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October 2009
September 7, 2009 by annatrinder
How good it feels to be back in England! Finn (my 6 month old Irish Jack Russell ) travelled well, enjoying his boat trip and is now settling into a new routine. He has already been up to London, enjoying the trains and buses but not overly keen on the Underground as it was a hot day. My youngest sister Sophie has just started work for ‘Naked Communications’ as a Junior Strategist so we popped in to say hello to her and also visited Vic (middle sister) as she has an art studio in South London. I took him to the offices of OMD UK in Soho, where we met my previous boss Adam Skinner, to talk about my future. For the future is most definitely horse shaped but I am keen to diversify and to keep some other interests alive, especially now that both of my sisters have made it into the big smoke.
Meanwhile, work continues unabated toward BHS SM. One area that I know little about is the racing world, so I contacted Linda Jewell who is a local trainer and now have a part time job with her, riding out a couple of mornings a week. Well, all I can say is wow! The first morning I was a little apprehensive as I know Thoroughbred horses can be highly strung and of course fast. The technique is very different to ‘normal’ riding, although I did feel heartened as the first horse I rode was named Ginger – which was the name of my first ever pony. ‘Ginger the TB racehorse’ is a little different to ‘Ginger the 20 year old, 13.2hh arthritic pony’ but still is already my firm favourite. Linda and her staff have been very helpful, giving me tips and looking out for me. Cantering around the all weather gallop at ¾ speed is a real experience, both physically and mentally.
I hope to get very involved with the local Pony Clubs now that I am back in Kent for good as I really love teaching the kids and the spirit of the organisation. Knelly from the Kent Border asked me to teach at their Camp which was held at Plumpton College. So Finn and I set off for Sussex, stayed over with my University pal Philippa Lane and taught 3 days of dressage, XC and gridwork. It was good to meet Laura Powell, another LR writer! I returned the following week to judge the dressage at their Combined Training event in Cudham so it was good to see them all again for that.
I am so pleased to be back nearer to my family and also my Godfather Tim. Tim invited me to a XC clinic that he was teaching at the fabulous Chilham Park. It was a really fun day, with different achievements for all of Tim’s clients. One lady, Elaine, has an ex race horse – Yogi. Tim suggested I get on the horse. Elaine is an experienced rider and so I was not convinced I was going to be able to improve him very much but I was pretty sure I was going to do my best. So, on I got and a few growls in Yogi’s ear coupled with some very positive, determined riding he popped down the steps to a big cheer! Alex, a student about to go off to study Chemistry at University is taking her Stage 3 so Tim wanted to give her a big confidence boost and my word, she got that, punching the air with delight as she cleared a very sizeable ski jump “you won’t do that in your exam, will you Alex?” were Tim’s words. Then there was Rupert, a partner in a big London law firm, who took up riding fairly recently. Rupert and his fantastically dependable mare Bogey hunt with the Ashford Valley and it was good to see Rupert’s determination increasing as he learnt not only from his own experiences but from those of the other riders. And as for Chris Taylor and Lizzy, a couple of years ago Lizzy was recovering from a nasty tendon injury so Chris has really had to go through some tough times especially as Chris herself has recently had surgery on her own limbs! They are a gutsy pair and Chris definitely received the biggest cheer of the day as Lizzy launched into the water with a big splash. All in all, a great success.
I visited Alex Hudson BHSI at her yard in Goodnestone for an afternoon of BHS SM training and enjoyed it very much. I feel that I have been studying consistently since March, have had the best opportunities in Ireland with Jillie and that I am ready to take the exam. There is further work to be done on my exam technique and so I have my head down between now and October 22nd, although am learning it isn’t really about having my head down in a book, it is about having my head up and being able to talk about things!
As you read this I will be taking part in the final for BHS Young Instructor of the Year 2009 and I can’t tell you how excited I am about that day! We have confirmed judges – Nick Turner FBHS, Caroline Moore FBHS and Judy Harvey FBHS. I am looking forward to meeting them and also to meeting the other 7 candidates who I am sure will be determined and excited too. I have been thinking about the lessons I will have to teach and trying to think about how I can make the content interesting and contemporary. But when it comes to the crunch, no matter how much I think about the day, I will teach what I see, try to help the horses and riders in front of me and be myself. Whether I win or not, if I manage to do those things then I will be pleased. I am well versed with the phrase, it’s not the winning, it’s the taking part that counts…and wholeheartedly agree…but I do really really want to win…
www.annatrinder.com +44 (0)7796 958341
Anna is available for teaching, training and riding in the SE of England.
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September 2009
August 22, 2009 by annatrinder
You may remember from my last diary entry, I was going to attempt to adopt some ‘Irishisms’ into my teaching during the qualifier for BHS Young Instructor of the Year. I resorted to my British self sprinkled with Irish luck, as I did manage to win the qualifier and gained a place in the final at Warwickshire College on 7th October. It will be a busy month as my BHS SM exam is on the 22nd. I have to say that the exam takes Priority A slot in my mind, but am very pleased to have the competition as Priority B. To be taking part in the final is a real privilege and honour.
Whilst on the topic of competition, I am delighted to report that I have been competing – twice! My plan after BHS SM is BHS SE which involves show jumping to BSJA Newcomers (adjusted from Foxhunter in 2009), dressage to BD Advanced and cross country riding to BE Intermediate. This will be a jump up for me across all three disciplines so I feel I need to be ‘out there and doing it’ at those levels. Well, my trip to Barnadown to do the 90s Sportsman is a start and I jumped double clears on 2 horses – Napoleon, for livery owner Chloe Breen and Welsh Paddie who was the boss’ daughter – Geraldine Byrne’s jumping cob.
I flew to London to see Britney play the O2 with my friend Linzi. 5/10 (for Britney). She just didn’t appear to want to be there and walked through her routines. Such a shame as when she is firing on all cylinders her dancing and performance is breathtaking. But at least she has hair this year. The following two days were spent with Patrick Print FBHS at Berkshire RC. This is the 2nd course I have invested in with the BHS to train towards BHS SM and both have been fantastic. A key moment was Patrick telling me I was ‘a million miles away’ from the answer he was looking for, but he said it in such a way that made me sit up, pay attention and want to try harder.
This month I have actually made a couple of friends. A fellow contestant at the YIOY qualifier, Phoebe North BHSAI, who works at Belmount EC here in Ireland, invited me for a forest trek, we had great ‘craic’ and Lisa O’Kane, head girl previous to me at Butterfly Farm. Lisa took me (and Finn) out for the day to a RC event. Lisa was All Ireland Junior Eventing Champion and has a wonderful veteran 3* Holsteiner, Grundy. Needless to say, she outclassed the RC field and won the Open but even more exciting was her young horse Roo (Tomduff Rupert Bear) who came 5th in the Young Horse section. Roo is for sale so that Lisa can build some stables (enquiries contact LR office). One very proud moment was when Finn, my 4½ month old puppy, jumped the open ditch during our course walk, he is a little superstar already. Is there a Badminton for dogs?
Butterfly Farm EC had their annual AIRE inspection. AIRE (The Association of Irish Riding Establishments) are a bit like the ABRS except that they are Irish. We were approved for 2009 and it was a very interesting process. Jillie is an AIRE advisor and as part of my ‘rental agreement’ I help her type up reports (for her typing speed think seal with broken flipper). It is a great learning opportunity too and I am pleased to be able to help her.
Excitement descended here at Malsbury Cottage as Jillie, Fran and I headed out to the Island Foxhounds Hunt BBQ. I was a little over exuberant and as Jillie put it “went a bit London” in my red silk Ted Baker dress (not at all revealing or too short, but just nice) and my old favourite Dune stilettos which are a jungle print with pony skin fur on the sides (probably faux knowing Dune). Somewhat at odds with marquee in a field full of cow pat that we had to dodge to get from the jeep to the party. Fortunately I had my trusty Ugg boots stowed away which were called upon within an hour of our arrival. It was great fun and I particularly enjoyed talking to Mark, the new, young, huntsman at the Island. Mark is an Englishman from Yorkshire who whipped in for the Morpeth and then the Scarteen here in Ireland. He has now taken his first job as a Huntsman with the Island. We never did get to enjoy his suggested ‘spin on the dance floor’ which was a shame, for him.
Jillie introduced me to a remarkable lady called Mrs Skrine who kindly lent me a puppy cage so that Finn could be safe while learning about ‘yard dog behaviour’. Mrs Skrine is dubbed ‘Queen of Ireland’ by Jillie and Fran and she certainly receives royal treatment around these parts due to the respect she commands in the Land of the Horse. As Vice President and Board Director of the Irish Pony Club, honorary secretary of the Island Foxhounds and an esteemed show judge here and overseas, she has a great deal of knowledge to impart. I was invited to tea and spent a very enjoyable evening in her company. At 81, she is the oldest friend I have made in Ireland but by no means the least energetic. She is quite something.
