has done and what level of fitness the horse is up to - They gave a presentation and it was very impressive - there were some top owners there (including Graham Wylie) who were really interested. The boss of Polar heart rate monitors was also there and he was a little annoyed that they had decided to use our heart monitor rather than theirs as they are a massive company and are the leading manufacturers of heart monitors in the world - he was a nice chap though and agreed that our system (having the sensors in the girth) was a much simpler system than theirs. We had lunch and I sat next to Graham Wylie who started Sage, and has recently been in the press as his main trainer Howard Johnson had just been banned for running a horse that had been de-nerved. All very controversial and obviously Graham had no idea what was going on. Even though he is horribly rich he is a very nice person and not in the least bit arrogant - he has twin 17 month old daughters, one of which has to go in for another heart operation in October and we spoke how no money in the world can buy health and what a leveller her illness has been for him. We can only hope and pray that the operation is successful.
Everyone was so friendly, the MD's wife, Juliet, had put a £2 bet on the place pot and there was great excitement when all six of her horses came in and she won over £900!! We left at around 7 o'clock and then went on to Sue and Stuarts who used to be Belgian Blue breeders and lived in Anglesey but have since moved to a lovely house just outside York. We had a super evening with them and it was great to catch up with all the news, although I was shocked to hear of a couple of deaths within the BB society that I had no idea about - one girl (Rebecca Seales) who was only in her early thirties and Margaret Ashton, who was one of the founder breeders of blues. Very sad, and I felt dreadful as I really should have been at Margaret's funeral, as in the early days when I was chairman of the society and before when we were starting up our herd of blues we spent a lot of time with her and her husband Tom.
After a delicious breakfast, prepared by Stuart, we drove home and back to work. It was pouring with rain, which is just what we need to get the grass to grow. It has been very dry again lately.

2011-08-16T13:57:00.000-07:00

Eeyore growing up

This week has flown by - we have broken the three hooligans in with Lady Gaga being stroppy until the last day when she softened up to a degree, they will be going back on Thursday, with Subo staying as payment - Eeyore, although he would rather not go around the menage behaved and went really well when we rode him around the farm, Dolly was lovely but has got a wolf tooth which is clearly causing her some pain so we have got the dentist booked for this Friday to remove it, Cloud went beautifully today and will start jumping in the next couple of days.

On Friday evening we picked up Intimate Whisper and were really pleased with her when we saw her again - her owners want to have some fun with her pointing this season, and she has got the breeding to do that and more.

As we are so short of grass we have moved Leon and Jessie (We Never Give Up) to the field we took hay from, it's a bit of a risk as it is full of rabbit holes but they are both absolute pigs and probably won't gallop around too much. The field is the other side of the river, so I popped over to see them this evening and had a swim on the way back - they are both fine and haven't lifted their heads since they were put there.

We are going to York races tomorrow as we have been invited by some clients who have got a box there who we sold a heart monitor to - We're staying over with some friends, Stuart and Susan, who live in York and then back on Thursday. Really looking forward to it.

Now I know this should have been my first posting but as it was announced a couple of days ago, and we had the excitement then, I hope that I'm excused - Joseph and Sophie are going to have a baby!!! Yes.... that means Doug and I are going to be.... Oh dear..., I almost can't say it, yes...Grandparents....Aaah. I honestly couldn't think of two nicer people to have a baby and we are absolutely over the moon for them. They will be truly great parents.

2011-08-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

Spider and Dolly

All going well here - the young horses are taking up a bit of time, John Ap. came to see how his youngsters were coming on and in typical style, having gone really well yesterday they decided to be fairly mulish today, Blondie was probably the best of the bunch, Eeyore lived up to his name and was 'donkeyish', Frog was lively and didn't relax, Cloud was good but you get the feeling that there is more to come with her and Dolly was absolutely the star of the show - when the saddle was first put on she threw herself on the floor twice and it looked as though we weren't even going to get Amy on board, but then she suddenly relaxed and did the most beautiful floating trot. Amy said that she felt amazing.

After horses I had to catch up in the office and get it all done before my parents came for a visit with some of their friends from London. We talked about how the riots had affected them and although it hadn't directly, everyone is just in shock that it could happen at all. It really is just shameful. Things are settling down now, but it leaves a very bad taste in the mouth to think that we have people in England that can act in such a despicable manner. Mum had a fall yesterday and wasn't good at all. She could barely walk and really shouldn't have ventured out.

The news from Australia is that the farm didn't reach it's reserve price, which is a terrible shame for Doug's parents as they really don't need the stress. The one good thing is that now that Doug has been out there and met the manager, and knows what needs to be done, hopefully it wont continue to make a loss.

We are out to supper at Edwina's so must go..

2011-08-09T11:52:00.001-07:00

It has been another pretty intensive day with the horses - the three 'outsiders' and Spider were all mouthed today with Subo (fat and hairy) long reined. They all went really well and are beginning to act less like wild mustangs and more like well mannered horses. Very satisfying. Amy is coming in tomorrow to get on Cloud, Dolly and Eeyore.
We sent out the invites to our Open Day today which is going to be on the 28th August - it's going to be fairly low-key and a bit of fun - hopefully the youngsters will be ready to have a little pop over the hurdle which could be entertaining.
It's been lovely weather lately and I've been doing a lot of swimming in the river. I don't think I've got time to pop down there before supper - must rush as have been in the office for too long....

2011-08-09T11:28:00.000-07:00

Brisbane

Monday 1st August

After coffee Jocelyn, Doug and myself drove to Brisbane to see Henry in hospital and then catch the flight home. It was terribly sad to see Henry stuck in a hospital bed and very difficult for us to say goodbye, the good news is though that he has since recovered enough to be back home. After leaving the hospital we saw the sights of Brisbane on the Sea Cat, which was a great way to see the city. It's a lovely place and has got a really nice feel about it.

We then went to Doug's sisters house, Jane and her husband Bill, for supper before the taxi came to pick us up for the airport. The discussion around the table got rather heated as neither Jane nor Gill want the farm to be sold - it has been in the family since 1882 so it is understandable that they should feel that way but bearing in mind the fact that it has been making a loss under the present management and is causing their parents stress, it probably is the sensible thing to do. It is, after all their farm and their decision to sell. However, if it doesn't make the asking price (and it is going under the hammer in a few hours time) then hopefully something will be sorted out between them to keep the farm on and hopefully turn it around.

