End of an era

Well as of today my restaurant is no longer ours settlement happens tomorrow, the new owner has already made her mark on the place by being in over the last few days doing alot of redecorating, hope for hersake it all goes well, will be a bit weird going in there and having to actually pay for my meals and drinks but at least now I won't have that worried feeling when friends are there for dinner and hoping they aren't disappointed with there meals etc, it was always on my mind and trying to please people all the time is really tiring...its been 7 years our baby and tomorrow is a new start for us and I know its a better one too....I have soo much work still to do on the book work side of things but roll on this weekend off the Dannevirke for the southern hawkes bay champs will be a fun get away with the girls...just hope Autumn goes on the truck!!...

BYe Bye Waiau...it sure was an experience I won't ever forget...

Back in the sulky

Oh my goodness, I have not trained the race horses since before Holly was born so nearly 3years ago now I think and this morning I had to get up and go help my fatherinlaw train his horses and we had to do a fast run, first day back and a fast run!!! its actually quite freaky to go flat out round his track which is only just wide enough for you to go side by side...the wind today is incredible, my hard hat was getting pushed right back off my head, the track was swirling all over the place so there was grite in all the places it could fine, including the eyes....anyway I did survive although I did get a bit freaked out, as davids young mare kept trying to buck him out of the sulky and then when we were going fast the track was a bit to tight for her and she would swing quite wide and push me over to the fence, so glad thats over with but have to go back tomorrow and do it all over again....hope this wind stops before then though....

Stratford Show...and wind wind and very strong wind!!!

Took Autumn out today to the show, it was actually a really nice day with the sun shining but the wind was so bad, that on the way to the show I was driving along and next thing a big tree fell on the side of the road!! was bit freaky...
Anyway the show organisiers had our dressage arenas right up next to the show hunter classes, and I was warming up thinking I so hope that jumping stops when I go as the rails were falling and making a huge noise and autumn is not used to that...anyway long story short my bell went to go into my arena and this girl crashed through a fence and autumn just exploded, so because my bell had gone I either had to just go in and try to do a ok test or just scratch, well I trotted in and did a pretty good display of passage and piaffe up the center line, and as a friend said I should have agot a great mark for that but of course no I didn't...all a bit tense and lets just say I certainly didn't win that test!!!...still don't know what the results are for the other test I did but at least it was better and there was no jumping while I was riding thank goodness!!!!!!...maybe I should start jumping autumn, anyway I am off next weekend to Dannevirke dressage champs...yippee girls weekend, but its a long haul....

Autumns inhand show...how hard was that!!!!

Today I went to the first A & P show of the year at Hawera, the Egmont Show, as per usual Hawera was blowing a gale and was really cold...takes just over an hour to get there from home and all the way I was praying the rain would stay away until I was done....Well it didn't!!!!...to start with they had put us on a sand arena, and the wind just wipped it up and I think I had that sand in every nook and cranny on my body, it was so bad...normally you get quite dolled up but i had to give up on the pretty hat as the wind was just going to take it away every time and I didn't want to wreck it as it was a good friend of mines so it went back into the box....Then add the rain and autumn hated it, kept trying to get her head out of the direction of the rain and nearly knocked me out in the process....
Anyway getting to the inhand classes, Autumn was her usual pushy self and when we had to trot she was like Yipee I can trot really fast, and in that sand trying to keep up without yanking her head off to come back and stay looking like we had control and still look pretty was quite near impossible, but when I did get a quick glimpse around Autumn wasn't the only one being dick and I have never done this before so it was a great learning/training day for both of us...
Didn't end up to bad, got a 2nd and a 1st which put me in champoion and I got reserve so hey not bad, and got a couple of really nice sashes...and I figure the sore legs I have now from so much running, has got to be good for me!!

Autumn hating the rain

Starting the work out

Standing square and actually being quite patient

Holly's new friend Tiger

My little girl has a new friend. My fatherinlaw used to race tiger he is now 12 years old and has been ther done that, in the trekking area, this year he did the great NZ horse trek which is awesome scenery and terrain, he now has come back to Davids to hopefully live out the rest of his years as a nice quite hack for myself, friends and Holly to enjoy....
Here is a photo of Holly giving tiger a drink with the hose...She loves him tells everyone he MY horse!!!

First show of the spring summer season

Well I have been a bit useless of late and not done any blogging, so much has happened especially to my horse, I have spent the last 10 weeks trying to keep her sound, first what I thought was a pulled tendon turned out to be a blow to her leg so thank goodness that healed then she hooned around the paddock and hurt something in her hind quarters, after nerve blocking and flection tests the vet was still unsure where or what she done at least ruled out anything to do with the stifle or hock, so just more rest and walking...
Anyway finally after all about 9 weeks I got to go to the first big show of the season, the Wellington Dressage champs in Foxton. Its a 4 1/2 hr drive from taranaki and we were well represented by taranaki with 2 champions one reserve and lots of placings amongst the 9 of us that took the trip down.
I managed a 5th, 6th and won an overall prize so not bad for my horse considering she had had no traiaing for that last 8 weeks before hand.

Receiveing my overall prize for back on track

Jordan Renee and I with our prizes