Apologies for my lack of a recent blog, but the main reason is a lack of recent runners. Unfortunately we’re not happy with the health of our horses right now. It’s difficult to stomach when we had such problems last year, but the reality is, it does happen, and we’re not the only yard with these issues during this very mild spell. The majority of runners since Christmas have not performed as they ought to, or else worse than that.
When we’re scoping them, the results are mixed, but many are not what you’d like to see. It's disappointing for everyone, but mainly of course the owners, who were so brilliantly patient last year, and are now having to be patient once again. But we are patient, and we are treating the horses accordingly, both with medication and with a relaxing of their work schedule. It’s a long season, and after a really pleasing autumn, we can forgive a mid-season blip as long as we can get them right as rain as soon as possible. And get them back to what they were doing a couple of months ago.
The one good thing about the mild weather is the paddocks have all dried up and we can get them all turned out as much as possible.
The horses look & feel great, so I can’t believe this is too sinister. We’re keeping them ticking over and had a really good morning schooling today, see videos attached. It certainly lifts the mood watching lovely young horses learning how to jump for the first time, and then the 4 yr olds getting going over hurdles in very good style.
Here are Chosen Flame, Broadstruther and Mount Nelson schooling...
Below we have Worcester Permain (Ben Smoult) leading up the four-year-olds Tobego Ruby (Craig Nichol) and Okovango Delta (Bill Shanahan)
We said a fond farewell to Lady London this week, who went to the sales. She’s been a somewhat frustrating horse to train, in that she was one of our best work horses, but just didn’t always quite put it all in at the track!
Still she won two (including a very special first winner with our first runner this season), and was placed plenty of times. She was a gorgeous horse to look at so we will miss her, despite her near misses! She was a bit of a yard stalwart really & a very popular ride. I just won’t mention how good a work horse she was… (very good!).
Carole Jones now has a leg in a really nice big 4 yr old by Okavango, who’s jumping poles in the video. So fingers crossed with him.
Here is Lady London after her win at Perth in September.
