Well, it’s been all go since my last update…

Finally, the ponies were out and about competing again and the first stop was Little Downham with four. William (Broadway Star) was first up, running in his first advanced. I was rather apprehensive as he hadn’t had a run for a very long time, so I thought we’d take each phase as it came. He did a sweet test, just his canter work really letting the mark down – he’s getting there, it’s just strength.

He showjumped well, so it was on to the cross-country. He started off really well, jumping really confidently despite spooking at every banner and anything that he wasn’t jumping. Bless him, his eyes were a little on storks!

This caused us to have a silly problem at a skinny cut hedge – it was a bit of a funny old fence in the wood with quite a wiggle before it to get straight and a ditch running under the hedge and out to both sides. William in his current state of mind spooked at a pile of logs where we needed to do our “wiggle” and then locked onto the ditch to the side. Silly boy. As it was such a tricky fence to get their concentration and momentum back, I decided to call it a day.

We were already on plan Z having had plan A, B and C cancelled, so we knew we were pushing our luck. Seemed a sensible thing to do and save him for another day.

The other three – Bertie (Liberty Rock), Poppet (Saunders Lady) and Pye (Python ll) – were running the following day and all three followed the same trend as each other. It honestly felt like I was at Oasby (1) riding some lunatic babies after a long winter of no excitement. We got through the day and none of them were overly competitive after the first two phases, so decided to go for a jolly cross-country and blow those cobwebs away. All three jumped nice clears.

It’s foal time

We also had some very exciting news over that weekend – our first little baby was born… a little bay boy. I presumed he would have no markings as my mare has produced two foals with no markings and this boy’s sire is plain bay. When we went to visit on Monday morning we had a bit of a surprise… White stripe and four white legs – well, three and a grey one! Bless him, he’s a really cutie and can’t wait to get him home.

We always said that if we had a colt this year we would call him Sir something in memory of my darling Sir Roscoe. So as daddy is called Stalypso, rather unoriginally at the moment he seems to be Sir Lypso. We have one more baby due in the next couple of weeks, by the same sire. As always hoping for a little colt and in this case there is a chance we could get a chestnut. The full-brother to the mare was chestnut with a white face and legs; in this case, having lost Sir Roscoe I would love to have chestnut. My guessing is bay and no markings though…

Mission accomplished for Cufflink and Cumlaude

Back to the competing and this time it was my two five-year-olds having their first outing at Subaru Houghton’s Burghley young event horse. It was a huge shame I didn’t have one running in the three-day as I have always enjoyed the event and had such fun.

My little two monkeys weren’t too bad, they didn’t eat the judges, no-one got injured and I stayed on. Mission complete! Despite Cufflink taking a rather large disliking to the ice cream van next to his dressage arena – if only he knew what was inside.

Those two, Cufflink and Cumlaude were out again for their first BE90 at Shelford a few days later. This is one of my favourite events for the babies; everything is nice and close together with nothing too scary. It was the most gloriously hot day, everyone was out baring our English pale skin and of course burning! It was the epitome of a truly British scene, green countryside, horses, sun, and everyone was burnt. Including my nose!

Anyway, again the two five-year-olds didn’t disgrace at all, a few baby mistakes, but were both awesome cross-country, especially Cufflink who gave me a great ride for a real baby.

Pye had also joined them with a late entry as he was a little on his toes the week before at Little Downham. He too was great; he did a lovely settled test and jumped the best he ever has in both phases. It’s rare we are pleased with all three phases, but I really was thrilled and even more so when I realised he had won on a 26.5. The only shame was that the owners Ryck Turner and Sally Platts couldn’t be there to see their boy.

Travel agent Cooke

Between all of this I actually feel like I have become a fully-fledged travel agent. I’ve been put in charge of organising a holiday in December by my boyfriend Jeremy – his very sweet treat to me for putting up with him being away in Afghanistan for so long. I’ve been up for many nights putting together quotes from Lappish Finland to Thailand to Zanzibar and more…

All of which are now useless as the Army have changed his leave dates again and now again. I should be used to this by now, but it still irritates be hugely. However, we’re thinking Canada at the moment – why I’m agreeing to this I have no idea. I find the summers over here cold, so how I’ll cope with the winter out there I do not know. Maybe a big hipflask will be in order!

No rest for the wicked as we are out again this weekend with six horses and three different events, which all happen to be in opposite directions… Hopefully they will all be well behaved and “cobwebless” so no excuses. I’ve made some alterations in bits so will be interesting to see if they work out. Can’t believe I’m going to say this, but can everyone please pray for rain!

Gaby

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I’m sorry it’s been a little while since my last diary. As you all know everything under the sun, or rain even, has been cancelled due to this glorious weather. What a nightmare it has been.

I was hoping to have all the ponies out the past three weekends. Withington was the first to be cancelled for me, which was probably the most frustrating of them all.

This was meant to be a first advanced run for Broadway Star (“William”) and I was hoping to have a nice run around in order to qualify for Chatsworth CIC***. The first minor nightmare – luckily, I was hot onto the case and managed to get moved from the CIC*** to the normal advanced within about five minutes of the abandonment of Withington being announced.

