October - December UPDATE!

Sorry about the late blog post I've been a busy girl even though the eventing season is over for the year!!

The season ended for me in October and the livery horses went home for their rest and mine had a bit of time off so I could go off to Dubai to sun myself!! 

It was a last minute booking and just went for the 5 days which wasn't long enough!! It's my second time to Dubai and I love it, we are really lucky that my fiancé sister lives there, so we stay in her lovely apartment overlooking the Marina and the beach is only 10 minutes walk away ! It was nice to get away and relax and spend time with my fiancé (well some of the time)!!!

Dubai

Back from my holiday I've just had the 5 in work and a new livery horse coming for breaking,  Which is always exciting starting a young horse off.

I was asked again to do the dressage teams again this year for the RVRC with Clare Welton-Cole, Sarah Baldwin & Tanya Draude. Last time we did it you may remember we won the Championships this year at Hartpury. 

We had to go off to Ardingly to the South of England Showground for the Qualifier on the 2nd December this time Clare and I were doing the Prelim test & Sarah and Tanya the Novice. I took my trusty partner Corby aka Cullawn My Way (who is for sale!) . He did a super test with 71.88% and won his section Clare was 4th so we were laying 2nd after our test so no pressure on the two girls!! But they did great and as a team we came 2nd so qualified for the Championships again in March 2013.   Fingers crossed!

BRC Dressage Champions - Summer 2012 (hopefully Spring 2013 too!)

Also have some good news to share there will be a little person with me next year, so you'll be seeing my mum pushing a little person around the events!! It means I won't be starting eventing until July only half a season for me next year :-(  Planning on doing lots of dressage with the ponies until then.I took Corby and Ollie to Golden Cross last Saturday for dressage and they came 1st & 2nd and 2nd & 3rd in their tests.

Baby Pilbeam-Mulvey!

Nearly forgot I did a very exciting photo shoot for a calendar called Fifty Shades of Dapple Grey lots of eventers took part it was a bit of a rush to get it ready for the South East Eventers League (SEEL) Ball but we did it thanks to Sam Penn and Sarah Hayter.  My month is June and the calendar page is kindly sponsored by my wonderful supportive and generous sponsors Dragonfly Saddlery & Pets. If you would like a copy contact me they are £15 including P&P money goes to South East Eventers League. The ball went well with 350 people turning up always love the end of year ball any excuse to dress up!!

Promise I won't leave my blog to long next time. Hope you all have a lovely Christmas.

Long overdue post - not enough hours in the day, week, year!!

I find myself apologising again for the lack of blog entries!! Just realised it's Friday the 13th!

I have been so busy recently any spare time I have I'm too tired to do anything!

Most exciting news recently is that James and I bought a house!!! I'm spending every spare hour sanding walls, ripping up skirting boards and painting. It's looking a bit bare at the moment and trying to get the furniture we need.

I have been working very hard on the yard too. Holly, Corby, Bobby and Tango to ride every day at the moment. Duffy has had a little break so I can concentrate on Tango and I've also been given the opportunity to school a few more horses which has been great. I've been schooling Beau for a while now and am also schooling Pandora a sweet Welsh mare who is at the same stables.

Also helping bring on a lovely coloured mare, first sat on her on Tuesday and she was very good considering she has only recently been backed.

I'm taking Bobby and Tango to the Sevenoaks Riding Club ODE on Sunday which I'm looking forward too, I'll also be riding Beau there.

I had a great lesson with Sharon Hunt a few weeks ago, she was so friendly and helpful. Holly hasn't been on form recently we've had a few problems XC since moving up to Advanced. Hopefully with Sharon's advice we'll be back on track soon. Holly is such a lovely mare that I don't want to rush things so I'll bring her back down a level or two to get her confidence back up and go from there.

We were due to compete at my favourite event The Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe as we'd qualified for the Intermediate British Championships. Laurance kindly paid for this event and I was really looking forward to going. I withdrew Holly though as although disappointing it really is a championship standard course and as we're not quite on key at the moment I thought it best to get some confidence boosting rounds in first. Very well done to Sharon Hunt on her 2nd in the Novice Championships. My lesson was just before Gatcombe and I'd said to Sharon how much I love the event, I'm really pleased she is doing so well especially after the disappointment of the WEG selection. It is lovely at Bedgebury they've made some real improvements and I'm looking forward to going back.

As well as all the yard work and riding I did a bit of painting and decorating to earn some extra money to help with events and the mortgage (can't believe I've got a mortgage to pay now!) I'm also still working in the pub. Not quite sure how I got through those weeks first thing at the yard, decorating 8-12, then back up the yard to ride and some evenings working in the pub!

Lady's foal is doing really well and growing, she is very cheeky!

Must sit down and plan the next events. Hopefully maybe get a few more points to help towards the SEEL Rankings with Holly, before we know it it'll be November anyway and the ball! Not sure where this year has gone!

