Mike Jackson

Birthday Win!

23rd April 2007

This weekend has been fantastic, not only was it my birthday on Saturday, Max (Up With The Lark) won the novice regional final at Hambledon and qualified for the Novice Championships at Gatcombe in August!  I was really pleased because there where some lovely young horses in the section and lots of people came up to me wanting to use Max as a stallion!

Joey (Kangasong) also went well but showed his slight inexperience by wobbling in the dressage (he says he was too big to fit in the arena!) and had two show jumps down.  However, his cross country was excellent and I felt he really developed from the experience.

I was going to take Rebel but unfortunately he lost a shoe earlier in the week and therefore missed out on some work, so I decided not to take him.  Instead we had a barbeque with some friends to celebrate my birthday!

I am doing some work on my own web-site.  A group of my friends are clubbing together to help update it.  It was designed by my brother who now lives in New York and whilst he is great at all that technical stuff - he doesn't have a clue about eventing!  I will let you know when it is up and running.

It has been a busy week on the social front (all work and no play makes for a very dull Mike....!).  There was a charity event at the local pub - The Westcote Inn.  It was called "Chocs Locks" and involved national hunt jockey Robert Thornton (aka Choc) having his famous blonde locks shaved off.  It was a great event and helped raise nearly two thousand pounds for the Injured Jockeys' Fund.

This week I am taking Merlin to Milton Keynes to do the Pre-Novice and getting Rebel, Ella and Nutty ready for Broadway the following weekend.  Nutty is a new horse that I have in to sell.  She is owned by friends of mine, Alex Jessett and his fiance Rachel.

Ellie has also been busy on the yard, when not working hard for the BBC.  She is getting her mare, Katie fit and is hoping to bring her out in a couple of months time.

Oh....and we brought a house this week!  Hopefully it will give us a bit more space - as it is getting a bit too cosy at ours with 4 people and 4 dogs in a 2 bedroom house! 

Overall a very busy week!

Mike