As the heavens stayed well and truly open, and with sneaky weather updates from someone in the Chatsworth area, I thought I ought to put an entry into Little Downham advanced, just to cover our backs. Especially as Mr William is now number 1 in the yard! Thank goodness I did. However, I’m slightly concerned it’s been about six weeks since he last ran, not the ideal preparation at all. We’ll just have to take each phase as it comes next weekend and see what happens.

Back in ‘winter training’ mode

As for home life, we’ve taken all the horses out jumping every week and spent a lot of time in the m ©nage building showjump courses and simulated cross-country. It virtually feels like we’re back into “winter training” mode, reminding them all they can still jump skinnies and angles after their holidays.

My two five-year-olds are entered up for their debuts. First stop is Houghton Burghley young event horse, then swiftly on to Shelford BE90. It will be fun to see what they get up to – or maybe not so much…

My two darling four-year-olds have left the ground (when they’re meant to!) for the first time this week – both seem to have taken to all the pole work very well despite the ghastly weather.

It really has been unbelievable; I think we went pretty much three weeks with one day when the sun came out. I have to say I was starting to feel rather Hobbit-like, hiding away from sunshine. The joy of feeding the horses in early morning sun on that one day was just glorious.

The dogs are ‘making dens’

My little doggies have not been impressed at all either; the devilish duo of Snowy and Ivy have been hiding inside, they have reminded me so much of rainy days when I was little. My brother and I, much to my mum’s horror, use to tip all the sofas upside down and cover them with blankets. I don’t really know what the attraction was of “making dens” or even the point of the game…? What happened after tipping the house upside down is now beyond me, all I remember was that it was great fun!

Ivy has been spending all her time under a blanket with a few circuit training sessions with Snowy round the kitchen, playing catch me if you can. Before long she soon returns to hibernation under the blanket, of course.

With all the cancellations and horses out jumping during the week, we’ve found ourselves having two Sundays off from riding. I felt rather like a lady of leisure, heading to the gym mid-morning after mucking out, putting my feet up in the afternoon and watching a film, I even had my nails done – still in shock about that one!

However, it won’t last long and I’m certainly getting itchy feet to get all the ponies out competing again. As much as I loved having my nails done, you don’t really get the same kick out of it compared to going cross-country.

Let’s just hope this is the end of the abandonments, and we can all get back into the swing of thing. It will be interesting to see what happens with Olympic selection after the disaster of Badminton being cancelled, I’m guessing everyone will be Bramham-bound!

Gaby

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It’s been a rather quiet week here at The Wharf and a weekend off competing. Meaning instead of trundling off to Weston Park, we got to put our feet up and watch the whole of the Aintree meeting on Saturday. All the ponies got worked and finished early so we could carry on the Grand National tradition in our household.

Mum made an amazing curry, with all the trimmings. I have to say it was wonderful, in fact a little too good. All of us struggled to stay awake throughout the afternoon, desperately trying not to be engulfed into a food coma! However, what a fantastic afternoon of racing it was, and what a finish to the big race itself.

As sporting heros and champions are made, there is always the other side of the tale – my heart goes out to everyone involved with the two horses that were lost. Both were devastating in their own right, one a champion and the other a horse of a lifetime, who was travelling and jumping perfectly. But this is life’s cruel turn of fate – something I’ve definitely experienced first hand.

Gallops and dressage lessons

Anyway… We’ve been busy going off to the gallops with William (Broadway Star) and we keep alternating the young horses for a little trip up the gallops too. I think it’s important for them to go now and then to learn to gallop and, of course, strengthen up.

It was also a big dressage day yesterday. I’ve managed to persuade my dressage trainer, Chris White, to come down every other Tuesday to do a clinic here. This is just perfect – means I don’t have to do them all in a row and can slot in other people’s lesson between mine.

Despite the very miserable weather in the morning, it brightened up and was glorious all afternoon. Only a couple of rather heavy quick showers -one poor person became the victim of these! It was a very long day with lots of lessons, but was fantastic and I hope everyone enjoyed it.

A little surprise from my boyfriend Jeremy, currently in Afghanistan, knocked on my door on Monday, in the form of a beautiful bunch of flowers and a note saying “thank you for putting up with this”. Bless him, so sweet! I’ve been hearing from him a lot recently so that combined with the flowers means I reckon he’s got a little bit of time on his hands.

Getting the babies going

I’ve also hopped on to the two four-year-olds. They were both very good and much to my relief they don’t seem to have forgotten much from last year. Unfortunately, the weather has been so awful I thought I would give them a miss for a few days.

So instead we’ve got my two very pretty Grafenstolz yearlings in for handling. They are as sweet as pie and settling into life going on the walker and being groomed. Well, they’ve learned to love the grooming and scratching – they were not impressed at all to start with!

With another quiet weekend ahead, we’re busy out in the lorry lots showjumping and cross-country schooling, prepping William for his first advanced.

Gaby

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Well, before I knew it we were straight back into the competing lifestyle and in the lorry off to Burnham Market, with no time left to lick our wounds. We had Liberty Rock (Bertie) and Saunders Lady (Poppet) on board and I also popped a five-year-old on the lorry for a play and a hack around.

