We are safely back from Sunny Lincoln, Elton was really good in the Novice doing a nice test, 32 (I should probably confess that it would have been better if the jockey wasn't rusty and went the wrong way!), one unlucky pole in the show Jumping and a fab clear Cross Country.  Duck had a bit of a twinkle in his eye for the Dressage, so not his best mark!  Show Jumping he was still feeling very pleased with himself but Cross Country, all was forgiven he felt great.

We went to Gleneagles last night to do some dressage tests with Duck and Elton to give them a bit more match practice, they both Won there Classes on 71.2% so hopefully they will be more relaxed on their next trip onto grass and recreat that!!!

Just before Lincoln I waved good bye to Cracker, Tzar and Corrie who had all been here for a couple of months to get fit for the season, so that was a bit sad as they were all fab to do!  Then Mango went home on Wedneday as her jumping is not good enough to be an Event horse, so I hope she finds another job to excell at as she is a really nice person and fun to ride. 

But filling some of these spaces is the return of Liz Mackenzie with her very smart Dressage horse  Roo (gives me something to try and emulate!) and then Melody River (Brillo) is back having been on loan to Liz Burton and Liz Somerville who have done a great job looking after him for the last two years. So although he might not be competing he is still the highest ranking Advanced Eventer on the yard (he has more points than Duck!)  the photo is of him and Spike today after a bit of canter work!  I have also brought Ross (hopefully a top notch Show Jumper) home temporally  from Edenside who is in need of a bit of fitness work and a change of scene.  So hopefully not to much time to miss the ones that have gone home.

Belton next week and Duck will be doing his first Advanced of the year.

This time next week I will have finished my first Event of the 2011 season (as long as the weather is better in the south than snowy Scotland)!  So we have been busy making sure that we are all set.  Last weekend we headed to Kingsbarns to do some BSJA with Elton and Duck.  Elton Jumped in two classes and was very settled so I was pleased with him, as some times he tries too hard and gets a bit cross if he has a pole, so calm and collected is the aim at the moment!  Duck was placed in the Foxhunter, jumping a good double clear, star!!!!

We took one look at the weather forcast at the start of the week and thought it best to get cracking with the cross country schooling so headed to Bacilton on Wednesday.  The Ground was great and the horses hadn't forgoten anything so we had a great time.  Spike joined Duck and Elton for this outing, this was his first look at XC fences this year and he really enjoyed it, he had one go over solid fences at the end of last year getting a lead from a pro in Grace Morans, Porthill Rusty Nail so he obviously took it all in!

A couple of Dressage lessons with Elton and Duck, this weekend have meant a bit of courage to take the lorry out, due to white rather than black roads but it was well worth it, more to practise but they are both going well so hopefully they will keep it going next weekend at Lincoln!

The two XC workshops that I ran at Edenside went off with out a hitch and were very successful, so I will hopefully put some more on in the not to distant future.  Sadly the weather put an end to North East Fife R.C. cross country lessons at Lindores today, but hopefully we will manage to re-schedual