A fabulous day was spent at Troytown Equine Hospital in County Kildare, kindly arranged by Jess Soley BHSI. I was absolutely impressed by the work of Warren Lee Schofield M.A., Vet M.B., Cert ES (Soft tissue), M.R.C.V.S., Dip E.C.V.S 74/95, who I shadowed for the day. I saw so much – ultrasonography, MRI, scinitigraphy, digital radiography, surgery, wobblers, wounds – Warren’s expertise is vast and his time so precious to the owners and horses he helps. I was, however, somewhat dumbfounded by the Health and Safety document that I had to read and sign before entrance to the hospital. Heavy going, and I have a law degree! Actually, maybe that tells you a little about how much I enjoyed my degree…
A very busy week, followed by a heavy day of travelling via air and road to Bishop Burton College for another BHS SM course with Jo Winfield FBHS, resulted in the realisation that I was exhausted and so I went home for 2 weeks rest. Fortunately no damage done, I have returned refreshed. However, I missed Jo Winfield which I am very sad about as I have heard she is fantastic!
While resting, I did manage to get to Brightling International with my Godfather Tim Brier BHSAI and friend Ali Ferry BHSII SM who was competing in her first ever BE Novice. She came 5th and we were all so so so pleased for her as she did it in true Ali style. Ali runs Chilham Park for Stuart and Tessa Wheeler (parents of Brit supermodel Jacquetta Wheeler). Tessa gave me (and Ali’s wonderfully well behaved (!) Dalmatian Theo) a lift back to Chilham and what a lovely, interesting lady she is.
I am now back on the Emerald Isle and being a Friday I should be at work, teaching in the rain but unfortunately I am not as I have had a stinking cold. Swine flu it is probably not, but horrible it has been. Until a couple of weeks ago, I would have openly berated myself or anyone else for having time off for a common cold but given my recent experiences of body, soul and mind I am treading carefully. While my exam might be Priority A and the YIOY final Priority B, looking after my health has to be Priority Number One.
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July 2009
August 22, 2009 by annatrinder
The month started and ended with visits from family. First my parents who had a real treat as Fran cooked for them one evening. In the end I just played with Jillie’s dog, Buster, as my mum buddied up with Jillie and my dad with Fran. I was so pleased they got on so well. Speaking of dogs, as I write I am being pestered by Finn, my new Jack Russell puppy. He is adorable and keeping me company. Having never had a dog before||||||cffffffffffffffffffffCV (HE JUST WALKED ON THE KEYBOARD) I am really enjoying him. More about Finn later.
We sold another 2 horses at Goresbridge, this time I felt more confident riding and we are due for another trip later this month. I am intrigued by the buyers who take risks buying a horse at the sales that they don’t know. Some buyers may know certain competition horses if they have been out and about competing prior to the sales but it still seems like a big risk to take. Having said that, one of the areas for me to improve prior to my BHS SM exam in October is ‘examining for purchase’ which is about being able to spot potential and also problems in horses at a first glance. Developing ‘an eye for a horse’. So maybe I will understand a little more over the coming months.
I spent a very useful few days in England at the World Horse Welfare Centre in Norfolk as a ‘gopher’ for the May BHS SM exam. This was a great insight for my October fixture and I was able to listen to the candidates,spot43333333333333333333333333333333333333er c (Finn!!!!), sorry, spot good ones and feel a bit sorry for those that were clearly struggling. It was very clear when there was a candidate who knew their stuff as the examiners relaxed and enjoyed talking to them, whereas when there was a lack of knowledge the examiners had a real job on their hands trying to extract information from very quiet mouths. I hope to be firmly in the first camp by October!
The same week I flew to the Isle of Man for the wedding of one of my best girl friends from University. It is a rare moment for us all to be together, there were 5 of us who lived together for 3 years and we are now spread from The Hague to London to Ireland to The Isle of Man. It was good fun. On return to Ireland, Jillie and I helped at the Island Hunt Show which was held on Enniscorthy showground. Typically, Jillie was more organised than the organisers and we were course designing in no time. We were allocated to the Sportsman arena and spent the morning easing the flow of riders into the ring and picking up any rolled poles. I even had a walkie talkie!
The tackroom project at Butterfly Farm is complete, so my next job is to attack the office. I have a vision which involves folders, files and wiping dust from the computer. I will try to implement all the things that I am learning are necessary in an office while studying the Business Management section for the BHS SM. Client details, horse details, farrier records, important phone numbers etc.
So the last visitor I had was my youngest sister Sophie who flew back to London last night. It was great to see her, we get on very well but haven’t been speaking so much lately due to internet connectivity problems and not wanting to spend thousands on phone bills! A return to good old letter writing has been the solution but nothing quite beats face to face. We took Finn (now sleeping thank goodness) and Buster to the beach as it was such a hot day, mulled over life as it stands at the moment, discussed plans and I think gave each other a bit of necessary confidence.
This week I am off to Dublin for the Irish qualifier for BHS Young Instructor of the Year 2009 as my application was successful. I entered last year and was best runner up in our qualifier near Brampton, so hope to do well this year. There is only one qualifier in Ireland, so I wonder how the Irish would feel being represented at the final by an English girl, but I will give it my best shot anyhow. Maybe I could try to include some Irish words in lessons like yoke (thing) or ‘ye man’ (not sure that has a direct translation but something like ‘he’) and ‘grand’ (great). I will let you know if I managed it!
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June 2009
August 22, 2009 by annatrinder
I am writing from the air, approaching the Emerald Isle in a plane, having spent two days in England training with Carole Broad FBHS at Huntley School of Equitation. A thoroughly worthwhile exercise, now I have a true sense of just how much work I need to do before my planned BHS SM exam on 22nd October. This is the end of my 8th week living, working and training in Ireland. It has been a funny old time, with a mixture of days where I have driven home from work on cloud nine thinking just how much I am enjoying this new life and then other days when I have woefully imagined how family and friends would react if I returned home tail between legs in defeat. Well, this plane is headed for Dublin, “t’anks be to God”. I am fortunately beginning to settle into a rhythm and balance that keeps me forward thinking, particularly important on more difficult days.
Jillie Rogers BHSI, with whom I am living and training has had a very sad time as her beloved father passed away so she has been to-ing and fro-ing from the UK with partner Fran for the arrangements and funeral. Jillie’s dog ‘Buster’ has been a great friend to me and we were both delighted to see them return to Malsbury Cottage. Training continues and Jillie’s introductions have been great. I am making frequent trips to Kildare to see Jess Soley BHSI, to Tipperary to see Faith Ponsonby BHSI and also to Calliaghstown EC to see Grannie Sugars BHSI all of whom have opened my eyes to new ideas and I listen somewhat in awe of the full experiences from which they speak.
All that training costs money, so it is a good thing I have my job! Especially in our current economic climate, with so many people increasingly struggling for paid income. Fortunately business at Butterfly Farm EC is healthy, with our Easter camps packed full of enthusiastic children. A high point recently was our first Unaffiliated dressage competition, which was a step forward for the yard as the focus is mainly show jumping. Lisa Reitmeier, who works alongside me was thrilled to be placed 5th with a new horse we have in called Kiltealy Oscar. A notable achievement as on St Patrick’s Day in March he ran his last point to point race. Lisa is the smiliest, happiest German I have ever met and so keen to learn. She hopes to take her BHS Stage 1 in the not too distant future. Bump! We just landed. Hello Ireland.
Fred, the coloured youngster who shook me off his back last month, is slowly improving. I have not hit the deck since although we have had ‘moments of discussion’ about the matter, but these are occurring less frequently and he is beginning to enjoy himself when he puts his mind to it. I like riding horses (good thing too) and I try to find something good in them all, even those that feel like the most wooden, personality devoid, unco-operative beast ever to trot into existence. But with Fred, I really don’t have to try. Ok, so he is afraid some of the time, meaning he needs careful, democratic persuasion, but when he is good, he is very very good and gives me the most thrilling feel of energy, youthfulness and spirit.
As I type now, from the sitting room of Jillie’s cottage I can hear her voice through in the dining room as she is training a Stage 3 student for an imminent exam. I was summoned to try to work the Dictaphone that the student has brought to record Jillie – not your average Dictaphone but some very impressive Samsung technology. I hope it works or there will be trouble! Fran, Jillie’s partner is on his hands and knees laminating the new tack room labelling that I have printed for Butterfly Farm EC, complete with coloured butterflies – blue for the boys, pink for the girls (Lisa’s idea). It is going to be exciting to get that up this week. Organisation is fun.
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May 2009
August 22, 2009 by annatrinder
Earlier this month, I waved a fond goodbye to my friends, human and equine, at Brampton where I have spent the last 18 months transforming from an inexperienced, city dwelling, ‘BHS AI at the weekends’ into a more knowledgeable, professional ‘out-there-and-doing-it BHS II’. Chief Instructor, Cameron Macintyre BHS II (SM) deserves special thanks as he had to live with me as well as train me and was a great friend too.
