Event Reports

This page will have reports and pics of recent events.

This page has somewhat been neglected over the Summer Months but Cut the Gossip has had a very successful season and so far has picked up 3 trophys. Two were for X-Country events and another cup was for Showjumping.

With Jill being pregnant the riding duties have been carried out by Susan Mitchell, who gets on so well with the Horse and can get the best out of him. He has improved so much this season and he really is enjoying his jumping.

Thanks must go also to my Dad and Tessa Dodd for keeping him fit and schooling him.

We will probably let him wind down now before he gets out for a few days Hunting and maybe some Winter Showjumping. We had thought about qualifying him to Point To Point next season but with him doing so well this year eventing we will likely give that a miss and try to step him up a class next Summer.

Well 2006 started slowly on the "Horse" front as we spent most of the Winter away snowboarding then Jill found out she was pregnant after staying at Chalet Les Lanchettes in Morzine ( it was Paul and Ingas great food that did it !).

We sold Frankie to a girl from near Hawick and then it looked like Amie was very ill with a liver infection/disease but since the fresh grass has come through She has made a remarkable recovery and is now looking quite well.

That left Charlie to concentrate on and Jill was soon in contact with Susan Mitchell to see if she would compete on him this Summer while she was out of action. It got off to a great start on Sunday 21st May with a win in his class in the Hunter Trials held by the SW Scotland Riding Club at Hartwood near Rammerscales, Lochmaben. They had a time of 7mins 8secs against an optimum time of 7mins 10secs to win the Shield.

Sunday 23rd October.

With the amount of heavy rain that had

fallen the previous few days there was

a chance that the last x-country event of

the season at Kilmaurs,Ayrshire might be

cancelled. But on Sunday morning the

weather looked favourable. Jill and

Cut the Gossip shared a lift to this Eglinton

PC run event with her friend Laura. She

was on her way early in the morning and

as we were driving up later it gave me time

for a nice breakfast and a read at the Sunday

papers before setting off in the car. It was a

lovely drive through the Dumfriesshire

countryside with the trees looking stunning

in all their Autumnal glory. Arrived in plenty

of time to see Jill getting the horse warmed

up. It was quite a long novice course today

with some well built fences which would

be a fair challenge to them. There were 31

competitors in the class and they had a good

round to finish 12th. Faults mainly coming

from doing the "learner option" at the ditch.

We were pleased with the way things had

gone today and look forward to the pair

stepping things up a bit next Spring after

doing some indoor Showjumping this

Winter.

Sat 2nd Sept

Today was the Dumfrieshire Hunt Pony Club event at

Whitehill,Kettleholm near Lockerbie.

This was open to Horses and Jill took Charlie. It was a

lovely warm sunny day and there was a decent

turnout of competitors.

Cut the Gossip (Charlie) was in a lazy mood today !!

In the Showjumping he had two stops which is not

like him but it may have been something about the

course as lots of people were having similar problems.

The X-Country course was very flat but on really hard

ground due to the lack of rain recently with some fair

fences for Novices although Jill did not like the gravel

which had been put at the take-off side of some of the

fences.....and neither did the Horse as he had a couple

of stops. He was not fluent today and was pulling to the

right at each fence which would indicate he was

feeling the ground not to his liking under his feet!

Anyway it was a nice day out and we were home to

see Scotland get a well deserved draw with Italy at

Hampden in the World Cup qualifier.

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Sunday August 28th 2005

It was the One day event at Auchenhay

near Borgue today. Jill took Charlie where

they hoped to have an improved Dressage

score but although it was ok there is still

lots of room for improvement.

In the Showjumping phase they went well

and were unlucky to just knock the top of

the wall.

It was then the X-Country where there was a

fairly difficult Novice course. On a very windy

day they got round but had problems at a

couple of fences. He just does not like ditches

and also the 4th last which had a bit of a drop

on the landing side.

So no prizes today but a good workout in

preparation for the Hunter Trials at

Whitehill next weekend.

Sun 11 Sept

On a lovely warm September morning

we drove up to the magnificent setting

of Drumlanrig Castle for the Nithsdale PC

X-Country competition. Jill had Charlie

entered in the Novice event. It is a fair

course which they have competed on

before and looked as though it would

see most of the horses get round clear.

Jill and Charlie started of well and after

clearing the first 5 fences they came to

the "Coffin" which is a fairly deep and

wide ditch. They had a refusal there but

then got over and completed the course

without further incident. We were pleased

by how he jumped today and he has been

improving over the last few weeks. This is

the 3rd weekend in a row he has been out

and this seems to be of benefit to him.

Showjumping next weekend at Dumfries

but i wont be there as i have a date at the

Cleyhole to watch QOS v Stranraer.

Sunday August 21st 2005

Today was the 33rd Dumfries & Galloway Horse Show which was held at

Dundrennan. This is the site of the Wickerman festival which is held each July and is growing in popularity and stature each year.

The Wickerman Festival

Jill took Cut the Gossip (Charlie) to do the first 2 Show jumping classes.

The Novice class with a max height of 80 cm and the Intermediate with a max

height of 90 cm.

In the first class he had one jump down but only 3 went clear so they ended up

4th equal out of 15 competitors. This was pleasing as it is a while since they

have competed.

In the Intermediate class they went very well but had the top pole down on the

narrow "style" fence. They were quite happy with today and it was a good warm

up excercise ahead of next weeks One Day Event at Auchenhay.

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