So now I’m a regular on the H&H blogging team, it’s time to start introducing you to the other cheeky characters in my yard. I might as well start with Bobby as he was on the lorry at Burnham. His competition name is still not decided on, but Bobs is a real sweetheart, underneath anyway. He came into our yard last year as an unbacked four-year-old, and he was a little tricky to break in to say the least. The getting on was the issue, once you were there he was fine.

For this reason he got the nickname of “Bucking Bronco Bobby”. I’ve literally never seen anything like it apart from the clips you stumble across on YouTube of some mad but amazing guy hanging on for dear life in a rodeo. Needless to say, the first time this happened he got me off. I have to say, though, I lasted a couple of circuits around the arena, but when he was stopping and spinning on the spot in mid-air, I was more than happy to reach that point of no return and bailed!

Thank goodness he’s hasn’t done it for ages now and it seems that the hours of getting on and off in the menage over and over again have finally cracked it.

Anyway, he was a very good boy at Burnham – very worried about which way to go and what to do, but he settled enough towards the end. He’s a very special and super talented horse, so he will keep going on the lorry whenever there is a space until he understands what all these “parties” are about.

Getting back in the game

Back to Burnham. Both babies on the whole were super. Bertie did an okay test, just getting a little distracted by the quad bike next to his arena. Poppet did by far a personal best this year – she’s becoming much more rideable. She’s finally starting to realise that my legs don’t always mean go forward, they can mean sideways as well, making my life much easier to keep her soft.

They both went on to jump double clears. The plan was to give them a competitive run having had two solid novice runs already this season. However, as soon as I got out of that start box I just didn’t really have the stomach for it. I had been in a daze all day and to be honest, didn’t want to be there at all. Everything was just still a bit raw after Roscoe.

As both horses are owned by us there was no pressure to chase a good result and Daddy Cooke’s final words to me as I walked over to the cross-country looking a little glum were: “Just have a nice ride and bring them back safe and sound.”

It was what I needed to get back into it – you slightly lose slight faith in the sport when something hurts you like the loss of Roscoe has, but by the end of the day I was back in love with the sport. I dread to think how slow they both ran, but they came back in very good shape and have got another novice run under their belts.

Both horses are going to take a little time – Bertie is a very tall pure Irishman who needs time to catch up with the precocious foreign horses. Poppet is very sharp and on the ball, so she could all too easily get a little keen. She still spends a lot of time spooking at her surroundings, but she was much softer the whole way round.

I’ve also got my head back in the game, something that needed to be done sooner rather than later, with my next event being Withington advanced!

Bloated dogs, a London day and the Grand National

We took the five-year-olds out showjumping as well last week – they were all so good considering they haven’t been out for a while, so confident and loving pinging round. However, Snowy (our Alaskan Malamute) and Ivy (my little Jack Russell slash sausage dog look-a-like) ate all the Easter choccy cakes! They kept telling us it wasn’t them with big puppydog eyes, but the bloated tummies and the fact they had sunbathed for hours without moving gave the game away, especially when they gingerly climbed out of the lorry clearly feeling a little queasy. What little monkeys. At least we’re staying slim!

Life at the Wharf has certainly picked up – we had a chilled but working weekend over Easter. With threats of terrible weather on Monday we decided to work them all and give them Monday off instead – annoyingly the weather was better than it was on Sunday.

So I decided to give them today off instead (Wednesday), I’m currently sitting in a friend’s house in London. Mummy Cooke had an appointment down here, so I thought I would join her as a treat, do a little shopping and catch up with some friends tonight. It’s been complete bliss but I’m now certainly twiddling my thumbs – lacking exercise I think!

My highlight of the week was my boyfriend Jeremy receiving both his parcels in Afghanistan on Easter morning and the choccy Easter one hadn’t melted! I can’t tell you how much it made me smile, something had gone right and worked out like I had planned it to.

The four-year-olds have settled in nicely to daily life now. It’s their big day tomorrow – a trip to the hairdressers! With the boiler suits and a lot of patience at the ready, let’s hope they’re good. With Aintree not far away, I’m very much looking forward to Saturday. Grand National day. It’s certainly one of my favourite days of the year. We all start early and get the horses done and worked so we can put our feet up and watch it and all the charming build-up. A true duvet day.

I haven’t yet looked at the runners to see who I’ll be backing, however I’m all for a fairytale, so I think I’ll be rooting for According To Pete and his form isn’t far off. You never know. I’ll always be behind the girls too, Nina Carberry is aboard Organisedconfusion who won last year’s Irish Grand National and Katie Walsh on Seabass who’s embarking on her first National ride.

As for the trainers, I think it would be lovely for Nicky Henderson to win it for the first time, plus isn’t Shakalakaboomboom the most fabulous name? I just can’t say it with out smiling! It will be an exciting race as always, full of surprises.

It will be interesting to see how the continued modification of the course rides. I don’t know enough about it, but will these safety changes encourage increased speed and allow more horses to take their chances in the race that are not the traditional big jumping National types, therefore backfiring and leading to more fallers? This could be very worrying for the future of this unique race.