And so, I set sail on a very blustery day for the Emerald Isle, bound for County Wexford, Ireland where I am to spend the next 6 months living and training with Jillie Rogers BHS I towards the BHS SM qualification. I have a job as ‘head girl’ at Butterfly Farm EC in Camolin, which is a competition/livery yard and riding school run by Alma and Michael Byrne.
One of the first horses I sat on was a 7 yr old, 17.1 hh bay called ‘Jack’ who had become a little too bold for his owner. A week later I found myself jumping 1m20 in the arena at Goresbridge Performance Sales. I have never been to a horse sales before let alone ridden in one so this was very exciting, nerve-wracking, exhausting and energising all at the same time. Jack was sold and I have to admit I was a little sad to see him go!
On St Patrick’s Day, I was offered the ride on ‘Polly’, a lovely black mare for the Open section of the Tinahealy Hunter Trial. Having walked the course and been silenced by the size of a particular drop fence called ‘The Bridge’ (there was no bridge down, just a very big drop), I felt a little sick at the prospect of getting from Fence 1 to Fence 25 in one piece. But we did – Polly was a superstar, taking good care of me and popped off ‘The Bridge’ as if it were only a couple of feet high! We had an unfortunate run out at a skinny fence which was due to rider error, rather than disobedience on Polly’s part. But she came 6th in the Novice with her owner Cat, so smiles all round.
Jillie and her partner Fran took me (their temporary daughter) to Enniscorthy for the traditional Paddy’s Day parade which was fabulous. Fran is an amazing chef and so far has cooked up some culinary masterpieces since I have arrived. I promised him that I would share the cooking while I was staying, but so far he is leading by a long way in the ‘Great Cook Off’. Jillie and I have joined Unislim (the Irish equivalent of Weightwatchers) to get into shape for the summer so he is begrudgingly limiting the amount of wine and butter in his fabulous dishes.
Back to the horses, a particular challenge at Butterfly Farm is ‘Fred’, a 5 yr old, 16 hh coloured chap who has sudden panic attacks, one of which resulted in me on the floor of the arena with a rather sore bottom. He has previously been broken and ridden away but had become a little worried so we have been lungeing and long reining him. Michael’s wise approach is to go back a few steps and give the horse some time to settle, and so far, so good. Bringing young horses on is something I have studied a lot of and done only a little, so now I have a chance to gain some real experience and try to help Fred come to terms with being ridden.
Speaking of challenges, I feel so very fortunate to be in Ireland, training with Jillie and working towards my next life goal. She and Fran have welcomed me with open arms, as have the staff at Butterfly Farm but I do have moments of thinking “what on earth am I doing here?” My parents are coming over in May for the weekend so I look forward to that and to making some friends here. I also need to start thinking about what I am going to do next, as having exams to do is great but there will be a point in the not too distant future where exams will stop and life will begin. So what exactly am I going to do with all these certificates and what am I going to do with my life? Answers on a postcard…
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April 2009
August 22, 2009 by annatrinder
Oh how it snowed. The whole country was blanketed by a good helping of the white stuff and we were no different. In fact, the most extreme weather I can remember for a long time brought some new challenges and even some positives. Yes, it was arduous and we did have a great deal of mucking out to do as every horse and pony was stabled or corralled so to be as warm as possible. Some staff simply could not get to work on very treacherous roads, so the ‘live in’ team pulled together and worked at double speed to get everything cleaned, fed and exercised as much as possible. Cameron and I did not leave Church Brampton for almost a fortnight as our cars were in a snowdrift behind the cottage so as the temperatures have risen and the snow thawed, our feelings of freedom have returned along with the sunshine.
Fortunately the weather improved for a trip home to Kent in the middle of the month. I spent another fun Friday at Chilham Park with Ali Ferry BHS II (SM), where we coached her Stage III pupil, Emma, through some simulated cross country. Emma was nervous about jumping an arrowhead that we had prepared for her, which surprised me a little as she was tackling skinny jumps with super confidence and had found a lovely rhythm. Having an awkward stride resulted in a fall, but having got that out of the way, Emma returned to face the jump with a real determination and we were all very pleased when she sailed over it with renewed confidence. I hope there will be many more arrowheads in Emma’s future and that she now feels more empowered to deal with them.
Saturday was spent at Stilebridge competing ‘Lizzy’ for Chris Taylor. Chris spent a long time rehabilitating the mare from a serious tendon injury and is also suffering with a great deal of pain herself at the moment as she waits patiently for an operation in the coming months. But, that aside, Lizzy is great fun, full of beans and so forward thinking. We practised the tests the afternoon before and so we were very pleased with 60% in the Novice 25. We agreed that I would ask for a little more in the next test knowing that this could backfire but that it was worth the risk. Lizzy definitely gave more but our rhythm was interrupted and her way of going affected by increased pressure so we scored 57%. It is always nice to come home with a ribbon, but Lizzy did a super job, to the best of her ability and we drove home with a warm, satisfied feeling having had a great day out.
Having decided to continue training to progress further up the BHS ladder, I spent some weeks before Christmas considering how best to gain more experience for my next goal which will be BHS SM. I am so excited as I have had an offer from Ireland, to work for Alma and Michael Byrne at Butterfly Farm for 6 months. Jillie Rogers BHS I, a very dear friend who has had a real influence on me since the age of 12, moved to County Wexford from Kent and has kindly offered lodgings at her cottage. So I am Ireland bound in the next few weeks, but in the meantime I have a very important final task to complete at Brampton, my Intermediate Teaching exam. I am feeling confident and prepared, having worked hard over the last 9 months towards this. But of course, balancing these feelings with a nervous and tense tendency. I am attempting to stay relaxed and in a good rhythm as the exam approaches. Lesson plans and presentation handouts are printed, timings and situations have been rehearsed, but there is no way to fully anticipate what I will have to teach. That will be the true test, am I ready to assess what is in front of me and coach the horse rider combination to make an improvement to their form at the required level. I jolly well hope so.
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March 2009
August 12, 2009 by annatrinder
A super busy month – full of hard work but also lots of fun. Forget hibernation, this has been the busiest January I can ever remember but definitely the way to recover from Christmas and NY festivities. I was 27 last Tuesday and spent my birthday with Jenny at a BHS Examiner’s Update Day acting as a guinea pig for the Intermediate exam. This was fantastic as I had to teach a dressage lesson and then a group jumping lesson in front of 30 examiners who then dissected, analysed and debated whether my performance was of the standard required for the re-written syllabus. Areas of strength and also weaknesses were exposed but the feedback I received was very positive. I returned to Brampton bolstered and motivated to train hard on some highlighted areas. Spending a whole day with Jenny was great, a real birthday treat.
In the middle of the month I spent my days off training at Warwickshire College with Clarissa Dawson, Kay Lamb and Don Collins – teaching students and some college horses. The facilities there are fabulous and the staff were very helpful and friendly. Don Collins invited me to his Cheltenham home the following day to give his daughter Alice a lesson on their dressage horse. While we were deep in conversation about riding school businesses, Alice, who I had not met before, walked into the tack room wearing a Sheffield University 2004 A Team jacket. I almost dropped my cup of coffee – as I was team captain from 2000-2003. It is a small world!
I spent a very fun Friday with a friend. Ali Ferry BHS II (SM) runs Chilham Park, a cross country course, livery and tuition centre in Kent. She is a shining beacon of professionalism combined with a sparkling personality. We took two horses show jumping at Duckhurst, Ali’s own Marcel and a competition livery Timba. Both horses were calm, confident and beautifully piloted by Ali. Marcel won some money and both horses are on target to jump Foxhunter in the coming weeks. I really enjoy show jumping and am working to improve my knowledge and experience in the competitive sphere as part of my Intermediate training. Ali has a wealth of experience to impart but more than that, her attitude and approach is something for others to emulate and be encouraged by.
Much excitement descended on Brampton as Jenny’s new year project arrived in the shape of a very friendly, slightly bewildered, nearly 3 year old horse. ‘Rio’ is closely related to Wolfie and is almost as tall already! So Derick and Jenny have been handling him carefully and spending precious time familiarising him with the beautiful home he has arrived in fresh from Holland. Wolfie goes from strength to strength, seeming to cover yet more column centimetres in horsey press by the week, winning his first attempt at Intermediare and wowing everywhere he goes. I hope Rio can follow in his footsteps and bring more success.
A chance phone conversation one grey Monday at Brampton resulted in a very good looking professional rugby player from the Northampton Saints arriving at the yard with a photographer in tow. He promptly undressed while I hid my eyes (yeah, right!) before mounting our very own ‘Big Ben’ wearing nothing but a kilt for a photograph in aid of a testimonial dinner. It was an experience! I’m not sure Ben realised he had an International rugby star on his back and stayed very calm throughout but I was a little starstruck or perhaps more awestruck by his Adonis body and powerful physique!
