Saturdays are usually busy here and today was no different. The horses worked yesterday so just cantered on the loop at the yard and once up the straight carpet gallop. We are so fortunate that our Leisure Ride Carpet surfaces don’t freeze as it was bitterly cold here with a sharp frost and yet they rode as well as ever. It takes what used to be a huge headache for me completely away.
We had a visit from the Facebook National Hunt Enthusiasts Group this morning and I’ll hazard a guess that there were about 35-40 of them. A lovely group of people who were so interested in our yard, team and facilities and they all thoroughly enjoyed cakes, courtesy of Mary Cull, and were able to watch a couple of lots, wander around the yard and get warm again in our lovely and very smart Owners’ Room. Thanks to Mary and David Cull for helping Belinda look after them all – they are such a massive part of our team.
Owners Neville, Pam, Bella and Paddy Statham were in to watch Weyburn, Sporty Yankee and Young Phoenix and, as always, it was great to see them and catch up and discuss plans for their horses. Bella is in the Racing Club too so she was keeping an eye on Ask Alice and Viking Mistress – the two mares we lease for the Club. Excitingly for the Club Viking Mistress may run at Cheltenham’s December Meeting! Do get in touch if you would like to give the gift of a Racing Club Membership to anyone for Christmas … we are happy if you join before 1st December for 13 months then they could go to Cheltenham in December as an Owners – what an amazing present! Get in touch!
One runner at Wolverhampton tonight – Ocean Eleven under Tom Marquand. He’s in good form so we’ll see.