Either way there are other huge factors, the ground conditions being one of them. Let’s hope a new fairytale will be written on Saturday.

Gaby

Full report of Burnham Market in H&H out today (12 April).

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As many of you will know, we have had an awful week, to put it mildly. My beloved top horse Sir Roscoe sustained a freak injury at Belton during his final “prep” run before the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials which ended in him being put down.

I’m not going to bore you all with the depressing details which have already been published, but after showing the vets the boots we can pretty much 100% confirm that the overreach into the back of the tendon was the cause, especially as the severity of this injury is hardly ever seen in eventing.

Looking at the positives, he did a very sweet dressage test – he was so calm and listening that I didn’t put any pressure on him whatsoever during the test as a reward for being such a good boy. Lots of little pats and whither scratches!

Showjumping was by far our best ever round, I was trying my new bit and it was wonderful! I was finally able to ride him properly to a fence. He had also jumped his record height for him of 1.30m at home the night before in his old bit.

It wasn’t just the change in bridle. I have been working very hard with Equifeast, who took Roscoe into their blood trials last autumn to try and understand more about how calcium and magnesium can change horse’s behavior and performance. Although, as always, Roscoe didn’t follow the book, we had had a breakthough on Monday when Malcom Green of Equifeast had a brainwave and altered the percentages within the product especially for Roscoe. By the weekend Roscoe had made the improvement in his behavior that we were after.

Badminton final scores

As for the cross-country, all I wish to remember is that the plain fences weren’t big enough and the combinations were like gridwork to him. He really had endless power.

As gutting as it is to see your dreams shattered for the next few years, it really isn’t about that at all. That isn’t how I see my horses or how I run my yard, it’s losing a friend, which is heartbreaking. Although obviously his talents didn’t take him as far as talking back to us, I still knew all his quirks and problems and issues, when to leave him alone and when to get down with him in the stable for a cuddle (pictured left at Blair 2010).

I had such a special relationship with him. Every little face over the stable doors is a special one, but Roscoe’s was particularly bright. The whole yard used to revolve around him and his odd routines and habits. Everyone has or will have a tragic story to tell, whether you’re a competitive rider or not. I can only hope that there is someone out there that might in the future at least consider sending me their lovely horse, whether it’s a top ride or a baby.

Roscoe has certainly left a huge hole. It goes without saying how many tears have been shed, but at the same time I’m completely at peace about it. What happened at Belton was beyond anyone’s control or judgment, but he never suffered and I was with him the whole way through to say my final goodbyes and thank yous, which he thoroughly deserved.

Off to Burnham Market

Onwards and upwards. Monday morning came round and there’s only one thing to do and that’s to get your head down and work harder, try harder and look into the future.

So we set off down to the farm to pick up two rather moose-like four-year-olds, who are both to produce and sell to fund my current rides. The length of the cat hairs and feathers was quite something! They are complete chalk and cheese, but I’m really looking forward to getting them de-haired and ridden again. Hopefully it won’t be too long as they were pretty straightforward last year. Famous last words…

Anyway we’re off to Burnham Market tomorrow with Liberty Rock (“Bertie”) and Saunders Lady (“Poppet”) to have another run in a novice. I’m starting to get rather concerned if I’m going to remember any of the courses, let alone my dressage test. My head still isn’t quite back on straight, hopefully the emotional hangover will lift soon. On that note I’d better go and see which test it is…

Before I go I would like to say thank you to everyone out there who has sent me messages, you wouldn’t believe how much it means. I have literally been amazed at the response and the lovely uplifting things said. It’s so wonderful how the horsey community all pull together and offer support during such a sad time.

For everyone out there who has sent messages and I don’t personally know, if we’re ever at the same place at the same time tap me on the shoulder and say hi, I’d love to be able to thank you personally.

In the meantime, I’m going to print off and keep every message and make up a little scrapbook with them and Roscoe’s funniest and best photos. It looks like my boyfriend Jeremy’s Afghanistan parcels will be going on hold while I do that. Although there is a big “Easter parcel” sitting in Bastion and no doubt probably melting, waiting to be flown up to where he is.

Gaby

Gaby has now joined H&H’s regular team of bloggers so will be keeping up her weekly diary.

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Young event rider Gaby Cooke’s top horse Sir Roscoe was put down after being injured at Belton Horse Trials yesterday.

Gaby, who was writing a diary for H&H in the build-up to her first Badminton Horse Trials, said the tricky chestnut jumped his best ever showjumping round before setting out on the CIC*** cross-country.

“He had been foot perfect the whole way until we got to the coffin,” said Gaby, 21. “We landed and the next minute he was on three legs – I knew it was pretty serious.

“When I took the boot off it was evident what had happened [a tendon injury]. He had regular scans and they have always been 100% clean – just last week the vet was saying what a tough, sound horse he was.”

Sir Roscoe was taken to Oakham Veterinary Hospital where the decision was taken to have him put down.

Badminton final scores

“It was pretty severe and he might have been able to go in the field and have the odd plod, but that would never have been Roscoe,” said Gaby.

