Diamond Dressage
Diamond Dressage
Where the horses really do come first
Blog 2016
Blog 2016
December
Merry Christmas from all of us at Diamond Dressage.
Olympia, as always, was a great opportunity to catch up with friends and watch some great dressage. As last year, Scott and I joined Louise Donkin in her private box on the second night and enjoyed watching Valegro's official retirement from competition in style - how spoilt we were.
Another great Diamond Dressage Christmas Party at Baroosh in Hertford, my friend Scott arrived from the US for our annual trip to Olympia and joined us for the party! There were lots of sore heads at the yard the following day.......
November
Helen and Riley started learning changes, fun, fun, fun!
I got back on Louis - just forget how amazing he is to ride - even in walk!
Charlston started to learn passage - he's not keen and seems to focus more on trying to kill Roland than the job in hand!
October
Helen & Riley
Knocked it out of the park at the Houghton Hall Area Festival at Medium, coming 4th on 70.44%!!!! After a great warm up, I was feeling pretty confident to be honest. This pair train so hard and throw everything into their lessons - no one deserves a Wild Card more.
September
Charlston
Two disastrous Area Festivals this month, the first one at Wellington where, even though I allowed 2 hours for a 1 hour journey, we arrived with only 20 minutes for me to warm up........ say no more. The second at Brook Farm where we managed a 10th place, with SO many mistakes (some mine, some his) it was embarrassing.........
The season is now over for us, so its training, training, training over the Winter with Roland.
Louis
Still on box rest and rehab work.... lots of walking in-hand. We're all getting very fit!
Helen & Riley
Spent the month training hard with me for next month's Area Festival. Two outings this month and two wins, they're on the right track!
August
Charisma DD
A very exciting month for me! I travelled out to Germany for the day, with my friend Kristina, on the 2nd to view some youngsters. I'd been looking for around 6 months and had seen quite a few in the UK, but none were 'the one'...... After an exhausting day of visiting studs and yards producing stallions for licensing, I've found him!!!!
He is a 2 year old stallion (now gelded), by Christ out of a De Niro mare and it was, literally, love at first sight - which is just how it should be. He stands at around 16.1hh now and is jet black, he has (so far) the same laid back temperament as Charlston - he even looks a little like him!!
These are photographs I took off of the video when I viewed him.
He finally arrived home on the 25th of August! He is the most lovely person, with looks and movement to match. He will now have a year, being a baby going in the field every day and being pampered at night in his bedroom!
The Olympics - well, they were Emotional!!!!! I had everyone round to my house from the yard for the 4 days of dressage, lots of laughs, tears and bubbly!
Team GB did us proud, across the board!!! I, for one, was glued to the TV, Charlotte, Carl, Spencer and Fiona did the very best they could and in reality, the Silver was what we were hoping to achieve. For Charlotte to retain her Individual title was a dream come true - for all of us. Valegro, one in a million, 2 million, 3 million - I've loved that horse since the day I saw him in the flesh as a 4 year old. Cried...... yes we all did!!
In fact, I was in a perpetual state of tears, Mo Farrah, Nick Skelton, our Hockey team, the list could go on and on - and we've still got the para's to come!!!
Charlston - is thankfully back in work and fully recovered! He's been going better than ever after his enforced holiday, we could have gone to the Regionals, but I didn't want to rush him back into work so we spent 2 weeks walking and stretching before starting proper training again. He now seems to be in a place where he doesn't forget everything after time out - thank God!!! He even remembered how to do a canter pirouette!!
Hannah and Coco - went to the Keysoe British Breeding Futurity and gained a mark of 8.6 and a Higher First!!! Such a brilliant result for Hannah and the boy she bred!
Sam and Jim Murphy - another great month for them, 10th at the Bury Farm Regional Championships!!!! They just get better and better, and will be moving up to Novice now!!
Once a Diamond Dressage livery - always a Diamond Dressage Livery. SJ, was a livery of mine for many, many years - she now lives in Australia and has just bought a horse!!! She's out competing and keeps me updated!!! I can't wait to see her at Christmas.
