Lohoar Sport Horses

27th November Rowallan. Stephen took Dirana for an outing before next weeks Premier Show. She performed well showing continued consistancy and carefullness to finish double clear and 7th in the Grade C.

26th November Rowallan. Angus and Nicola went today to give Twice Shy a jump. Gale force winds and torrential rain didn't put them off. Shy went clear in a 1.10m class for a a low placing then went into the Winter Novice Qualifier. This was a step up for her but she still made the jump off.

18th November. Ingliston EC. We took Castro and Cojack, our 2 homebred 4 yr olds for a another new experience in their development. Although initially unsettled by the surroundings they did settle down and Cojack again excelled. Pupil, Catriona Fraser was at her first ever BS Show with her own Tilona. The pair both stayed cool under pressure and were unlucky to knock the last fence down.

13th November. Too much work to do at home so missed out on the show this weekend. Angus took some of the horses to the beach at St Andrews. Some were walking in the sea up to the top of their legs and they all had a great time. We are in the middle of installing 18 stables in a new facility near Aberdeen.

6th November. Aintree Premier Show, Liverpool. Stephen and Lucy were competing at their 1st Premier Show of the season. In the usual huge highly competitive classes in England Dirana jumped really well to get 4th place in the Winter B&C and 9th in the Blue Chip B&C. Lucy was outstanding with Titi to win both a 1.40 class and the big Sunday Grand Prix. Wow!

5th November. Just for a change, Angus and some girls from the Yard went with the Fife Hunt today for the 2nd week running. Both Jamieson and Peroni were the mounts and by all accounts did very well. It was another lovely day but still a bit wet under foot. One anecdote from the day was that Angus was riding to an obstacle where one of his friends had just had an unscheduled dismount. She thanked him for stopping to offer assistance but he allegedly retorted that she was actually obstructing his line to the jump and was anxious that she moved out of the way so that he could keep up with the pack!!!

29th October. Last night Stephen accompanied Lucy to the British Showjumping Awards Ball in Birmingham. From a short list of nominations she was announced as the winner of Best Rider Under-21yrs (on horses) of the Year . Wow!!

27th October. Kingbarn EC. Stephen put in a lovely double clear for 8th in the 1.35m class with Dirana van't Heike. Even Lucy could only make 3rd place with her amazing HOYS winner Titi d'oase in what was a lightning fast jump off.

15th October. Kingbarn EC. We took our 2 home bred 4 yr olds to their first show today. Castro (Heartbreaker x Silvio II) out of Rumalia, caught the eye of many in the practice ring as did Cojack (LC Napenay x Laroche). He is out of well known jumping mare Cynara. He has a 3 yr old half sister at home by Calvados who will be broken next Spring. Before they headed for home Stephen took Veron Wald to 5th place in the Discovery with Angus one place behind on Twice Shy.

9th October. Angus and Stephen were at HOYS in Birmingham last week. Although they would love to be competing themselves, this year they were able to support there friends and catch up on some social networking!. Stephen's girl friend Lucy Guild was competing in the International classes with here amazing Titi d'Oase. The highlight for everyone was when she won the Young Riders Championship and it was on Sky TV too! One of George Whitaker's big rides is Tubana who we sold to his "owner" three years ago. She jumped the International classes and acquitted herself well. Our long standing family friend and livery JoJo Hunter was also getting support in the heavy weight show horse section with her outstanding Ben Mhor. It was a great week for everyone.

 

23rd September. Ingliston. Best of the day was Angus securing placings with Twice Shy and Rumalia in the Discovery and 1.10m.

19th September. This morning we found Angus's top horse dead in his stable. Libertino II or "Longman" as he was affectionately known by all who knew him was a larger than life animal. Holsteiner bred, almost black in colour and standing well over 17hh he was an imposing animal. Angus competed him all over the country with considerable success including the Royal Highland Show. He only allowed Stephen an occasional ride when he took him to The Sunshine Tour in Portugal last year. Earlier this year he started a new career and was involved in a photoshoot with a Dutch fashon model who liked him so much that afterwards she offered to buy him. He was never for sale - Longman was family.

17th September. After the severe storm of earlier in the week, we decided to make our second cut haylage. There was a short break of 3 days and we successfully secured the crop just before the weather broke again. It amounts to another 2 months of good feed for next winter. Good planning, teamwork and a bit of luck gave the best result.

9th-11th September. Rowallan AC. Stephen only took Esra and Dirana for this HOYS Wildcard Show. Dirana was put into some big testing classes and was ultimately most successful on the last day finishing a creditable 4th In a 1.30m. Esra didn't touch a pole over the whole 3 days and was placed every day; the best being 3rd and 4th in 1.20m classes.

6th September. With changeable weather patterns continuing it is starting to feel like autumn. It's not much fun splashing through the puddles at this time of year. There is a 3 day show at Rowallan this coming weekend and the plan is compete on all of the days.

 

26-28th August Ingliston EC. After a couple of weeks off the boys are back jumping. Stephen has got Dirana going well after her short break and came 2nd in a 1.25m speed class and followed it up with a 3rd place in the 1.30m. His other 2; Esra and Ugola B although jumping very well couldn't make the line ups. Angus had a fine double clear in the Discovery just out of the placings with Nicola Drysdale's Twice Shy.

21st August Blair Horse Trials. I think it is now the fourth year in a row when ground conditions have been dreadful. Blair always take your money first with the deadline for all entries for BS classes a month ago. It has always been very expensive to compete and to stay there, but this year, even if we had taken our 2 entries for the Grand Prix we would not have competed because of ground conditions. Something must be done soon to give better value for money. It is fast becoming the annual Blair rip-off!

16th August. A huge huge thank you to the dozens of people who have called, texted and written following Cara's accident. Stephen and Angus were overwhelmed by the support given by fellow competitors who rallied round as soon as they realised what had happened. A big thankyou also to the organisers of Dumfries Show who handled the traumatic situation so efficiently and sensitively and for their subsequent calls and letters of support. We are proud to know and be associated with so many good people. Life goes on. Thank you.

6th August. Cara Mia is dead. Today at Dumfries Show our amazing 8 year old broke her leg and was put down by the vet who was in attendance.This year she was really starting to show her ability on the big stage and was successfully competing with the best in the biggest classes. Cara was a great horse with a big heart who loved jumping and did it without a fuss . We can't believe she is gone. We bought Cara as a just broken 4 yr old in Holland and she quickly started to show her potential winning at all levels with Stephen . Highlights of her career were winning the 5 yrs old Final in Comporta, Portugal. The following year in Holland she won many classes in a 4 month spell when Stephen was competing there. As a 7yr old she went to the Vilamoura Sunshine Tour in Portugal and was again regularly in the money. This year she was highly placed in big classes at Bramham in Yorkshire and Bolesworth in Cheshire, the Royal Highland Show and just last week was 3rd at Ingliston in a HOYS 8 yr old qualifier.

29th July Ingliston EC. A special trip for the 8 year old HOYS Qualifier. Stephen and Cara were only one of three combinations to go clear in a very strong class with fences up to 1.50m.. Only 2 qualified and Stephen's jinx hit again and he missed out by one again!

24th July. The Cabin EC. Best of the day was Stephen riding Chiquella for Sophie Brady. He won the British Novice class and followed up with 5th In Discovery. Angus rode very fast double clears with Rumalia in the 1.10m and Libertino in the Foxhunter to get good placings for both.

21st July Regular viewers of the site will notice that we have made changes to further improve the visitor experience. We will be doing our best to get everything up to date as soon as possible and continue to keep it interesting in the future.

16th July Kingsbarn. Cara did very well and finished a creditable 4th place in the 1.30m. It was a very competitive class with 16 in the jump off. Esra is improving with every outing and won the foxhunter section of the 1.20m class to finish 3rd overall. She is responding well as the fences get bigger. Unfortunately it was the extreme weather that stole the show with monsoon conditions prevailing.

23rd June. Royal Highland Show. This is still the show everyone wants to qualify for. Stephen has his "A" Team this week and has great hopes for Cara and Dirana. The show started off really well with Cara in the 1.40m speed class. She was right in the mix and finished 4th. Later in the Grade C final, Dirana had a good warm up for the bigger classes to finish 5th.

18th June Rowallan AC. The most pleasing part of the day was Chardemus Z moving up to Newcomers and really starting to show his potential. he breezed round and finished 4th in a strong class.

