Sponsored Rider 2008

Heather Stennett

This section is written by Heather Stennett.  Every month Heather will be keeping us up to date with what is going on at her yard and how her horse are going.  There is also a profile of her career so far and the horses she competes and rides.

BED DOWN REPORT – APRIL 08

April started with a gargantuan trip to Weston Lawns – thirteen horses in four trucks for seven riders (masses of organisation required, not to mention the number of bales of BED-DOWN!!). Our novices, Grandini W and Temple What If, recorded consistent double clears. Whilst Velora started off a bit green in the main ring, she improved daily finishing with a foot perfect double clear to finish fourth in the Newcomers. Napardie took grade ‘A' student honours again this week finishing with an awesome win in the 1.25m which, as always at Weston Lawns, was hot to trot! On the Saturday, which happened to be Grand National day, the weather was somewhat turbulent, however the atmosphere was great. Both rings stopped jumping so that we could all cram into the restaurant and watch the big race. Snow stopped our play on the Sunday and we headed back to Suffolk with a troop of happy horses and riders.

On the following Tuesday we took a trip to Newmarket with Skinny and he finally got the all-clear to start jumping – beautiful music to our ears after all this time! However the timing seemed right to give him a few extra days and take five days holiday, the first five days in five years! Having missed the sunshine tour this year with the horses, we decided that we would go without them and catch up with both English and Portuguese friends. The food and drink flowed from start to finish and we recharged our batteries in the sun.

The next show was Towerlands where Velora gained more valuable experience and Grandini W jumped well and was placed. There was much excitement at the show due to another Stennett Equestrian team member, Stewie and Lars Night, earning an honourable place on the Irish Inter-Nations team and being the only member of that team to jump a double clear.

Although Skinny (Dire Strait) has never been a fan of Addington, we decided to make this the venue for his first outing as the going is always good - his steady clear in the 1.15m A4 was very encouraging after six long months. Napardie was 2 nd in the same class just pipped by the last to go.

Things are still busy at Cowpasture Farm – we have outgrown our hard standing car/lorry park and big plans are in motion to expand it. Billy Dane is now going as well under saddle as he does loose and has transformed from the hairy wild little Herbert he was last year into a grown up one and his first show and set of shoes are in the pipeline!

Thought for this month – Have a plan – if you don't stick to it's not the end of the world, but if you don't have one where will you end up!!

February/March 2008

February was a great month, the fabulous weather meant we were able to do so much; at home plenty of schooling and training went on and the dry spell allowed us to do some work on the fields and tracks. We held two jumping clinics at Cowpasture Farm – the sun shone and the days were enjoyed by all, from the very nervous novice to the more experienced competitor.

We were also able to compete at plenty of one day shows with the young horses, getting some vital miles under their belts before the onslaught of the outdoor season. Velora has continued to improve over the last few shows being placed regularly, and winning a newcomers. Whilst these shows have had little in the way of classes for Napardie, it really has not been worth travelling to the premier shows for him alone, so he has jumped the odd class at Towerlands to keep him ticking over - after all, hopefully, he will have a busy summer. I have, however, picked up a few extra rides to keep me busy – for Carly Milbank whilst she is pregnant and also for Carolyn Day whilst she recovers from a broken leg. I am glad to say that all the horses have gone very well. I have enjoyed the relaxation of just going to the training shows (some of those big shows are real pressure cauldrons!)

March has, however, felt far from productive. Shocking weather - high winds, snow and rain and I caught a nasty virus. It rather stopped me in my tracks, but I suppose the timing could have been worse. The yard has still been very busy with horses coming in for schooling, but the team at home has rallied well and coped admirably with the extra work load and the inclement weather.

At the moment Cowpasture Farm is pretty much under water, so all the horses have had to stay in, a policy we only use when things get really bad. As you can imagine the horses are all very fit and fresh and ready for action, so, I am glad to say, next week we head to Weston Lawns for four days with fourteen horse from the yard – so a trailer load of BED-DOWN bedding will be needed! After this show we will make some future plans for all the horses, and sort through the many schedules that have already started pouring through the letter box.

Last month I mentioned the WATO driving tests for transporting horses, I am glad to say that we soon had a date for our tests and all duly passed. The famous John Parker, and ‘his better half', were our assessors and they kept us entertained and well informed. Thanks to both of them and British Driving Society at Helmingham for all their help.

January 2008

2008 and our association with Bed-Down started with a successful time at the Unex Towerlands New Year show. Reliable as ever, Napardie started with a win and finished with a 3 rd . Grandini W also went well recording 3 double clears over the show. These results fired my enthusiasm and the Cowpasture team has been in full swing, taking the younger horses out to some shows over the last few weeks, each gaining valuable experience and showing lots of promise.

