Louise's Latest News

Alot has been happening this month! Burghley, horse sales at Goresbridge and moving base to Ireland.
 
Murphy s Miracle has a great run up and training preperation for Burghley. We spent a couple of days at Ferdi Eilbergs each week for the past month really working on him getting more engaged and connected and maintaining a better frame through out his test. This payed off with Murphy doing his best test to date scoring 58. He lost marks for his changes near the end of his test but overall I was made up.
 
I decided to give him a jump before the cross country phase. Whilst warming up on the Friday he pulled a front shoe off. He seemed fine and the farrier put the shoe back on that evening. I trotted him up that night and in the morning before cross country and he seemed perfect so I was happy.
 
The course was huge and testing as expected. Murphy just flew around making the jumps feel small. He has the most amazing scopey jump that the fences never seem big. I was held for an hour due to poor Nicola Malcom falling and being air lifted to hospital. I was not sure what to do as I have never been held on course that long. I kept calm and cooled Murphy down and chatted to spectators and friends came down to see me to make sure I was ok. The break probably did him good and Murphy got straight back into a rthymn again. He jumped a fantastic clear with 14 time penalties. My watch had stopped when I got held so I could not see a clear reading but I was still made up with our performance.
 
Unfortunately that evening when trotting him up to see if he was ok he was not level. The nails that had been put in his shoe after loosing it had made him unlevel and sore. I had the nails took out and iced his foot all evening and again in the morning but he was still not level in the morning. I was gutted as he really deserved to finish Burghley with a top 20 placing and earn his qualification for Badminton.
 
He is now fine and will be aimed for Pau 4 star in france to help us gain the qualification for Badminton. It is a new rule now that you have to be in the top 50% of a 4 star event to be accepted. Any other time Murphy would be easily qualified.
 
After Burghley I packed everything up and have moved over to by new base in Ireland. Belline Estate has fantastic facilities in the most lovely location. The gallops which belong th the famous trainer Aidon O'Brien are in the next village. I have a fantastic Indoor and out door school and I have developed a ride that goes around the woods and field for about 4 miles which is perfect for producing youngsters. I will continue to teach at Thornton Farm on a fortnightly basis.
 
Goresbridge sales took over my time last week. I ended up buying a lovely thoroughbred by Sunshine Street to aim for the Burghley young event horse classes, a smart connemara 15hds to produce to sell for working hunter pony classes and Judy Burdett who I ride Kismet V for bought a Cavalier mare to produce for eventing in the future. She is very smart and I am very excited about her.
 
Ballindenisk International event in Cork was next on the agenda. Dartans Proper Job (Mildred) and Kismet V competed in the CIC 2 star class and Ballinaslogue Cavalier (Aldo) in the 5 and 6 year old championship class. Aldo produced a double clear and a good test to finish 5th. He is now competing at intermediate level next week which is brilliant for a 6 year old. Mildred finished 7 th in th 2 star class which again was a fantastic result as she is only 7 years old. She will now have a break and be aimed at advanced level next year. Kizzy was a little wild in her dressage but finished 15th after jumping a good clear in her first event at this level. Ballindenisk was a beautiful event and I thoroughley enjoyed my first proper event in Ireland.
 
I am now busy planning events, competitons and training at Belline. It will be an exciting challenge to get everything up and running this winter. Livery horses are starting to fill the stables including 2 smart hunters from a new joint master of the Kilkenny hunt and a lovely young 3 year old from the sales to be broken in for Pauline Strawson.