Equestrian

Last week I woke to an eiderdown covering of snow laying silently across the valley. Thankfully it had not frozen enough to prevent the wagon making it to the gallops so I could work this week’s runners. Some of my jockeys are winter maidens, having started working at the yard earlier this year missing out on the worst of Bingley Moor’s extremities. They had never experienced the delights of the snow-covered gallop.

Could it be women jockeys are finally receiving the recognition they deserve?

From the moment I wake the days just seem to rush by. At this time of year rising from my contended slumber grows increasingly difficult.

One of my winning jockeys suffered a nasty fall last weekend. Henry Brooke fell in a chase at Hexham last Saturday. Whilst on the ground he was unlucky to be stood on by another runner leaving him injured.

The battered Fiat screeched to a halt in the middle of the road. Ignoring the threat from oncoming traffic four young lads burst out and leapt over the nearest wall straight in to a field.

It is being deemed a break up of Brangelina proportions in the racing world. Champion Irish racehorse trainer Willie Mullins has had 60 of his 200 horses in training removed by their owner, the Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary this week.

A number of years ago I was lucky enough to see the National Theatre production of War Horse when it was playing in London. The show is an adaptation of the popular Michael Morpurgo children’s novel written in 1982.

SHEFFIELD’s Becky Moody has set her sights on Grand Prix level with nine-year-old Carinsio after excelling at last weekend’s LeMieux National Dressage Championships.

I’m on the way back from Kelso racecourse and grappling with stomach pains.

A little bay racehorse called Noble arrived at the yard in early summer. Every morning the sight of him whickering to greet me meant more than the usual. His arrival in Yorkshire had been a long time in coming.

The fast and furious sport of horse driving trials came to Allerton Park again last month, when the North Eastern Driving Group held their flagship event there.

A HOST of young riders helped fly the flag for Yorkshire at this summer’s Equi-Trek Bramham International Horse Trials.

A grand Yorkshire Wolds country estate is throwing open its gates for a festival aimed at those of an equestrian persuasion.

Jodie McGregor had more reasons than most to follow the progress of Team GB’s equestrian team in the Rio Olympics over the last few weeks. Just a few years ago Jodie was a budding star in the junior three-day eventing squad and even saw in advance plans for the course that the GB riders tackled in Brazil. As a professional rider she travelled the world representing Great Britain’s junior eventing team in dressage, show jumping and cross country.

British star Charlotte Dujardin hailed “a truly magical” Olympic farewell on the brilliant Valegro after she retained her individual dressage title with a stunning Games record performance in Deodoro.

Last week the Foster clan was invited to a local wedding. My retired yard jockey Samantha Drake and her fiancé Jonathan England were tying the knot at Esholt village church just a few fields away from the Drake’s farm.

With a combined age of 116 and approaching ten Olympic Games appearances between them, show jumpers do not come more experienced that the Whitaker brothers.

BRAZIL will be the country on everyone’s lips in six days’ time come the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympics.