31st January 2013

We schooled Billy Biscuit, Full Shift, Vazaro Delafayette and Knight Of Noir over regulation fences, the 4 of them cut the ground up and we drew stumps. It was a great lesson seeing how the 2 younger inexperienced horses struggled to jump out of it, Billy and Full Shift coped fine. All the others jumped numerous mini fences which are placed on much better higher ground. You may wonder why the others aren't there too, well they now are. The reason we have them on lower ground is that there is a hedge to put them up against which helps the babies no end. They are now island fences, all the horses have jumped plenty are will be fine from here on in.

When moving the fences my head came into contact with the post thumper, I know who has come off worse!

Alan and Trea Newell arrived with another horse to hopefully go point to pointing, a 5 year old named Hopstrings by Sulamani. I broke her in a while back, she then went into training only to have problems. We will see how we get on and hope to get a run into her at some point. They also have Dark Tartan here who may go for a run around at Whitwick Manor. She is backward and will benefit from a educational run.

30th January 2013

Not such a frantic day, taking horses off galloping is essential experience for them but very time consuming, yesterday 5 of us were gone from 6 AM until 10.30 AM. Today, all the horses cantered on the wood-chip, their workload will be increasing all the time from here on in. Lets pray for a sustained dry spell. We are hoping to school everything tomorrow and I've spent a fair bit of time this afternoon on the schooling ground. Where we have opened up the ground on take off and landing sites it has become pudding like. I can't get the tractor across the gallop to move the fences so I've been repairing the ground as best I can using sand to fill in.  The change in 4 hours this afternoon was incredible, the wind was blowing strongly and it soon stated to dry it all out. If we get a dry night I think we will be able to carry on as planned. If not Billy Biscuit and Full Shift will be the only 2 schooling. It seems ridiculous but if this wind were to blow for 2 more days it is highly possible that our grass will become too fast. It is on Cotswold brash and drains well, the middle 3 furlongs of it is already good ground after today. Only where we have opened up the ground is it softer.

I seem to run on very little sleep when we enter some of the babies and start to worry all day and night about it. It is also compounded by tax bills that need to be paid by midnight tomorrow. HMRC  are great lenders, their interest rates are much lower than banks!

29th January 2013

Full Shift, Billy Biscuit, Major Martin and Frankenstorm went for an away gallop. We have always thought Billy Biscuit would want good ground and he confirmed that today. Full Shift also wants good ground. If the going at Milbourne is any worse than good to soft Billy Biscuit will have to wait. There is no point in running him on anything else, thankfully, his race is the first so at least he'll get the best of it. Tim Mitchell assures me that the ground will be no worse than good to soft and could easily be good. The end of the week is forecast to be dry and with the high winds on chalk land it is very possible.

I have a 1.5 mile 4 year old only bumper in mine for Major Martin at Newbury on 2nd March, we will just have to wait and see where we are with him nearer the time. Frankenstorm is aiming for the 2.5 mile maiden at Barbury Castle 17th February.

Patrick Milo and his wife were here to see his 2 year old by Notnowcato, he was pleased with him, he will head to Ed Dunlop in Newmarket at the beginning of March.

28th January 2013

Glens Boy is reportedly back on his feet and Geoff Lane thinks the operation all went well. He will scope him again on Thursday and hopefully send him home on Friday. Fingers crossed it is successful, he's such a lovely kind horse it would be a shame if it wasn't.

Most horses had routine canters and will now have to start to earn their corn with a view to running mid to late March.

Sam was here late morning, Billy Biscuit and Full Shift jumped 12 fences, Vazaro Delafayette and Frankenstorm jumped 9. All horses jumped well and will do the same again on Thursday when Sam will be here for the morning. Below, is a picture of what his father gave him for Sunday Lunch, I hope it was only a small bowl!

