I am finally back home after a great show at Kill International indoor championships! I arrived early on Friday with lux, Freddie (Having a ball) and Amigo.

Freddie jumped in the ninety and went clear and finished in fifth! Amigo had a pole in 1.10 and Lux had a pole in the 1.20 and 1.30, so I had a touch of 4-faultitis for the day!

Saturday proved to be a better day with Lux finishing in sixth in the 1.20 and qualifying for the 1.30 on Sunday. There were huge entries so I was delighted. Freddie jumped his first meter class and went clear again! He is going to be a very nice horse. Amigo had a clear also and managed to stay in a qualifying place, which I was delighted with.

Sunday required a very early start to get them ready for the finals. Lux was first to go in the 1.20. There were sixty starters, with nineteen going to the jump off. We finished in fourth, so I was thrilled. She was super careful and fast and the fences were a lot bigger then the first round.

I was afraid she would then be tired in 1.30 after a good clas,s but she jumped the 1.30 final really well also, finishing with two down – two verticals that just rolled! It was a pity, but I was very happy with my little horse.

I gave Freddie the day off as he was so good in the previous classes, so all I had left was Amigo. The 1.10 final was late starting unfortunately, but finally it moved into the main ring after the grand prix and I was second to go in the two phase class. He jumped around with ease, showing a lot of scope and had a double clear! In all it was a productive few days with great courses and competitions!

We did a little jumping today as the weather was so nice! Having a ball was fantastic -he jumped great and really enjoyed it. I’m really looking forward to the future with him.. Lux was full of beans! She was a sweaty mess after a bit of work so I really need to clip her tonight!!

Amigo is all set for the show!

Parco got the all clear from the vet last week and has started back with flat work. He is obviously feeling great because he bronked like a three year old and threw me off! I walked it off and was fine. He has been in great form so far and seems 100%.

We will be heading to Kill international very early on Friday morning, aiming to hit the road at 6am.

It’s been a very busy few weeks! I have been running the yard and helping out in my brothers office as one of the girls had a baby.

The horses are getting a little bit furry with the turn in season. Parco has come back in to recover from his little injury but he is still only walking. I am hoping to get the all clear from the vet this week to start proper work! Amigo is also back in work after his little rest. He is in super shape.

Having a ball and Serpent of Lux are working well and getting ready for the Champions of the year show in Kill international in a week’s time. The entries went in the post last Friday. Amigo will also be attending the show.

I’ll take a day to bring the three of them to Maryville for a training day this week as I have a friend’s wedding on Saturday that I am looking forward to. Hopefully we will get some fine weather, making work a little bit easier!

We were back in Millstreet yesterday and had a lovely day, luckily the rain stayed away so we had a great day jumping. Even though there was no 1.30m, there was a €1000 for 1.10m so I put her in. After coming third, she really earned her big dinner! Freddie also did a really good job, earning his first point with a double clear in the 90cm. They are both having the day off today but are spending it inside because of the stormy weather.

I arrived back from my holidays last Friday after a lovely break; it was great to see the horses after some time off.

The Banteer show was moved to Millstreet on Sunday so I decided that I would bring Serpent Of Lux and Having A Ball. Lux had been on a break while I was away so I decided that we would have a pop around the 1.10. She was very fresh but she was in fantastic form all the same and we finished third in the jump-off. Having A Ball is a very level headed four year old with plenty of scope and popped around the course without any problems. I’m really, really excited to produce him into the five year old classes in the new-year.

Parco is arriving back today and will have another week of box rest from a little injury he received but hopefully he will be back on track in no time. Amigo is also returning to work on Monday after a week out and I’m aiming for them for the indoor championships at Kill International- looks like I’m going to be kept really busy!

Wow, what a week we had at Millstreet, we are still recovering! It was a super show with fantastic arenas and classes. Serpent Of Lux had a great show and seems to be back on track after her bloods being low. She jumped clear both Wednesday and Thursday and had a super round on Friday with an excellent time but unfortunately, one pole on the ground kept us from the top six. Sunday was her last class and she jumped a fantastic round but we were unlucky enough to roll a pole towards the end of the course preventing us from being in the jump-off. Amigo also learnt a lot this week jumping in the 1.10 classes. He had a lovely clear on Thursday and Saturday, qualifying him for the 1.10 ladies on Sunday. The course was spooky and technical which was a lot for a green horse to take in but he went in like a pro and had a beautiful clear round. We finished in eighth place after having one down in the jump-off. I was delighted that he won his first Millstreet rosette! I brought my new four year old to his first show too and I popped around the 90’s. He jumped them really well and was an absolute pleasure but we knocked the last fence in the second round when he began to get quite tired. I really am so proud of him and I think that he will have a great future.