Needless to say we were rather pleased when the taxi turned up to take us to the airport. Doug then had a phone conversation with Gill about the sale that upset him greatly. The two sisters seem to think that he has encouraged his parents to sell when nothing could be further from the truth. Anyway, hopefully it will all sort itself out and they will all be friends again....

After a gruesomely long flight it was very nice to be home again.

2011-08-09T04:30:00.000-07:00

The Foote Sanctuary

July 30th

In the morning we went for a coffee with an elderly but very lively couple, Bruce and Dorothy who live two doors away from Doug's parents and are their very good friends. They were so lovely, Bruce used to be a bank manager and it was interesting to talk to him about what we had noticed about the economy - it seems that Australia is riding on the crest of a wave at the moment, everything seems to be booming, mainly, it would seem because of the export of natural gas, of which Australia is well endowed. However, the cost of living is now extortionately high and the Australian dollar is at an all time peak, which must effect the export market in the future. Australia totally depends on exports and tourism, so you would think with the dollar being so high exports of other commodities and tourism will soon dry up. Wages are also unrealistically high, we were given an example of unskilled labour being paid the equivalent of £20/hr for putting lids on cans of dulux paint. That is totally unsustainable and Bruce agreed that he thought Australia is heading for a massive recession. Apart from anything else it can't help but be affected by the problems being experienced in Europe and the USA. We said our goodbyes to them and then went for lunch at a fabulous fish and chip shop by the river - the prawns were absolutely massive and the fish beautifully fresh. They have their fishing trawler moored right outside the cafe so it doesn't get fresher than that.

In the afternoon we took a few packing cases of Doug's stuff that he had picked up from the farm and took them to a shipping company. It wasn't as expensive as we thought it would be which makes a nice change. We spent what was left of the day on Mooloolba beach, which was lovely.

July 31st

I was looking forward to having an uninterrupted day on the beach but Doug had arranged for Rolfe an old friend to come around for coffee, it was such a lovely day but forecast to cloud over and get windy later on so I ducked out for a walk around the nearby sanctuary, Rolfe is great but very serious - dull at the best of times (whoops I probably shouldn't have said that!) and I didn't want to be stuck in for any longer than necessary. When Henry was well he took a very active part in the development of the sanctuary and made the boundary fence seen in the photo. It's a lovely place - apart from lots of birds that I couldn't identify I saw a pair of black cockatoos and nearly trod on a brown snake that slithered off into the undergrowth - apparently highly poisonous.

After Rolfe had left we went to Marcoola beach - another lovely beach. It was too chilly to sit for long so we went for a long walk. Doug's Mum was coming back that evening so we did a bit of shopping and then returned to the house. Dorothy and Bruce were coming around for an early evening drink to catch up with the news about Henry who had been undergoing further radiation treatment. He normally responds really well to treatment so we are all hoping that would be the same this time. We were hoping to be able to cook for Jocelyn that evening after what she had been through but she insisted that everything was already organised and produced a lovely chicken casserole. It was our last night in Australia before leaving for Brisbane in the morning.

2011-08-09T02:08:00.000-07:00

Glasshouse mountains

Australia continued .....
Toowoomba - Thursday/Friday 28th/29th July - We found a motel called the Highlander and got a fairly average meal there before crashing out for the night.
The next morning we popped in to see Doug's sister Gill for a coffee and then went on to the gunsmiths with Doug's hoard of guns - I went looking around the shops while Doug went into the back room with the gun dealer, after an hour or so I went to the gun shop and they invited me to the inner sanctum and there was Doug's guns laid out on the floor and a pile of cash on the table. It looked like a scene out of a Wild West movie... Doug was really upset about selling his guns but they couldn't be flown back to the UK. The gunsmith, Guy, who was English, said that it was as good a collection as he has seen and paid pretty well for them - which was just as well as our credit cards had stopped working because we had forgotten to tell the banks we were going to Australia, and we had just about run out of cash.
We had lunch at Toowoomba and then set off over the Great Dividing Range heading back to Buderim. Sadly, Henry had been taken ill while we were away and had been admitted to hospital in Brisbane. Jocelyn was staying at Brisbane with Jane, Doug's other sister.

We went through Kilcoy, then amongst the mountains to Peachester which was very pretty. The fields were full of horses which are all in the press at the moment - there is something called the Hendra virus which is spread by bats and has already killed a number of horses, as well as three or four vets who had been treating the horses, it has also spread to pet dogs which is a real worry. It has massive implications in the equine industry and hopefully the authorities will be able to contain it.

We travelled on past the glass house mountains which are really quite random the way they just leap out of the countryside without any warning. We finally arrived at Buderim around 4pm. It seemed very quiet without Henry and Jocelyn, I was so cross with myself as I wanted to take a photo of Doug and his parents but thought I would leave it until we got back from the farm - sadly I wouldn't have the chance now as Henry being a proud man wouldn't want a photo taken from the hospital bed.

We put a couple of steaks on the barbecue which Jocelyn had very kindly left for us and then had an early night - so much driving. It really is quite astonishing that Doug's parents made the trip so many times when they were well into their seventies. They make them tough in Australia!

2011-08-09T01:58:00.001-07:00

We went to supper at the Thames last night and feeling somewhat jaded now - Doug was on jury service yesterday - we have been trying to think of all sorts of excuses for him to get out of it but apparently they are really strict and no excuse (apart from being in a coma) will do.
He waited about all day and then the case collapsed so he wasn't needed. He is 'on call' now for the next two weeks - if you employ someone and they are called up for jury service you have to give them full pay, so for an employed person it is a great holiday, but for a self employed person it's a disaster, the courts pay £30 a day in expenses which is laughable, just parking in Oxford costs £20 a day, and some cases can last up to six weeks. Anyway, hopefully he wont have to go in again.

2011-08-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

Thursday 28th July

After breakfast at Charleville, we went through Morvan, Mitchell, then Muckadilla, where outside the pub they have a bench with a plaque on it saying "The bench of bullshit"! I'm sure there is a story there but I don't know what it is. We went past massive 53 metre road trains full of cattle - the road follows an old railway track all the way from Quilpie to Brisbane (1000 km)which is used for trucking cattle , cotton seed etc.