There are 19 entries in the 2.5 mile maiden at Milbourne St Andrew and 32 in the 3 mile contest. I favour the 2.5 mile for Billy Biscuit and the 3 mile for Full Shift. Both horses are entered in both so options are open. However, as it stands that is my plan. It will be a very early start as Billy Biscuit is in the 12 O'clock and he'll want 2 hours to chill out after the journey. I will allow 4 hours although we will do it in less, a 6 a.m get away. Alice will be delighted! Tomorrow, Billy Biscuit, Full Shift, Frankenstorm and Major Martin will have an away gallop and that will tell us what we need to know about the 2 possible runners. Milbourne is on chalk so I am hopeful they will race. The weather does improve as the week progresses, if the wind that is blowing currently continues and the rain stays away we will have hard ground!!

This evening whilst harrowing the gallop in a howling gale I considered moving to New Zealand to start sheep farming.

26th January 2013

I've never been so pleased to hear rain hammering on the windows as I was last night, we had a fair drop and it started the thaw off nicely. By Monday morning I should have a snow free gallop and it should be full steam ahead. The salt, although I am sure it will speed up the degrading of the woodchip it allowed us to keep all the horses on the move, it simply stopped the snow freezing and balling up in their feet. Riding out this morning was like being in the Alps, the next time I see snow and sun like that I hope I am in the Alps - some chance!

Billy Biscuit and Full Shift have entries at Milbourne St Andrew next Sunday and given it is on chalk land I hope we get something close to good ground. I am very keen to send the pair of them. Tim Mitchell a very good friend of mine for years lives next to the course and will keep me informed of the state of the going. Tim rode a mass of winners for Richard Barber and would have held his own against any professional jockey of his time, he won the Foxhunters on Fantus. Tim and I had some wild times together, he struggled with his weight more so than me, it may well have had something to do with the 30 pints of beer we drank most weekends! 

Trails day at Cheltenham didn't disappoint, National Hunt Racing really is special. It is full of characters and Malcolm Jefferson is certainly one of them, his post race interview was fantastic -totally unassuming. I have had the pleasure of meeting and talking to him on a few occasions, he is a gentleman and a top class trainer. It is great when a small yard hits success on the big stage. Nick Williams is also a character, he has an amazing ability with horses and can produce them on the day in tip top fettle as well as anyone in the business. Sprinter Sacre is likely to become the Frankel of the NH game and it is a joy to watch him. Network Rouge a 4 year old I bought in Ireland shares his sire, if he's a fraction as good as Sprinter Sacre I'll be delighted.

Tomorrow, I am taking Glens Boy down to Bristol for Geoff Lane to operate on on Monday, he will have a tie-back and some folds lasered off his larynx. Sholto has no rugby due to the going and will no doubt keep me company in the lorry.

Lucy Jones is bringing a filly late afternoon for a couple of weeks schooling. Have a good weekend and dust off your water proofs, they'll be needed next week.

25th January 2013

All the horses cantered quietly and it was amazing how the gallop held up. Larkhill tomorrow is off as is Whitfield next Saturday. I have heard that the going stick at Whitfield goes in 1ft without being pushed, apparently it is bottomless and that is before the snow melts! Sholti will be delighted as we have tickets to go to Kingsholm to watch Gloucester play Bath. He understands that the horses have to come first but is all the same delighted.

Racing at Larkhill on the 9th February will be competitive and I can easily see a 12 race card. Billy Biscuit and Full Shift will be entered there, Trouble Digger will have to wait until the following weekend and go back to Chaddesley Corbett. We will have an entry in the 2.5 mile maiden at Barbury Castle on the same day, looking at the planner, Sam will be able to ride at both meetings. His father has apparently hidden all the crisps and chocolate bars in the house. He may have a chance of making the weight now.

24th January 2013

Fat Sam was in and we rode everything out, some did more than others as the gallop deteriorated as the morning went on. Fresh snow isn't a problem but compacted snow is, if we get the predicted -6 tonight we will only be using the bottom half of the gallop as the top is still under 1ft of the stuff. A huge thaw is forecast over the weekend, by Monday I pray we are back to normal, my humour is worse than normal and the lads get the brunt of it. Anthony Webber was here and looked at 13 horses backs, all of which needed tweaking one way or another. Tom Campbell was here to take 6 trach washes. the results are back and all bar one are spot on. It was a busy morning with everything going on. Alice collected Lunette from Ben Brain, she has just had a hobday operation and will now have 10 days box rest before 4 or 5 weeks on the walker.

