Beaten by nine-year-olds!

Jane and I go to a show at a nearby riding club, aiming to do the 2ft 3ins and 2ft 6ins show jumping classes. That might sound titchy to all you affiliated bods, but it’s big enough for us!

Loading, fine. Arrive in plenty of time. Stayed calm during the warm-up. Just one fence down in the first class – hooray!

Last time Harry and I jumped here he behaved like a loony - piaffing in the warm-up, alternately trotting or galloping in the ring - so this is a great improvement.

Jane and Red do a lovely clear, with a couple of cheeky bucks, but there are so many kids with fantastic jumping ponies in the class that she's not placed.

The bigger class actually looks pretty daunting to me: not only are the fences higher, they're wider, too! But we have a go, and have two jumps down. I'm pleased, as Harry stays calm and rhythmical all the way around, and seems to enjoy himself. We just need more practice. Jane and Red do another lovely clear again, but again are unplaced.

So, yes. We've beaten by nine-year-olds again!

The highlight of our equestrian calendar

Frensham Sponsored Ride – one of the biggest highlights of Harry’s and my equestrian calendar, yeeha! It’s a 10 mile cross country course with around 40 solid, inviting jumps, most of which are eminently jumpable by a stumpy-legged cob!

We’re riding with my friend Jane and her lovely Irish Sport Horse, Red. He finds these occasions very exciting, so we decide follow our trainer’s excellent advice by riding later in the day to avoid the crowds, and starting slowly, only jumping when we’re settled.

Well, that’s the theory. It has worked before, but this time we throw caution to the winds and start jumping immediately, and carry on jumping everything but an enormous bullfinch – we figure Red would probably try to clear the whole thing, whilst Harry would try to stop and eat it!

The sun was shining, the countryside is glorious and Harry was jumping like a little skewbald stag, standing right off the fences, making me whoop with delight. As the course switchbacks over ditches and rails, Red throws in some pretty big bucks but Jane gamely hangs on.

Part way round the course we stop for drinks and treats for the horses, which Harry mugs for shamelessly. Then we whiz over a ditch and up a really steep hill, which slows even Red momentarily. We let Red go first, and he likes to give some of them a really good look. Harry, when given his head, stops at nothing. It must be quite alarming for Jane and Red to hear us thundering up behind!

We all finish with huge grins on our faces... We collect our participation award, and then we had to drag our weary bodies home!