So Long 2021

I can't say I'm going to miss 2021! It started dismally somewhere in Covid Wave 2 or 3 and yet another lockdown, swiftly followed by the Delta Wave and yet another lockdown, and somewhere in there the truth dawned that Brexit was going to make life considerably more miserable than we even imagined.

On a very much brighter personal note we have welcomed two beautiful granddaughters, Lila was born to Sophie and Alex on February 11th and Imogen (Immy) was joined Anna & Tom's little family and is a little sister for Rory. She was born on Anna's birthday, so a very wonderful, but slightly stressful birthday present. She's never going to forget her mother's birthday anyway! I love babies and these two are absolute crackers, totally different and just wonderful. Luckily as the year has gone on we have been able to see more and more of them, and make up for the time we lost seeing Rory grow up during 2020.

In April we welcomed a different baby - Alchornes New Venture (Colin to his friends) - a lovely colt foal by Colmar out of Doonaveeragh Emma. Having him at home for the summer was absolutely lovely, he has inherited his mother's lovely friendly nature and we had so much fun getting to know him. He is now resident at Breen Equestrian's Pookbourne Stud and the Breens have a half share in him, which will ensure that he has the best production team, and that his future will be the one most suitable for his talents. Emma is now in foal to Golden Hawk and is back home with her beautiful friend Zarnita - two very important ladies having the winter TLC they deserve.

With the competition horses it's not going to go down as a great year. In retrospect I think I started out too strong, easy to say that now - but they all went well at the CSI's at Chard and Wellington, but then spent a couple of months a little bit in the doldrums, with some very erratic form from Askeaton. It transpired that she had a bone bruise on her pedal bone, and I think she perhaps then went back to work too quickly. Khalissy also started out very strong with fantastic results at Wellington, and then seemed to lose a little bit of form. I stepped down with them both, but then perhaps got a bit ambitious again with Askeaton when she started going well, culminating in a fall. However, they both seem to have come back from their holidays well, and I am hopeful for a more consistent 2022.

I sold Hurricane Heidi in the summer, to Michelle Hoad, and I have been thrilled watching them make such a successful partnership together. My main interest has always been producing, and it is great when you see a horse you have produced being so successful in its new home.

After a bit of a search I was very lucky to buy Billy Arietta in September , and I am very grateful to Lucy Townley and William Funnell for helping me find such a really lovely horse. She is a low mileage seven year old, but she has the most lovely temperament, and we seem to be forming a strong partnership even after only three months. She has fitted in so well here and gives me so much confidence.

I had an unfortunate fall from Askeaton in September resulting in quite a serious knee injury, eventually it will need reconstructive surgery, but for the moment it seems to be pretty functional with physio and determination and hopefully I will get through most of 2022 until I find a time when I think six months rehab looks feasible. At this stage in my riding career I can't see myself making it back to competition if I have six months out of the saddle.

Trevor Breen has been the most brilliant and consistent trainer over the year. It is wonderful to have someone so knowledgeable and always at the end of the phone for help and crisis management. He very kindly kept Askeaton for a little while after my fall which was great, and we have started training again with the constant aim of confidence building.

Once again we are ending the year with an air of uncertainty - I really hope we will get to Spain in March, and I couldn't imagine that we would still be struggling with Covid nearly two years after it started. Time to get brave with Brexit in 2022 I sincerely hope.

Very, very Happy New Year to everyone. May it bring more certainty and less anxiety than 2021. As always many, many thanks to those who make a it possible to have a rather self-indulgent life style. Most especially Mark, but also April who works so hard and with such good humour to make the horses beautiful and happy. Many, many thanks also to Saracen Horse Feeds, MacWet Gloves, Protexin Equine, Gillett Cook, Just Equine Ltd; and Premier Performance CZ.