How to Excel At Being Average

Keep looking forward! Martin Luther King Jr once said:   ' If you can't fly  then  run ,  if you can't run  then walk,  if you can't  walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving".   He was right, though it's easy to lose sight of that in January It's currently mid-winter.  There is so much mud at the moment it's hard to imagine grass on the ground.  It's also hard to imagine a time when it's possible to ride in the evenings - or even to ride at weekends; or even to WANT to ride!  We've had strong winds, snow and ice and heavy rain lately whenever I've been able to go to Happy Acres in daylight, so my motivation to ride has been a tad lacking. So, I thought I would go through all the things that we SHOULD be doing at this time of year and try to kick start you,. dear reader, into thinking along the same lines.  Between us I am sure we can come up with a master plan for a successful transition from wint...

Equissimo In October I was very lucky to win a photo competition run by Equissimo on Facebook The prize was a fab bundle of clothes, treats and horsey gear which arrived practically the next day!  Even the cat approved ;)  As soon as the weather is amenable i will take a pic of it all in action - far too many jumpers required at the moment They're doing a brilliant run up to Christmas on Facebook with special offers galore - click the link to visit their page and see what top treats are on offer Laura Mary Art Christmas cards These are a must have for Christmas.  Beautifully illustrated and top quality and only £10.50 for 12 cards!  #supportlocalbusiness - click here to see what Laura has on offer this Christmas  Air Ambulance ball Our local vets ran a Ball in aid of Air Ambulance in November - it was great fun.  We all got dolled up and trotted out to Whittlebury Hall for the evening.  Nobody was ill, nobod...

Worth its own blog post Words fail me :D Not only has Mr Grumpy transformed me from a 'terminally terrified' person too scared to get onto a horse into a 'mildly worried' person happy to try almost anything - he has got us into print - TWICE in one month!!  Not stock photos this time either, actually about us! The amazing Equetech photo shoot is written up in December 2017 Horse and Rider magazine, and the SEIB BRC Quadrille Finals are written up in November 2nd 2017's Horse and Hound! Love him :) 

Averageness OK, so the title of my blog indicates where I am in the grand scheme - average.  It's nothing to do with modesty or lack of confidence, it's just the way it is and I am comfortable with it.  Why?  Because it means I can improve and my efforts are not for naught!  I may not be able to get over 70% at prelim yet, and I may still be a wet drip at jumping, but I'm trying and I reckon that's what it's all about Just because you're not as good as Mary King or John Whitaker or Charlotte Dujardin doesn't mean you can't get out there and have fun! Demonstrations Having said that, who'd have thought I would ever need a blog section entitled 'demonstrations'!  The word is defined as: a practical exhibition and explanation of how something works or is performed.  This means people will be watching us to see how it's done.  Blimey.  Tory and I are demonstrating pairs dressage to music at the next Moulton College Quest event on...

  Tam Thompson I  started riding at age 3 or 4, having worn my non-horsey parents down since starting to talk, and I am afraid that once horses are in your blood it’s for life!  I worked with horses for a few years, on a polo yard, but have generally had ‘proper’ jobs to pay for my increasingly expensive equestrian habit.  As a child and teenager I could not have been less interested in dressage – that being the thing you had to do so they’d let you ride cross-country - however, I had 15 years out of the saddle, and on coming back to horses discovered that dressage is actually really rewarding, even at the lower levels.  Me and Beau have been a team for almost 2 years now and have played at dressage, showing, jumping, sidesaddle, camps, RC training and quadrille and we love it all.   The main thing for me, these days and in my youth, is to have fun.  Try everything.  Do your best and appreciate the small things.  I hope I can help rea...