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We would like to wish you and your family a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year. It doesn’t seem that long ago that I was putting together the first newsletter. Haven’t the last 12 months shot by?! It was great to see some familiar faces returning to see us again and we look forward to seeing you once more in 2005. Again, we thought we would keep you up-to-date on what the horses are up to, how some of them are fairing on the show jumping circuit and the latest news from the yard. Some of you remember Shadow, our skewbald show jumping mare. She had a foal named Dhoni. He is now a yearling and should mature to about 15.1 hands. We are hoping that like his Mum, he will be able to jump. You may well see him when he comes back to the main yard for training sessions. Shadow came back into work and won all her classes with Shelley, including qualifying for the National Dengie Championships. Unfortunately, she made one mistake on the big day, possibly due to having to travel 5 hours on the morning of the event. Daphne, our lorry, was playing up and going through a bad spell… more about that later! Another new arrival appeared this year. Some of you staying with us shared the anticipation of Shogun’s foal. It seemed to take forever, but he finally made his appearance very early one August morning and after most of you had left! He is one big fella due to make about 17 hands. His dad is also an international show jumper, but we will have to wait and see what his talents will be. He is to be known as Holdstone Montgomery (Monty) and is a very self confident chap. There have been a few changes in horses. A lot of the old favourites are still with us and going strong, however, we also have a few young ones being worked on at present. Shadow has now been sold to a long-term show jumping and pony club home. She has settled in well and has bonded with her new rider, Ross Bentley. She has returned to jumping in junior classes, which she excels at and is on winning form. She is much loved by the Bentley family who regularly keep us informed of her progress. Another horse to have found himself a lovely home is Bentley (Friday’s half brother). Big Bentley is now owned by Jim and Sarah Kidd who live locally. Better still, Bentley is at livery with us so we see him all the time and help their development as a family! Jim is our local policeman and he has Bentley polished up just a like a police horse should! Friday and my old jump horse Della have also found themselves someone special in the Jayne family from Cambridge. They have been staying and riding with us for a few years and their story is not unlike the TV programme “Faking It”!! They had been looking for a horse for about a year and whilst staying with us for two weeks were trying Friday out. Shelley was riding Della in the school whilst we were schooling Friday when David spotted her and commented on what a classy horse she was! I was actually looking to find her a new home, as I had retired her from competition to start hacking. She has had a successful show jumping career and was looking for a less competitive lifestyle in the affiliated ring, and David had his eye on her! This was the challenge……… Della was a sharp ride and David and his daughter Chloe set about 2 weeks of intensive stable management and riding Della in order to be confident with her at the end. I said I would only sell her to him if he could cope with her. Lucy practised very successfully with Friday and by the end of week one, it was looking good and by the end of the second week David was riding Della through the fields and in the school. The Jayne family had found their horses. Three weeks later we set off for the Jaynes’ residence in Cambridgeshire with Della and Friday on board Daphne. We were making good time and decided to stop at Leigh Delamere Services on the M4 for breakfast and check the horses. Daphne then refused to start. A call was made to Shelley’s now fiancé Darren who managed to talk Ashley through arcing the solenoid against the starter motor. Sparks were flying big time, so much so, that it was decided that he didn’t fancy doing that twice, meaning we couldn’t stop Daphne until we got home! It turned out to be a very long day! The updates from the Jayne family confirm that Della and Friday have settled in well. I haven’t been out competing too much this year partly because Shelley is now in my classes and keeps on beating me with Kid, and somebody has to sort the practice fences!! Kid has been very consistent and has now being upgraded to Grade B. Her biggest achievement was jumping at the Amateur Championships at Hickstead and jumping fantastic clear rounds in her classes. Being a younger mare we were kind on the turns as she hasn’t seen Hickstead fences before, but on this performance she should be chasing the top places next time!! She only just missed this time. Kid is proving to love atmosphere, so she is very exciting to work with. Shelley and Kid had qualified for the British Show Jumping Amateur Championships this year, but disaster struck whilst jumping my horse in the warm up class at Coombe Park in October. Topsy jumped blindly into space a full stride before a fence and fell over onto Shelley, breaking Shelley’s femur bone. After one very painful, tough week in Torbay Hospital, undergoing an operation to have her leg pinned with a titanium rod and bolted together, she is now back cleaning tack, helping groom, and going crazy because she cannot get on a horse for some weeks. She is still keeping yard order however, and had also proved decidedly tough in hospital. (Don’t mention ‘pie lady’, who might have been vaccinating a horse not a person!) As time goes by, the horses appear to be becoming crutch proof… could this be useful in the future? She is also talking about fitting broom heads to the end of her crutches! One other minor problem is that Shelley as jump jockey, rides owner’s horses and ponies, some a bit smaller than I can fit on. So hurry up Shelley, we need you back ASAP. However, this does appear to be a very good time to catch up on exam work!! Barney is one of our new ponies in this year. He is a Dartmoor pony, who, when we went to try him (a Shelley ride - as he is 11 hands), was working with a whippet attached