How to Excel At Being Average

Beau Bayou Blog April 2017 In which people and ponies become models - Simon gets new underpants - and I hook up with an artist Brand Ambassador I am very proud to be able to say that I am now a brand ambassador for Laura Mary Art.  Laura very kindly sent me this gorgeous print of a hare to say thank you I have been in touch with a couple of other brands but the lines of communication are slow so hopefully more news next month! You may have noticed, that Neue Schule Bits are running a competition for their next sponsored rider.  Since Beau prefers their bits it would be inconsiderate of me not to try and go for it!  I have been tweeting like mad #nsnexttopjockey and @nsbits!  I want to join the team badly, of course, but this is too good an opportunity to miss, so get entering!  It’s for any standard or level of rider and all you have to do is keep using the hashtag In other news, Simon has been having great fun with Derriere Equestria...

Far too exciting to wait until my next blog - the podcast with #HorseHour is now live!  I sound very weird but it's so exciting to share!   I'm just a normal girl enjoying my ponytime when I'm not at work.  The message is simple: If I can do it - so can you.  Play within your limits - but stretch them - and enjoy your horses x Click here for a listen:   http://www.horsehour.co.uk/2017/03/13/side-saddle-gymkhana-adult-camp/

Wonky day 12/2/17 on 12th February I attended a sidesaddle unmounted rally at Pittern Hill Stables by kind invitation of Roger Philpott and Ginny Oakley - who are the masters of all things sidesaddle!  The morning was spent in the (freezing cold) school, watching riders and horses of varying experience jumping a small grid.  We saw a lady who is new to jumping wonky but not new to wonky and her amazing horse.  Then 3 ladies (one of whom was partially sighted and who never moved in the saddle - perfect balance) who are intermediates jumping wonky though experts at sidesaddle.  Finally we were given a demo by a rider who has won sidesaddle rider of the year SIX times jumping a racehorse fairly new off the track.  A-maze-ing dahhhling, and in equal parts thrilling and fascinating to watch.  Lean your left shoulder towards your horses's right bit ring seems to be the key to not falling off!  And kick on because a long flat jump is much easier to sit th...

Tam and Beau's  Haynet Blog February 2017 – You’ve got to have a dream… Hello Haynet community!  To start, I’d like to introduce me and my little horse Beau.  I am average, at everything.  If you take one thing from following this blog please let it be that averageness shouldn’t stop you trying new things and giving it a go – it doesn’t stop me!  Beau is not average, he is an opinionated grumpy old thing, and a total legend.  I have thrown so much at him in the 18 months we’ve been a team, and he has gone along with it all In 2016 we played at dressage training, Team Quest, quadrille training and competition, sidesaddle, gymkhana games, a spot of jumping, Riding Club camps, Your Horse Live and lots of relaxed hacking.  Horses are my spiritual home, and always have been even though I’ve struggled with confidence and motivation quite a lot over the last few years.  Beau is my therapy There is not much to share on our activities this mo...

January 2017 – Thank you Mollichaff – you made 2016 special x It’s our last blog post as Mollichaff Sponsored Amateur, and what a year it’s been.  I expect I would have done some of the things I did without being involved with Mollichaff, but it has amazed me how much having a blog to fill has focussed my mind on trying to get out and have experiences that I can share.  The only downside to that is that it would be a shame to slow down with no official blog to write.  So…I am going to carry on and do it just for myself.  It will be here:  https://beaubayou.blogspot.co.uk/ You get to the end of the year and think about what you’ve achieved, where you are now compared with where you were then, and it feels as though not much has changed.  Looking back through my blogs, on my 2016 with ponies, shows me though that actually lots has changed!  I used the bursary to work with some incredibly ki...

BD National Veteran Dressage Championships The first and most important thing I have to share this month is that my little sister, Tory, and the legendary Spotty Pony only went and WON the BD National Veteran Intro Championships!  They got a prize and a sash and got to do a lap of honour.  I am not sure who cried more, me or our Mum!  Sooooooo proud of Tory.  Spotty had three months off for a fractured splint this year and qualified at Intro as part of her rehab in just two tests.  Zero to hero!  They were even in the BD magazine.  Beau and I could only manage 12th in our section (average), but I was really pleased with how he went – and more importantly with how we worked as a team and finally trusted each other enough to combat scary judges’ tables (2), people opening the door into the gallery then letting it slam shut (1), and the swags on the walls (millions).  He was a very good boy and I was a very good girl :D . BD National...

The Team Quest and BRC Quadrille results are in… Aaaaaand breeeeathe!  Team Quest Regionals and Quadrille are now over for this season.  Just BD Veterans and BD Draught Horse Champs to get through before I can start worrying about Christmas instead.  I need to decide whether to clip the furball before, between, or after these two competitions.  Before and between, I risk making a mess of it.  After and I risk him looking like a hairy yak again like last winter… Team Quest Regional Championships We did it!  We went to Championships and we did not disgrace ourselves.  Beau was aptly described afterwards as having been a ‘perky pony’ in the test, which wasn’t his greatest timing!  He went beautifully in the warm up, but I was out too early and let him stretch after twenty minutes.  When I came to pick him up again he objected – he was quite happy stretching thanks – so we had some tension in the test.   Also, the preparation phase...