I'll plan to do another update next week after the Sevenoaks Riding Club ODE!

TTFN, Lisa

Update!

Sorry it's been a while since I updated my blog! Having a great season so far and I'm so happy to be out competing!

Holly Hot Lips has been fab this year, early days but I think we're still leading in the SEEL (South East Eventers League!) and I am really excited about Belton this weekend! I've got my times now, 11:37 dressage on Saturday, 10:04 SJ on Sunday and 12:00 XC on Sunday! We will be staying at a place about 10 miles away from Belton and Holly will be on site too. After a 2 for our walk at Somerley (well ok she wasn't walking, she was jogging!) I have been walking her on the top field every morning. She just gets so excited at events, particularly around the XC. I also had a dressage lesson this week with Liz West and hopefully have mastered (fingers crossed) our flying changes. We went to Lodge Farm on Wednesday to test out her brakes, decided to stay with the 3 ring on the 2nd hole, it's not that she is being too strong just really keen!

Corby is a little superstar! He has only done a couple of BE100's but his last event at SOE he was very good, tied with Sam Penn (who is having a fantastic season especially with her BYEH champion, Tickerage, he's lovely!) after dressage in his section, just a few time penalties meant we were 10th but I am delighted with him for so little outings he has done very well. It is very sad that he is for sale but he really is the nicest horse and I'm sure because of it will be totally adored wherever he goes! He really is so handsome, I reckon he'd also make a top Working Hunter! I've got a photo from SOE (Julia Shearwood) on order to put him on Horsequest :( !!

Duffy is doing well too, just out of the placings coming 11th at SOE, he and Corby are both entered for Nurstead on 24/25 April. Like all of my horses Duffy has been brought on by me from scratch and I'm sorry that he is for sale too. He always does a nice dressage test and is so bold XC and really looks after his jockey snaffle mouth at all times.

I'll be very sad when the boys go as will be a bit down on horsepower! However, I've got the excitement of doing more with Tango, aiming for the BYEH classes and little Bobby. Bobs really is a lovely mover and I'm looking forward doing Intro events with him later this season. I really enjoy taking the horses through the grades it's so rewarding.

Anyway, I'll write again after the weekend and no doubt I'll be doing some Twitter and Facebook updates over the weekend! As I've only Holly to ride this weekend I'm looking forward to having some time to see the trade stands at Belton and being a spectator too watching the likes of Oliver Townend and Kristina Cook go round!

WoW Saddle - SEEL Owner Rider 2009 prize

I got my WoW saddle delivered the other day. So pleased with it, the air in the panels is amazing!

Emma, who fitted the saddle, was brilliant and WoW have been fantastic. They were really thorough making sure it fitted perfectly and videoed me riding to keep a check on my position.

The stirrup leathers are great as they are only one single strip so not as bulky as standard leathers.

I've been out jumping in it and Holly is going really well with it. An added bonus is that it was tried on Duffy and it fits him too! Looking forward to trying it out on the XC course at Isleham next weekend!

SEEL - Seahorse Ball - 14 November 2009

I was lucky enough to have Kristina Cook present me with the Leading Owner Rider award. Kristina was really nice and it was a great honour to meet her. It was funny being second again in the Leading Horse and Rider behind Kristina and Miners Frolic, it was 2007 all over again but with Holly this year not Lady!

I had a really good evening and perhaps enjoyed the champagne reception a little too much! The Rodeo Bull was good fun and I had a few goes!

I'm very grateful to all of the companies who sponsored the league. I am very lucky to have won a WOW saddle and look forward to getting it fitted when Holly is back in work after her holiday.

Holly won a Stud Voucher for William Funnell's and Donal Barnwell's the Billy Stud for winning the Leading Mare Ranking.

R & R Stevenson Jewellers in Haywards Heath sponsored the Leading Horse & Rider award which I was 2nd to Kristina Cook & Miners Frolic. They kindly gave me a cheque which I will put towards training.

Net-Tex sponsored the Leading Intermediate Ranking in which Holly and I came 2nd, we were presented with a Net-Tex voucher and I've got my eye on some Lynn Russell grooming products.

Roll on next season!

A little hungover!

Had a great night at the Seahorse Ball! A little worse for wear today! Well done to everyone who won awards. More pictures to follow....

Go Holly!

Great end to the season, Holly ("Cullawn Holly") and I came 3rd in the Intermediate at Tweseldown.

A testing SJ course with 11 jumps only 5 clears (including Holly's perfect round!). As usual the XC was testing and twisting, we got a few time penalities but got home safely and another double clear! Unfortunately there were a few falls on the course and only 2 made it back within the time.

Hopefully on these results Holly and I should win the Owner/Rider and Leading Mare rankings and come 2nd in the Leading Horse & Rider and Leading Intermediates! I'll keep you posted once the SEEL (http://www.south-east-eventers-league.co.uk/) results are finalised.