12th June. Bolesworth Castle, Cheshire. Angus and Stephen have just returned from a fantastic show and top class competition. There are limited opportunities to jump 1.40m classes in Scotland and Dirana and Cara both had the chance there. The horses all jumped very well, but big prizes drew top riders and horses. With often over 100 in a class, Cara was still able to make the line up.

4th June. Bramham, Yorkshire. Special trip just for the HOYS grade C Qualifier. It was another case of "nearly", when Cara finished 7th out of over 100 starters.

29th May. Ingliston CC. Stephen went specifically to qualiify Dirana for the RHS Grade C Championship and wasn't disappointed, picking up one of the two places on offer.

21st May Fife Show.As the day wore on the weather got worse with stronger winds and heavy rain. The last class was worth waiting for however with both of Stephen's horses Cara Mia and Dirana van't Heike going double clear and filling both qualifying places for next months 1.40m RHS Young Masters. Earlier Angus steered Rumalia to 5th in the 1.10m.

20th May. Howe EC. Chardemus Z is starting to show his ability and was double clear and 3rd in the Discovery. New horse, Forever Cruising was 4th in the Newcomers and Angus cleaned up with 1st and 2nd in the 1.15m with Libertino and Rumalia.

16th May. Libertino has started a new career as a super model!! He has featured in a photo shoot alongside a top fashion model for an Italian clothing company. He won everyone over by doing everything right and behaving impeccably. - What a poser!

15th May Ayr Show. Best showing was Esra who excelled herself finishing 5th in the Foxhunter. Not only is she jumping straight into bigger classes now, but it was her first show for 3 weeks, and her first outdoor grass show.

8th May Strathallan Castle. The first grass event of the summer and after the long dry spell, wet conditions made it challenging. We took only 2 horses to compete just in the big classes and we were rewarded with Dirana putting in another good performance for 3rd place in the 1.30m. Cara also excelled herself and finished 4th in the 1.40m Central Scotland Grand Prix.

22nd April Ingliston EC. A great day's highly competitive showjumping with only lower placings achieved on the day. Libertino enjoyed himself and raced round the 1.10m Open class with Angus. Esra perfomed well in the Newcomers and will go straight into Foxhunters from now on. New horse Dirana, followed on from her two previous impressive outings to finish double clear and placed in the 1.30m.

16th April. The Cabin, Inverurie. It's well worth the travel north to Aberdeenshire where you always get a warm welcome. The day started well with Stephen taking Lisa Martin's Veron Wald to 5th in the Discovery. It got better when Esra beat everyone to win the Newcomers. In the RHS B&C Qualifier, Cara carried on with her good form and secured a qualifying spot by finishing 3rd. All the other horses perfomed well without getting in the line ups.

9th April. Rowallan EC. New horse Dirana van't Heike went double clear in the 1.10. She will move on very quickly to bigger classes. In the last class of the day Cara jumped big and fast to finish 3rd in the RHS Young Masters Qualifier. Only the first two qualified - frustrating!!

5th April. The website has not been updated because Hamish and Alayne have been away on a much needed holiday. Lots of new horses have arrived in the last two weeks and most will be on the site in the next day or two. ps We had a fantastic time in Egypt!

14th March. Much exitement when Ukie our Nimmerdor sired brood mare foaled today at 3pm.. The filly is by Billy Twomey's multiple Grand Prix winning stallion Je t'aime Flamenco. Both are well.

12th March. Awful weather has again made the decison for us to stay at home this weekend. Although there is a lot of snow further west and north we have only rain here. The weather hasn't stopped customers coming to try horses including ladies from Inverness!!

5th March. Kingsbarn EC. Five horses at the show today and only one fence down. Cara was best with 3rd in the Grade C with 20 in the jump off!. Chardermus Z was also clear and 4th in Discovery with Stephen. At his first show for months Angus jumped his own Libertino and also Rumalia in the 1.15. They were placed 4th and 7th respectively and Libertino qualified for the Scope Festival. The unlucky horse was Double Dutch who knocked the first fence down.

26th February. Ingliston CC. Best of the day was Rumalia with a quick sprint to 3rd place in the 1.05 and Esra was 5th in the Newcomers.

19th February. It has been another busy week of customers and vettings and of horses coming and going so decided to miss this weekends showjumping event. Angus has been in Australia for the past 2 months and will be home next week. It is raining in Sydney too!

