We have reached the end of the season again which seems to have come around really fast and the horses all feel really well so it seems a shame to be pulling stumps already, with the threat of snow any minite I think I will crack on with registering them all with the BSJA and make the most of it now!

We have been back to reality after Burghley with the next event being a BE100 at Turnberry with Spike and Stan, it was a little bit more low key!!!!!  I only ran them both in the Dressage and Show Jumping as the ground on the cross country was really terrible, in fact I dont think I have every pulled out from a competition because of the ground before but it was so deep and holding in places I did'nt think it would have any benifit to either of them.  It was a shame to withdraw Stan as he was in the lead after the show Jumping having done a really nice Dressage in the twenties again and a pole show jumping .  Spike was at his first BE event and it was a great place to go as there was loads of space to warm up for the dressage and nice flat arenas, he did a nice  test a little bit green in places but no added twiddles or anything,  so I was pleased with that.  He then Show Jumped and just had a pole, he tried really hard and was giving everything plenty of air so I was happy to put him back on the lorry having had a good time and seen a bit more of life.

We then moved on to Aske this weekend with the two BE100  again and Elton added to the lorry to have a run in the Intermeditate.  Elton has been feeling really good since Blair and this was carried through to Aske.  He was quite on his toes in the Dressage which led to a blip in one of his mediums but otherwise a really nice test with lots of lift!  Which left him on a Score of 34.  We then move on to the Show Jumping which always re-shuffle's everything about a bit as the arena has a few undulations, but I was'nt expecting that to cause Elton much bother.  Hummmmm, he had other ideas! He went in feeling like he was Gods Gift who really didn't need a jockey to cramp his style, so off he went and set about re-modeling the course. So that was the end of his day out!   Although it sounds like a major blip, I am not to worried, he was just so fresh he was a bit too keen at everything, so more parties to make him work a bit harder and just because he has done a 1* does not make him the greatest horse in the stable!!!

This meant that the two little boys had to really pull their fingers out to make sure it wasn't all doom and gloom in the lorry on the way home!  And they both did that, Stan did a nice test again, Spike wasn't far behind with a much more grown up test which is really promising for next year.  Stan then had a pole in the show jumping but flew round the cross country to finish 6th, his pole was expensive, the difference between 1st and 6th.  Spike had a few poles in the Show jumping but a winters work will sort that as it was just greeness and he is improving all the time at the moment which is really fun.  He then jumped a lovely clear cross country so is now a proper eventer!!!!!

The horse that has been going really well though is Brillo (Melody River) who I lent to Mark Moran at the start of the Summer, Mark was a complete beginner and I wasn't sure what I was letting Brillo in for, as rising trot was a challenge, canter and Jumping were'nt even on the cards!  But the pair of them are on track to take over form Mark Todd at the top of the Eventing tree.  As they have just been 9th and 6th at Craigie and Strathearn Hunter Trails with two clear rounds in the 3 ft class!  Mark now looks like he has being been riding for years, rather than less than a year and Brillo and he look a great partnership. 

I have just entered the Fife Hunt Hunter trail with Spike and Stan for a bit of fun and a little bit more mileage for Spike so that is the next entertainment, before I dust of the bling, to compete with the Show Jumpers!

We headed to Burghley on Tuesday to be ready for Trot up on Wednesday, and then Dressage on Friday.  He settled in really well  and we were stabled in what seemed to be the New Zeland/ USA and Canadian's block, so Duck had some pretty smart company with Lenamore and Nereo a few Stables down.  I was pleased with his test we had a blip in  two of the changes, which was expensive but otherwise he was really good and was very cool and calm with all the atmosphere.   

Saturday was cross country day and being number 100, I had a little bit of time to fill before my time.  So another walk of the course and then a warm up  on Duck to stretch his legs a bit before getting him out again 45 mins before his time.  I had a fantastic round  and Duck just set his gear and off he went he was a little bit lookie at the crowds in between fences but was very focused when it came to the jumps, we had a wee blip at the HSBC Maltings when the stride never came up to the corner, he had no option's to work with and so a quick loop got us on our way again.  So barring that all the straight routes and home with plenty left in the tank so roll on next year!

On the way back to the lorry from the cross country I did a short slot in the Celebrity Talk Area which was a bit like an Equine version of Richard and Judy, you sit on comfy chairs and have a little chat!  It was orgainsed by Jonty Evans and seems a great way to give the public an opertunity to meet and find out about all the riders.

Sunday was the final trot up and having had some lovely weather over the week it started to take a bit of a Scottish turn and by the time it came to the Show Jumping it was pretty wet.  Duck was very full off himself in the trot up and the crowd had him passed at the end of the first straight and by the end of the second I was water skiing behind and the steward was waving his arms in front of a show jump to stop Duck from carrying on straight over that!  A quick trip back down to the stables to change and then it was back to show jump he felt good and jumped well a little flat but that is to be expected after about 13mins on the cross country!  We had two poles down the last was just a tap to the very last which I was not so pleased about, I can live with one down two is just annoying!!!!

That pretty much brings us to the end of the Burghley adventure, we did have one last trip into the main ring for the Parade, then it was back to the lorry and away north again, to get back on board the ones that have been having fun recharging their batteries while I was away and by the reports that I was getting I needed to get back pronto, there batteries were well and truely charged!    

If any one has'nt had Burghley over load you can have a look at Dressage, Cross Country and Show Jumping on Burghley TV (search on google)!

Next outing will be Turnberry with Stan and Spike who is finally being allowed to have his first BE run!