Q&A with Tanya Buckingham
This Quarter we get up close and personal with our new supported event rider Tanya Buckingham. Don’t forget you can keep up to date with all of our supported riders on the Dengie website just click here.
Q1
What got you interested in eventing?
I was at a pony club training day with Julie Lawson and June Dent when I was 15 and Julie suggested that I tried for the JRN team with Scally. Mum and I hadn't got a clue what she was on about at the time, but Julie told us how to go about joining BE and how to put myself forward for selection!
Q2
You have quite a few horses that you look after by yourself- How do you manage to fit everything in and do you have any top time saving tips?
I spend long days at the yard!! Mum normally mucks out one or two before she goes to work which helps. I try not to waste too much time during the day- for example, I don't stop for lunch I just normally eat while tacking up the next horse!! We do day beds during the day and this means we put all the bedding up into the banks, which makes it easier to keep clean during the day, and the beds get put back down before they get their night feed. I also use the same bridle and boots on the horses when I'm at the yard as it means I'm not faffing around looking for different tack!
Q3
One of your horse's Scally is a broodmare, how's her pregnancy going and are you making any changes to her diet now that she will be heading in to her last trimester?
Scally is doing well and lives out as she suffers from a dust allergy. She has therefore been living just on grass with access to hay in bad weather and a Dengie Field Lick as well. Scally won't get hard feed until the last few months of her pregnancy or unless she starts to lose condition. She will then be given Alfa-Oil and the Fibremix Complement.
Q4
Do your horses get a break over the winter and how do you start to get them fit when you bring them back in to work?
Yes they have all had a holiday. Most have had a month off, but Mickey just had the two weeks off when I was away in Thailand. They all have done four weeks road work, two weeks walking for an hour and then progress to adding some trot work uphill for the next two weeks. After that they start working in the arena. I start with working them quite lightly with lots of walk breaks and build the work up as they start to feel fitter. I don't jump until they have done at least 6/7 weeks' work hacking and schooling. Over the winter they do BSJA and dressage. I will start to up their work after Jan and in Feb they start to prepare for eventing by adding canter work at the gallops.
Q5
What's your favourite Dengie product and why?
Alfa-Beet as all the horses can cope with this product even the fizzy ones and they all look fantastic and love eating it!!
Q6
Do you have any lucky rituals before competing?
Not really. My mum ties my stock for me, but that's because I still can't do it not because it's lucky!!!
Q7
What's your aim for next season?
Three star with Jack and Bud and depending on how they go I have a plan at the back of my mind that one or both may go four star by the end of the year, but I want to make sure they are totally ready!
Q8
Given the current economic climate what are you willing to save on and what do you refuse to compromise on?
I won't compromise on feed, bedding or shoeing!! I do however live for my horses and would rather spend money on them or on lessons than on myself or partying!! I am lucky that I get support from Dengie and that Neil Jackson from Equi Eaze provides plastic shoes for me. Foxberry Chasers let me use their facilities for free which is fantastic as I do all my XC schooling and some canter fitness work there. Of course my parents help out a lot as well!!