Tags: BHS Horse Training
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February 2009
August 12, 2009 by annatrinder
It is freeeeeezing!! This week has been bitterly cold. Thermals galore and extra water buckets for all the horses as the automatic water drinkers are frozen at the pipes. Both horses and humans are rugged/coated up like Michelin men to keep the cold at bay. Once moving around and doing things it’s not so bad so the secret is to muck out twice as fast and keep on the move when teaching to avoid being frozen to the arena surface! We must be keeping Options hot chocolate afloat in this tricky financial times with our yard consumption alone.
Gymkhana games, festive cheer and parties seem but a distant memory. I really enjoyed Christmas this year, even the bits where I worked! Cameron and I did a couple of hours in the morning of Christmas day before meeting my family at a local restaurant for a lovely lunch. We returned later on to skip out, feed and change rugs. A similar day on Boxing Day but we also exercised everything that was in overnight. I was glad to be up and doing things on what can sometimes turn into a lazy couple of days of over indulgence and inactivity. That said, I could hardly eat anything for a few days after all the richness and gluttony from Christmas lunch – I think I may have stretched my stomach beyond the point of healthy. Weightwatchers is back on with full power to shift excess chocolate and get back in shape for the Spring.
Training for the Intermediate Teaching exam continues. We have had some excellent jump training with Cameron learning about techniques for dealing with a corner, an arrowhead, jumping on a curve and on a diagonal. All very useful, presenting problems and teaching me to troubleshoot. On the yard, I am learning about the realities of rehabilitation from tendon and ligament damage as Unique is on box rest with 40 minutes walking in hand prescribed for his suspected suspensory ligament injury. He is a little upset about being kept indoors all day and night so takes every opportunity to leap around during his ‘walkies’. Hard hat and bridle are very necessary. I’ve tried to explain to him that excess movement will not help the healing process but I’m not sure he has got the message…
While at home over the holidays I met up with one of my very best friends from school. Linzi has a lovely little horse called Barney who she took on as a project as he was causing trouble with his previous owners. She has done a great job with him, earning his trust through careful management and building a relationship with him slowly. I gave her a dressage lesson, in the style of the Intermediate exam, but tailored to her and Barney. It is a bit tricky teaching a friend sometimes but she seemed to enjoy it. She let me ride Barney for 10 minutes too which was a great honour as I know how protective she is!
Jenny and Wolfie have just come back from the BHS F&I convention where Carl Hester was on hand to give some training. They are on course to make Grand Prix level this year and Derick fedback proudly that Wolfie managed his personal best of 15 ‘one-time’ changes. I am looking forward to the 20th of this month as it is my 27th birthday and I am spending it with Jenny at a conference for BHS examiners. I am going to be a guinea pig for the day as the conference is about training from BHS AI to BHS II. This will be great preparation for my exam and no doubt nerve wracking. Just what I need!
Tags: BHS Horse Training
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December 2008
August 12, 2009 by annatrinder
As 2008 draws to a close, the temperature drops to very cold and darkness engulfs the days. I clearly remember this time last year, still so excited about being at Brampton and that I had made the move from the city. This year, I am working on Christmas day – but my wonderful family, instead of carrying on without me at home, have opted to relocate for the day. Both sisters, parents and Tim are coming up to take Cameron and I out for lunch at a local restaurant. This will be a real novelty, we have NEVER had Christmas away from home but we are all quite excited about not having to do the cooking and clearing up!
I am still riding in our morning Stage IV training sessions but I am feeling a bit lost now that the exam has been and gone. I find I need to have specific goals and plans in order to stay motivated, whether it be an exam or competing. The main target now is the Intermediate teaching in March, a different type of exam to train for. I have been on two external courses, with Tim Downes and Carole Broad which boosted my confidence. Cameron and Nick are working me as much as they can, filling me with ideas and advice on the best ways to get the most out of clients and students. Roll on the Spring.
I spent a ‘not-so-nice’ morning in Northampton General Hospital last Tuesday morning as one of our horses kicked me hard in the arm. One of the first lessons we learn is never to walk directly behind a horse or to make sudden movements. I did both of those things and paid the consequences. Stanley is not a nasty horse but it was a sharp reminder that horses are big, strong animals who will react defensively if frightened. Fortunately nothing was broken, I just have a fairly impressive bruise.
Sarah and Cameron were both away on holiday at the same time, so I was brave and asked Jenny if she would train us for the morning. She rode Wolfie first and we watched as she floated in half pass across the arena saying “you just do this…and it’s easy”. Yes, Jenny, it’s easy…. Then we rode for her and we all finished feeling thoroughly worked out and motivated having got the horses operating with more zeal and oomph. Training with Jenny is such a golden opportunity to feed off her passion for dressage and years of experience of teaching horses. I often wish she had more time to spend with us. She is tough, but so good.
Demanding ‘more’ in a gentle but firm way was also a theme for the 2008 BD Convention at Addington with Jean Behmelmans. Cameron and I attended on one of our days off and thoroughly enjoyed it. The British guinea pigs, all top class riders, really had to get going and ride to the best of their ability to produce the results that Jean was asking for. He wanted the advanced horses to collect, but not to lose energy. They were to collect by engaging the hind quarters, not slowing down. Some wonderfully elastic and well bred horses were on show. Inspiring and breathtaking all in one go.
Excitement has descended upon the Pony Clubbers, as we are holding our first inter-club competition in the weeks leading up to Christmas. This comprises show jumping, theory, gymkhana games and lots of mince pies. The teams are mixed up with Junior and Senior members so a real chance for them all to socialise and have some fun after a year of hard work gaining their achievement badges and improving their riding skills. The competitive streak in them has been well nurtured so Sally and I are looking forward to some closely contested battles….let the games begin!
Tags: BHS Horse Training
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November 2008
August 12, 2009 by annatrinder
Hello from sunny (rainy) Kent! I’m officially on holiday and staying with my parents for a couple of days. I am going to help my godfather Tim a bit this week, there is a new foal to see and some students to catch up with at Rooting Street RC. We are off to Ireland on Monday to see Jillie Rogers who left Kent a few years ago to rebase there. I can’t wait for that. We going to a lecture with Eric Smiley FBHS over there and hope to get some hunting in too. It is great to be back at home, my dad inspected the car I bought and was quite impressed with it (phew) and my mum is already nagging me for invasion of the fridge. Nothing changes….
Stage IV riding was last Friday and although I won’t have the results for another week or so I feel good about how it went. I enjoyed it so much! The weeks leading up to the exam I wanted to fast forward as I was so ready to do it. I was brave and asked Jenny if she might give me a lesson on her horse Callo. She said yes! That in itself made me feel ready to take the exam. Then poor old Cameron hurt his back and was out of action which added another challenge, Sarah rallied around sorting out cover and picking up a lot of the training herself. She made a real difference to my confidence in the final days, if I pass I will have a lot to thank her for.
Pre back injury, Cameron and I spent a good day at the BD Nationals supporting Jenny and Wolfie. I wanted to get some ‘GO WOLFIE GO’ t-shirts made but on reflection I am quite glad Cameron talked me out of it. I think Jordan should try to get into the BD tent; she might have better luck than at the Cartier. Some lovely horses and it was great to see Darryl Thickett who trained our University team. Jenny and Wolfie came 3rd and further underlined their superstar status.
My thoughts are beginning to stretch forward into 2009. I am going to stay at Brampton until I have completed my BHS II which will take me to at least March. My youngest sister Sophie is in the middle of applications for graduate jobs, she has targeted the top 10 ad agencies so I have been able to help her from my previous working life. My middle sister Vic has also moved to London in her first teaching job having completed her PGCE in Art & Design. The decision for me to take will be whether to keep horses as my career, to keep studying and aim for BHSI or to revert to advertising after this ‘year out’ and earn enough cash to fund an expensive hobby! The thing is, studying at Brampton has transformed a previous ‘hobby’ into a way of life. I am not sure I want to change it back. Derick provided me with a pearl of wisdom some months ago when he said ‘much of life is spent sleeping and working with some bits round the edges, so if you can do what you love for the majority of the time, then that has to be good’.
A very fun afternoon was spent on Saturday in Browns on St Martin’s Lane with my sisters, cousin and some good friends. I introduced Lord Cesar Rocca to them and as I predicted, he sat in shell shocked silence for a few moments surrounded by a scene from Sex & The City. I have not yet established why he is called Lord Rocca, if I have stumbled across Italian royalty you will be the first to know. Sophie liked him, so that is a good sign for family approval as she is most definitely the head of the Trinders. I haven’t introduced him to my dad yet…or Tim for that matter. All in good time.
