We are in the final countdown for the 2024 season, with just Le Lion and Pau left on our bucket list for the year.
As I write this I’m in the luton with doggo curled up next to me having arrived in the dark last night – Kaitlyn and Michaela are giving the horses some outside time (so nice to be able to use paddocks at Le Lion it is very thoughtful of them!) and will enjoy being able to see their surroundings for the first time!
Le Lion is always a special place for us, it represents the pinnacle of our training in the young horses, and it is so exciting to get your eyes on the stars of the future.
Our preparation for the past month has been even more busy than usual (but how? I hear my past grooms say!)
Well, I got a part-time job.
Weird… I know!
It would have to be a pretty cool job in order to get me to split my time even further?
In June I was approached by EquiRatings, to see if I would have a chat about joining their team.
This year they have moved into horse sales, with their ability to analyse statistics on every FEI event horse in the world, it made sense to move into a space where performance is such a big part of the shopping journey.
However, they appreciate that it isn’t the whole picture. They wanted someone who could add more of a qualitative opinion to the numbers game, and someone who had the ability to spot talent before it might get to the performance stage.
As you all know I pride myself on this point and permanently horse shopping sounded like it was right up my street…
In August I reached out to them and said I was keen to have a chat, I made a CV (for the first time in 10 years!) and the rest is history. I am really enjoying being part of a bigger team and using a few different brain cells to what I have been!
I am sure it is going to take some adjustment, and I won’t get the balance right all the time, but I’m really excited about the value I think I can add. The girls have been absolute champions about it and have thrived with more responsibility at home.
The long-term plan will be to reduce the number of horses I am campaigning down to 10 (from 15) and to give the girls x5 spaces in the yard to develop their own careers.
My 10 will only be horses I really thrive working with, and I am hopeful (since I will be looking at the market all the time), that I can make sure that those 10 are horses that really fit me to a T.
On a slightly sadder note, and speaking of horses that really fit me to a T, Pip and I have made the difficult decision to put Sooty on the market. He is now 13, so we felt we had to make the call whether to crack on towards WEG, or whether to pass the opportunity to new hands and begin the journey again with a more long-term view.
I have actually decided not to take him to Pau, as even though he is 5* fit and ready, I felt that I had more to lose than gain with this decision in mind. I didn’t want to go and make a silly mistake to finish our career on.
So, in reality my last run was an easy 28 double clear in the OI at Cornbury, blissfully popping around unaware of the magnitude of the moment cantering through those finish flags for potentially the last time. Pip and I have been treated to a wonderful 8 years with Sooty with so many highs, we really have been so lucky.
If a deserving rider springs to mind then please reach out, I think he could either continue towards the world games or teach someone younger the ropes.
Equally I’d like to dream that there is a small possibility there may be an owner out there who wants a horse competing at the top level in which case I would love to keep the ride.
One of the main drivers for this journey is that Brayden and I have found a house to buy, well it isn’t really a house, it is probably better described as a shack! It’s definitely the worst house on the best street, situated in the little town of Ham just 4 minutes from the yard (and 50 metres from the pub!) However, we’ve run into trouble with the mortgage (England being difficult as per usual) so the need for cash made us re-evaluate our options.
We are hopeful that we might be able to resolve these challenges in which case we will be dreaming of renovations whilst we come back to NZ for wedding season. We fly out on the 25th of November and have managed to just squeeze Christmas in, flying back on the 27th of December. We’re looking forward to catching up with everyone having not been home for a couple of years.
I feel I have pretty much skipped over the past few months - it has felt like a lot of 'nearly there's!' We had an amazing time participating in the pre-Olympic camp, watching the Games, and having Mum and Dad come to stay. We've had some wonderful events since, celebrated with friends and family, it was very special to have Pip and Sharon visit us on this side of the world in July.
But right now – we have jobs to do! Cleo is here in the 6yr World Championship, with Cookie in the 7yr, we are looking forward to doing everything we can to put their best performances on the table for the week ahead. And then it is all on for an exciting finale with Charlie’s first Pau.
There is much riding, planning, and eating of croissants to be done!
Hope you are all well,
Sam
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