July
Louis - not such a drama queen, he has now had surgery to have a piece of bone removed that he managed to chip off of his fetlock while playing in the field.......
Clearly neither will be going to the Regional Championships.......
Thankfully, I had 2 weeks in Cuba while the boys ate me out of house and home in their stables, being looked after beautifully by Kathy and Charlotte. Back home mid-July, in-hand walking commenced every day with Louis - what fun...........
Molly and Clare had their first win at Medium!!!!! Very happy client, very happy trainer!
Sam and Jim Murphy - SO VERY PROUD!!!!! Huge congratulations to Sam and Jim Murphy at the Trailblazers Championships. I was glued to my phone waiting for updates as the class progressed!!!! Sam's FB status read:
"Ribbons for my bog pony today and just under 70%!! So, so proud of him and how far he has come and not a hint of naughtiness in the mounted presentation. Thank you Tracey Nelson for all your encouragement and fabulous lessons which have got us here today, and to Paul Cornish for placing us in the 2nd rounds xx❤️❤️"
Sam, you are so welcome! Love being part of your journey, not sure you should still be calling him s 'bog pony' more like 'dressage diva'!!!!!
June
Charlston just gets better and better in training, I now need to be able get the same work in the arena!!! We had two outings this month, one at Advanced Medium, one at PSG, winning them both in good company.
I was really looking forward to my next PSG at Keysoe at the end of the month, when he developed a foot abscess and was crippled....... Such is life, such is horses. Poor boy.
Louis just felt amazing and I was so looking forward to the Regionals....... then he managed to injure himself in the field...........
Two horses - both on box rest!!!!! SOB.
May
Thrilled to announce that Bridlepath International are now sponsoring me. I've used, Peter and daughter Laura, as my saddlers for over 10 years and couldn't wish for a better, or friendlier, service. I am honoured to represent them. For more details on Bridlepath, please see our 'Sponsors' page.
Charlston has been training all month basically! Great sessions with Roland and lots to look forward to for the future!
Louis returned to competition this month after a very LONG year of trying to make him find changes boring!!!! I'm glad to say no naughtiness, but lots of tension, so now we have to keep going out until he finds competing boring again and relaxes! He's not easy...... but with 2 Advanced Medium 85 scores of 66%+ and a 1st and 2nd, hopefully the struggle will be worth it! I then threw him in at the deep end and entered him for the Advanced Medium championship test at Brook Farm. Clearly more than two changes was too much for him and he reverted to being an idiot, however managed to come 4th and got his last 4 points needed to qualify for the Regionals! Not sure how that happened to be honest...... lol.
Helen and Riley made the Medium debut and smashed it!! A great start with a mega 68%+ and SO much more to come.
Val and Earl had their first win at Novice, on a great score!!! Celebrations all round for this one!
Hannah and Muppet - won another 2 Elementaries, that's 4 under their belt and 4 wins!!
Sam and Jim Murphy - qualified for the Trailblazers final at Stoneleigh! So proud of Sam, she boxes Murph up and comes to me all the way from Trent Park for training, that's dedication for you!!!
The horses moved to our Summer pasture on the 1st of the month - thank God. They've even been out naked!!
Winter pasture now all harrowed, rolled and re-seeded and looking much better!!!!
April
Charlston had a good run at the beginning of the month at Houghton Hall winning and we hit 65% (thank God). We also had two great days training with Roland, working on, amongst other things, canter pirris, piaffe & passage and the canter zig zag from the GP - he's such a good boy, it's a bit like the blind leading the blind though!!!!
I then had a 4-day Spa break in Ireland for my birthday so both Charlston and Louis had a week off too, relaxing in the field!!!!
Helen and Riley went to Oaklands and had a great result winning the Elementary 59 - Medium debut next month!!! Watch this space......
Val and Earl also went to Oaklands, it has to be said, Val was NOT happy when the got home (although she was laughing). Earl had been very uncooperative..... he still went to bed with a nice dinner and big haynet!!!!!