At Roma we stopped for an ice cream and diesel - the road is dead straight and just goes on and on - you can see why falling asleep at the wheel is the main danger, the main point of interest is the road kill. mainly kangaroos (red ones out west, becoming grey the further east we went) with the occasional wild pig. We got to Yulebah at about 1 pm and then even the dead Roo's dried up and the drive to Dulacca, then Miles became somewhat dull. We then got to Chinchilla where they had posters up everywhere about a melon festival. Hmmm, I don't think we will rush back for that.

Dalby was our next town which is a big cotton and grain area and had massive grain stores on the side of the road next to the railway line - the fields were enormous and made you realise that if they have a good harvest it could really determine the world market price for grain - they have such low input costs compared to the UK that there really is no competition.

At last we arrived at Toowoomba which is where we had intended to stay the night and then Doug could go to the gunsmith the next day.

Doug had his favourite rifle which he had decided to leave with his old friend, Mick, the Roo shooter. Mick lives on the outskirts of Toowoomba so we popped in to see him for a coffee laced with bunderburg rum. Doug and Mick go back a long way - When Doug was working on his fathers farm, Woodlands in 1992, there was a terrible drought and their cattle were dying. The only option was to take the whole mob of approximately 1000 head onto the road, using the ancient stock routes , these stock routes go back to 1828 and stretch 2000 miles across Australia, it is common land and anyone can use it as long as they travel the stock a minimum of six miles a day so that the route doesn't get overgrazed. Doug and Mick were on the road for a total of 18 months, although there are designated watering points along the route, sometimes the water wasn't there so it was Mick's job to go with the lorry and a tank and find water each day while Doug and his dogs drove the cattle - it must have been very lonely at times, but they would have had some fun as Mick is a real character. After 18 months the rains came and Doug was able to sell the fat cattle at Roma, and the breeding cattle were put on the train for their journey back home, they lost a few who were too weak to travel but saved the majority. It must have been an awesome experience.

It was great for Doug to see Mick again who although he had had a stroke was looking really well, Mick's son Woolley and his grandson, Douglas (!) also came to have a chat.

We then left to find a motel in Toowoomba and something to eat. We were exhausted.

2011-08-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

Bora's accident

Thursday 28th July

We were very sad to leave Comongin at first light, knowing it was unlikely that we would ever return. We got to the bakery at Charleville for breakfast - I forgot to mention that we stopped at the same place on the way to Comongin and bumped into some friends of Doug's, Sally and Bora who we had recently been talking about with Henry and Jocelyn as Bora just over a year ago had a very bad plane crash and had escaped any real injury- it was nothing short of miraculous and we saw the photos of the wreckage on their computer, two days later we bumped into them 500 kms from their home! Bora is well over six foot so how on earth he didn't break his neck in that squashed cock-pit we will never know. Just astonishing how you can bump into so many people you know in such a vast country.

2011-08-07T04:40:00.000-07:00

Wednesday 27th July

The morning was spent doing the cottage and labelling all the furniture etc to go either to Brisbane, Toowoomba (where Doug's sisters live) or back to Buderim. for when the removal men come in after the sale. Doug had got a few of his personal belongings together and cleaned his guns in preparation for taking them to the gunsmith with a view to selling them. It was our last day before heading off back to Buderim and really rather sad. We went to Quilpie for a coffee with Lorraine (who runs the newsagents) and Bob who Doug used to play polo-cross with, interesting to talk to them about their opinion on whether the farm should be sold or not. Bob used to own a lot of commercial properties in Quilpie, including the local cafe but he had always hankered after buying land and sold most of his business's to make his dream come true - now his wife, Lorraine says "we used to have lots of money and plenty of holidays but now we have neither!" Bob also said there was a real problem with getting good staff, the wage bill is massive and the health and safety rules are getting even more ridiculous. Ian from Cowley told us that every morning he has to run through the risks to his men of riding a motorbike or handling stock - also the self employed people have the same rights as employed staff so if any of them get hurt by a bull or fall off their bikes the manager is totally responsible - Australia has become like America in that claims for accidents are made at the drop of a hat, consequently employers liability insurance is very high. This was all food for thought as we had originally gone to Comongin thinking that it was a massive mistake to sell the farm and that with good management it could make a lot of money and pay back the losses that Doug's parents had incurred, however, it was becoming increasingly obvious that it wasn't as simple as we had originally thought and that selling it was actually a very good business decision. Doug's father bought it during the drought at the bottom of the market, it has just had the best season ever and would therefore be sold looking at its best, there has been a lot of interest in it from potential buyers and the economy in Australia is, at present, (more about that later) booming, However, it is still a difficult one because it has been in the family since 1882, and was always Henry's dream to own it outright, which he achieved at the age of 70. For the last nine years Henry and Jocelyn have really enjoyed their time owning the farm with the luxury of a manager sorting out the practical tasks in their absence, but it has been losing money and with Henry being ill, they understandably no longer want the stress.

After Quilpie we finished cleaning the cottage and I went for my de-stressing time on the lake.

In the evening we went for a farewell drink with Mike and Sally - while we were sitting on the veranda a couple of porcupines kept on coming out from under the house and snuffling around, apparently they haven't been seen for months, they were gorgeous so we struck it lucky.

On our way to meet Phil for a meal in the local pub we stopped by at Louie Tully's house as he had invited us to pop around and look at his and Gerard's opals - Louie used to help with mustering and Gerard used to fly the mustering plane when one day whilst flying he noticed a fault in the ground and thought that it looked as though it could produce some opals - they found out who owned the land and asked the owner if they could stake a claim, this was agreed on and the two of them started to hack into the ground with their old machinery - within a couple of weeks they struck lucky and hit a really good seam - with the money from those opals they were able to afford expensive purpose built machinery that could do the job much easier and have continued to do really well - they showed us some of their collection and they were really beautiful, it is just astonishing that something as lovely as that can just be sitting in the ground unnoticed.

We then went for a meal with Phil in the local pub and while we were there some chap called Mathew Morrow came and said 'hello' having recognised Doug from Agricultural college 26 years ago - he actually lives 2000 kms away but was working on the nearby gas line - there was only about six people in the pub so it was an amazing coincidence - he remembered Doug mainly because Doug held the record for drinking a yard of ale in the quickest time!

The lake - listen to the birds!