September 7, 2009 by annatrinder
How good it feels to be back in England! Finn (my 6 month old Irish Jack Russell ) travelled well, enjoying his boat trip and is now settling into a new routine. He has already been up to London, enjoying the trains and buses but not overly keen on the Underground as it was a hot day. My youngest sister Sophie has just started work for ‘Naked Communications’ as a Junior Strategist so we popped in to say hello to her and also visited Vic (middle sister) as she has an art studio in South London. I took him to the offices of OMD UK in Soho, where we met my previous boss Adam Skinner, to talk about my future. For the future is most definitely horse shaped but I am keen to diversify and to keep some other interests alive, especially now that both of my sisters have made it into the big smoke.
Meanwhile, work continues unabated toward BHS SM. One area that I know little about is the racing world, so I contacted Linda Jewell who is a local trainer and now have a part time job with her, riding out a couple of mornings a week. Well, all I can say is wow! The first morning I was a little apprehensive as I know Thoroughbred horses can be highly strung and of course fast. The technique is very different to ‘normal’ riding, although I did feel heartened as the first horse I rode was named Ginger – which was the name of my first ever pony. ‘Ginger the TB racehorse’ is a little different to ‘Ginger the 20 year old, 13.2hh arthritic pony’ but still is already my firm favourite. Linda and her staff have been very helpful, giving me tips and looking out for me. Cantering around the all weather gallop at ¾ speed is a real experience, both physically and mentally.
I hope to get very involved with the local Pony Clubs now that I am back in Kent for good as I really love teaching the kids and the spirit of the organisation. Knelly from the Kent Border asked me to teach at their Camp which was held at Plumpton College. So Finn and I set off for Sussex, stayed over with my University pal Philippa Lane and taught 3 days of dressage, XC and gridwork. It was good to meet Laura Powell, another LR writer! I returned the following week to judge the dressage at their Combined Training event in Cudham so it was good to see them all again for that.
I am so pleased to be back nearer to my family and also my Godfather Tim. Tim invited me to a XC clinic that he was teaching at the fabulous Chilham Park. It was a really fun day, with different achievements for all of Tim’s clients. One lady, Elaine, has an ex race horse – Yogi. Tim suggested I get on the horse. Elaine is an experienced rider and so I was not convinced I was going to be able to improve him very much but I was pretty sure I was going to do my best. So, on I got and a few growls in Yogi’s ear coupled with some very positive, determined riding he popped down the steps to a big cheer! Alex, a student about to go off to study Chemistry at University is taking her Stage 3 so Tim wanted to give her a big confidence boost and my word, she got that, punching the air with delight as she cleared a very sizeable ski jump “you won’t do that in your exam, will you Alex?” were Tim’s words. Then there was Rupert, a partner in a big London law firm, who took up riding fairly recently. Rupert and his fantastically dependable mare Bogey hunt with the Ashford Valley and it was good to see Rupert’s determination increasing as he learnt not only from his own experiences but from those of the other riders. And as for Chris Taylor and Lizzy, a couple of years ago Lizzy was recovering from a nasty tendon injury so Chris has really had to go through some tough times especially as Chris herself has recently had surgery on her own limbs! They are a gutsy pair and Chris definitely received the biggest cheer of the day as Lizzy launched into the water with a big splash. All in all, a great success.
I visited Alex Hudson BHSI at her yard in Goodnestone for an afternoon of BHS SM training and enjoyed it very much. I feel that I have been studying consistently since March, have had the best opportunities in Ireland with Jillie and that I am ready to take the exam. There is further work to be done on my exam technique and so I have my head down between now and October 22nd, although am learning it isn’t really about having my head down in a book, it is about having my head up and being able to talk about things!
As you read this I will be taking part in the final for BHS Young Instructor of the Year 2009 and I can’t tell you how excited I am about that day! We have confirmed judges – Nick Turner FBHS, Caroline Moore FBHS and Judy Harvey FBHS. I am looking forward to meeting them and also to meeting the other 7 candidates who I am sure will be determined and excited too. I have been thinking about the lessons I will have to teach and trying to think about how I can make the content interesting and contemporary. But when it comes to the crunch, no matter how much I think about the day, I will teach what I see, try to help the horses and riders in front of me and be myself. Whether I win or not, if I manage to do those things then I will be pleased. I am well versed with the phrase, it’s not the winning, it’s the taking part that counts…and wholeheartedly agree…but I do really really want to win…
www.annatrinder.com +44 (0)7796 958341
Anna is available for teaching, training and riding in the SE of England.
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September 2009
August 22, 2009 by annatrinder
You may remember from my last diary entry, I was going to attempt to adopt some ‘Irishisms’ into my teaching during the qualifier for BHS Young Instructor of the Year. I resorted to my British self sprinkled with Irish luck, as I did manage to win the qualifier and gained a place in the final at Warwickshire College on 7th October. It will be a busy month as my BHS SM exam is on the 22nd. I have to say that the exam takes Priority A slot in my mind, but am very pleased to have the competition as Priority B. To be taking part in the final is a real privilege and honour.
Whilst on the topic of competition, I am delighted to report that I have been competing – twice! My plan after BHS SM is BHS SE which involves show jumping to BSJA Newcomers (adjusted from Foxhunter in 2009), dressage to BD Advanced and cross country riding to BE Intermediate. This will be a jump up for me across all three disciplines so I feel I need to be ‘out there and doing it’ at those levels. Well, my trip to Barnadown to do the 90s Sportsman is a start and I jumped double clears on 2 horses – Napoleon, for livery owner Chloe Breen and Welsh Paddie who was the boss’ daughter – Geraldine Byrne’s jumping cob.
I flew to London to see Britney play the O2 with my friend Linzi. 5/10 (for Britney). She just didn’t appear to want to be there and walked through her routines. Such a shame as when she is firing on all cylinders her dancing and performance is breathtaking. But at least she has hair this year. The following two days were spent with Patrick Print FBHS at Berkshire RC. This is the 2nd course I have invested in with the BHS to train towards BHS SM and both have been fantastic. A key moment was Patrick telling me I was ‘a million miles away’ from the answer he was looking for, but he said it in such a way that made me sit up, pay attention and want to try harder.
This month I have actually made a couple of friends. A fellow contestant at the YIOY qualifier, Phoebe North BHSAI, who works at Belmount EC here in Ireland, invited me for a forest trek, we had great ‘craic’ and Lisa O’Kane, head girl previous to me at Butterfly Farm. Lisa took me (and Finn) out for the day to a RC event. Lisa was All Ireland Junior Eventing Champion and has a wonderful veteran 3* Holsteiner, Grundy. Needless to say, she outclassed the RC field and won the Open but even more exciting was her young horse Roo (Tomduff Rupert Bear) who came 5th in the Young Horse section. Roo is for sale so that Lisa can build some stables (enquiries contact LR office). One very proud moment was when Finn, my 4½ month old puppy, jumped the open ditch during our course walk, he is a little superstar already. Is there a Badminton for dogs?
Butterfly Farm EC had their annual AIRE inspection. AIRE (The Association of Irish Riding Establishments) are a bit like the ABRS except that they are Irish. We were approved for 2009 and it was a very interesting process. Jillie is an AIRE advisor and as part of my ‘rental agreement’ I help her type up reports (for her typing speed think seal with broken flipper). It is a great learning opportunity too and I am pleased to be able to help her.
Excitement descended here at Malsbury Cottage as Jillie, Fran and I headed out to the Island Foxhounds Hunt BBQ. I was a little over exuberant and as Jillie put it “went a bit London” in my red silk Ted Baker dress (not at all revealing or too short, but just nice) and my old favourite Dune stilettos which are a jungle print with pony skin fur on the sides (probably faux knowing Dune). Somewhat at odds with marquee in a field full of cow pat that we had to dodge to get from the jeep to the party. Fortunately I had my trusty Ugg boots stowed away which were called upon within an hour of our arrival. It was great fun and I particularly enjoyed talking to Mark, the new, young, huntsman at the Island. Mark is an Englishman from Yorkshire who whipped in for the Morpeth and then the Scarteen here in Ireland. He has now taken his first job as a Huntsman with the Island. We never did get to enjoy his suggested ‘spin on the dance floor’ which was a shame, for him.
Jillie introduced me to a remarkable lady called Mrs Skrine who kindly lent me a puppy cage so that Finn could be safe while learning about ‘yard dog behaviour’. Mrs Skrine is dubbed ‘Queen of Ireland’ by Jillie and Fran and she certainly receives royal treatment around these parts due to the respect she commands in the Land of the Horse. As Vice President and Board Director of the Irish Pony Club, honorary secretary of the Island Foxhounds and an esteemed show judge here and overseas, she has a great deal of knowledge to impart. I was invited to tea and spent a very enjoyable evening in her company. At 81, she is the oldest friend I have made in Ireland but by no means the least energetic. She is quite something.