Once we had finished riding out we all set about cleaning the foot well of Sam's car out, it was no easy task and all hands were needed. We filled 2 feed bags of McDonald's takeaway bags, crisp packets, Mars bar wrapper, Mars bar drink container, Iron Bru bottles, Coke tins and numerous other sandwich wrappers and chocolate bars. His daily paper is the Sport, I am sure he doesn't buy it for the news or the racing coverage! I have made it very clear that he is to get his weight under control as the next 2 months will be busy.  His father will hopefully be reading this and also get at him. Alice and I had the misfortune of seeing him strip off at breakfast trying to say his bloated looks were compounded by layers of clothing. It didn't wash with either of us and we both agree he has let his weight go. His boss supplies him with fry ups each morning and he has certainly been over indulging.

23rd January 2013

A very trying day, we woke to another 6 + inches of snow this morning, at the top of the gallop it was over a foot deep in places. To say it was depressing would be an understatement. Yesterday evening when I left it, it was in good order and working horses on it this morning looked very possible. We rode a few on in this morning and they loved it.  The reason we didn't ride everything is because I need it for the runners and excessive use would deem it unusable once the snow is all compacted by their hooves.  At this stage there is simply too much snow on it to work it in and it has continued to snow for a large part of the day.

Billy Biscuit will not travel to Larkhill, the preparation has been seriously hindered and I don't want to run him guessing whether or not he is spot on. I know he is a gallop short and there has been no way of getting that gallop into him this week. Trouble Digger has the benefit of a run under his belt and will run if they get the go ahead. I spoke to someone on the committee at Larkhill and they are hopeful of racing should the forecast remain unchanged. In their words " I think we will get lucky".

Apart from the very depressing situation here I have little to report. The council have still failed to drop any grit either on the lane or at the top of it. Interestingly enough, I am sure if anyone was taking legal proceedings against anyone for whatever reason regarding the highways I am sure it would be against the Highways Agency rather than the Parish or Town Council. They just hide behind anyone they can possibly think of, like so many other organisations and individuals they refuse to take any responsibility for anything.

22nd January 2013

The gallop was vastly improved as a result of the salt, however, first thing we were only able to trot on it. By 11 O'clock we were able to give Billy Biscuit, Trouble Digger, Full Shift and Frankenstrom a satisfactory canter. All my telephone calls looking for a gallop to work on proved fruitless. It appears that everyone is letting nature take its course and waiting for the thaw. I know I have committed a cardinal sin salting my gallop. I worked the snow in another year and paid the price when it froze about 8 inches down. I think this year I may get away with it, rain is forecast on Sunday with a huge rise in temperature. Tomorrow night is my biggest fear with a forecast of -6 degrees. If we get through that we have done well. I deployed another 250 KG of salt onto it again this evening and as I got to the bottom it started to snow, I felt like banging my head against the tractor in a Basil Faulty fashion but thought better of it.

Larkhill are hoping to stage their meeting and I am working on the basis that it will be on. We now know Trouble Digger will handle any ground and the softer the better as far as he is concerned, as  for Billy Biscuit, I imagine he will want good ground to show his true ability but he has worked well on the soft all season. If the meeting goes ahead, we will take stock with him once I've walked the course.

If my gallop holds up over night they will both work on it tomorrow, you could certainly have worked on it this evening by the time I had finished working on it.

I had a very interesting conversation with the Highways Agency this morning. West Oxfordshire Council Council directed me to them after requesting that our lane was salted or some salt was dropped at the top and I would salt it myself. In short, they don't give a F***! It is apparently the responsibility of our Parish Council to organise salt supplies. I asked if they could possibly drop some off as we had none and 4 cars were stuck on the lane this morning, 2 of which had bumped each other. It is not their policy to drop off salt in the winter and it should have been organised in the summer!!!!!!! This country is a joke and whoever is in charge of these type of policies wants putting in front of a firing squad with a few others that I can think of. I would have had a large bet, had I the time and driven to the County Council depot in Chipping Norton there would have been numerous vehicles parked up and many men drinking tea in their hut. I know for a fact there is a mountain of salt piled there. No doubt Health and Safety policy doesn't allow gritters out on icy roads.

21st January 2013

Yesterday afternoon I spent a fair bit of time on the gallop, by 7 p.m I knew we had little chance of getting on it today, therefore, I got a couple of the lads and went on a salt finding mission, we salted a 4ft wide strip up the middle. This morning, although, the salted strip was hugely improved it was still unsafe. Stow Ag were called and a tonne of salt was delivered by midday. At midday Billy Biscuit, Full Shift, Trouble Digger and a filly that has been suffering with tying-up were exercised on it, the salted strip was safe and we had a quiet hack canter. Once they were safely back in their stables we set about salting the whole lot. This evening it is looking vastly improved and tomorrow everything will be back on it. I couldn't sit back and wait for it to disappear as it would have taken the whole week without any help. The salt is expensive but when one charges gallop fees as I do, I think I have a duty to get it back into action as soon as possible.

This morning was also a good opportunity to fog all the stables whilst everything was on the walker for an hour or more. Today is the first day we haven't managed to ride them all. I think that is pretty impressive given the weather that we've had, the lads have worked hard to keep to show on the road and I am very grateful to them. The forecast remains pretty cold for the rest of the week but I am still optimistc that Larkhill may go ahead. Their forecast is better than ours.

Billy Biscuit, Trouble Digger, Frankenstorm and Full Shift will be the last to be excercised tomorrow and hopefully will be able to work on our gallop, if not, they will be boxed up and taken somewhere where they can. Where, I have no idea, judging by what I am hearing and told we may have the only useable gallop within a 30 mile radius.

We had to unolad the feed at the end of the drive today as the lorry missed the drive and had no way back up the hill, it has been an exhasuting long day, I am now off for a bath.

18th January 2013

To say it was a testing morning would be an understatement, blizards were the order of the day! Anyhow, we got all the horses onto the woodchip, by our 6th lot it was getting fairly deep. How we will fare tomorrow is any ones guess. I thought I'd be clever and get the lorry out and into a position where the tractor could pull it up the hill and get Billy Biscuit, Frankenstorm, Trouble Digger and Full Shift off for an away gallop tomorrow. That went well with a bit of wheel spinning. I then went and pulled a car stuck on the lane up to the A361, West Oxfordshire Council have excelled themselves yet again and there isn't a granule of salt on the main road. We have no chance of getting away tomorrow, it is covered! It just won't be safe at this stage. I am a risk taker by nature but this would be going a step too far with any number of horses on board.The forecast is for more snow for the rest of the day and then a nice freeze overnight followed by more snow.

Most of the horses cantered 2 miles this morning others 1.5 miles. As it stands, tomorrow, only the hopeful runners will get beyond the walker. All rather depressing to say the least.

17th January 2013

Sam was in and all the horses cantered on the woodchip, obviously we are unable to school due to the frozen ground. I am beginning to lose my sense of humour with this weather, if we aren't up to our knees in mud we are frozen. It is frustrating to say the least, the weather seems to be better near Larkhill which is my second favourite location on the BBC weather site. I am surprised it hasn't gone down as I am constantly checking the updated forecast either on my phone, ipad or PC. They are forecast plenty of snow but it doesn't appear to be getting as cold in that neck of the woods.

Tomorrow we could be waking up to a good covering of the white stuff, we will get as many horses out as we need to. I trained Cavite Beta in 2ft of snow one year and he won by a distance when he ran, he loved jumping around in it, there is an old picture of him on the right of this page.