2011-08-07T03:35:00.000-07:00

Australia - Tuesday 26th July.
Wool bales and a very proud red kangaroo

Check out the red kangaroo seen on the way to Cowley -he was chatting up a little blue female, and when we stopped to look at him he stood up on his hind legs and seriously flexed his pecs - what a boy!

The morning was spent packing and cleaning in the cottage, after which I took the boat on the lake. We had found this boat in the shed, and it was the same boat that was used at Woodlands (the last farm) to get across the river when it was up - sometimes Henry used to have to load the children in it to get them to school as there was no other way out, he also put a motor on it and one day it got stuck on full revs and crashed straight into a tree, the dent was there to prove it - so it had a bit of history. Anyway, I decided not to try and use the motor but just rowed it around the lake and it was absolutely stunning. The bird life is awesome and I just wish I knew my Australian birds better as I'm not sure what I saw. I know there was a pair of wedge tailed eagles soaring above and massive flocks of white cockatoos, and other brightly coloured parrots, plus lots of little wader birds and ducks/grebes on the lake.

In the late afternoon we went to visit an old friend of Doug's called Ian and his partner Sandy. They manage the Cowley property which is of a similar size to Comongin about forty miles south, and used to be part owned by Doug's father, Henry. Doug managed it when he was 21 years old and fresh out of agricultural college - it was a massive task for someone so young but according to outside sources he made a terrific success of it and after three years substantially improved its performance. Ian is doing an equally good job and it was great for me to meet him and Sandy. It was a very 'happy' place - when we arrived, Sandy was being followed by two orphan lambs, a calf and the tiniest little piglet, who's mother had been shot - wild pigs are a dreadful nuisance as they eat the lambs, but Ian took pity on this little one and brought him home in his jacket pocket -he was only two weeks of age but an absolute character, he was doing rough and tumble with the dogs and trying to play with the lambs, totally fearless even though he was no bigger than a guinea pig.

When Doug managed the farm he had an elderly Yorkshire woman called Mrs Holt who had come to Australia with her husband a number of years ago and who worked at Woodlands - her husband had died and she had absolutely no family, so when Doug got the job and at the age of 70 she decided to go with him - Doug packed her up and her worldly belongings including her cat into the front of the truck and drove the 300 miles to their new life. She was totally devoted to 'her boys' (Phil also worked at Cowley during this time) and always made sure that they were well looked after, sadly three years later she got cancer and was buried at Mitchell with her husband. Sandy is convinced that her spirit is still at the farm though as she senses a 'friendly' ghost in what used to be her bedroom.

After a few beers we drove back the forty miles to Quilpie and had a meal in the local pub - very different from English pubs and not many couples having a meal, mainly drinkers and single men from the pipelines. There was a very drunk old Aboriginal man there shouting his head off and trying to talk to anyone who would listen, we did our best to avoid him and managed to quickly have our meal and escape. I was impressed though with the way he was handled by the other drinkers, they treated him with polite humour and didn't let the situation get out of hand.

We arrived back to a freezing cold cottage and huddled into bed which thankfully had an electric blanket!

2011-08-07T02:34:00.000-07:00

Back to Australia - July 25th

We woke to the sound of Galahs taking off from the nearby trees - the sound of them all leaving together almost shook the house, it was really cold and you could see the ground through the floorboards and the sky through the air conditioning vents, Australian houses aren't designed for cold weather as their winter doesn't last for long and it soon warms up during the day.

The sheep had all been mustered in for lamb marking (docking tails, castrating and ear marking)The ewes were being crutched and all had lice treatment and the rams shorn. They also had to be counted for the sale. We helped in the pens in the morning and then got on with sorting the cottage out. Doug's parents had last stayed there two years ago - they used to make regular trips out to the farm from their coastal house and during the drought helped feed the cattle and sheep. Sadly because of Henry's illness they were not able to make the trip again. In the meantime there had been a plague of mice through the cottage so it took some cleaning up. We filled the back of the Hiluxe three times and drove to the burning pit - Doug found his guns which were still in good order and we were delighted to find Granny Harkin's racing colours (blue and white hoops, white cap) which hadn't been chewed by mice.

2011-08-07T02:21:00.000-07:00

Blakesley show was great yesterday - Doug was literally talking to people all day - when I arrived his stand was full of people with a drink in their hands, all very jolly and we didn't pack up until it started to get dark and the last person had left. He had a lot of very good enquiries which should keep him busy for next season.
We didn't make the barbecue which was a shame as it promised to be a really good one but we still haven't quite got over the jet lag and just can't do late night sat the moment.

2011-08-06T05:36:00.000-07:00

Back to the present - yesterday we had a great day with the horses. The three outside horses were as mad as a box of frogs to begin with - Doug spent a good time 'de-sensitising' them and getting them to accept him as the pack leader with a neck rope, one of them (nicknamed Blondie, because she has long blond locks) jumped at Doug, who stepped out of the way and she ended up smashing through the fence, no harm done just a few cuts and scrapes. They all calmed down eventually to the point where an (understandably) rather nervous Will was legged up onto their backs, just lying across them to begin with, but then ending up sitting astride while Doug led them around. We had a bit of a laugh when Will was legged up and there was a very loud ripping sound - his jeans had torn right from the front to the back -the ladies G-string was a bit concerning.... Where was my camera when I needed it?!
It was astonishing how quickly they relaxed and allowed a person the sit on them. Now that the difficult part is out of the way we will concentrate on teaching them the aids and mouthing them. We were very excited about Spider, who we expected fireworks from - there was a bit of rearing up to begin with but then she settled down really well and was as good as gold - we haven't seen the worst of her yet though as she is very very clever little monkey and I can't imagine that it will be all peaches and cream with her. The other four came in from the bottom field and were also much more relaxed about going on the walker and spending the day in the stable. We will be working on them next week.
Last night we went for a cycle ride and then stopped for a drink in the local - Friday afternoon brings out the characters in the pub and it was entertaining to say the least!
Today Doug has got a stand at the Blakesley show This is an annual event and is a wonderfully traditional agricultural show. It sports ploughing matches (with horses as well as old tractors) dog shows, horse events, gun dog competitions, terrier racing, and lots of socialising. I have been waiting for some shepherd hut guests to arrive but I may just leave them a note and go and join Doug as I'm fairly sure his bar will need replenishing - we are supposed to be going to Kerry and Tom's barbecue tonight but it rather depends on what time we are able to get away.
More on Australia tomorrow...

