Mike Jackson

Easter Fun!

This bank holiday weekend, I was competing at Goring Heath Horse Trials in Oxfordshire. Joey, Cornflake and Rebel were all in the novice and generally I was pleased with the way they went...

Cornflake went well at his first event of the year, doing a 36 dressage and double clear - finishing fifth overall. Rebel did a good test. He got 34 for dressage, had one down in the show jumping and then had a silly run out at an arrow-head in the cross country.

Joey did a diappointing dressage test despite having a "tune-up" lesson with Spenny (Spencer Wilton) the day before. He spotted some Alpacas in the neighbouring field and decided to impersonate one during his test which was frustrating! However, he did make up for it by doing a double clear and coming sixth.

Today I had the day off, which is pretty unusual but as we have lots of helpers around the Easter holidays I took full advantage and even managed to have a lie-in - very nice after a week of early starts!

Feeling refreshed - this week will be spent teaching, painting fences and keeping the horses ticking over for Hambeldon in two weeks time, where Joey and Max are competing in the novice area final and Rebel is doing his first intermediate.

Both Max and Joey stand a good chance of qualifying for the novice championships at Gatcombe so I will be working hard to make sure their flatwork is up to scratch!

P.S. Billy Bird was featured in the "Zero to Hero" article in Horse & Hound last week - did anyone spot him? What a star he is turning out to be!