I have another horse back to competition this month, Velora, a 7yo mare owned by Ann Skeet. She is amazingly athletic but very hot-blooded with it and an exciting prospect for this year. She has jumped 3 double clears in just 4 shows so far, I will keep you posted on her progress.

At home in January…..

Dire Strait (Skinny) has come back into work, he is super fresh and like a coiled spring! Although he feels like he could run the Derby and jump a puissance, I have to make sure his fittening work is controlled and slowly built up to avoid any hiccups. I am really looking forward to getting him back out to a show in the spring.

Lindsey has been busy long reining & lunging a 4yo by Renkum Valentino, he moves amazingly and has shown a fantastic loose jump, as soon as he is ready I will be aboard, watch this space!

Don't forget that if you drive a horsebox for any financial reward or on journeys of over 65km, you need to take a Welfare in Animals (Transport) Order Certificate; we applied before Christmas and are waiting for our tests which gives us a bit more time to swat up! But seriously look into this as there may be a waiting list and you wouldn't want to get stopped without one with horses on board!

An Introduction to Heather and her horses

Career/Achievements

After leaving school at 18 I was thrown in at the deep end running the DIY Livery business here at Cowpasture Farm. Having already been a successful pony rider and made the transition to horses, this was to work in my favour, with my competing & the yard complementing each other. The opportunity to compete and produce horses for some supportive owners led to the competition and schooling side of the yard expanding.

The horses I was producing soon started to have some good results, I was on the gold medal winning England U21 team with Lucky Kilkenny and another horse Idle Genius gave me my first taste of HOYS with 7 th place in the Young Riders final. Since then I have qualified and been placed in major finals including Blue Chip, Scope, Hickstead and HOYS to name but a few. 2005 saw a great relationship with Cavalier Diamond, realising an ambition and jumping in Grand Prix and International Trials on the county circuit, we even encountered the Hickstead derby bank culminating with 12 th place in the British Speed Derby, which all of my friends were able to watch at home on Grandstand!

For the last 3 years, I have been lucky enough to compete on the Portuguese Sunshine Tour where I have gained a wealth of experience, enjoying some great wins and numerous placings.

Daily Routine

My daily routine changes enormously, depending on shows. I have an office on the yard with 3 very important boards on the wall for horses, staff and fixtures/treatments. These ensure everyone is aware of what is going on, from working the horses to visits from the vet or farrier. Each horse has a daily & weekly plan whether it is a youngster in for breaking or one of the horses regularly competing. So, keeping these boards updated is essential for the smooth running of the yard.

I normally muck a couple of stables out (some days more, unfortunately!) and then start riding. At the moment, we have a couple of working pupils and I spend time working with them while they ride.

The daily routine for the horses has to be fairly flexible so they can adjust easily when travelling and staying away at shows, however we try to give them all a chance to go in the field and have their own down-time, along with this they have a rest day each week.

I have to keep a close eye on stocks of fodder and bedding, supplying this to most of the yard and as you can imagine, there is a considerable amount required, including Bed Down!

There are 70 acres and 40 stables here at Cowpasture Farm so there is always work to be done on grass management and routine maintenance; luckily I enjoy a little escapism in the tractor…!

Hopes and Horses for 2008

Although having sold Cavalier Diamond last year, I still have a strong team of horses for the coming season and I am looking to add to this. The two main campaigners are Napardie and Dire Strait.

Napardie

12yo bay KWPN Gelding by Boy B. Grade A owned by Ann Skeet

We have had him for 4 years now. He was 3 rd in the National Grade B Final in 2004. Although he is not a big course jumper, he is an out and out winner and every now and again he jumps in a bigger class and has even been successful at a couple of international shows. At home he is a true gent and is ridden by my partner John's 8 year old daughter. He does his talking in the ring, coming alive when the bell goes, for Pards, the faster the better! Pards is partial to Bed Down Pure shavings!

Dire Strait

9yo Danish Bay Gelding by Mosegardens Dilight. Grade B owned by Heather

Bought as an unbroken 4yo, he has gone from strength to strength. His first championship win was the Jayrest Suffolk Novice as a 5yo. As a 6yo he was 10 th in the Newcomers Final at HOYS and placed in the Grade C championship at Hickstead. He won two international 7yo classes and was 3 rd in the 7yo Grand Prix on the Atlantic Equestrian Tour. Last year he was 5 th in a small Grand Prix in Vilamoura and placed in the Ladies Final at the Welsh Masters. He has an array of circus tricks and there is nothing Skinny likes more than to have a good roll in his stable full of Bed Down Excel!

BED-DOWN, Cherry Tree Farm, The Common, Metfield, Harleston, Norfolk. IP20 0LP
Tel: 01986 785278 e-mail info@bed-down.co.uk