2011-08-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

Sunday 24th July Aboriginal Bora rings

It was interesting to meet Michael and Sally last night - Phil the land agent who 's company is going to be responsible for selling the farm was there too and this morning he drove us around the farm.

The farm is 93,905 hectares (232,045) acres and holds cattle and sheep, to get a full tour it would have taken two days, but we did the shortened trip. They have had the best season for years and there was plenty of feed and great watering holes. We stopped for a coffee by the aboriginal bora rings. It was incredible to think that hundreds of years ago these were made for tribal dancing - rather spooky.

On the way around (about 15 miles from home) the truck got stuck in a creek - luckily Phil had got a spade with him and we managed to dig it out otherwise it would have been rather a long walk home. Doug was really impressed with the quality of the grass/herbage particularly on the western side - he was rather concerned though that all the cattle and sheep were on the eastern side and nothing had been on the better grazing for at least two years which seemed rather odd. We had a really good look around and Phil clearly knew the country really well.

When we got back we spent a couple of hours sorting out the cottage and then had a barbecue in the garden

2011-08-05T00:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday 23rd July - Comongin
After a very long journey we eventually arrived at Doug's parents farm, Comongin . The reason why we made the trip was because it is going to auction on the 10th August, Doug still had a lot of his possessions there including some very nice guns, and Dougs parents needed help sorting out the cottage and making sure that everything was in order before the sale.
We arrived in the late afternoon and I couldn't believe how lovely it was - the cottage was by a massive lake which stretched for as far as the eye could see and the birdlife was amazing. The windows were filthy so we gave them a quick wash so that we could see out and then got ready to meet up with the farm manager, Mike and his wife Sally in the main house for the evening meal. We left just as a massive flock of Galah's were roosting in the tree by the cottage

2011-08-05T00:12:00.000-07:00

We went to The Royal Oak at Eydon last night and met up with Harriet and John - a good night and the food is much better than it used to be. John Apro dropped off his three unbroken hooligans yesterday evening and they are having their first session this morning.
Yesterday we brought up our youngsters from the field (Eeyore, Spider, Dolly, Cloud and Frog)and put front shoes on them. they were pretty wild but are now on the walker and have settled really well. Anyway, back to Australia....

2011-08-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

July 23rd
We were up before the sun rose to start the long journey to Comongin (approx 940 kms)
More to follow as we are off to the pub for supper......

2011-08-04T10:28:00.000-07:00

Carnarvon Gorge

Thursday/Friday 21st/22nd July
After a lovely two days spent with Doug's parents we set off early in the morning for Carnarvon Gorge - Doug's parents very kindly lent us their Toyota Hilux for the 800 km journey. We arrived there after nine hours of driving just as it was getting dark and settled into our little cottage in the middle of the forest.
The next day we walked for miles and saw the sights, the scenery was spectacular and the aboriginal art was supposed to be the best preserved in Australia.
Everyone was very friendly and mostly country folk - it is astonishing how many older Australians think nothing of driving hundreds of miles in their camper vans - they are called 'The Grey Nomads' and they really seem to be enjoying their retirement.

In the evenings we sat around the fire pit and put the world to rights - it was a great break and we really enjoyed it.

2011-08-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

Australia - 17th July - 2nd August 2011
The flight didn't get off to a great start - There was a technical fault and the plane was stranded on the runway for two hours mostly in darkness as they had to switch everything off - with 13 hours to Singapore ahead of us, plus the extra two hours it was a bit of a marathon. We were also concerned that we wouldn't catch the connecting flight to Brisbane as there was only three hours in between which was reduced to less than one hour by the time we got to Singapore. However, we caught it with no problems and arrived in Brisbane early on Tuesday morning and took a bus to Doug's parents in Buderim. It was lovely to see them both and Henry, Doug's father. looked a lot better than we expected. They live in a lovely house high up which looks down onto a rain forest with the sea in the background. We had a coffee and caught up on all the news - in the afternoon, after a bit of lunch we managed to fight off the desire to go to sleep and went for a long walk on the nearby beach, which is just miles of white sand - even though it is the middle of their winter I was surprised at how warm it was, although it did get very cold in the evenings and early mornings.

2011-08-04T04:42:00.000-07:00

We're back!! Will has done a really good job in our absence and everything looks great. The dogs were mildly pleased to see us, so have clearly had a great time while we have been away and Billy (the parrot) had his normal sulk but is coming around slowly. The pigs, horses and most of the chooks (two missing) are in very good form
I am just downloading the photos from the trip and will give a full account as soon as I have finished catching up with things in the office.
It is good to be back...

2011-07-17T02:57:00.000-07:00

'We Never Give Up' has arrived!

She arrived first thing this morning, (and yes, we were still in bed!) She looks great - plenty big enough and very athletic looking. She has got a white triangle on her nose which is quite distinctive and once we had put Leon in the same field as her she settled really quickly - Doug took her back shoes off and she was perfectly behaved. What a relief - I don't like buying horses unseen but I had heard that Pat was dead straight and so far, everything he said has been right. She looks as though she could go out and do the job very nicely indeed. We will have to think of a stable name for her.

The ball was brilliant last night - the marquee was massive and there was a live band and a disco, the food was great and they would have made a lot of money in the auction. All local farming people and a fantastic atmosphere - It went on until 4 am in the morning and was still pumping when we left (very sensibly) at 2.30 am

Next time I do a posting we will be in Australia - we will be leaving at 5 o' clock this afternoon for the flight which leaves around 10 pm so plenty of time although I still have so much to do - Must go and water my tomatoes!

2011-07-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

'Never Give up' is arriving on Sunday morning according to Patrick - I hope not too early as we are going to a 'Glitter Ball' on the Saturday night in aid of Cystic Fibrosis held at Nicola and Sam's farm, who's eight year old son Henry, who is absolutely gorgeous suffers from. There are over 700 local people going and it promises to be a really good event, definitely not going to be an early night...
Today my main ambition was to catch up on all the office work before going to Oz, I'm almost there, just got to do the last posting out tomorrow and then Lucy will man the phones until Becky comes back from her holiday on Thursday to do the orders. Time for bed...

