As it’s now the end of Jan the events are just starting with a kick off with Pine Top this weekend.  As lead up events a couple of jumper and combined shows were used.  Rhiannon and Bing managed to take the short winter school break and join in with great results.  Bing came down 2 weeks before Rhiannon’s break and started schooling so was nice and tuned for the 2 shows we had lined up.  Rhiannon and Bing, pictured below, jumped in the 2’6 and 2’9 classes for double clears and great results of a 1st and 2nd.  Then to finish her time down this winter went to a combined training and dressage day and won the open training level 1 dressage with a very polished fault free test and some encouraging comments from the spectators.  I took Revi and he was 5th in the CT and 2nd in the training level 2.

I jumped Squirrel in some of the bigger classes and he won the Welcome stakes at the Aiken Winter Classic 1, 3rd in the same class the following week and 1st in the 1.15 and 2 top ten finishes in the mini prix.  Revi also started in one class for a 2nd in the 95cm class on the clock.

While Rhiannon was down we also managed some cross country schooling at Full Gallop Farm even though the week was unseasonably cold for Aiken and the water jumps were frozen!  Yes in the US water jumps can be ice, (for Aussies).  As it was time for Rhi to go back to school I felt sorry for both Rhi and Bing as they returned to NJ to wait out the remaining winter , as well as the long drive back after a hectic 2 weeks of horse stuff. It was also fabulous of Rhi’s parents Pat and Robyn for driving down the 800miles to arrive at 6pm and then leave again at 4am to get everyone back to school and work on Monday! What we do for horses, I think we are all near mad!

Last week was great because we fitted in a cross country training day at Gibbes Farm which is just fantastic for schooling everything right up to Advanced.  It took all day as its 2 hours away but everyone who went achieved a great deal and riders and horses are now ready for the events that run every weekend for weeks coming up.
We are also making great use of the local restaurants, thank goodness for Marias as the food there keeps us all going when we forget to shop.  Actually it would be a change to eat at the house!

Cheers Kadi