6th February Rowallan EC. All the horses did well today. Rumalia followed on from last week and won again this time in the 1.05m. Esra was back on form to finish 4th in the Newcomers. Libertino was out for the first time in months and was double clear and 7th in the 1.15m. Lastly, Double Dutch, was unlucky to finish only 4th in the 1.25m. A good day!

31st January Ingliston EC. Stephen went for one day and was rewarded by Rumalia on one of her rare outings. She won the 1.10 Open. Chardermus Z a horse with huge potential was placed in the novice as was Double Dutch in the last class of the day, the B&C Handicap.

20th January Kingsabrn EC. Last weekend was the first show for over a month. It was the usual wet and windy weather that you don't need at this hill top venue but the warm welcome from Jackie and her team is always noticed. The best of the day was Esra coming in 3rd in the Newcomers followed by 5th place in the 1.15 with Nicola Drysdale's Dutch Contender.

5th January. Weather is now more settled and almost all the snow has gone. Horses are back being exercised as normal.

December 2010 Snow and freezing temperatures resulted in the month consisting of days of care and maintenance. The boys did make it to the Ingliston Premier Show when there was a slight break in the weather and the day after they got home the motorway was blocked with snow.

Friday 19th November. Rowallan AC.. The boys had a great day; Stephen started off by winning the Newcomers with Esra followed by Angus 5th with Libertino in the 1.15. Then Stephen with his new mare, Vicomtesse v/d Waterhoeve was 3rd in the 1.20m. and finally Cara was just pipped into 2nd place by 1/100 second in the 1.30m.

Friday 5th November. HoweCC. First day of a 3 day show. Angus had fun and raced Rumalia to 1st place in the 1.05m. He also had his favourite Libertino out in the 1.15m and went double clear. Stephen found success with Double Dutch in the 1.15 coming in 2nd and was also runner up with Esra in the Newcomers. Veron Wald had an outing finishing with another nice double clear in the Discovery.

Monday 25th October. Tubana a horse we sold to England 3 years ago is causing quite a stir. George Whitaker has the ride on this great little horse winning some big classes and also jumping her in the European Young Riders Team.

Friday 15th October Ingliston CC. Competition is always fierce at the best centre in the UK, but Angus did really well taking 5th and 6th spots in the 1.10 with Rumalia and Libertino. Stephen also did well taking 2nd in the Newcomers with Esra. Double Dutch although rubbing a fence in the Foxhunter and 1.30 was still fast enough to be placed in both.

Saturday 9th October. Howe CC. Stephen had his first outing for some time with Veron Walde to finish 2nd in British Novice. He also came 2nd in an exciting 1.10m with Dutch Contender. Finally in the 1.15m, Double Dutch was double clear and they will soon be ready to jump far bigger classes.

Friday 8th October. Angus and Stephen are at Horse of the Year Show this week at Birmingham. Stephen is very disappointed not to be competing at what is the biggest show of the year.

Monday 4th October. A lot of rain fell over the last week. Builders who we commissioned to build an extension for more stables have let us down. A completion date of the end of September was set a long time ago. Autumn is here and we are stressing a need for urgency!

Friday 24th September. Ingliston EC. Stephen took his very green 5 yr old Chardermus Z to only his 2nd show. . He has huge potential and only tipped one pole in the Novice jump-off. His other rides were in the 1.10m Open. Dutch Contender and Double Dutch were both fast and clear to finish 4th and 8th respectively much to the enjoyment of their owners. One of Stephen's specialist speed horses, Ambushed has returned to his owner in Ireland. During his stay in Scotland he was rarely out of the top 3 whenever he was out.

Friday 17th -Saturday 18th September. Howe CC. This was a good chance to get get a few horses to our local show centre. Libertino who has been rested for some time had two placings (3rd and 6th) in 1.15m classes. Esra had good double clears in both Discovery and Newcomers. An exciting new ride for Stephen is Yolanda Geddes mare, Double Dutch. They were well placed in a 1.15m on their first outing together.

Friday 10th September. It's the end of the outdoor show season and horses are getting a week off. Made a second cut of haylage for the first time for years and secured another 90 quality bales before the weather changed to rain.