A fabulous day was spent at Troytown Equine Hospital in County Kildare, kindly arranged by Jess Soley BHSI. I was absolutely impressed by the work of Warren Lee Schofield M.A., Vet M.B., Cert ES (Soft tissue), M.R.C.V.S., Dip E.C.V.S 74/95, who I shadowed for the day. I saw so much – ultrasonography, MRI, scinitigraphy, digital radiography, surgery, wobblers, wounds – Warren’s expertise is vast and his time so precious to the owners and horses he helps. I was, however, somewhat dumbfounded by the Health and Safety document that I had to read and sign before entrance to the hospital. Heavy going, and I have a law degree! Actually, maybe that tells you a little about how much I enjoyed my degree…
A very busy week, followed by a heavy day of travelling via air and road to Bishop Burton College for another BHS SM course with Jo Winfield FBHS, resulted in the realisation that I was exhausted and so I went home for 2 weeks rest. Fortunately no damage done, I have returned refreshed. However, I missed Jo Winfield which I am very sad about as I have heard she is fantastic!
While resting, I did manage to get to Brightling International with my Godfather Tim Brier BHSAI and friend Ali Ferry BHSII SM who was competing in her first ever BE Novice. She came 5th and we were all so so so pleased for her as she did it in true Ali style. Ali runs Chilham Park for Stuart and Tessa Wheeler (parents of Brit supermodel Jacquetta Wheeler). Tessa gave me (and Ali’s wonderfully well behaved (!) Dalmatian Theo) a lift back to Chilham and what a lovely, interesting lady she is.
I am now back on the Emerald Isle and being a Friday I should be at work, teaching in the rain but unfortunately I am not as I have had a stinking cold. Swine flu it is probably not, but horrible it has been. Until a couple of weeks ago, I would have openly berated myself or anyone else for having time off for a common cold but given my recent experiences of body, soul and mind I am treading carefully. While my exam might be Priority A and the YIOY final Priority B, looking after my health has to be Priority Number One.
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July 2009
August 22, 2009 by annatrinder
The month started and ended with visits from family. First my parents who had a real treat as Fran cooked for them one evening. In the end I just played with Jillie’s dog, Buster, as my mum buddied up with Jillie and my dad with Fran. I was so pleased they got on so well. Speaking of dogs, as I write I am being pestered by Finn, my new Jack Russell puppy. He is adorable and keeping me company. Having never had a dog before||||||cffffffffffffffffffffCV (HE JUST WALKED ON THE KEYBOARD) I am really enjoying him. More about Finn later.
We sold another 2 horses at Goresbridge, this time I felt more confident riding and we are due for another trip later this month. I am intrigued by the buyers who take risks buying a horse at the sales that they don’t know. Some buyers may know certain competition horses if they have been out and about competing prior to the sales but it still seems like a big risk to take. Having said that, one of the areas for me to improve prior to my BHS SM exam in October is ‘examining for purchase’ which is about being able to spot potential and also problems in horses at a first glance. Developing ‘an eye for a horse’. So maybe I will understand a little more over the coming months.
I spent a very useful few days in England at the World Horse Welfare Centre in Norfolk as a ‘gopher’ for the May BHS SM exam. This was a great insight for my October fixture and I was able to listen to the candidates,spot43333333333333333333333333333333333333er c (Finn!!!!), sorry, spot good ones and feel a bit sorry for those that were clearly struggling. It was very clear when there was a candidate who knew their stuff as the examiners relaxed and enjoyed talking to them, whereas when there was a lack of knowledge the examiners had a real job on their hands trying to extract information from very quiet mouths. I hope to be firmly in the first camp by October!
The same week I flew to the Isle of Man for the wedding of one of my best girl friends from University. It is a rare moment for us all to be together, there were 5 of us who lived together for 3 years and we are now spread from The Hague to London to Ireland to The Isle of Man. It was good fun. On return to Ireland, Jillie and I helped at the Island Hunt Show which was held on Enniscorthy showground. Typically, Jillie was more organised than the organisers and we were course designing in no time. We were allocated to the Sportsman arena and spent the morning easing the flow of riders into the ring and picking up any rolled poles. I even had a walkie talkie!
The tackroom project at Butterfly Farm is complete, so my next job is to attack the office. I have a vision which involves folders, files and wiping dust from the computer. I will try to implement all the things that I am learning are necessary in an office while studying the Business Management section for the BHS SM. Client details, horse details, farrier records, important phone numbers etc.
So the last visitor I had was my youngest sister Sophie who flew back to London last night. It was great to see her, we get on very well but haven’t been speaking so much lately due to internet connectivity problems and not wanting to spend thousands on phone bills! A return to good old letter writing has been the solution but nothing quite beats face to face. We took Finn (now sleeping thank goodness) and Buster to the beach as it was such a hot day, mulled over life as it stands at the moment, discussed plans and I think gave each other a bit of necessary confidence.
This week I am off to Dublin for the Irish qualifier for BHS Young Instructor of the Year 2009 as my application was successful. I entered last year and was best runner up in our qualifier near Brampton, so hope to do well this year. There is only one qualifier in Ireland, so I wonder how the Irish would feel being represented at the final by an English girl, but I will give it my best shot anyhow. Maybe I could try to include some Irish words in lessons like yoke (thing) or ‘ye man’ (not sure that has a direct translation but something like ‘he’) and ‘grand’ (great). I will let you know if I managed it!
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June 2009
August 22, 2009 by annatrinder
I am writing from the air, approaching the Emerald Isle in a plane, having spent two days in England training with Carole Broad FBHS at Huntley School of Equitation. A thoroughly worthwhile exercise, now I have a true sense of just how much work I need to do before my planned BHS SM exam on 22nd October. This is the end of my 8th week living, working and training in Ireland. It has been a funny old time, with a mixture of days where I have driven home from work on cloud nine thinking just how much I am enjoying this new life and then other days when I have woefully imagined how family and friends would react if I returned home tail between legs in defeat. Well, this plane is headed for Dublin, “t’anks be to God”. I am fortunately beginning to settle into a rhythm and balance that keeps me forward thinking, particularly important on more difficult days.
Jillie Rogers BHSI, with whom I am living and training has had a very sad time as her beloved father passed away so she has been to-ing and fro-ing from the UK with partner Fran for the arrangements and funeral. Jillie’s dog ‘Buster’ has been a great friend to me and we were both delighted to see them return to Malsbury Cottage. Training continues and Jillie’s introductions have been great. I am making frequent trips to Kildare to see Jess Soley BHSI, to Tipperary to see Faith Ponsonby BHSI and also to Calliaghstown EC to see Grannie Sugars BHSI all of whom have opened my eyes to new ideas and I listen somewhat in awe of the full experiences from which they speak.
All that training costs money, so it is a good thing I have my job! Especially in our current economic climate, with so many people increasingly struggling for paid income. Fortunately business at Butterfly Farm EC is healthy, with our Easter camps packed full of enthusiastic children. A high point recently was our first Unaffiliated dressage competition, which was a step forward for the yard as the focus is mainly show jumping. Lisa Reitmeier, who works alongside me was thrilled to be placed 5th with a new horse we have in called Kiltealy Oscar. A notable achievement as on St Patrick’s Day in March he ran his last point to point race. Lisa is the smiliest, happiest German I have ever met and so keen to learn. She hopes to take her BHS Stage 1 in the not too distant future. Bump! We just landed. Hello Ireland.
Fred, the coloured youngster who shook me off his back last month, is slowly improving. I have not hit the deck since although we have had ‘moments of discussion’ about the matter, but these are occurring less frequently and he is beginning to enjoy himself when he puts his mind to it. I like riding horses (good thing too) and I try to find something good in them all, even those that feel like the most wooden, personality devoid, unco-operative beast ever to trot into existence. But with Fred, I really don’t have to try. Ok, so he is afraid some of the time, meaning he needs careful, democratic persuasion, but when he is good, he is very very good and gives me the most thrilling feel of energy, youthfulness and spirit.
As I type now, from the sitting room of Jillie’s cottage I can hear her voice through in the dining room as she is training a Stage 3 student for an imminent exam. I was summoned to try to work the Dictaphone that the student has brought to record Jillie – not your average Dictaphone but some very impressive Samsung technology. I hope it works or there will be trouble! Fran, Jillie’s partner is on his hands and knees laminating the new tack room labelling that I have printed for Butterfly Farm EC, complete with coloured butterflies – blue for the boys, pink for the girls (Lisa’s idea). It is going to be exciting to get that up this week. Organisation is fun.
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May 2009
August 22, 2009 by annatrinder
Earlier this month, I waved a fond goodbye to my friends, human and equine, at Brampton where I have spent the last 18 months transforming from an inexperienced, city dwelling, ‘BHS AI at the weekends’ into a more knowledgeable, professional ‘out-there-and-doing-it BHS II’. Chief Instructor, Cameron Macintyre BHS II (SM) deserves special thanks as he had to live with me as well as train me and was a great friend too.