2011-07-14T10:15:00.001-07:00

Great - Just heard from Paddyland that the horse hasn't even left the emerald isles yet - I had to phone them up to find out why she hadn't arrived having waited all day. and apparently there has been some problem with transport - never mind, she might as well be eating their grass as mine as we are still rather short here. All very Irish though.
The big news is that we are going to Australia this Sunday for two weeks - I didn't want to mention it before we had got our security sorted out just in case those nasty burglars were reading my blog (!) but now we have got Will staying here, plus friends and neighbours all keeping an eye out, and even the local police are going to patrol around during the night, I'm sure it will be fine.
Yes, we are going to Australia to see Doug's parents and Doug wants to pick up the last of his worldly belongings from his fathers farm which they are hoping to sell in mid-August. We will be spending the first couple of days at Doug's M & D's on the coast at Buderim, Queensland, and then going on to spend a couple of nights at Carnarvon Gorge and then on to Doug's father's farm, Comongin which is about 600 miles West, we will spend a couple of days there and then back to the coast again. I'm really looking forward to seeing outback Australia again and it will be lovely to catch up with Doug's parents, who although they have both had a few health problems are real battlers and great company.

2011-07-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

Our new horse 'Never Give up' is due to arrive on Thursday morning all being well - I'm a bit worried in case she's a donkey as there's no chance of returning her back to Ireland once she's here, but if she's a nice enough person we can always do something else with her and sell her on.
This afternoon we went to look at a sister of Doctor Kingsley who is for sale, as we had an owner who might have been interested in buying her - unfortunately she was a bit too small, unbroken and he was asking far too much for her. We then went on to see a mare called Intimate Whisper at Stuart Campbell's - he had rung during the week to tell us about her - and that she needed a home - She's a five year old and has had one run on the flat where she basically wasn't fast enough but he thought she would be a great pointer - we had our doubts as we thought she wouldn't stay but have just checked her pedigree and found that her dams half sister, was a very useful staying hurdler rated 154 and that her grandmother had won and been placed in a point to point, added to that when we saw her we couldn't find a thing wrong - even though I had gone determined not to buy another horse, even better though is that the owner and breeder of the horse may want to keep an interest and pay towards her training. That would be a perfect result. She has got a lovely nature and seems really genuine - Stuart loose schooled her over a barrel and poles (only the second time she has had her feet off the ground) which she did very willingly and then rode her bareback to her stable. Oh dear, I can feel another addition to the family about to happen...

2011-07-11T14:05:00.000-07:00

The Pytchley Puppy show

On Thursday afternoon we went to the Pytchley puppy show - it is wonderfully traditional and has been going on for over a hundred years - there are always two judges, normally masters/huntsman from other packs who inspect the new hounds for the season in pairs and then decide which one's make the grade - the one's that don't are ignominiously scooped up and carried back to their kennel, they then decide which hound should be the champion and which the reserve (Boozy and Bramble this year) They then parade the best working hound for the last season (Prickett) and then we all go into the marquee for tea, where the puppy walkers get their prizes - Fox hounds aren't the easiest as (obviously) they love hunting and often escape to do their own thing, they are extremely boisterous but lovely and it has been known for a puppy walker to get so attached to their puppy that they can't bear to part with it. Having watched a real tear jerker of a film last night called 'Marley and Me' starring amongst others Jennifer Aniston, (It was about a boisterous family dog who got old and had to be put down - SO sad) I can understand why this could happen. They REALLY deserve their prize. Anyway, we met a lot of old friends who we hadn't seen for a while which was great.

We then went on to meet up with some local friends for a bar meal - we were supposed to be giving the seal of approval on a new 'girlfriend' for a friend who has been unhappily married for 25 years and after three years of separation has just ventured out with his new flame - not new for him as apparently he had been engaged to her when they were both eighteen ( 46 years ago!!) It was a bit strange as we were all used to his old model but she seems very nice and we can only hope that it works out for him this time around.

My computer has been playing around which is why I'm a bit behind on the news - it's getting late - we have been for a cycle ride and then we walked for a meal to The Griffin, nothing much to report but will catch up in more detail tomorrow.

2011-07-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

I have just heard from Jay, via e-mail, its been exactly five weeks since she left for the Amazon rain forest and there has been absolutely no contact at all, slightly worrying but she did warn me that that would be the case - she sounded very happy and will be getting a new sim card so that she can ring us. I'm not sure what her plans are now - her university group are all coming back but she was determined to see more of the country and wanted to stay out until the end of August.

2011-07-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

Haymaking with the 'Green Goddess'

The Green Goddess is Doug's favourite lady, and he was very proud that she could pull this rather large load of hay all the way home (two miles) without complaint... It wasn't stacked by Doug and very nearly tipped over, heart in mouth stuff.

We have been busy this last two days getting the hay in before the rain - two hours after we had stacked the last bale the rain came down. Perfect result. It was a stroke of luck that we had the hay in the first place as we had originally rented an extra field as we thought we had too many horses for the grass we had, as it turned out the field was too rough to put horses on so we decided to take hay from it instead - we got 610 bale from 7.6 acres which considering it has been a bad season with very little rain was much more than expected. With hay bales costing in excess of £4 per bale this year it was a good move and it's great to have the barn full.

There has been no news as far as the shot lambs are concerned - the last I heard the two that were spared are still alive - the lamb is being nursed by Vernon's wife and the ewe is hanging on - sadly the maggots will probably get the better of them eventually but at least they've had a chance. Apparently the neck shots are in line with other mass shootings in rural areas and its thought to be something to do with the fact that Sheiks/Pakistanis regard whole lambs heads as a delicacy, and the best way to get the meat from the body of the lamb, but also to get the premium from the lambs head. Sadly, it's not the best way to kill an animal and it leaves a lot of pain and suffering in its wake apart from the financial loss to the farmer

I have a confession to make - We have just bought another horse. She is an Irish five year old, very nicely bred for the flat but got too big, has run in one point to point in June in Ireland and finished 7th out of 16, and her name is 'We never give up' which I thought was very apt - I have bought her unseen, which I don't like doing, but the person who is selling her - 'Fat Pat' has sold a number of horses into our area and they have always been better than described - he seems to be very honest (for an Irish man!) and I have seen the video of her in her first point to point and she seemed very genuine. She wasn't silly money and would be a great horse to have in the yard and syndicate her or lease her out for the season. Hopefully she will be arriving in the next couple of days and even more hopefully she will be everything Fat Pat said she was!!

