Hello everyone!

It's been a busy old week... as the end of term approaches I have had students doing exams and as a result the horses have not had quite as much work as I would like - I really need more hours in the day!   With the spring grass coming through I am having to keep a careful eye on their waistlines - the joy of natives who can get fat by looking at grass.  We have often joked that Genie could find grass in the Sahara!

So last Saturday Genie went to Badgworth for BD, riding P13 & P17 in an attempt to finish our qualification for the Summer Regionals. My G-I-T (groom-in-training) started the day off by almost fainting not long after we got there, but was determined that I should ride my first test, so we had a less than ideal 10 minute warm up and then in we went! Genie bless her decided not to argue with me and did a sweet test that was good enough for 66.24% which was good enough for 4th place.   Another short warm up for the P17 after getting G-I-T checked by the medic, during which Genie felt like a wooden donkey that was about to splinter.  Fortunately she loves an audience and the second she realised people were watching she decided that she could play dressage after all.  Cue a fab score of 71.77%!  Good pony!

Sunday we had a BD Viewing Day, hoping to be selected for the Avon Inter-County Team.  She posted 69.3% so we shall see!

This weekend has been mental for me work wise, but today I took Genie and a friend's pony to the beach at Brean to have a chill out.  The hacking around us isn't particularly brilliant (no places to allow the horses to let off steam) so it was a nice change for her.  She had a blast while behaving impeccably - went from gallop one minute to walking on a long rein straight after.  We met wind surfers, various dogs, and hovercraft, and even jumped a rather piddly log!

Coming up for us is lessons with Matt Jenkins on Saturday, and our RC Open Dressage on Sunday, where both girls are competing.  Fanfare is doing the Restricted Prelim and the RWHS Qualifier, while Genie is also contesting the RWHS Qualifier as well as doing her first ever Elementary.  Hopefully I will get some pictures!

Thank you for reading!