And so, I set sail on a very blustery day for the Emerald Isle, bound for County Wexford, Ireland where I am to spend the next 6 months living and training with Jillie Rogers BHS I towards the BHS SM qualification. I have a job as ‘head girl’ at Butterfly Farm EC in Camolin, which is a competition/livery yard and riding school run by Alma and Michael Byrne.
One of the first horses I sat on was a 7 yr old, 17.1 hh bay called ‘Jack’ who had become a little too bold for his owner. A week later I found myself jumping 1m20 in the arena at Goresbridge Performance Sales. I have never been to a horse sales before let alone ridden in one so this was very exciting, nerve-wracking, exhausting and energising all at the same time. Jack was sold and I have to admit I was a little sad to see him go!
On St Patrick’s Day, I was offered the ride on ‘Polly’, a lovely black mare for the Open section of the Tinahealy Hunter Trial. Having walked the course and been silenced by the size of a particular drop fence called ‘The Bridge’ (there was no bridge down, just a very big drop), I felt a little sick at the prospect of getting from Fence 1 to Fence 25 in one piece. But we did – Polly was a superstar, taking good care of me and popped off ‘The Bridge’ as if it were only a couple of feet high! We had an unfortunate run out at a skinny fence which was due to rider error, rather than disobedience on Polly’s part. But she came 6th in the Novice with her owner Cat, so smiles all round.
Jillie and her partner Fran took me (their temporary daughter) to Enniscorthy for the traditional Paddy’s Day parade which was fabulous. Fran is an amazing chef and so far has cooked up some culinary masterpieces since I have arrived. I promised him that I would share the cooking while I was staying, but so far he is leading by a long way in the ‘Great Cook Off’. Jillie and I have joined Unislim (the Irish equivalent of Weightwatchers) to get into shape for the summer so he is begrudgingly limiting the amount of wine and butter in his fabulous dishes.
Back to the horses, a particular challenge at Butterfly Farm is ‘Fred’, a 5 yr old, 16 hh coloured chap who has sudden panic attacks, one of which resulted in me on the floor of the arena with a rather sore bottom. He has previously been broken and ridden away but had become a little worried so we have been lungeing and long reining him. Michael’s wise approach is to go back a few steps and give the horse some time to settle, and so far, so good. Bringing young horses on is something I have studied a lot of and done only a little, so now I have a chance to gain some real experience and try to help Fred come to terms with being ridden.
Speaking of challenges, I feel so very fortunate to be in Ireland, training with Jillie and working towards my next life goal. She and Fran have welcomed me with open arms, as have the staff at Butterfly Farm but I do have moments of thinking “what on earth am I doing here?” My parents are coming over in May for the weekend so I look forward to that and to making some friends here. I also need to start thinking about what I am going to do next, as having exams to do is great but there will be a point in the not too distant future where exams will stop and life will begin. So what exactly am I going to do with all these certificates and what am I going to do with my life? Answers on a postcard…
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April 2009
August 22, 2009 by annatrinder
Oh how it snowed. The whole country was blanketed by a good helping of the white stuff and we were no different. In fact, the most extreme weather I can remember for a long time brought some new challenges and even some positives. Yes, it was arduous and we did have a great deal of mucking out to do as every horse and pony was stabled or corralled so to be as warm as possible. Some staff simply could not get to work on very treacherous roads, so the ‘live in’ team pulled together and worked at double speed to get everything cleaned, fed and exercised as much as possible. Cameron and I did not leave Church Brampton for almost a fortnight as our cars were in a snowdrift behind the cottage so as the temperatures have risen and the snow thawed, our feelings of freedom have returned along with the sunshine.
Fortunately the weather improved for a trip home to Kent in the middle of the month. I spent another fun Friday at Chilham Park with Ali Ferry BHS II (SM), where we coached her Stage III pupil, Emma, through some simulated cross country. Emma was nervous about jumping an arrowhead that we had prepared for her, which surprised me a little as she was tackling skinny jumps with super confidence and had found a lovely rhythm. Having an awkward stride resulted in a fall, but having got that out of the way, Emma returned to face the jump with a real determination and we were all very pleased when she sailed over it with renewed confidence. I hope there will be many more arrowheads in Emma’s future and that she now feels more empowered to deal with them.
Saturday was spent at Stilebridge competing ‘Lizzy’ for Chris Taylor. Chris spent a long time rehabilitating the mare from a serious tendon injury and is also suffering with a great deal of pain herself at the moment as she waits patiently for an operation in the coming months. But, that aside, Lizzy is great fun, full of beans and so forward thinking. We practised the tests the afternoon before and so we were very pleased with 60% in the Novice 25. We agreed that I would ask for a little more in the next test knowing that this could backfire but that it was worth the risk. Lizzy definitely gave more but our rhythm was interrupted and her way of going affected by increased pressure so we scored 57%. It is always nice to come home with a ribbon, but Lizzy did a super job, to the best of her ability and we drove home with a warm, satisfied feeling having had a great day out.
Having decided to continue training to progress further up the BHS ladder, I spent some weeks before Christmas considering how best to gain more experience for my next goal which will be BHS SM. I am so excited as I have had an offer from Ireland, to work for Alma and Michael Byrne at Butterfly Farm for 6 months. Jillie Rogers BHS I, a very dear friend who has had a real influence on me since the age of 12, moved to County Wexford from Kent and has kindly offered lodgings at her cottage. So I am Ireland bound in the next few weeks, but in the meantime I have a very important final task to complete at Brampton, my Intermediate Teaching exam. I am feeling confident and prepared, having worked hard over the last 9 months towards this. But of course, balancing these feelings with a nervous and tense tendency. I am attempting to stay relaxed and in a good rhythm as the exam approaches. Lesson plans and presentation handouts are printed, timings and situations have been rehearsed, but there is no way to fully anticipate what I will have to teach. That will be the true test, am I ready to assess what is in front of me and coach the horse rider combination to make an improvement to their form at the required level. I jolly well hope so.
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March 2009
August 12, 2009 by annatrinder
A super busy month – full of hard work but also lots of fun. Forget hibernation, this has been the busiest January I can ever remember but definitely the way to recover from Christmas and NY festivities. I was 27 last Tuesday and spent my birthday with Jenny at a BHS Examiner’s Update Day acting as a guinea pig for the Intermediate exam. This was fantastic as I had to teach a dressage lesson and then a group jumping lesson in front of 30 examiners who then dissected, analysed and debated whether my performance was of the standard required for the re-written syllabus. Areas of strength and also weaknesses were exposed but the feedback I received was very positive. I returned to Brampton bolstered and motivated to train hard on some highlighted areas. Spending a whole day with Jenny was great, a real birthday treat.
In the middle of the month I spent my days off training at Warwickshire College with Clarissa Dawson, Kay Lamb and Don Collins – teaching students and some college horses. The facilities there are fabulous and the staff were very helpful and friendly. Don Collins invited me to his Cheltenham home the following day to give his daughter Alice a lesson on their dressage horse. While we were deep in conversation about riding school businesses, Alice, who I had not met before, walked into the tack room wearing a Sheffield University 2004 A Team jacket. I almost dropped my cup of coffee – as I was team captain from 2000-2003. It is a small world!
I spent a very fun Friday with a friend. Ali Ferry BHS II (SM) runs Chilham Park, a cross country course, livery and tuition centre in Kent. She is a shining beacon of professionalism combined with a sparkling personality. We took two horses show jumping at Duckhurst, Ali’s own Marcel and a competition livery Timba. Both horses were calm, confident and beautifully piloted by Ali. Marcel won some money and both horses are on target to jump Foxhunter in the coming weeks. I really enjoy show jumping and am working to improve my knowledge and experience in the competitive sphere as part of my Intermediate training. Ali has a wealth of experience to impart but more than that, her attitude and approach is something for others to emulate and be encouraged by.
Much excitement descended on Brampton as Jenny’s new year project arrived in the shape of a very friendly, slightly bewildered, nearly 3 year old horse. ‘Rio’ is closely related to Wolfie and is almost as tall already! So Derick and Jenny have been handling him carefully and spending precious time familiarising him with the beautiful home he has arrived in fresh from Holland. Wolfie goes from strength to strength, seeming to cover yet more column centimetres in horsey press by the week, winning his first attempt at Intermediare and wowing everywhere he goes. I hope Rio can follow in his footsteps and bring more success.
A chance phone conversation one grey Monday at Brampton resulted in a very good looking professional rugby player from the Northampton Saints arriving at the yard with a photographer in tow. He promptly undressed while I hid my eyes (yeah, right!) before mounting our very own ‘Big Ben’ wearing nothing but a kilt for a photograph in aid of a testimonial dinner. It was an experience! I’m not sure Ben realised he had an International rugby star on his back and stayed very calm throughout but I was a little starstruck or perhaps more awestruck by his Adonis body and powerful physique!