to his tail and still managed to perform. Meg and Poppy also joined us; both these ponies were pony clubbing and also do Riding for the Disabled so they are settling into Dean life. Unfortunately Meg has been a bit delayed due to an injury one week after arrival, but I found her to be a nice ride. She is a New Forest pony and should be able to help Misty out, who is ageing a bit, therefore has restricted lessons and hacking. Viking is babysitting Dhoni and has done a grand job. He should be back in the peak times helping out as he doesn’t forget anything and we can call on him at a moments notice. Hobby has been a very successful addition to the yard and carries novices and students alike; he has also just started affiliated show jumping and won his first money this year! On mentioning the sale of Bob the Cob in our last newsletter we had lots of saddened replies; some saying how much confidence he had given so many people. He is doing very well and his owner rang to ask if we had another model like the original, as she is totally delighted with him and wants one for her husband! However I am on the lookout for a horse to help Hobby for the bigger riders so there is a queue at the moment! Portia has also turned out to be a lovely horse in the school for lessons and hacking. She is the mother of Bentley and Inca, the red and white mare who is in training at present. She has a big fan club. Ghashang, who has also been with us through the summer, goes back to her owners for the winter and then joins us again as she loves work and is a real long distance horse. I believe her favourite hack is the Hunters Inn pub ride! Ella, Worthy, Misty, and Masie are still going strong, and Ella is still out competing show jumping. She’ll do the lessons, hacks and flatwork as long as she gets to go to some shows, usually with Catherine who likes the same!! Catherine is involved in all activities from horse training and teaching work. She is working towards her exams at present and another very strong part of the team! Sully thoroughly enjoys giving his riders some excitement in the school and yet will plod around the countryside with his owner, Meg for hours. He won his first jumping rosette at Bicton this year. We sadly lost Whistle this year at the grand old age of 48! Whistle had been with us for 18 years and was even helping out on lessons and gymkhana games until 4 years ago when he was put into retirement. He will be sadly missed. The staff are still here… perhaps they like us, or maybe it’s better than Eastenders for entertainment! Sue is now fully established at Dean with her own fan club. Her dog Dylan, is still practicing his circles on the right rein with a tennis ball permanently fixed in his mouth. He just needs more practice with the cones!! Hannah is developing her qualifications and is a very well established part of the team. She has now bought a new horse by the name of Tom – we will let her tell you his show name!!! Hannah and Tom are looking forward to hitching lifts on Daphne to attend competitions. The Duchy Outreach girls are also an invaluable part of the team. They commit to regular working hours, which give them a strong grounding in their horse experiences whilst working for their qualifications. They achieve the places here to gain experience under training while working for their exams and this gives our clients a small strong team who know our ways… presently Katie Thompson, Shelley McLeod, Abbie Pengilly, Lisa Chisman, Claire Spearman and Alison Young. Congratulations to the students this year who passed their exams from stages 1 through to 3. Going back to Daphne, our lorry. There is one story that deserves mentioning which also gives you an insight to what does go on behind the scenes. In August 04, we were on BBC Radio Devon, not for something outstanding in the show jumping ring, but because Daphne had broken down AGAIN with me during a three point turn in the middle of Milltown with two horses on board. The clutch went and we ended up blocking the main Barnstaple-Ilfracombe road. At this point luck went our way. Some workmen nearby had one very efficient guy who said he had just the thing! He arrives back with a tractor-like-quad and tows us to our fields. We unload and then he towed the lorry into the nearest lay-by. Then enter Shelley’s fiancé Darren and his dad, Dave. Somewhat late in the day, they drove Daphne back to their base in South Molton without using the clutch – according to Dave you have to have the technique??? The North Devon County Show was the next day; so the pressure was on to get the lorry fixed that night. We were due to leave at 8.00am with one VERY good chance of doing well (Kid), so Darren and his dad (no doubt with Alexander family support behind the scenes - thanks all!) had ordered the relevant part and worked overnight to replace the clutch. They finished around 7.00am and by 7.40am Ashley collected Daphne at a rendezvous and the horses were loaded on at 8.15am. Now the pressure was on the jockeys, Shelley and Catherine, to justify all the effort!! We had an extremely good day I am pleased to report!! Mini Dean has been very successful this year, with more people coming back to enjoy the countryside or just improve their riding on courses. Some of you are also staying in the larger accommodation in Lower Dean, where you can put up more relatives, family etc. if space is needed. It is slowly being recognised as everyone’s personal holiday home! Mini Dean is often available at short notice for a short break or riding courses. Please contact us if you wish to stay. We have added some new hacks to our normal ones, thanks to our local farmer who lets us ride through his fields. These rides take you to Holdstone Down, which takes in the most stunning views of the coastline, the woodland of Heddons Valley and on to Hunters Inn for a pub lunch. Our Gift vouchers have become increasingly popular for Birthday or Christmas presents and are available for instruction, riding breaks, hacks etc. Have a great Christmas and best wishes for the New Year! From Tracy and the Team at Dean. |
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Proprietor: Tracy Eames
Dean Riding Stables . Lower Dean Farm . Dean
Nr. Parracombe . North Devon . EX31 4PJ . England
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