Friday 3rd September. KWPN grading at SNEC. Our Je t'aime Flemenco foal was marked top filly at the show by the Dutch judges. She and Karlstad sired mother were both looking their best.

Thursday 2nd September. Cara didn't manage to get in the placings of either 7-8 yr old class or the foxhunter final, even although she jumped really really well. Gano was fantastic in his class and continues to improve. Scope is a great event to be competing at - there is always next year to aim for!

Sunday 29th August. Stephen is at the Scope Festival in Stafford with Cara and 4 yr old Gano v/h Isidoorshof. In the warmup for the Foxhunter Final, Cara had a really good double clear for a low placing - 180 in class!

Saturday 28th August. Blair Atholl. Angus was 4th with Rumalia in the 1.20m. Because of poor weather and really bad ground conditions in the warm up area he decided to come home early - all very disappointing!

Friday 27th August. Blair Atholl Horse Trials. Stephen made a day trip and was rewarded with 2nd and 3rd in the Newcomers with two of his new horses Django and Esra. With poor ground conditions for the 3rd year running, there were only 5 in the jump- off in this class out of 50 starters.

Friday 20th August. Rowallan AC. The boys had a good day, with Cara and Stephen winning the Grade C. He also came 2nd in the 1.15m with Dutch Contender. In a what was a very fast class Angus was 4th with Rumalia, who is really enjoying being back jumping.

Monday 9th August. Ingliston EC. The big class of the day was the HOYS Foxhunter qualifier. Cara reached the 2nd jump off stage where jumps were up to 1.55m. She was brilliant and finished 6th to qualify for the Scope Festival Foxhunter Final. We have been trying unsuccessfully to get Rumalia in foal this year. On her first outing since February, she raced to 2nd place with Angus in the Scottish Intermediate Championship. Stephen also had our new 4 year old, Gano v/h Isidoorshof on only his second outing. In a 2-phase Discovery he only touched one pole. He is one to watch for the future.

Saturday 7th August. Disaster! Truck broke down on the way to Dumfries Show. The biggest disappointment was missing a Horse of the Year Show qualifier. Although vehicle seriously sick, horses recovered safely and returned home.

Saturday 31st July. The Cabin, Inverurie. First visit to Aberdeenshire for a long time. Lovely new centre and very welcoming hosts - worthy of support in the future. Stephen successfully got Esra round for her 4th double clear in the Discovery. He also had a 6th place in the 1.10m class with Ambushed, one place behind Angus on Libertino.

Saturday 24th July Arena UK. With classes of 100-150 entries they ran out of daylight and stopped the show before Cara was able to jump in 1.30m. Earlier Dutch Contender was fantastic to get 3rd in a two phase 1.10m and Esra also did brilliantly to get a low placing in her first Newcomers.

Friday 23rd July. Arena UK, Nottingham. Stephen has 3 horses at this show. Cara had a placing in the 7 and 8 year old class. With a demanding course and fences up to 1.45m there was no point in going flat out. Dutch Contender was 7th out of 146 entries in a 1.10m. Esra who is still learning jumped great, but had a fence down in the Discovery.

Saturday 17th July. SNEC. Best of the day was Stephen jumping to 2nd with Dutch Contender in 1.10m while other horses went well they didn't feature in line ups.

Saturday 10th July. Howe EC. Angus got a rare outing on Libertino to secure 5th in the 1.15m, while Stephen rode his promising new horse Esra to 5th in the Discovery followed by 4th and 5th in the speedy 1.05m with Dutch Contender and Ambushed respectively.

Friday/Saturday 2-3 July. Champions of Scotland Show at Howe EC. Only jumping up to 1.10m classes and had double clears and placings with Nicola Drysdale's Dutch Contender, Rachel Wallace's Ambushed and our own new horse, Esra.

Tuesday 29th June. We have just had a very warm settled spell of weather. On Sunday we finished making our haylage for next winters feed and it is all wrapped and secure. Weather has now turned unsettled with rain. As the saying goes: "make hay while the sun shines".

Saturday and Sunday 26 - 27th June. Higland Show. No prizes this week but Cara jumped very well in all her classes. All part of the learning experience for her.

Thursday 24th June. 1st day of Highland Show. Cara performed well in the 1.40 class jumping clear to eventually finish 11th.