There is a national shortage of shavings in the country and I have been told today that ours are increasing by 50 pence / bag, an increase of 6.5%. Bedding is the second largest expenditure I have behind wages. 4,700 GBP's worth of shavings arrive on Monday and in 7 or 8 weeks I will be out. My accountant has been suggesting that I increase my fees for a while now but I won't be doing that this season. If things continue to spiral upwards I will be left with no choice next season to increase them a little. As much as I love doing what I do I can't do it for nothing.

I have just collected Tilly from school who told me on the way home that she had spent the day trying to fly, she also told me in doing so she had hurt herself more than once! I told her she needs to flap her arms faster..............

Given the forecast I will have to arrange a trip away for Billy Biscuit, Full Shift and Trouble Digger, we may look to go somewhere on Sunday. I don't want to work either of the runners any closer to Saturday when Billy and Trouble Digger will hopefully be heading to Larkhill.

16th January 2013

A easy day for those that galloped yesterday, the four of them seem to have come through it in good form and have eaten up all day. The other horses had canters on the woodchip,  the 2 year olds went out and about for the first time today and behaved beautifully.

Billy Biscuit and Trouble Digger have had their entries sent for Larkhill, we now need to hope that they race. Mrs Poulter is coming to see her Nayef filly tomorrow and is coming from Winchester, she told me that they have had a lovely there today. A very different story here, the water was running fine first thing but by 11 a.m the freezing fog had put pay to it. As the morning went on it seemed to get colder, a local farmer tells me that we are in for blizzards on Friday, snow and winds up to 20mph - the joys! This afternoon I took a trip to Stow Ag a bought a blow torch to get at some of the pipes, it proved to be useless as I am not sure where the water is frozen .We normally manage to get it into the barn as it comes in underground, however not this year.

Glens Boy is now heading to Geoff Lane for a tie-back, I am waiting to get clarification of the date. He is a top of the ground horse so we may have some fun with him in the spring and summer months if the operation is successful. It is an operation form the heart not the head. Lady Bamford is very fond of him and she will do whatever she can to help him.

15th January 2013

Billy Biscuit, Full Shift, Frankenstorm and Dark Tartan all went for an away gallop, I was pleased with them all. Billy Biscuit is highly likely to go to Larkhill on 26th January, Trouble Digger will also have an entry there and all being well Full Shift will go there on the 9th February. As it stands I can't see anything but dead ground anywhere else for a few weeks. Larkhill will certainly be the best around.

All the other horses had canters on the woodchip and the babies went in the school. 

14th January 2013

I lost the will to live this morning when I woke to see 3/4 of an inch of snow on the ground. As it transpired it wasn't too bad. We got all the horses out around the back of the buildings and onto the gallop. Every horse cantered or was ridden in the school. Having seen the forecast today and tomorrow look the best days of the week. It takes a fair bit to stop us on the woodchip and being able to get there via the fields and not to having to encounter and icy roads is a massive bonus. I am never afraid to hack canter them on the woodchip unless it is absolutely solid.

Tom Campbell was here this morning and we trach washed 12 horses. A few are still not how I'd like them to be but others are A1. I am always talking to trainers for one reason or another and I know I am never alone with this scenario, infections and bugs are part and part of the parcel now. The most important thing in all of this is to realise when you have something on them and not to overwork them. I do all the feeding and see all the horses many times daily, I'd like to think I am able to identify any signs of illness to a greater or lesser degree immediately.

Billy Biscuit and Full Shift are going for an away gallop tomorrow, I am going to fill the box with 2 others but am yet to decide which 2. The second 2 will only be going for experince and won't be doing any more than a swinging canter.

12th January 2013

Billy Biscuit and Full Shift did a handy bit of work on the woodchip, both horses are well and will be, weather permitting, going for an away gallop on Tuesday. All the other 4 year olds cantered on the woodchip. The weather is testing us and if the predicted frosts arrive we will be on hold yet again, with the high water content in all our surfaces we will freeze like the road. Billy Biscuit and Trouble Digger will have an entries for Larkhill on 26th and Billy Biscuit also at Whitfield on 3rd February.