I couldn’t resist adding this in, how cute!

I would like to introduce you all to my newest addition that I am very excited about! Arriving at the yard only last week, ‘Having A Ball’ is my gorgeous new four year old; he is by Beach Ball and is out of a Diamonds Are Trumps mare. His stable name is Freddie and he is a real individual who is full of character. I cannot wait to start working with him and bringing him to shows so fingers crossed we’ll make a great team.

We are all tired this morning after spending yesterday out in the sun, drawing all the hay in! I am delighted it is done, though and the horses had a few easy days while we used the weather to get some jobs done. This was timed well as Serpent of Lux needed a few easy days anyway, as she was found to be low in iron and has been on a course of B12 injections.

Amigo has been gaining a lot of experience, jumping in Miltown and at Cork show last weekend and what a fantastic show it was! However, Parco was a little sore in his foot this week so he also had to have a few days off…as they say, it never rains but it pours, but fingers crossed Lux and Parco will be back in work this week.

I must go and collect my truck today as it was getting serviced and DOE tested, thankfully it passed! My plan for the rest of the week is to get the horses back in training and ready for Maryville GP show next weekend, lets hope the good weather keeps up!

The weather is still a major factor for competing at the moment and unfortunately, there are not many places with all weather facilities nearby- what a shame!

Last weekend, Serpent Of Lux was jumping 1.30m at Maryville but I felt that she was slightly off balance and I was a bit worried about it even though I knew her muscles were in great shape. I decided that I would take her to Aine Dillon so that she could look at her and I knew that this would put my mind at rest also. Aine said that she was very locked up in her lumber area which explained why she had been disunited at Maryville. I was really happy that I had gotten her loosened out before another show and I have been using the magnetic pad and massaging her since then to help to keep the area free and flexible as which she seems to be greatly enjoying.

Last Wednesday, I brought Amigo to Milltown to jump 1.10m. He schooled around nicely even though he is still a little green. I also decided that I would bring Lux for a training session with Ian Feron to help her to focus on her job, as she is quite fresh and eager at the moment. We worked on straightness; grids and related distance, which was a good work out for her.

I will be travelling to blessington for Friday and Saturday. Looks like it will be a good show!

We had a new addition to the yard this week also, I got a new puppy called Lottie and she is absolutely full of beans!

I was extremely busy the week before Tattersalls, people knew that I was going to be away so it was a bit hectic trying to cram in lessons and getting horses ridden. Unfortunately, Bonnie had a bit of an incident in the horsebox and a cut that needed stitching meant that we were unable to fit in our last jumping practice. The chaos did not stop there either, I was trying to get all of my gear packed so that I would be ready to leave on Tuesday and to add to the pressure, my pony was going to the sales on Monday the day before I was due to leave and this made me quite anxious. Luckily, the pony ended up selling.

I got up early on Tuesday so that I could ride and wash Bonnie before double checking that everything was in the lorry and we could hit the road. Later on that evening Joyce Gaynor, a massage therapist came out to look at Bonnie for which I was very grateful as his carry on in the horsebox had caused him more problems than I had previously thought. He settled in well to his new stable for the week though and he was nice and relaxed.

The trot up on Wednesday went quite well apart from the windy weather; I had my fingers crossed that I would get Thursday for my dressage test and luckily I did. On Thursday morning I was run off my feet, I made sure that Bonnie was lunged before his test so that he could let off any steam. He warmed up even better than usual and got a great score of 58.4.

Friday was a rather laid back day, Bonnie did a bit of jumping and then grazed for most of the day. I could feel the pressure beginning to creep in for the cross-country on Saturday but knowing that my time was not until 6pm meant that I could really think about how I was going to tackle of some of those fences.

We had a brilliant clear on Saturday and only a few time penalties so I was really pleased. Bonnie relaxed in his stable for the rest of the evening and I went to have a well-earned drink and chill out. I got up early on Sunday for the show jumping and Bonnie had a fantastic round but rider error at a double meant four faults which was disappointing for us. Overall, it was a wonderful week and qualifying Bonnie to 3* was a great achievement too.

Our next trip will be to Hartpury in England for another 2* event, I’m also hoping that Stonehavens Smartie, our four year old, will be able to do the Dubarry Young Event Horse Class. I’ll keep you posted!