News UpdatesNewsletter February 2012 (February 06, 2012)
Newsletter of February 2012....
 Welcome to my first Newsletter of what is set to be a very exciting year ahead! I can’t believe that we are already in the second month of the year. As I write this newsletter the landscape outside is white—however I think that we have been extremely lucky this year with the weather causing minimal disruption to training—a great improvement on the 6 week “holiday” that we had to endure last winter—at the end of 2010!
Training continues to go well and I am determined to leave no-stone unturned in my training and both Eddie’s and my own welfare and physical fitness as selection approaches. I have been working with new member of my team, biomechanics coach, Teresa Dixon. I have found this work to be very helpful for making me more ‘body aware’ when I am riding - and also it is making me think about how I walk and stand, etc—bonus!! Teresa has also devised a warm-up routine for me to do before I get on Eddie when I am away at Training or away Competing. Finding a warm-up routine for when I am away that works has always been a problem. I am lucky as when I am training at home I have the use of the RDA’s Mechanical Horse, “Lloyd!!” - which acts as a fantastic ‘warm-up!’
Eddie, Karen and I have been working closely with Angela over the winter, although I do compete a bit over the winter, it is always a good time to do some ‘focused’ training—a good time to work on new things and consolidate areas of our training. I am lucky to have the support of Arena UK, as they allow me to enter there Unaffiliated Dressage competitions and ride my Grade tests, this means that I am able to use the tests as ‘schooling’ tests.
The first competition of 2012 at Vale View was unfortunately a non-starter due to the Lorry not starting—how frustrating! - Poor Eddie was all dressed up and had nowhere to go!!
Finally on the 22nd January we made it on the road and made the trip to The College Equestrian Centre at Keysoe in Bedfordshire. I was really pleased with Eddie and we got scores of 72.94% and 75.5% - we are back at Keysoe in two weeks time for a Summer Qualifier.
On the 25th and 26th January Eddie, Karen and I attended our first Squad training at Stow-on-the-Wold in Gloucestershire. We had two great training sessions, as well as having the chance to catch up with the Vet, Farrier, Physio, Doctor, etc!
I also found out the Eddie and I are going to compete at an international in Deauville in France at the end of March, this competition will act as part of the 2012 selection process!!
I am slowly getting the hang of Twitter and attempt to ’Tweet’ on a regular basis — Please keep checking the website here to find out what I am up to!!
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