We have had a busy week-end with supper in the shepherd hut on Saturday night for a few friends - Maurice (Doug's best man) was determined that we should sample every cider that has ever been brewed and bought a massive great big ice box with him , luckily the other guests helped us out, and then a barbecue on Sunday lunchtime on the estate for the 'North Banbury Farmers' Apparently they have a barbecue every year before harvest and have been doing so for over 100 years. I think some of the original members were there.. It's great to see such a strong farming community and everyone was very upset and concerned about the shootings.

The vet came today to vaccinate all the horses - luckily it went really smoothly without any hiccups - when there are so many horses with different dates to be vaccinated on it is so difficult to keep track of them all so we try and do them all at the same time, unfortunately, Laverty (who doesn't belong to us) slipped through the net and has just gone over the yearly date which means he now needs three vaccinations to get him back in line. Very annoying and expensive.

Doug has taken an early night - humping those very heavy bales around has taken its toll as he also helped to get the rest of the estates hay in. I haven't stacked a bale for a while and my dainty little (!?) hands are very sore - Night night.

2011-06-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

We have just got back from witnessing a terrible incident. Doug was phoned by a neighbouring farmer, Vernon, who said that a lot of his lambs had been shot and he needed help. We arrived to find at least six lambs and two ewes with bloody holes in their necks - Vernon had done a head check and was missing 26 lambs, presumably shot and picked up, with another two dead in the field and the eight badly wounded. It was gut wrenching to see, especially when it was decided that the others would have to be killed as their gun shot wounds were too bad to save them. Doug very quickly dealt with the six worse and slit their throats to put them out of their misery. After he had skinned them, he was horrified to see how bad their injuries were - not only did they have the visible hole in the necks but a number of them were riddled with bullets, one lamb, who looked surprisingly bright before it was killed, and was very nearly spared was found to have a bullet through its shoulder, back and one bullet had literally torn straight through its liver, had he been left he would have suffered a very long and painful death. Vernon's wife was particularly upset about an orphan lamb that she had been bottle feeding and it was decided to try and save him as his wounds weren't quite as bad as the others, also we decided to spare a ewe, who although badly shot in the neck, the bullet looked as though it had come out on the same side, and she was rearing two lambs, so they were both given a huge dose of penicillin and the wounds sprayed. Fingers crossed they will make it. The police were there and thought it looked like a 'killing to order' job - apparently a Polish gang have been involved in another slaughter of lambs not too far away. They were using high velocity rifles, which apart from anything else could have killed someone two fields away if they had been caught in the cross fire.
It really is quite horrifying that things like this can happen and that the perpetrators will probably never be caught - Poor Vernon, loves his stock and was in total shock, he has been targeted by gypsies a number of times before, who have stolen various pieces of machinery, but to cause suffering to innocent animals like this is just going to another level of brutality and heartlessness. The tiny bit of silver lining was the way the local farmers gathered around to help, all very shocked as it could be them next time. They are understandably getting very frustrated at the lack of arrests happening, and I don't think it will be long before someone takes the law in their own hands and we will be skinning something different from a lamb.....

2011-06-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

Doug and his nephew, Max Gubbins, having a 'flat cap' moment
Max came to stay with us for a couple of days. Doug last saw him in Australia 11 years ago and didn't recognise him. He has grown into a fine young man and was an absolute delight to have around, even though he did take the mickey out of Dougs English farmers flat cap - which is why Doug made him wear one too!
In the evening we had a few beers in the garden and then cycled to the pub, had a steak and then wobbled back. A great night. The following day Max helped Doug with his work until the late afternoon when he had a train to catch as he was going to see his Aunt in Ascot (his mother is English) He wants to come back in the winter and help with the racehorses, and even wants to have a ride in a point to point...(!)
Last evening we went to watch The Pirates Of Penzance at the open air theatre at Kilworth House. It started at 5.30 pm with a meal in the massive log cabin, there was a group of 65 of us, all organised by Ann Jones, I was feeling a little jaded after a long day, and have to admit that I thought I would be asleep by the second act, but I was pleasantly surprised and ended up really enjoying it, I love the fact that the theatre is outside and set in the most beautiful surroundings, It's not claustrophobic and too warm like most theatres. The performance was superb, very cleverly done, and I am now, surprisingly, quite a fan of Gilbert & Sullivan.
Today I caught up with my office work and then whizzed off to get some curtains organised for the shepherd hut, as it gets light so early, I thought that we could push the boat out and get some curtains made. Those people who stayed on Saturday still haven't paid. Grrrr! However, all our other guests have been really lovely and we have been lucky not to have had any bad payers before.
I am watching The Apprentice now. Bye Bye.

2011-06-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

It has been a blistering hot day today - yesterday, we went to the Bicester hunts fun day on the next door neighbours farm, they had tug of war over the river, starting with the Young Farmer teams and then the old farts from the Bicester hunt, North v South, we are in the northern part of the country and Doug was anchor man - the Southern team had obviously been practising because they actually looked like a team and had a great rhythm, they won the first pull easily, they then swapped sides and Doug's team won, the South won the toss and wanted to pull from the 'easy' side, anyway, to cut a long story short the Northern side really 'dug' in - (excuse the pun) and Doug refused to budge, winning the pull, which went on for ages, and pulling the soft southerners into the river, Very exciting - Doug was 'man of the match' but is somewhat sore today. There was also hound racing where you had a chance to bid for a hound and if it won its race you won a nice wadge of cash - I won £123 on 'Goldfinch', but then lost £40 of it on 'Laughter' who lived up to his name and didn't take it very seriously at all. There was then a disco and lamb roast, it went on into the night and was great fun.
Today we went out for lunch with my parents, they are both in good spirits although Mum's balance isn't very good at all and she was very wobbly. Unfortunately it is only a matter of time before she has a fall. She seems happy enough and still manages to do the garden which looks lovely.
We have been really busy with the shepherd hut lately, but last nights guests left without paying, I'm sure they didn't mean to but I have left a message on their answering machine and they haven't got back yet. The bounders! I will have to send the knee cap boys around if I don't hear from them soon...