Wednesday 23rd June Highland Show is this week. Stephen will be jumping Cara and Libertino. He has qualified for classes on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. With a bit of luck he could do well.

Saturday 19th June Rowallan AC. Took two for the Amatuer Qualifier for HOYS. Libertino was a good double clear to finish 7th, but with only 3 to qualify, Stephen then tried all the turns with Cara, but rubbed one pole in the jump off to finish down the placings.

Saturday 12th June. Howe EC. Stephen was very successful riding for his owners. Rachel Wallace's Ambushed delivered again winning the 1.10m and he was also 4th with Paula Hill's Andalucia. In the British Novice he steered Lisa Martin's Veron Wald to 2nd place. Everyone went home happy and got even happier at the Yard BBQ later on. What a great night!

Friday 11th June. Area 15, Yorkshire. First chance to qualify for HOYS. Stephen took Cara and Libertino for the day to do Foxhunter 2nd round. Cara made it to the 3rd round jump off (1.50m) against top opposition to finish 7th. Great performance, but not good enough to qualify this time .

5-6th June Bramham, Yorkshire. Fantastic show and brilliant weather. Huge classes with 100 or more entries. Cara and Libertino were placed 3 times over the weekend in 1.25-1.30 classes.

Sunday 31st May. Ingliston. This week Stephen is off to Bramham in Yorkshire. He had a different approach in preparing his horses, deciding to rest Libertino but jumped Cara in the 1.30 to finish 3rd..

Sunday 23rd May. Howe EC. Last chance for Libertino to qualify for Royal Highland Show Grade C. He did that by finishing 3rd. He now adds this to his Young Riders class qualification.

Saturday 22nd May. Fife Show. A hot hot day! Best results at a great show were in 1.10m with 5th and 7th for Stephen riding Nicola Drysdale's Dutch Contender and Paula Hill's Andalucia respectively

Friday 21st May. Howe EC. Sumas Nevada had a good double clear to be placed in the 1.10m. while Andalucia continued her form of last week to be clear and 3rd in the Newcomers.

Sunday 16th May. Dalry Show. Cara qualified for the Royal Highland Show Young Masters when placed in the 1.30 class. This is her 3rd qualification for the show. Andalucia has also continued to show form since the Sunshine Tour and was 2nd in both the Discovery and 1.05m Scope Festival qualifier.

Sarturday 8th May. Our Karlstad mare had a filly foal last night. After a bit of drama and a visit from the vet, the foal appears to be on the mend. Sired by Grand Prix show jumping stallion Je t'aime Flamenco we hope that in 4 years she will start to show the proven ability of her mother and father.

Tuesday 29th June. We have just had a very warm settled spell of weather. On Sunday we finished making our haylage for next winters feed and it is all wrapped and secure. Weather has now turned unsettled with rain. As the saying goes: "make hay while the sun shines".

Saturday and Sunday 26 - 27th June. Higland Show. No prizes this week but Cara jumped very well in all her classes. All part of the learning experience for her.

Thursday 24th June. 1st day of Highland Show. Cara performed well in the 1.40 class jumping clear to eventually finish 11th.

Wednesday 23rd June Highland Show is this week. Stephen will be jumping Cara and Libertino. He has qualified for classes on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. With a bit of luck he could do well.

Saturday 19th June Rowallan AC. Took two for the Amatuer Qualifier for HOYS. Libertino was a good double clear to finish 7th, but with only 3 to qualify, Stephen then tried all the turns with Cara, but rubbed one pole in the jump off to finish down the placings.

Saturday 12th June. Howe EC. Stephen was very successful riding for his owners. Rachel Wallace's Ambushed delivered again winning the 1.10m and he was also 4th with Paula Hill's Andalucia. In the British Novice he steered Lisa Martin's Veron Wald to 2nd place. Everyone went home happy and got even happier at the Yard BBQ later on. What a great night!

Friday 11th June. Area 15, Yorkshire. First chance to qualify for HOYS. Stephen took Cara and Libertino for the day to do Foxhunter 2nd round. Cara made it to the 3rd round jump off (1.50m) against top opposition to finish 7th. Great performance, but not good enough to qualify this time .

5-6th June Bramham, Yorkshire. Fantastic show and brilliant weather. Huge classes with 100 or more entries. Cara and Libertino were placed 3 times over the weekend in 1.25-1.30 classes.