Mondi and Tiam both turned 24 this month, and Oscar 26, bless them. We love our senior citizens!!!
MARCH
Charlston - Winter Regional Reserve Champion in the Advanced Medium. I have to admit I was SO disappointed not to qualify for the Winter Championships at Hartpury, as this was our last chance at Restricted now BD have changed the system to Bronze, Silver and Gold. Hey ho, my boy did me proud, he'll always be a winner in my eyes!! I had a great couple of days, staying away in my new upgraded lorry (see Sponsor page) with Dougal! Helen and Caroline made the journey up to Houghton Hall to cheer us on and commiserate me when I lost the class by .04%..... sob.
A week later he won his 4th PSG in a row at Brook Farm on a Personal Best score, despite me going up the centre line and turning the wrong way..... doh, I must try harder......
We then went to Keysoe and were 2nd in a really strong PSG class on another personal best score. Feel like we're slowly getting the hang of this PSG lark!!!!!
I've been working hard with Louis at home through the Winter where he can now do a line of 4's and 3's - "let's see if he can do a single change at a show without losing the plot" I thought..... so I entered him in the AM85 at Brook Farm. He then managed to twist a fetlock in the field so Charlston went instead.....
Hannah and Muppet also did me proud coming 5th at the Winter Regional Championships at Novice. Hannah rode like a true pro and recovered after a blip right at the beginning of the test which sadly put them out of the running for a Wild Card.
They then went on holiday (or home really as this is where Hannah is originally from) for 3 weeks to Cornwall were Hannah was doing 3 weeks work experience as part of her University Degree and being spoilt rotten staying with her Nan!!!! While they were away they did their first Elementaries at Tall Trees and won both classes!!!
Helen and Riley had their first outing since the Summer Regionals, at Brook Farm. They had a good first run in the Elementary 59 coming third. They have been training hard all Winter working towards Medium - very exciting!!!
New Sponsor - Michael Vandapeer has kindly offered to sponsor my lorry!!! Now, hopefully everything will work when I stay away at shows!!!
FEBRUARY
Charlston has been out competing at Brook Farm two week's running, in preparation for his Regionals on 2 March. He won the AM98 at both shows, qualifying for the Summer Regionals and the Sheepgate Tack & Toggs Championships. He also won another PSG at Bury Farm, again qualifying for the Sheepgate Tack & Toggs Championships and the Bury Farm Festival of Dressage Championships.
Hannah and Muppet have also been out practising the Novice Championship test, winning with some great scores, also qualifying for the Sheepgate Tack & Toggs Championships.
Mandy and Harry have also qualified at PSG level, so we may have a yard outing up to Sheepgate in May!
Val and Earl have also been out, gaining another solid score at Novice level.
Sam and Jim Murphy at the Addington Regional Championships!!
Calm Leisure, a British company producing base layer clothing, contacted me with the offer of Sponsorship! I received a number of products which I have worn while riding and teaching to trial them before committing. Well, after trialling these products I can honestly say I am honoured to be representing this company. Please see the 'Sponsors' page for more information on this company.
Dean Andrews, our Equine Dentist visited us for our horse's 6 monthly check-ups and on the same day we had the lovely Laura from Bridlepath International checking saddles - a very hectic day, but two members of our 'behind the scene' team we wouldn't be without!!!!
JANUARY
Val and Earl were the first to go out this year and did us proud!!! Contesting their first Novices, they scored a great 65.17% in the first, sadly Earl then ran out of steam to score a 60+% in the second!!!
The following week Hannah and Muppet were out, WOW what a start to the New Year for them. Second in the first Novice on 67.96% and then winning the second on a whopping 71.29%. Lots of points towards Regional Qualification and a lovely write-up in the Horse & Hound!!!
Clare and Molly were also out, contesting their 3rd Medium, scoring 59.48%. More experience gained at this new level, the jump from Elementary being a big one.
New Year's day at Diamond Dressage
