Mike Jackson

June - the new monsoon season??

It seems that June is going to be the new monsoon season - what random weather we've had!  Looking on the bright side - the ground is not so hard!

This month got off to a great start with Great Tew in Oxfordshire - one of my favourite events.  It's set in beautiful parkland and is really well organised.  Nutty came 5th in the novice and Jack came 5th in the pre-novice.  Joey and Katie (Ellie's horse) also went well although they didn't get placed.

Nutty and Joey went to Berkshire the following week and came second and third in the novice.  It was a great day to do well especially as David Charles was there to take pictures for Dengie!  Joey loved having his photo taken and spent the whole day posing, as you can see from the picture!

Since then it has been a bit of a washout.  Cornflake and Joey were entered for the Grand Prix competition at Salperton but unfortunately it was cancelled, as was Milton Keynes the next day.  However, they still held the Burghley Young Event Horse class so we took a lorry load!  Jack came 4th in the 5 year olds, which was good but frustrating that he didn't qualify especially as he was pulled in top, by David Merit in the final section.  I also took my new stallion Wish Upon A Star, who's owned by Carolyn Bates.  He's absolutely lovely and oozes class so I was thrilled we won our first show together and qualified for Burghley!  Ellie, my wife, rode Joey's brother Skippy, who jumped well but was a bit green and I also took Caroline Muhlenkamp's trakener Fritz who's really starting to mature and ended up 4th.  All in all a good day.

With some of the events being cancelled it's given me a chance to get lessons in.  Simon Nicholson has been at our yard helping with the jumping and Spencer Wilton's been here working on my flatwork.

No events this weekend but weather permitting we're meant to be going to Shipton Moyne this week to the the Pavo 4 and 5 year old classes with Fritz, Skippy, Ella, Nutty, Joey and Jack!  Another lorry load!

Mike