When she examined Sir Roscoe’s boots, Gaby discovered a massive impact at the site of the injury, strongly suggesting that the horse overreached into the back of his leg, causing the injury. There was grit embedded in the front of the boot, so he probably also stumbled on landing.

Gaby had been eventing the 13-year-old Sir Roscoe since buying him through Gary Parsonage in 2007. The pair were second in the CCI*** at Blair Castle in 2010 and started at Burghley last year, lying 13th after dressage before pulling up across country as the horse was not well. They were due to contest their first Badminton in May.

“I owe Roscoe an awful lot,” said Gaby. “I’ll probably never have another horse as tricky as him, but I’ve learnt to get one horse to the top level and hopefully the next one will be easier. He was a very special boy.”

Although Gaby was initially asked to blog for Horse & Hound as part of our Badminton build-up, we have now invited her to join our regular team of Horse & Hound online bloggers, so she will be continuing with her weekly diaries.

Read Gaby’s diaries from this spring

• If your horse got injured whilst eventing, would you be insured? For all your insurance needs, contact KBIS

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Well, here we are again… These weeks really are flying by!

However, we do have good news, although it’s rather “old new” now. Last week I sent in my diary on Wednesday night, when we were still waiting for the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials entry list to be published (feels like it’s taken years, although it was only a week after entries closed!).

Funnily enough it was released Thursday morning and to our huge relief Roscoe is third on the wait-list, so I can be pretty sure we’ll get in. Phew. The hair-pulling out can stop now! That’s the first big hurdle over and pretty much done with – now it just a case of getting there in the best form we can.

It’s been a quieter week for us, despite heading out every day in the lorry. It all started with Draycott last Thursday with Python II in his first “proper” event. Bless him, he was rather an old pro (despite wanting to wiggle around all the dressage boards – must be in the name). He finished double clear and a very creditable fifth. We were all delighted and he’s kept up his good form for his owners.

Oh Roscoe!

Badminton final scores

Between the gallop trips, I’ve managed to get Sir Roscoe out cross-country schooling twice and squeeze in a rather horrific dressage lesson – think he’s still in Lincoln mode. First time cross-country schooling was a bit trying – my gum shield was firmly in place and his martingale a hole tighter than usual… I was not going to lose my teeth this time trying bits!

I don’t want to speak too soon, but I’m hoping I may have found something that might do the job. We’ll see this weekend – I’m taking it one step at a time.

Second time round we went to Vale View for a “water” lesson with Caroline Moore. After his horrific fall at Barbury last year I just wanted to make sure he was 100% happy again. Caroline built all sorts of things and combinations into the water, which was all hugely beneficial and something we had to do.

The only downside of it was that he seems to have “blown his nut” slightly now. It soon became apparent this morning that he wasn’t going to play ball over a cross-pole. OH ROSCOE! Right before Belton as well. All I can do is hope and pray I get back through to him and somehow steer him round both jumping phases safely. Never mind… We’ll know the outcome soon.

Back to home life and we waved goodbye to little Jack on Monday, he is a lovely horse who was in to be sold on behalf of a friend. Wishing him the best of luck to his new home – which is wonderful one! As one goes out another must replace and we’ve decided it’s the turn of Dante, a four-year-old mare. Unfortunately this one is to produce to sell no matter what, whether it’s showjumping or eventing. Her technique was pretty smart over the one little cross-pole I jumped on her last year.

Any ideas for Afghanistan?

Not a lot of news has come back from Afghanistan – I keep missing my boyfriend Jeremy’s calls, no matter how hard I try not to. Very frustrating! I’ve been a rather bad girlfriend for not only missing his calls but also not sending a parcel yet. Whoops! The hints keep coming in, but what he doesn’t know is that there is a whopper in preparation.

When I haven’t been thinking about a new scary contraption for Roscoe’s brakes, I’ve been racking my brains as to what to send. The only no-nos are the obvious – alcohol and things that melt. So I’ve been trying to get away from just the food side of it and haven’t done too well… I fished out my ancient brick of an old school Gameboy, a good pack of cards and a book. Any and all ideas are welcome…? This is only the first parcel and I’ve already played all my trump cards.

Hopefully we’ll have a good time this weekend at Belton. Broadway Star is having another intermediate run, which will be the decider as to where to aim him next. Roscoe is in the CIC*** and well, we just basically don’t want to embarrass ourselves. A nice safe confident round will do at this stage. With brakes of course!

Gaby

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I can’t believe I’m sitting here writing my third diary already, it really does only seem like yesterday that I was chatting away about Tweseldown. We’ve been very busy here to say the least – I actually cannot understand where the hours and days go, but they disappear.

Last weekend we were at Lincolnshire with two six-year-olds, Liberty Rock and Saunders Lady, and then of course my Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials ride Sir Roscoe and Broadway Star were there on the Sunday.

The two babies were up first and I was again pleased with them. Saunders Lady’s dressage is improving – it’s going to take a few runs to settle down – but she jumped a super double clear again. I just need to play around with a few bits as she isn’t 100% happy in her cross-country bit.