Friday 25th March. News from Sunshine Tour. Competition started on Wednesday and Cara eased into the very competitive 7 yr old classes and got 2 top 10 finishes in the first 2 starts. Lucia was placed on the first day in the 5 yr old class. Libertino jumped today for the first time on the Big Tour and jumped very well but rubbed one pole. A satisfactory start!

Monday 15th March. Stephen sets off today for 4 weeks warm weather jumping on the Portugese Sunshine Tour in Vilamoura. He is taking Paula Hill's aptly named Andalucia, Libertino and Cara Mia. On the 2000 mile journey each way he is accompanied by friend Simon Buckley from Cumbria and another seven horses.

Ingliston EC Friday 12th March. Star pupil Nicola Drysdale took both her horses, Twice Shy and Dutch Contender to double clears in the Discovery class. Stephen was 3rd with Andalucia in the same class.

Kingsbarn EC 6th March. Lisa Martin's Veron Wald continues to improve and Stephen steered him to double clears in both Novice and Discovery. Cara was double clear and 5th in the 1.30 class.

26th February. Ingliston CC. Best of the day was Rumalia with a quick sprint to 3rd place in the 1.05 and Esra was 5th in the Newcomers.

19th February. It has been another busy week of customers and vettings and of horses coming and going so decided to miss this weekends showjumping event. Angus has been in Australia for the past 2 months and will be home next week. It is raining in Sydney too!

6th February Rowallan EC. All the horses did well today. Rumalia followed on from last week and won again this time in the 1.05m. Esra was back on form to finish 4th in the Newcomers. Libertino was out for the first time in months and was double clear and 7th in the 1.15m. Lastly, Double Dutch, was unlucky to finish only 4th in the 1.25m. A good day!

Ingliston Sunday 31st January. Always very competitive at this fantastic venue and in particular in the Royal Highland Show qualifiers. Cara has moved up a level now and is showing consistancy ending double clear and 6th in the Grade C Power and Performance qualifier. Libertino is also being asked more questions and finished 7th in the RHS 1.30m. Earlier, Stephen steered Nicola Drysdale's Dutch Contender to a good double clear in the 1.10m.

SNEC Saturday 23rd January. A good days competition with big entries. Andalucia won the Discovery and is ready to move on to Newcomers. Ambushed as always did his best to finish 3rd in the 1.05 Open. Angus has given Stephen the chance to ride his own Libertino II and with over 40 in the Foxhunter class finished in a really good 3rd place.

Howe CC. Saturday 16th January. After a month of snow it feels like Spring! Stephen got some good placings taking 6th in BN with the improving Veron Wald. Ambushed as usual had fun and raced round for 3rd in the 1.10m. Rumalia was quick in the 1.15m to only finish 5th and Cara did another double clear for 7th in the 1.30m.

Howe CC. Thursday 31st December. Stephen rode Paula Hill's Andalucia to 5th in the Discovery and 6th in the Newcomers. Another promising new ride Lisa Martin's Veron Wald was 6th in the Discovery.

Howe CC. Wednesday 30th December. Exciting new ride for Stephen is Susan McKie's Dieudonne and was rewarded with 5th in the 1.10m and double clear in his first Foxhunter, Talvados was 5th in the Newcomers and 6 year old Cara placed again; a creditable 7th in the 1.30m.

Howe CC. Tuesday 29th December. Terrible weather but Ambushed was 5th in 1.05m Open, Angus's Talvados qualified 5th in the 1.10m Blue Chip Qualifier, Rumalia 4th in the 1.15m Open and Cara 6th in the 1.30 Open. Not a bad day!

Rowallan Sunday 13th December. Cara jumped double clear for 8th in the RHS Grade C qualifier. Only 3 qualify but there are other chances still to come.

Howe Centre Wednesday 9th December. Ist place for Stephen with both Andalucia and Ambushed in the Discovery and 1.05m Open. A good show and very happy owners; Paula Hill and Rachel Wallace..

Ingliston EC Friday 7th December. Premier Show. Cara jumped well in the big classes but failed to get in the placings. It is all part of the learning experience for her.