2011-06-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

We are back having had a wonderful break. Umberleigh was great fun, very rural and to be honest not great racing, but a really good atmosphere. We stayed at The Rising Sun where it was heaving with point to point enthusiasts and ended up having a very late night. There were some people there, one chap in particular who goes to 40 meetings a season and knew every single one of our horses, going back to Velvet Dove's heyday - he almost knew more about them than we did! His wife said that he goes into complete decline when the season finishes and brightens up considerably when it starts again. We met a few bookies who were also very knowledgeable about our nags, it was also interesting to hear that some of the meetings (Pytchley being one of them) is run by a cartel (a mafia man from Northampton) who basically controls the bookies, they pay him the full price for a pitch, he pays the hunt a small part of his takings, he also controls what odds they can give and he would be the only one who can takes bets without the favourite. Apparently a lot of punters refuse to go to the meetings where he is 'in charge' . It has being going on for years and no one is prepared to upset him as he is somewhat dodgy. The hunt would be losing out to the tune of £1500 so it really is time that it came to an end. If I'm found with concrete gumboots on at the bottom of the river you will know what has happened.....
The next morning we headed south and checked in at The Port William - it was great to be back there, lovely afternoon and we went for a swim and sunned ourselves on the beach. The rest of the week we walked, swam and explored. We found a lovely place called St Agnes, which if we were to get a whole week away we would rent a cottage there as it was so beautiful. We also caught up for a meal with Niki and Andy who own the Kings Head at Ruan Lanihorne on the Roseland peninsula. Great to see them both.
A lovely break but now I'm paying the price and catching up on all the orders, it has been hectic today - must dash as I want to get the post.

2011-06-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

Hey - it looks as though we are going away for a long week-end, Yippeedoodah - it is our wedding anniversary tomorrow and as the weather is unsettled and Doug has got Will to take over, it means we can take a few days off - we are heading off first thing tomorrow morning to the last point to point of the season at Umberleigh, North Devon, where it is known to be a really fun day and very much the 'end of term' spirit, staying in a pub down there for Saturday night and then going on to my favourite place, Trebarwith Strand, for a couple of nights. Marvelous -very excited and better get packed now for an early start tomorrow.

2011-06-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

The Apprentice was entertaining last night - the two teams both had to start up a free magazine from scratch and then sell advertising space to established media brokers - Both the teams did well in that they found two different niche markets where there seems to be a gap in the market - one team went for an up market 'lads mag' , their mistake was that they didn't keep it upmarket enough and had a semi-clad lady on the front page wearing a hard hat and a mobile phone attached to her ear, plus a page headed 'what would you blow your load on? which didn't go down well with the buyers - the other team decided to target the affluent over sixties - they had all the right ideas, about how sixty is the new forty and how much dispensable income this bracket have, plus the fact that there are no magazines out there for the 'lively' sixty year old - great idea except they called it... Hip replacement'!! They were trying to be clever and play on the word 'hip' meaning 'trendy' but it went down like a lead balloon, as you can imagine. On the front cover they even had a well preserved older couple desperately clutching onto each other with silly grins and wearing grey cardigans. Oh dear. Needless to say they lost the task. Good TV though.
Today we had a tiny drop of rain but desperately need a lot more, the grass is very sparse and although the horses don't look too bad at the moment we will have to buy some hay in and start to feed in the field if the situation doesn't improve - unprecedented for this time of the year.
This afternoon I went to a matinee performance of 'Merchant of Venice' at Stratford - I have been meaning to go to the theatre for ages now that we are so much closer to Stratford. I ended up really enjoying it though I have to say that I was somewhat disconcerted to hear the Shakespearean language being spoken with a heavy American drawl, and the opening scene was set in what looked like the gambling houses of Las Vegas - bearing in mind America hadn't even been discovered when Shakespeare was writing his plays I found that rather amusing and possibly William would have turned in his grave if he had seen some of the costumes that were worn, and the fact that an Elvis Presley lookalike was singing along to some of the scenes, which also featured Batman and Robin....totally bizarre but very watchable and the language was unspoilt (apart from the American drawl!) and as it was written 400 plus years ago. It was also very un PC which is rather refreshing in this day and age and probably would not have been allowed if it had been written nowadays.

2011-06-15T12:59:00.001-07:00

Skye jumping and the linseed fields

Amy came in on Tuesday so that I could take some photos of Skye for the advert. She went really nicely, darn it... No, I really should sell her. even though there is a sponsored ride coming up in our area that she would be perfect for.

The fields around us have all been planted with linseed and twice a day the blue flowers open up and it is quite a spectacle - it looks like a huge lake right outside the shepherds hut, very beautiful.

I'm going to sign out as I want to catch 'The Apprentice' - I love watching it but it sometimes astounds me that these people think that they are at the cutting edge when it comes to business and yet they often make the most fundamental mistakes - it makes good TV I suppose...

2011-06-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

It rained all day today - just what we needed, although it still isn't enough to soften the ground much, it should be enough to get some growth happening with the grass.
We have had a very sociable week-end, supper at friends Ed and Julia on Friday until the early hours, on Saturday Amy very kindly cooked us a meal to say thank you for helping with Jack, it was great to have a chance to get to know her boyfriend, Joe, and catch up with her parents Bay and Hermione. As Amy has been a chalet girl in her past she is a great cook and it was a very pleasant evening. This morning we had a visit from Robert Thame for coffee which ended up being rather a long session. He is at a bit of a cross roads at the moment and wanted some advice... he also wanted us to go to supper with them tonight but we declined.
It has been absolutely fantastic moving into this area - everyone is so genuine and friendly and somehow more 'rural' than where we were before, but it should have come with a health warning - We sometimes feel as though we need to go and stay in a hotel nearby just to get a quiet night in! However, that is in no way a complaint, we shall just have to work a bit harder at getting match fit so that we can keep up with the locals.
This evening I went for a long walk with the dogs and then a swim in the river (in the rain) and then we went for a quick and very nice meal at Red Lion at Culworth. We have had a busy week with guests staying in the shepherd hut so thought we could justify the expense. Early night tonight.

2011-06-07T02:28:00.000-07:00

Pacaya Samiria Nature
Reserve - Amazon rain forest
This is Jay's home for at least the next five weeks. She is living on a boat on the Pacaya river studying macaws as part of her university course.
Just imagine what the dawn chorus is like there....

Jack is ready to go home now as he behaved really well this morning. We have now got Skye in as she should be sold really...Hmmm, I am RUBBISH at selling horses, but now she has retired from racing, she would make a fun horse for someone and is wasted here. I have been putting off advertising her but really must get on with it.