Liberty Rock decided to be a complete twit in his test. He really has come to terms with how dull dressage is – stressage is certainly not a word he understands. Bless him, he put very little effort in and tripped a couple of times. Just one of those things – spurs will be on next time! He too jumped a lovely double clear, but like the mare his test wasn’t quite good enough to chase the time to get a place.

While we were packing up the lorry, Afghanistan called. My boyfriend Jeremy has just moved out of Camp Bastion and on to a patrol base somewhere. That’s unfortunately as far as we got before my signal went. Typical. How can they have better signal out there than us… seriously?! Unfortunately there was no call back after running around like a headless chicken with my arm in the air. We’ve all been there, don’t try to deny it… No one would believe you!

Badminton final scores

Complete brake failure

On to the big boys… We raced home on Saturday to work the two competing the following day. After finally getting the lorry turned around it was off to bed with an early start awaiting, despite a very leisurely 11.06am first dressage test. New tactics. There’s much more room at Lincoln to work the horses, so the plan was to simply canter Roscoe until he pulled himself up and come back to a trot.

This took longer then expected, but in the end it did seem to half work. We got through his test without any “extra curricular” moves, although the desperate attempt to do the whole thing in extended trot was still there. He did the whole thing in a horrible hailstorm, it was chucking down skittles during the walk part of his test.

Jumping phases… Hmmmmm… We had a mechanical fault. Complete brake failure. Not only was this in the showjumping but also cross-country (above right), which is very worrying. As the ground was good I thought I would put Roscoe’s “special” bit in and click along a little bit quicker. Oh no. This was not going to happen. Although he was super through all the combinations and didn’t really put a foot wrong anywhere, I actually could not take the handbrake off at all. Back to the drawing board again… He really does like to try me!

A little update on Broadway Star, who was a super boy to jump double clear in the intermediate (left). I’m pleased to say he wasn’t interested in the fence judges’ picnics or at all spooky anywhere, not even at the wooden cows. This all came as such a surprise after him looking at everything but the jumps at Tweseldown. He really did give me a super ride and left me kicking myself for crawling out the start box giving him time to take it all in when he clearly just wanted to get on with the job. Nice to have him back to his normal self!

So a good Lincoln this year, especially Sunday as in the past there seem to have been gremlins hiding around the intermediate course out to get me. Hopefully we’ve now put that all to rest.

Monday morning was back to Lincoln with the babies for cross-country schooling. They were all good and Python had his last schooling session before his first proper outing at Draycott this week. We set our standards rather high at an unaffiliated event a few weeks ago where he was second, much to the delight of his owners Ryck Turner and Sally Platts. Fingers crossed he’s as good again.

With Belton CIC*** next week, I don’t have a lot of time to find new “brake pads” for Roscoe, let alone try them out. So with my gum shield firmly in place, I think we might be making a fair few trips cross-country schooling in the next couple of days. On the note of Belton, I have to thank BEDE events for accepting such a huge entry list into the CIC***. I’m sure everyone hugely appreciates it.

Ivy the lorry dog

The team here seem to be getting back into the swing of things – even little Ivy (my four-month-old Jack Russell puppy) was spotted this evening clambering up the lorry steps and firmly placing herself in the driver’s seat! A true horsebox dog already.

Although Roscoe certainly isn’t giving me the ideal build-up to Badminton, I still just have to thank him for the experience he’s giving me, no matter how much I feel like giving up with him. I’m sure I’m not the only one having a few issues, whether it’s being balloted, silly injuries on either the horse or rider’s behalf or anything else getting in the way. My issue is just a mental game – if we crack it I’ve got a good one.

Still eagerly waiting to see who’s been accepted into Badminton…

Gaby

Gaby’s website

Read Gaby’s other diaries

Full report from Lincolnshire in H&H out today, 22 March

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Gaby Cooke was invited to blog for H&H in the spring of 2012 as she worked towards her first Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials.

This plan was de-railed in tragic circumstances when her top horse Sir Roscoe was put down after he was injured at Belton Horse Trials.

Read H&H’s news story about Sir Roscoe’s death

We have now invited Gaby to join our team of regular bloggers so she will be continuing with her diary.

• Blowing away the cobwebs
• Getting my nails done versus cross-country
• The Grand National and flowers from afar
• Falling back in love with eventing
• Saying goodbye to Roscoe
• Sir Roscoe’s ‘blown his nut’
• Handbrake on at Lincolnshire
• First event of 2012 at Tweseldown
• Meet Gaby and the tricky Sir Roscoe

Badminton final scores

Gaby Cooke’s website

Wow…. what a week it has been. Before I get started I have to thank Mum, my head girl Sara and part-time girl Steph for putting up with how manic it has been and with me dashing around, back and forth to London for a reason I’m about to explain. Even Daddy Cooke was spotted with a shavings fork on the odd morning in the attempt to get the work done quicker.

Not only have I been busy getting the ponies prepped for their first event of the season but also saying goodbye to the boyfriend, Jeremy, as he’s off to Afghanistan for six months. We’ve both been travelling the country trying to catch every possible hour together we could, all while I had 10 horses in full work.

I kept saying to myself “nothing is impossible” and somehow I got through the work and just about managed to stay awake past 10pm in order to go out with him in the evenings to say goodbye to all his friends.

