A visit to the BAPSH

The ridden mares lining up before their individual shows - we sponsored the mare class so I was delighted to arrive in time to watch it

An invitation from a friend for a lift to the annual Spanish Horse show proved to tempting to resist last weekend and so at twenty five past four i crept from the house and past the stables where the horses were already stirring sleepily as her car headlights flicked over the outline of our five bar gate.

The roads were rewardingly empty at that time on a Sunday morning and we made good time to Hartbury to glide onto the show ground at 8.30a.m. We knew there was a show by the collection of lorries and colony of tents and caravans but know one lept out to charge us for car parking and so we made our way towards the nearest sighting of a horse. Eventually i remembered that the secretary hired the end stable and sure enough there was a lady ambidextrously handing our numbers checking entries taking back keys and selling programmes with remarkable good humour.

The mare class was warming up in the collecting ring in a peaceful sort of a way which serendipitously was the one that we had sponsored to do our little bit for the Spanish horse and so we settled down to watch for a while and bask in the sunshine on the permanent stands.

My eye was taken by the rhythmic canter of a Bay mare and i was surprised to see the big S brand of Suseata stud on her hind quarters that matched Danni's and thrillingly she was the eventual winner too !

I'm afraid the lure of the Stallions was too much for us to watch the entire class though and the rest of the day was spent in contemplation of the Stallion judging in the magnificent indoor school and wondering how Danni would like to attend the show. The stallions lined up in turn just below where we were sitting to wait patiently to go forward to the judge and the two pictures on here are the ones I thought particularly characterful as they contemplated their fate. (also not many more came out!!).........and the champion of course.

Stallions lining up just below where we were sitting to go forward to the judge

The immaculate Champion

My day finished back in Cornwall as it had begun by nine o' clock and Danni and Sootty were waiting by their doors for a visit along with Lizzie and April and their foals neatly trained satellites lining up beside their mums to say good night - it was nice to be home.

Diva was covered again this week for the last attempt of the season and this time she ovulated well with minimal fluid but our vet took no chances and prescribed an injection regime four times a day to help her uterus contract together with a wash out. Poor Diva has now concluded her stud season for this year and will either rest this year and possible be hacked out over the winter or take a year off next to bring her to an earlier covering date