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!

Angelic Harry Story Number 2

To the Riding Club for a Mini-Prix – a course that combines show jumps and cross country. I’m quite nervous. This time last year we were eliminated – twice!

The weather is perfect: warm and still. Both Harry and Red load reasonably well, with a bit of token protest from each. We’ve left the time a bit tight, so mount quickly and warm up, and I try to work out the course – I haven’t had time to walk it! It looks good, solid and inviting and just a bit challenging.

I go fairly quickly, before I can get us both into a state. Harry is a star, staying calm and focused so that I relax quite soon and ride with commitment ie without clutching at the reins, and actually breathing occasionally, which is handy on a longish 19-jump course. We clear everything including a tiger trap over a ditch (from trot, Harry wanted a good look!), a treble with the course bogey – plastic bags laid out on the ground between poles – and a wall that last year Harry refused, pushed over and then jumped. All too soon our round is over and we’ve had just one show jump down – hurrah!

Jane does a lovely clear, even though Red was quite lively, so we’re both delighted. Even more so when Jane gets equal second in the class, and first Riding Club member – and I get a pink rosette as sixth-placed Riding Club member. Harry doesn’t seem to object as he poses for a photo in his girly ribbon, and we head for home. What a great confidence boost – I love jumping again, roll on the sponsored ride!