Up and Go got back to winning ways this afternoon having fallen on his previous run. I havn't seen the race yet but will do so on racing replay tonight. I can't bring myself to watch Channel 4 racing any longer, what I did see this afternoon was on RUK. I flicked onto Channel 4 only to be met with the smug voice of Nick Luck, I soon flicked back to RUK.

Tomorrow after morning stables it is rugby training for Sholto, after which jobs will be found. Have a lovely weekend and enjoy the snow!!!!

11th January 2013

A busier morning than the norm as we were a man down, Mollie had to take her car for an MOT as it ran out in August! All the horses had routine canters and seem in fine fettle. Sergey has got the 2 years olds going really well in the school, they will progress to the woodchip next week, where they will do some hack canters for a while before heading to their trainers or back to the paddocks. The grass is starting to grow and the daffodils are poking their noses up too.

It was a good day for graduates of Cottage Field Stables, Megastar a horse I had here on and off for 3 years won on the flat at Lingfield. The year he left here he won the Liverpool bumper and then lost his way after being thrown in at the deep end. Malt Master won a novice chase at Huntingdon. There is a rather smug story behind this horse - he was led out unsold at Doncaster May sales.  Robert Robinson of Distillery Stud asked to break him in and prepare him for a breeze-up sale. I loved the horse from the moment he walked into the yard, I then met Steve Cooper-Reade at my godfather golf day. Steve is involved in another syndicate that I have. Steve mentioned he wanted to increase his involvement with horses, I told him I had just the horse and I'd come back to him if Robert would sell him. Robert sold half of him to Steve for 15,000GBPs, a few days later I wanted a share and bought a leg off Steve for 8,500 GBPs, I then split it with Charlie Brooks and Andrew Robertson as they too wanted a bit of him. I prepared him and took him to the Cheltenham Breeze up sale and had valued him at 60,000GBPs on his home work. At the sale Anthony Bromley asked me what I wanted for him, I told him 60,000GBPs.  Mr Bromley told me that I was a stupid boy, laughed in my face and told me to put him away. He didn't make his reserve at that sale. We then ran him in a bumper at Doncaster which he won, a few weeks later we sent to a DBS Newbury sale where Anthony Bromley bought him for 155,000GBPs. He did make his reserve that day and I wonder who was the stupid boy at the Breeze up sale? On that occasion the horse proved to be as good as we thought he was.

I am being screamed at by the children..............

10th January 2013

Network Rouge, Dark Tartan, Virtuoso Rouge, Frankenstorm, Max Ward, Glens Boy, Vazaro Delafayette, Full Shift, Billy Biscuit, Medieval Gateway, Silver Breese and Knight Of Noir schooled over the fences. Sam and I were jockeys and the lads did a brilliant job of keeping them coming. All horses jumped 9 or 12 fences each. Excluding Billy Biscuit and Full Shift all the babies were all going upsides for the first time. I couldn't have been happier with any of them and we had a great morning.  The other few babies cantered on the woodchip or went in the school.

Kathleen Haughley was here to see her and her dads Black Sam Bellamy Filly and Grape Tree Road gelding. We let the Grape Tree Road horses down for 3 months and he has come back much bigger and stronger. He will aim a p2p in the Spring, the filly will be heading back to the paddocks, I can't see her doing anything until she is 5, currently only 3.

I had considered making some entries for Thorpe Lodge but have had too many negative responses to my investigations into the track and won't now be doing so. Full Shift won't be suited by Whitfield and will now have to wait for Larkhill on the 9th Feb. Whoever did the race planning for Larkhill's meeting on 26th January wants shooting. The best track in the country and it isn't staging a restricted race or a race for 4 year old maidens. It is no wonder some hunts and clubs lose money when staging their p2p.

9th January 2013

Routine canters for all horses and an easy day for Billy Biscuit and Full Shift who worked on the grass yesterday.

Tiqris ran at Ludlow today and finished 2nd, he was dropped out and I imagine that the connections were as interested in getting him to settle as they were winning the race. It can take young horses several runs before they settle and learn to race, judging on his previous run at Ascot I'd like to think this was their aim. All said and done I am obviously disappointed he didn't win. Harris another horse I sold finished 3rd in the same race.

