LAST night, we had the first really hard frost of the winter. Earth is hard as iron, and water like a stone. The next two nights are predicted to be the same – with daytime temperatures a couple of degrees above freezing. Just enough to thaw a slippery inch or so. This is irritating.
Will we hunt on Saturday? Do I get my horse clipped on Friday, as planned, or not? I need to wash his less-than-snowy mane. How, without creating an ice-rink in the yard? I don’t deal with this sort of uncertainty well and am fretting.
Although really I would much prefer to hunt mid-week, both my horse and I live (a couple of miles apart) in the prime of our Saturday country and it seems bonkers to spend money on diesel when most Saturday meets are on our doorstep. Plus, you know, people seem to expect me to work during the week.
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'Sorry, but I wasn't feeling it'
Fresh from the opening meet, Tessa Waugh hasn't quite yet been bitten by the hunting bug. Without the crisp autumnal air and cheek-pinching cold she hoped for, it's a sluggish start
New pair pull off a win
A former European Championships pony is on form with his new rider, while elsewhere former showjumpers and eventers take ribbons
Lording it over the rest
Horses who have returned from injury, a second generation homebred and a long format specialist score on the final weekend of the British season
Smith hits flying form
A \"her way or no way\" mare helps Zoe Smith to an impressive ribbon haul and a rider beats his own boss to the top spot
Jankorado hits the jackpot
Paul Sims is triumphant despite his interrupted jump-off preparation and a borrowed horse comes up trumps
Peanut
From \"dangerous, scary\" to hedge-hopping brilliance, hunting has been the making of this unstable but very lovable equine character
She's a corker
Communication, says long-standing and highly respected Belvoir master Lady Sarah McCorquodale, is the key to all, as Catherine Austen discovers
Access all areas Cavalier Centre
The Cavalier Centre is a fully accessible, state-of-the-art equestrian centre designed to improve lives through horse-based activities. Ellie May Forrester pays a visit
'Use it or lose it'
Not everyone wants to reach for the pipe and slippers at a certain age. Becky Murray speaks to some veteran horse-and-rider combos for their secrets of human and equine longevity
A new way forward
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