As hard as it was and will be, it couldn’t be better timing in the scale of things. I’ve got a big season ahead of me in which I need to get some good results for myself and to try and attract owners and more sponsors, so this is a good chance to get my head down. So by the time Jeremy is back in October I’ll be pretty much finished with the horses. Lucky him missing the whole season being dragged around events!

I finally heard from him a couple of days ago with an email (yes he forgot to take my phone numbers out with him!) starting: “Well I must say I think you would love it out here…” Hmmmmmmm… I have to say Camp Bastion is not my ideal holiday destination, no matter how hot it is! Bless him, such a boy! So far it’s all good news and he seems very happy…

Badminton final scores

Off to Tweseldown

Anyway, back to my four-legged friends. First stop was Tweseldown with the one and only Sir Roscoe, my Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials ride, and Broadway Star. Roscoe was first up and as always out to show off… in all the wrong ways!

He squealed and bucked the whole way to his dressage arena, where he tried to perform his whole test in his two favourite paces – extended trot and gallop – with plenty of his favorite movement, flying changes, thrown in there for good measure.

However, there were flashes of brilliance and I could see his toes popping up in front of me when I finally let him do his medium trot. Everything was working well underneath me despite the slight brain default! And there was no show of Roscoe’s signature move of walking on his back legs, thank goodness.

On to the dreaded showjumping. As always, I feel rather a fool and highly embarrassed when it comes to jumping him in public – he’s near impossible to ride to a jump in the warm-up and I dread to think what other riders and onlookers must think of both of us. However, there’s only one thing to do and that’s to try and get the best out of him and pretend no-one is there.

Although he had four down, I was surprisingly pleased with him. He was much more fluent and manageable when he was in the ring and allowed me to ride the correct distances between the fences, as opposed to constantly adding strides. I’m hoping if I can keep this up he’ll learn to become a little more relaxed and careful on a more open stride.

Cross-country (picture above right) – thankfully I don’t have anything bad to say about this phase. Yes, he was strong as always but he was so focused and really concentrating. He was textbook through all the combinations and for once came home with the round I had hoped for and imagined.

Broadway Star (left and below right) also gave me a nice ride all day, despite wanting to join the fence judges at every obstacle – he thought they had all put on rather splendid picnics and would have preferred to join them. It was a little tricky to get him to concentrate.

So all in all a productive day that wasn’t a disaster, I just wish Roscoe would understand that 100% is plenty, I don’t need any more energy!

And on to Oasby

Oasby was next on Saturday with my two six-year-olds, who were doing their first ever novice. They both exceeded all expectations and gave me super rides, proving that they were ready for the step up. I’m very excited about the future with these two.

It was back to Oasby on Monday to cross-country school the babies; I had two five-year-olds who were having their first cross-country outing and a six-year-old who’s getting prepped for his first event. I have to say I think I was the one squealing with excitement… I absolutely adore starting the babies off. It really is one of the greatest pleasures getting to know a young horse and understanding it as you introduce it to new things.

The only concern was it was EXTREMELY foggy, so much so that Mum and I seriously considered putting labels on the horses with a number and an address in case I got bucked off, and we couldn’t see them grazing all of 10m away from the lorry! They were all stars and surprisingly there were no bucks.

The Badminton entry is in

With the Badminton ballot date looming, I popped my entry in after Tweseldown. It’s so terribly hard not to get excited about it, but at the same time you have to be realistic. There’s a hell of a lot of water under the bridge until now and then, not only with getting in, but also keeping Roscoe and myself on the road. We all know this sport is highly unpredictable.

Despite trying to keep focused and realistic I can’t help but get carried away with the thought of what it would/will be like. I have never ever been to Badminton as a spectator, let alone to ride. We thought about going last year, but decided to put our feet up and watch every horse through on the red button instead.

This is completely unlike Burghley, which is the most local horse trials to home and an event I’ve been to every year of my life. My father has fenced judged there on cross-country day for the past 38 years or so. So I know my way round pretty well, having been there for four days in a row for 21 years.

Badminton is going to be a huge adventure, Roscoe and I are certainly going to feel rather like explorers!

No time to rest as the horses are all out doing exactly the same at Lincoln this weekend, two novices and two intermediates, and of course the babies are out to play again on Monday. Keep your fingers and toes crossed I manage to keep Roscoe in the dressage arena and that the brakes don’t fail!

Gaby

Full report from Tweseldown in H&H out tomorrow, 15 March

Read Gaby’s first diary for H&H

Visit Gaby’s website

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Hello all… I’m Gaby Cooke, I’m 21 years old and a professional event rider. (That sounds rather like a “Blind Date” introduction!)

Like most people I started eventing through the Pony Club, this is where my love for the sport was established. I went through all the area teams before I started British Eventing. Since then I’ve been truly hooked and left school the summer of 2007 to event full time.

Thankfully I had a good 2008 season, winning my first event abroad, Jardy CCI* – this meant I didn’t have the headmaster and all the teachers wagging their fingers at me saying “I told you not to leave!” I was then selected for the junior Europeans that summer and then went on to be second at the Weston Park CCI** under-21 champs.

