Chloe Chubb’s showing blog: Countdown to Olympia
This time next week Olympia will be over and hopefully Jacob and myself will have had the best time and done ourselves and everyone else proud!
Well that is what I aiming for. Although I know I will be sad it is over, I also can’t wait for it to be done and my stress levels to reduce! My friends know I am not usually a stressed person — generally I leave that to my mum — but at the moment I can’t stop worrying.
I have given up getting worked up about his coat now — with a week to go there isn’t much I can do, but now, of course, I am stressing about something else going wrong. What if something happens to Jacob? What if the lorry breaks down or what if I am ill? The list is endless and very boring.
I have a nice long list of jobs for the weekend to keep myself occupied and to make sure we are ready to go. Unfortunately I am working up until Olympia and have to attend a work ‘do’ the night before, so the more I can do at the weekend the better!
Last-minute practice
All of the information has arrived from Olympia, which includes a set show. I didn’t realise I would have to run so far so I better get a bit of practice in this weekend seeing as we haven’t done anything since we went to a show about a month ago.
I am much more a rider and I think if I was riding I would feel a lot less nervous about it! We have a drawn order and at the moment I am drawn to go in last — that could either be very bad or very good!
I just hope Jacob conserves his energy enough to keep his trot going in the show. It has been pretty hard these last few weeks riding before work and keeping him fit — there has been a lot of fluorescent clothing, lights and rugs being used early in the morning and I am not going to lie, it isn’t very fun getting up in the pitch black and cold. All the joys of winter riding.
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In the last few weeks, aside from stressing about Jacob, I did get the chance to take Bam (pictured top) out to a winter show for some more practice — and it certainly was a ‘winter show’. I think it rained constantly and the wind was ice cold.
Bam, however, was on good form — she just gets better and better each time she goes out and I was thrilled when she won her novice class beating all the Welsh section Ds! She also coped well with the go round and is starting to get much better with other horses around her. She still needs a lot more experience but I am feeling really excited about showing her next year — and it is nice to finally have a girl to ride again!
Jacob’s babaies
With no shows to go to at the weekends I obviously have needed to fill my time with other horsey activities! And I have had two really fun trips to Popsters Stud and the Thistledown Stud to see some of Jacob’s babies.
We had a great time at Popsters Stud, even though it decided to flood as we arrived, and it was exciting to see two of Jacob’s babies Justin and Heidi have been saving for me.
One is turning three next year, so fingers crossed he will make his ridden debut in 2016, and the other is a year younger. Whilst there I also saw a colt foal, who was so similar to Jacob I thought he must be his foal, but it actually turned out that Jacob is his uncle.
After falling in love I decided to buy him, so I am now the proud owner of Popsters Mister Nando (pictured above) I have no idea what I am going to do with a foal and need one like a hole in the head, but I couldn’t resist his cheeky little face.
Justin and Heidi took him out to his first show recently where he was crowned the National Foal Show Welsh Section C winner!
I also got to go up to Thistledown and see all the lovely ‘Welshies’ up there — including some of Jacob’s babies. He has the most stunning colt foal which looks just like him and seemed to have his attitude as well. I can’t wait to see how he grows and if I am able to steal him in a few years time!
Photo shoot
Alongside the visits I was also lucky enough to squeeze in a photo shoot with the very talented Sophie Callahan, who came out last week to take some photos of Jacob and I (pictured above right). Sadly the day had promised sunshine but typically we got rain instead!
However the shoot was great fun and Sophie made it all so easy, especially as I am not a fan of the camera and Jacob tends to just look bored. If there is no one to impress he is quite happy just chilling out. Sophie must have worked her magic as she seemed to have got some fantastic photos that I just love — they capture Jacob perfectly.
Hopefully I might get another blog done before Olympia, but if not then please keep your fingers crossed that we all make it to London in one piece.
We are travelling up in the morning as Jacob isn’t so keen in staying in those stables and I just know he will spend the night trying to visit the pony next door — not what anyone needs. So it will be a very early start next Friday morning to ensure we get there in time and avoid the London traffic!
If you are going to watch on the Friday, I am in at 10am and would love anyone’s support! I am so proud to have qualified and cannot wait to get the chance to see Santa with my very special pony.
Chloe
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Chloe is a successful amateur showing rider and judge, who has been blogging on Horseandhound.co.uk since 2010. She mainly competes in ridden Mountain & Moorland classes with her team of ponies, as well as riding for other people. She lives in Kent and works full-time in London, so has to fit the ponies in around work.