Wow, I can’t believe the eventing season is over for another year. I say it every year but it just goes so fast!
The past couple of months have been a bit up and down to say the least. At Gatcombe at the end of September I won a novice section on the Saturday with my aunt’s Balou (True Blue Too). He is a really exciting six-year-old that has taken a long time to come into himself but is super talented. I cannot wait to see what he will do once he is really strong and established.
Then on the Sunday I was brought back down to earth with a bang (literally). I had a very nasty fall off Effie (Augusta Firefly) round the CIC2* cross-country. It was just one of those things where we got the striding wrong and sadly hit the fence with both of us ending up on the floor. Thankfully Effie got up straight away and although fairly sore for a few days, thanks to a few good physio sessions with my fantastic sponsor, Megan (Polgreen Physiotherapy), she was back to herself. I decided to finish her season here though and to give her a good holiday especially as I was feeling a bit crocked for a few weeks anyway. She, I am sure, will be none the worse for this and we can get her back on track next season.
I was off for a few weeks myself feeling a bit sore but ended the season by taking Edie (Aunt Augusta) to Aldon in the novice. She has had a very stop start season for one thing or another so I was really pleased to have a good run with her. She finished fourth after a lovely confident cross-country round. She will stay in work most of the winter to do lots of dressage practice and will also enjoy some time out on the hunting field. I love hunting the younger horses and believe it does wonders for them learning to find their feet and to jump out of all sorts of ground and in difficult places.
So while most of the horses enjoyed a bit of down time I managed to escape to Ibiza for a week’s holiday with my family. It was lovely to have a bit of downtime but it wasn’t completely chilled as I had to keep myself fit, as soon as I got back I rode in a charity Flat race at Wincanton! This was so much fun and for a very worthy cause, the charity Key4Life, whose mission is to reduce youth reoffending through the delivery of an innovative rehabilitation programme to those in prison and those at risk of going to prison. They have an incredible success rate and I am delighted to have raised money for such a fantastic charity. You can still donate on my My Donate page.
I’m looking forward to the winter with lots of training and hunting (pictured autumn hunting on my old campaigner, Another Breakfast with the Cattistock) planned to keep me busy.
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I just want to take this chance to say a massive thank you to my owners who are incredibly supportive; my team at home headed by Jess, who only joined us half way through the season but has been fantastic; my fabulous trainers; my sponsors, Unicorn Saddlery, Polgreen Physiotherapy, JumpsOnline, Equine Products UK and Spillers horse feeds. And last but not least, my fantastic horses!
Rosie
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Rosie Fry has been blogging for Horse & Hound since shortly after she left university to concentrate on eventing full time in July 2013. She is the sister of National Hunt trainer Harry Fry and helps school and exercise his horses when time allows.