Sir Roscoe, the fruitcake

2007 was also the year when we bought Sir Roscoe, who will hopefully take me to my first Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials this year. All I can say is thank goodness I had left school – without doubt we would not have achieved what we have done if I had stayed in education.

Badminton final scores

He’s a tricky one to say the least! We knew he was very difficult when we bought him but when we got him home and tried to start training him, he was something else. His whole dressage training had to be undone and go back to three-year-old work, although he was eight. His showjumping was impossible, I’m not joking. I couldn’t even canter him to a pole on the ground without him bolting. One word…. fruitcake!

In absolute despair we took him cross-country schooling, only to find that I could canter to nice big hedges softly and he would jump them beautifully, make a nice shape and land in balance.

Gary Parsonage had previously had him for a short time to sell. Gary introduced him to cross-country very well, although he did admit to Roscoe being rather strong! Clearly he had no physical problem. Something must of happened in the past as far as coloured poles are concerned… Back to the drawing board. We were not going to give up on him.

Since then he has progressed very quickly up the grades, despite needing a few attempts at CCI**s. He gets super strong and went through a phase of leaving the odd knee. In 2009 I bravely entered Blair CIC*** and had the most fantastic and rewarding round.

By 2010 we were finally starting to get somewhere with him, the dressage work had moved up and by Blair – where we were second in the CCI*** – we had managed to jump an upright in the m ©nage. Same place, same coloured poles, same routine. The hours and hours of blood, sweat, tears and shear gritted-teeth patience were finally starting to pay off. The near broken noses and black eyes were becoming less frequent and he’s only managed to knock my front teeth out once!

Our first four-star

With Badminton being so early last season we decided to give it a miss as I just simply would not be able to get the jump training in, as he has to do it at the events. So the big aim was Land Rover Burghley, my most local event and the one I’ve dreamed of doing.

We had the most horrific prep up to it – he had a very nasty accident at Barbury CIC*** in the water, splitting the muscle in this chest and slicing his elbow down to the bone. Bless him! Being the little Trojan he is, amazingly he coped with the pain and the vets decided I should give Burghley a go, so after just four weeks off he was back in gentle work.

By the time we got to Burghley he felt fantastic, although his fitness wasn’t where I wanted it and I knew I was going to have to be sensible cross-country. We produce an absolutely personal best dressage test on the Thursday lunchtime which left us 13th at that stage. He was super – it was such a huge relief after him cantering around the arena with his nose horizontal pulling my arms out earlier in the week – not pretty!

I decided not to ride him Friday morning, but by Friday afternoon he wasn’t himself – he was terribly quiet. I went to give him a canter up the gallop strip, when another horse nipped in front of me and went flying off in front. This is normally my nightmare but Roscoe’s dream – an excuse to bolt! He never took the bridle and that’s when I realised something was wrong.

Saturday morning wasn’t much better – he’s normally rearing in the start box, and I have to have quite a fight with him at each fence to get him to listen. None of this was happening and it became clear just before fence eight when he flipped his soft palate (read more about this condition here), I was not going to get home. With the wonderful use of hindsight, I wish I had pulled up earlier when I heard that horrendous noise. We live and learn.

After long investigations, all we could find was that his bloods were horrendously out. However, he’s back on form now and hoping for a successful season. First stop Tweseldown… Let’s hope the brakes work! I’ll let you know how it goes next week.

Gaby

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Event rider Gaby Cooke, 19, has received a surprise call-up to ride in the indoor cross-country at the British Open Show Jumping Championships (7-10 April).

For the first time this year, the top two finishers in the open jumping and style (JAS) final — held last Saturday (26 February) at Addington — qualified for the indoor cross-country.

Gaby (pictured) just missed out on the ticket, finishing third, but news has come in today that second-placed David Doe has decided not to go to the British Open. He will “focus his young horse and his commitment to the Racesafe-sponsored junior squad for the 2010 season”, according to a British Eventing press release.

His qualification therefore passes to Gaby and her ride, Northcroft Frontier. Gaby still intends to take the horse to the British Open indoor cross-country qualifier at Addington on Friday, in which the top three win a ticket to the British Open.

“I’m very excited,” said Gaby. “I was really going for it to qualify and I thought I’d left it to one last chance [at Addington]. It’ll be good to get the practice and concentrate on getting things right, not trying to qualify.

“Northcroft Frontier’s got an unusual style — he goes up on all fours, but he clears everything by feet. Although he’s 17.2hh, he’s fast and agile, so I’ve always thought he’d suit competitions like this, so hopefully we’ll do quite well if I can keep everything together.”

Gaby is based in Oakham, Rutland, and has been riding full-time since 2008. She was a member of the British junior squad at Thirlestane in 2008 with Northcroft Frontier and runner-up in the national under-21 championships at Weston that year.

The second British Open qualifier from the JAS Finals was Wills Goodhew, 18, who won the open JAS final on More Luck and is also looking forward to heading to the Birmingham NEC for the British Open.

Full report of the JAS Finals in Horse & Hound this Thursday, 4 March.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now