Tanya Buckingham

In full swing for the eventing season

Well the eventing season has officially got under way and we are back in full swing. I started early in with a trip to Oasby with Bud and Jack...both were terribly excited to be at a party again and showed the dressage judge just how pleased they were by performing multiple added extra moves including flying changes and passage! Sadly the judge didn't give them extra marks for the freestyle impromptu performance - I can't think why?! Luckily both more than made up for it by both jumping double clear!

Last weekend we had a trip to Belton where they both were entered in the OI...thankfully they both managed to perform the dressage moves in the correct order this time so the marks improved alot. Jack then went and jumped a lovely clear sj and set off xc in a good style only to pull up after the drop and again later on - I got him round but have made the hard decision to retire him, he has far exceeded any expectations we ever had for him and it's such a shame that he suffers from arthritis and is obviously feeling too sore!Jack will now be doing just BSJA and jump on a surface!
Bud was his normal self in the sj and had a few down but then stormed around the xc!

We are currently on our way back from Weston Park where Bud was once again doing the OI and he did a brilliant test, and not a bad show jumping round. I then had a stupid blonde moment on the xc and obviously thought the intermediate jump was far too small and so pointed Bud at the advanced fence and jumped...and earned myself a big fat E! That's something that won't be repeated in a long time!

With the increased work the horses are still on the Dengie Alfa-A Oil and Alfa-Beet but also get the Dengie Fibremix Compliment, this diet provides the extra energy without the fizz (which is a good thing especially in the dressage!!) and is also very high in oil so it has them looking fantastic!

On Thursday Bob and I are off to Hartpury for the National Dressage Championships - I'm really looking forward to it as it's the first time I have competed at a "proper" dressage do! Unfortunately he still is unable to eat hay and haylage so he is still having to be fed Alfa-A Molasses Free and Alfa-Beet...he looks amazing on just this and has loads of energy...and it's thanks to Dengie that we were able to find a diet that he could cope with!

The young horses are all going well and will look forward to their first run in May!

Tanya