On Sunday 29th January, Lou Rigby took her horse Indie to the dressage competition at Burrows Court Farm.

She rode in the walk and trot and prelim 18 classes and came home with 1st rosettes for both classes.

Excellent result Lou, well done and keep up the hard work.

Earlier this month Team Green Horses took Twinkle to the Eventers Challenge at Summerhouse Equestrian Centre. 

This was only her second outing and our head girl Emma gave her a lovely ride and she jumped clear.

We were really pleased with the way she jumped and hope to take her to some more events like this to continue her education.

On 9th October we took a team of horses to FFRC Hunter Trial at Manor Farm, Longney. Emma and Andrew  riding Just For Now aka Ned and Panto's Star aka Twinkle took part in the  first pairs class. Both horses jumped really well,  Ned just had an unfortunate stop at the corn on the cob fence and Twinkle jumped clear. They finished the class in eighth  place and picked up a rosette.  We were especially pleased with this as it was Andrew's first ever hunter trail. Well done Andrew, great first effort and the first time we had taken Twinkle to any type of competition. Well ridden Emma, you did a great job with her. Next Emma took over the ride on Ned to join Mel Tegg and Jake in the next pairs class, both horses jumped fabulous clear rounds and they ended up in third place. Next Mel and Jake did the open class, jumping a lovely clear round to finish 7th. All horses and riders finished the day safe and sound and  we all has a lovely day rounded off with a delicious  picnic provided by Emma's Mum, Bena and Carolyn Tegg, thank you ladies.

On  Wednesday we were asked if we could provide a horse for Gillian Higgins to do a Horses Inside Out Demonstration at the RDA centre at Henbry, Bristol. The demonstration was sponsored by Protexin Probiotics and the subject was the Horse's Digestive System and Movement. We arrived at the RDA at 12.30  for Gillian to start painting the digestive system on one side of Destiny and the skeletal system on the other. This took 6 1/2 hrs. Destiny behaved brilliantly and stood very patiently for the whole time while up to six people stood around her painting. The first part of the demo started at 7.30 with Gillian using Destiny as her model to explain the horses digestive tract to the audience, the second part of the demo focused on the horses skeletal system and the horses movement, during this part  I was asked to lunge Destiny to demonstrate to the audience how the skeletal system works. The evening finished with with  asking me to lunge Destiny over raised poles to  demonstrate exercised to improve the horses posture. Destiny played her part brilliantly and was a credit to Team Green Horses. We  finally left the RDA for home and arrived back at the yard  about midnight.

Massive thanks to Andrew for all his help and support during a very long day, to Emma for keeping everything running smoothly at the yard allowing us to be away and lastly, but definitely not least to Mel Tegg for coming back to the yard at an unearthly hour to help wash off all the paint.

On 4th September Emma Langlands, Team Green Horses head girl, and Lou Rigby took Just For Now and Indie to Syston Pony Club Hunter Trial at Leyland Court. Emma and Just For Now  jumped a lovely clear round in the pairs, with Lou and Indie having a little trouble at the arrow head. Lou and Indie then managed a good clear round in the next class.

On Sunday we took Fairlight Stud's 4 year old dutch warm blood stallion, Fairlight Absaluut, home. Abe, as he is known has been staying with us for the last eight weeks  to do some conditioning  work on the horse walker. Abe was bred by Jo Scholl Evens and is out of her TB mare, Hilly who has also spent some time at Upper Wick stables as some years ago we broke Hilly in for Jo. He is by her stallion Zwingli, who  is by Maxamillion Saluut. A career in eventing is planned for Abe, and with his outstanding movement and attitude its a very likely that he will go far. We will be following his career with great interest, and wish him much success.

Last Saturday, Oakleaze Farm Czarko won the 80km Young Riders Endurance Race Ride at Cirecester Park.

Czarko was broken in by Team Green Horses and for the next ten years spent numerous spells of time with us for  holidays, schooling and fitness work prior to endurance rides and latterly endurance race rides. He was very successful, gaining numerous grade ones in graded rides and being placed in race rides. Sadly in 2009, his then owner , Karen Detheridge made the hard  decision to sell Czarko and he came to us to be found a new home.

He was sold to a very nice lady,who was an experienced endurance competitor who we hoped would continue the success story, however,she sadly found she just couldn’t click with him and so decided  to sell him to her best friend’s daughter who has forged a wonderful partnership with the horse and it was Lauren who was riding him on Saturday at Cirencester. Karen and I went to see Czarko at Cirencester last Friday night and met Lauren for the first time. It was lovely to see the horse  looking so well and so obviously doted on.  Congratulations Lauren, your doing a fantastic job with Czarko, keep up the good work and win lots more.

Our home bred mare Twinkle officially started her preparation for the coming Point to Point season to day, 1st  August. Twinkle  aka Panto Star, is out of another home bred mare, Panto’s Pride and is by Gererosity, who is by the Derby winner Generous. We had hoped to race her last year, but plans got put on hold after I managed to break my leg in a riding accident. Hopefully I will manage to stay sound this year !
Twinkle will now do six weeks road work before progressing  to some fast work and a spot of hunting.