Vicky Brain was here late morning to put the overground scope on an older horse, he had a hobday last year and his soft palate fired this year, sadly, his wind has deteriorated again and if the owners want to carry on with him he will need a tie forward. He's a top of the ground horse so should they decide to go forward with it he has all summer to race, unless of course it is like the last when the ground was soft for most if not all of the summer season. Horses would break the hearts of most but it would be a much sadder world without them.

This afternoon my accountant came by and I wish he hadn't.

8th January 2013

On Sunday Sam schooled Dark Tartan, Frankenstorm and Knight of Noir. I schooled Network Rouge, Vazaro Delafayette and Virtuoso Rouge, all the horses jumped well. Thanks to Alice, Sam's brother and girlfriend we were able to get all 6 horses over to the schooling ground in one go - the joys of many hands. As Sam's brother had all the 10-1 of Knockdhu at Barbury he owed us a favour!!

Yesterday all the horses had routine canters. I felt dreadful from the moment I got out of bed, when I sat down at lunchtime I found myself cast and only got up for evening stables, once that was completed I came home for a bath and got straight into bed. Sophie has been told about Castor Oil liver packs, I highly recommend them and there is plenty of information on the Internet about them. I have felt perfectly well again today. Today, most of the horses had routine canters, their workload is increasing but the speed of the canters aren't. Billy Biscuit and Full Shift worked on the grass. Both horses will be entered for Larkhill on 26th January and Whitfield the following weekend. Full Shift is almost certain to go to Larkhill as I think the track will suit him and he needs the best ground possible. It is raining again! Whitfield is a local track to Billy Biscuit's owner and we will see what the weather brings before deciding where we go with him.

Trouble Digger is bouncing again and took a fair tug with Mollie today, not helped by me on Max Ward tucked in behind him, Trouble Digger loved it and knew exactly what I was doing.

7th January 2013

On Monday evening after evening stables I had to take to my sick bed, this morning I am back on my feet feeling better. A successful Sunday morning schooling session which I will elaborate on in today's, Tuesday 's post later on this evening.

5th January 2013

A 4.30 start, getting all the horses that are on medication done and dusted before we started to ride out at 6.30. We always ride out in the moonlight, some days we can see more than others. The horses know their way around and it has never been a problem.  I managed to ride out 3 lots before racing off to hunt. I had a lovely day galloping and jumping my way around the Heythrop countryside. Mrs Wills very kindly lent me her 2 horses, both of which were impeccably behaved.

When I got back home I flicked the telly on and by chance caught the the last 3 fences of the Welsh National, a great day for the Scudamore family, it's lovely to see a small trainer picking up a big prize. Channel 4 looked as if they are introducing a bit of a thing with Nick Schofeild and Jeremy Scott in the studio after the last televised race. It is something that may grow on me but it did seem a little strange. Nick Luck's over enthusiasm is something I don't go a bundle on and find him painful to watch and listen to.

Tomorrow Sam is in and we will school six 4 year olds before he heads off to Larkhill and I to Stow Rugby club with Sholto and the girls, the girls only come for the hot chocolate and Kit-Kat, daddy's are special for things like that!

Knockdhu has moved out to his new home, we have given him to Alice who works for me, she will give him all the time he needs to heal and then p2p him should he stand training. I hope they have some fun together.

