A Very Busy Summer!

We've had a fantastic and action-packed summer, full of lessons, hacking, competing, and as ever, a wonderful sense of community spirit!
We started with a brilliant weighbridge session led by Elise from PureFeed. She offered expert feeding advice and generous feed samples for all our liveries. With tea, cake, and a fun polework clinic, it turned into a great social day for everyone at the yard.
We have also had clinics at the yard from Tracey Collis and Dan Greenwood with all levels enjoying their lessons.
Our liveries have been out and about, making the most of our many local equestrian venues. We’ve had riders hacking down to Cherwell for both dressage and showjumping, others enjoying guided hacks at Cholsey Farm Riding through the stunning Chiltern Hills, and some taking part in dressage clinics at Hempton Arena. Others enjoyed cross country schooling sessions at both Rycote and Oak Tree Farm, while Attington and Edgcote gallops for some fitness training. It’s been lovely to see so many of you getting involved and exploring new opportunities.
It has been a excellent year for all those that I teach, from those competing for the first time or working up through the levels to those who have competed internationally in both pony eventing and with an 11th place at the Junior Europeans. All of the riders I help work so hard and I am extremely proud of all of them.
Freya and I have had a fantastic season ourselves, with wins at Widmer and Solihull at Advanced Medium, and a second place at Bicton Regionals. We were thrilled to have secured our qualification for the National Championships at Advanced Medium level. Very sadly, Freya had a minor injury in the field which meant we were not able to attend, but her health and fitness is always my priority and I am delighted she is now well on her way to recovery.
There have been so many impressive achievements across the yard this season.
Julie and her incredible 25-year-old mare Diamond have had an exceptional run in GB Endurance, with strong performances at Well Vale End, Barbury Castle, and Compton Downs. Diamond delivered excellent heart rates throughout and came home with fantastic results.
Flora and Gemma, a newly formed partnership, are already off to a flying start. They took second place in the 90cm showjumping at Cherwell, came sixth at BE90 Solihull, and were part of the winning team at the Pony Club Eventer Challenge (90cm) at Blenheim Palace Horse Trials. An exciting journey ahead for this talented pair.
Leonie and Ted have been excelling in the dressage world, particularly within BD Quest Club. Most recently, they secured second place at the GB Irish Draught National Championships and have officially qualified for the Royal International Horse Show 2026. A brilliant accomplishment!
Julia and Alfie have been working hard in their regular lessons and have been out competing for the first time early this year, most recently achieving 72.5% in the prelim and a win in their first novice with 74.8%. I am very proud of this hard working pair!
Sophie and Camilla had an unforgettable time at the U25 Dressage Championships at Sheepgate. Their results included second, fifth, and eighth place in the Elementary classes, as well as a ninth in the Championship class. A huge achievement, and a very proud moment for me and her trainers Tracey Collis and Henry Boswell.
Julie N and Katie have brought something new and fun to the yard with their Working Equitation sessions, which have been a hit with everyone. Keep an eye out for more exciting social events and riding fun planned for the autumn!
Meanwhile, Julie and Leo continue to inspire us all with their Para Dressage journey. They achieved excellent scores at the Gold Grade 2 National Dressage Championships, a huge well done to them both.
We've made it through the extra-dry summer, thanks to the top-quality hay from our amazing suppliers. Now that the grass is finally coming back, the horses are looking forward to moving onto the winter grazing at the end of October.
Here’s to an exciting autumn ahead, full of more riding, learning, celebrating the amazing progress of everyone across the yard, whether it be a new hack or a winning score.
Caroline x
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