Lauren Shannon’s eventing blog: ready to get going again after a much-needed rest
Phew! It’s definitely been a while since my last Horse & Hound blog! It turns out, going on holiday as soon as the season gives you a quiet week is a bad idea — the work really piled up while I was away.
Luckily, I am just about back on track now, hence my resurfacing in the blogging world. After their runs at Rockingham Castle last month, all the big girls had a bit of a holiday. A couple weeks off to process all the information they have learned this spring is just what they needed.
Both Purdey (Quality Purdey, above) and Crunchie (Kilcannon Watlings Crunch) are now heading to Aston-le-Walls next month for their first advanced competition. Both mares are only 8, so we will hold fire on making any other big plans until we see how they make the big step up. Judging by how they are both going at the minute though, I think we won’t struggle!
Holly (Riffala Du Buisson) made a really successful move up to intermediate last month as well, going double clear at Aston-le-Walls. She is a really exciting horse for the future, but unfortunately needs to be sold, so we will keep eventing her while trying to find her the most perfect home, where she can reach her full potential as I think she will go far.
The young horses have all been going well, as have all my students and their horses. The last 2 weekends have seen us stay home and not head out eventing, which I think we are all starting to feel grateful for! This is a long old season, and without a rest after a busy spring it can feel very hard. The horses have been grateful for the rest too — they are all working fabulously and are ready to crack on again next month.
These past couple weeks have also allowed us to settle into our new yard, and really made it feel like home. Everyone keeps commenting on how lovely and quiet it is, and how chilled out all the horses are in their new surroundings.
A grand opening keeps getting put back, as I can’t seem to find enough hours in the day to finish all the little jobs there are left to do, but I was wisely advised to do it anyway, as it’s unlikely this project will ever truly be finished! Judging by how busy it’s been without events the last couple weeks, I think that advice might be best heeded.
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Lauren
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Event rider Lauren Shannon blogged on Horseandhound.co.uk from June 2011 until September 2014. Born in Brighton, she lived in America from the age of three to 16, returning to the UK to go to university after she finished school. After university she worked for Mark and Tanya Kyle before setting up her own yard in Leicestershire. Her best result to date was finishing 9th at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials with her top horse, Zero Flight.