Addington Buckinghamshire. Friday 27th November. Stephen is at a Premier Show with 6 yr old Cara Mia. She was placed 9th in the B&C British Open Qualifier. Against the best in the country and jumping upto 1.40m fences, 8 qualified with nearly 100 in the class.

Howe CC - Saturday 21st November. Everyone wants to compete at the Royal Highland Show in June every year and qualifying is very competitive. Today was the first Foxhunter qualifier and Stephen and Cara Mia WON it! Fantastic! Ambushed was 3rd in the lightning fast 1.05m

SNEC - Saturday 14th Nov. Another good day with all horses going well. There were 3 placings with Ambushed again delivering, 4th in the 1.05m. Paula Hill's youngster, Adalucia keeps on improving with another double clear and 6th in Discovery and Cara Mia the same in the Foxhunter with far bigger tests to come in the future..

Rowallan - Friday 6th Nov. Ambushed jumps for fun and was 2nd in 1.05m again! Best of the rest was Cara Mia 5th in the Foxhunter.

SNEC - Saturday 31st Oct. Rachel Wallace's nimble Ambushed did the business again in the 1.05 and was just pipped into 2rd place. Stephen also steered Paula Hill's superb Andalucia to two double clears to be placed 5th and 8th in the Novice and Discovery. Rumalia finished 3rd in the very competitive 1.15.

Rowallan - Friday 23rd Oct. Exciting new prospect Talvados C, (by Calvados) who has been hunting for the past 2 seasons touched one pole in the Newcomers. All other horses were clear with the best of the bunch Ambushed 4th in the lightning fast 1.05 class. Vicky Bollan's, Cynara with Stephen on board was 5th in Newcomers and double clear in the Foxhunter.

Howe - Our local show centre 3 day show. Stephen took the opportunity to introduce some new horses. Riding Paula Hill's 4 yr old Andalucia he got 2 double clears in Novice and another with our own Chiquella. In the 1.10 he was 5th and 8th with owners horses, Ambushed and Dutch Contender. Rumalia and Sumas Nevada were 2nd and 5th in the 1.15 speed class and Cara had another double clear in the Foxhunter. Angus had 2 double clears at the same level with the dependable Libertino II.

Rowallan - Saturday. Despite gale force winds Angus and Stephen made it to the show. They were rewarded with a 4th place for Ambushed in the 1.05 final and 3rd for Rumalia in the 1.15.

Ingliston - Sunday. Another very tidy double clear for Cara in the Foxhunter finishing 4th. 15 were in the jump off.

Ingliston - Friday. Stephen was 3rd with Rachel Wallace's Ambushed in the 1.05 Open. Pupil Nicola Drysdale rode well in the same class and was 5th with Dutch Contender from 38 starters.

Rowallan - Friday. Another good day. Stephens successes were 3rd with Ambushed in the 1.05 Open, then 5th with Sumas Nevada in the 1.15 and a steady 4th in the Foxhunter with Cara Mia. It's great to be back jumping on good indoor surfaces.

Howe Centre. Stephen had a good show, finishing 2nd on Rachel Wallace's Ambushed in the 1.05, then 4th in the Newcomers with Jane Smith's Lepanto. On his own Sumas Nevada he had double clears in the 1.10 and 1.20 followed by 5th in the 1.25 with Rumalia.

Blair Atholl. More heavy rain stopped all jumping on Friday and left going very heavy for weekend. Cara again excelled with Stephen and finished 3rd in the 1.30. Rumalia also did her best and finished 6th in the demanding Power and Speed class.

Ingliston. A great show in blustery and showery conditions. Cara Mia continues to improve and was comfortably clear in the 1.30 speed class. Rumalia was 5th in the 1.20 and Stephen finished 8th in the 1.10 with Rachel Wallace's Ambushed.

Angus took Libertino II to 2 days at the Howe Centre Show. He returned with 3rd and 5th in Foxhunter classes.

Dumfries Show. After very heavy overnight rain, ground conditions were not good. The best of the day was a 5th place for Rumalia in the 1.25m.

Arean UK. Stephen and Cara Mia were 14th in Newcomers 2nd round with 190 in the class. In a big and technical Foxhunter 2nd round, 6yr old Cara performed well to have only one down.

Arena UK. 1.20m speed class. Stephen and Rumalia were clear and 7th and Angus clear with Libertino II just out of the placings. 125 in the class!!