4th January 2013

Tom Campbell, my vet is back from his holidaying in his homeland of New Zealand, Tom has been gone for 6 weeks. Thankfully we had very little need of a vet in that time but when we did Charlie McCarten covered. It takes months to build up trust in your vets opinions and it is only gained by them making the right decisions time after time. Charlie is a top vet with years of experience, what he hasn't seen isn't worth seeing and is extremely professional. Charlie has concentrated on stud work for a number of years now, although he is a top class vet he is the first to admit it but is behind Tom when it comes to racing yards. Tom was in today and Trach washed 8 horses, the results are very acceptable. Some of the horses are suffering with high macrophages which is proving to be a bit challenging to know why. Tom doesn't believe it is the product that I fog with but in the same breath doesn't know what the cause is. He has spoken to another racing vet and they have no idea what maybe causing it. Apparently, the vet he spoke to had seen a horse due to race abroad, it had high marcophages, he advised it didn't travel yet it won a Group 1! It is far from serious and nothing we can't medicate, I give most drugs thought a nebuliser, it goes straight to the source rather than through the blood or muscle. It is time consuming but I believe that it is the best and most effective way of administering them.  I will be on parade very early in the morning to get around all of the horses that require medication before we start riding. I will be heading off hunting late morning but need to get at least 4 lots out before I go.

I had to pop into Chipping Norton late afternoon only to hear Clare Balding being interviewed on Radio 2, is there any escaping her?

3rd January 2013

Sam was in and he schooled Dark Tartan, Frankestorm, Medieval Gateway, Billy Biscuit and Virtuoso Rouge. I schooled Full Shift, Network Rouge, Glens Boy, Vazaro Delafayette and Silver Breese aged 13 who led Medieval Gateway. Sam also jumped Max Ward over some poles in the school, he is now ready to progress to the schooling ground. All horses jumped very well, for many of them it was the first time over regulation fences and they coped more than satisfactorily with it. A few will go back over there on Sunday morning when Sam can get back in. We will really be stepping up the schooling sessions from here on in.

Jane Poulter was due here at 11.30 this morning to see her Nayef Filly but rang to say she had been in a car crash and wouldn't make it. Thankfully, she is fine and will rearrange her visit.

It was late finish this morning, once the schooling was complete we had to get on and ride all the babies. This afternoon I rattled off a few invoices before Ellie and I went to tread in the schooling ground. We had someone half heartily helping throughout the morning which made life a bit easier but it was still a big task after jumping so many horses. I then had to ride Glens Boy for the 2nd time in the day before checking legs and doing various other things that have to be done before evening stables, it feels as if it has been a long but very satisfying DRY day.

2nd January 2013

All horses had routine canters and the babies were ridden in the school. Ben Brain was here with his overground scope this afternoon, it is an amazing bit of kit and answers many questions if in doubt about any breathing issues. Today is was used on a flat 2 year old who wasn't finishing her races. We now know why.

I have a few horses with high macrophages which suggests that they have a sore throat, I am putting it down to a new disinfectant that I have been fogging with, until I resolve the problem we are treading carefully with them. We won't be working anything until we run some further tests in 10 days time once they have completed their treatment. Frustrating, I had hoped to up the anti with a good few of them with a view to targeting some early fixtures in February, those fixtures may come a week too soon now. We will just have to see how it unfolds before putting any firm targets in the diary.

Liz Wills popped in to see Trouble Digger and his nephew, an unnamed 4 year old by Alflora, he is here for a bit of education before they decide what route they want to take with him. She has kindly offered me a couple of horses to hunt on Saturday, a very kind invitation which I hope to be able to accept, I just need to make sure I can organise things and get all my work done here beforehand.

1st January 2013

A dry day to bring in the New Year, lets hope it stays that way for a while. I rode out a few lots this morning and the others has a leg stretch on the walker, the holidays are over and it will be full steam ahead tomorrow morning.

Today was not a great day for Channel 4 to launch their new team, all things considered, what I saw of the presentation looked pretty poor. The content was interesting but nothing any racing fans hadn't seen before. The studio and graphics looked like they had been designed by a Panda who is 4 years old. We all know what they are capable of and I am sure it will be fantastic when they get an opportunity to show themselves off. Their coverage of cricket and racing on the whole is top class, choice of pundits not so!

Ellie, our Au pair form some years ago has just come back to visit us from Italy for a week, she became part of the family very quickly, sadly, she hasn't been here for a few years due to study and work commitments. She is very special and it's great to have her here for a week. The kids love her and their last week of Christmas holidays will be great. She was always in harmless trouble when working here and kept us very much entertained.