Anna Bailey is ready and raring to go!

Well, we are officially ready to start. We have overcome the elements of snow, frost, rain and more snow, frost and rain to finally start to see a glimmer of spring….. well in the distance at least!

All the horses are feeling rather well. Timmy has been to dressage, finishing a respectable 4th in his first test since September. I will now be smothering him in the evening performance spray that Forest Farmacy kindly gave me to try as I seemed to be riding a very grown up calm horse. We have picked up a few placings showjumping and even made if out cross country schooling towards the end of the month. After much thought it was decided that he will start evening this year at Munstead in the BE100Plus to give him an easy first run. He will then go to South of England and Nurstead to do the Novices. We will see how that goes before planning early 1* and his first intermediate run. It sounds so easy, doesn’t it….. we’ll see.

Gringo has come on leaps and bounds. He is now working nicely on the flat and jumping a small course of fences. He is so bold, we decided to test him out one day by throwing in the gate, fillers and barrels but he didn’t bat an eyelid – he just jumped bigger! I hope to get him out to jump some British Novices in the next few weeks and then some cross country schooling so he will be ready for the PAVO 4 year old qualifiers in the summer. I currently have him up for sale but if anyone is looking for an investment I would love to keep the ride on him – he is going to be amazing.

Talking of amazing, I went to ride Athene S a horse I sold to Mr & Mrs Donaldson last summer. They would like me to ride her in her first Intro which is planned for Rackham in June. After plenty of dressage over the winter they have done a great job on her flat work so she feels much stronger in her body. I popped her around a little course and again she jumped everything without even so much as a waver. I think she will really enjoy her eventing debut in June.

I have also gained the ride on another five year old called Socks owned by Stacey Revell. She bred the horse and after show jumping very successfully as a four year old, she would like to see what he will make of eventing. As Stacey is from a show jumping back ground I will do the first couple of events with him and then she might have a go. We plan to take him cross country schooling in the next few weeks so we will then plan his first event.

I can’t wait to start – its going to be an exciting year. x