Tags: BHS Horse Training
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February 2009
August 12, 2009 by annatrinder
It is freeeeeezing!! This week has been bitterly cold. Thermals galore and extra water buckets for all the horses as the automatic water drinkers are frozen at the pipes. Both horses and humans are rugged/coated up like Michelin men to keep the cold at bay. Once moving around and doing things it’s not so bad so the secret is to muck out twice as fast and keep on the move when teaching to avoid being frozen to the arena surface! We must be keeping Options hot chocolate afloat in this tricky financial times with our yard consumption alone.
Gymkhana games, festive cheer and parties seem but a distant memory. I really enjoyed Christmas this year, even the bits where I worked! Cameron and I did a couple of hours in the morning of Christmas day before meeting my family at a local restaurant for a lovely lunch. We returned later on to skip out, feed and change rugs. A similar day on Boxing Day but we also exercised everything that was in overnight. I was glad to be up and doing things on what can sometimes turn into a lazy couple of days of over indulgence and inactivity. That said, I could hardly eat anything for a few days after all the richness and gluttony from Christmas lunch – I think I may have stretched my stomach beyond the point of healthy. Weightwatchers is back on with full power to shift excess chocolate and get back in shape for the Spring.
Training for the Intermediate Teaching exam continues. We have had some excellent jump training with Cameron learning about techniques for dealing with a corner, an arrowhead, jumping on a curve and on a diagonal. All very useful, presenting problems and teaching me to troubleshoot. On the yard, I am learning about the realities of rehabilitation from tendon and ligament damage as Unique is on box rest with 40 minutes walking in hand prescribed for his suspected suspensory ligament injury. He is a little upset about being kept indoors all day and night so takes every opportunity to leap around during his ‘walkies’. Hard hat and bridle are very necessary. I’ve tried to explain to him that excess movement will not help the healing process but I’m not sure he has got the message…
While at home over the holidays I met up with one of my very best friends from school. Linzi has a lovely little horse called Barney who she took on as a project as he was causing trouble with his previous owners. She has done a great job with him, earning his trust through careful management and building a relationship with him slowly. I gave her a dressage lesson, in the style of the Intermediate exam, but tailored to her and Barney. It is a bit tricky teaching a friend sometimes but she seemed to enjoy it. She let me ride Barney for 10 minutes too which was a great honour as I know how protective she is!
Jenny and Wolfie have just come back from the BHS F&I convention where Carl Hester was on hand to give some training. They are on course to make Grand Prix level this year and Derick fedback proudly that Wolfie managed his personal best of 15 ‘one-time’ changes. I am looking forward to the 20th of this month as it is my 27th birthday and I am spending it with Jenny at a conference for BHS examiners. I am going to be a guinea pig for the day as the conference is about training from BHS AI to BHS II. This will be great preparation for my exam and no doubt nerve wracking. Just what I need!
Tags: BHS Horse Training
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December 2008
August 12, 2009 by annatrinder
As 2008 draws to a close, the temperature drops to very cold and darkness engulfs the days. I clearly remember this time last year, still so excited about being at Brampton and that I had made the move from the city. This year, I am working on Christmas day – but my wonderful family, instead of carrying on without me at home, have opted to relocate for the day. Both sisters, parents and Tim are coming up to take Cameron and I out for lunch at a local restaurant. This will be a real novelty, we have NEVER had Christmas away from home but we are all quite excited about not having to do the cooking and clearing up!
I am still riding in our morning Stage IV training sessions but I am feeling a bit lost now that the exam has been and gone. I find I need to have specific goals and plans in order to stay motivated, whether it be an exam or competing. The main target now is the Intermediate teaching in March, a different type of exam to train for. I have been on two external courses, with Tim Downes and Carole Broad which boosted my confidence. Cameron and Nick are working me as much as they can, filling me with ideas and advice on the best ways to get the most out of clients and students. Roll on the Spring.
I spent a ‘not-so-nice’ morning in Northampton General Hospital last Tuesday morning as one of our horses kicked me hard in the arm. One of the first lessons we learn is never to walk directly behind a horse or to make sudden movements. I did both of those things and paid the consequences. Stanley is not a nasty horse but it was a sharp reminder that horses are big, strong animals who will react defensively if frightened. Fortunately nothing was broken, I just have a fairly impressive bruise.
Sarah and Cameron were both away on holiday at the same time, so I was brave and asked Jenny if she would train us for the morning. She rode Wolfie first and we watched as she floated in half pass across the arena saying “you just do this…and it’s easy”. Yes, Jenny, it’s easy…. Then we rode for her and we all finished feeling thoroughly worked out and motivated having got the horses operating with more zeal and oomph. Training with Jenny is such a golden opportunity to feed off her passion for dressage and years of experience of teaching horses. I often wish she had more time to spend with us. She is tough, but so good.
Demanding ‘more’ in a gentle but firm way was also a theme for the 2008 BD Convention at Addington with Jean Behmelmans. Cameron and I attended on one of our days off and thoroughly enjoyed it. The British guinea pigs, all top class riders, really had to get going and ride to the best of their ability to produce the results that Jean was asking for. He wanted the advanced horses to collect, but not to lose energy. They were to collect by engaging the hind quarters, not slowing down. Some wonderfully elastic and well bred horses were on show. Inspiring and breathtaking all in one go.
Excitement has descended upon the Pony Clubbers, as we are holding our first inter-club competition in the weeks leading up to Christmas. This comprises show jumping, theory, gymkhana games and lots of mince pies. The teams are mixed up with Junior and Senior members so a real chance for them all to socialise and have some fun after a year of hard work gaining their achievement badges and improving their riding skills. The competitive streak in them has been well nurtured so Sally and I are looking forward to some closely contested battles….let the games begin!
Tags: BHS Horse Training
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November 2008
August 12, 2009 by annatrinder
Hello from sunny (rainy) Kent! I’m officially on holiday and staying with my parents for a couple of days. I am going to help my godfather Tim a bit this week, there is a new foal to see and some students to catch up with at Rooting Street RC. We are off to Ireland on Monday to see Jillie Rogers who left Kent a few years ago to rebase there. I can’t wait for that. We going to a lecture with Eric Smiley FBHS over there and hope to get some hunting in too. It is great to be back at home, my dad inspected the car I bought and was quite impressed with it (phew) and my mum is already nagging me for invasion of the fridge. Nothing changes….
Stage IV riding was last Friday and although I won’t have the results for another week or so I feel good about how it went. I enjoyed it so much! The weeks leading up to the exam I wanted to fast forward as I was so ready to do it. I was brave and asked Jenny if she might give me a lesson on her horse Callo. She said yes! That in itself made me feel ready to take the exam. Then poor old Cameron hurt his back and was out of action which added another challenge, Sarah rallied around sorting out cover and picking up a lot of the training herself. She made a real difference to my confidence in the final days, if I pass I will have a lot to thank her for.
Pre back injury, Cameron and I spent a good day at the BD Nationals supporting Jenny and Wolfie. I wanted to get some ‘GO WOLFIE GO’ t-shirts made but on reflection I am quite glad Cameron talked me out of it. I think Jordan should try to get into the BD tent; she might have better luck than at the Cartier. Some lovely horses and it was great to see Darryl Thickett who trained our University team. Jenny and Wolfie came 3rd and further underlined their superstar status.
My thoughts are beginning to stretch forward into 2009. I am going to stay at Brampton until I have completed my BHS II which will take me to at least March. My youngest sister Sophie is in the middle of applications for graduate jobs, she has targeted the top 10 ad agencies so I have been able to help her from my previous working life. My middle sister Vic has also moved to London in her first teaching job having completed her PGCE in Art & Design. The decision for me to take will be whether to keep horses as my career, to keep studying and aim for BHSI or to revert to advertising after this ‘year out’ and earn enough cash to fund an expensive hobby! The thing is, studying at Brampton has transformed a previous ‘hobby’ into a way of life. I am not sure I want to change it back. Derick provided me with a pearl of wisdom some months ago when he said ‘much of life is spent sleeping and working with some bits round the edges, so if you can do what you love for the majority of the time, then that has to be good’.
A very fun afternoon was spent on Saturday in Browns on St Martin’s Lane with my sisters, cousin and some good friends. I introduced Lord Cesar Rocca to them and as I predicted, he sat in shell shocked silence for a few moments surrounded by a scene from Sex & The City. I have not yet established why he is called Lord Rocca, if I have stumbled across Italian royalty you will be the first to know. Sophie liked him, so that is a good sign for family approval as she is most definitely the head of the Trinders. I haven’t introduced him to my dad yet…or Tim for that matter. All in good time.
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Comment by Sarah at HorseJobs.ca on September 9, 2009 at 10:18am
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Looking forward to hearing how your finals went Anna! All the best
Sarah
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