Katie - Petplan Equine Ambassador

Our first four star!

I wrote my last update en route to Germany for my very first 4 star! New Zealand eventer Jesse Campbell very kindly gave us a lift, my great friend and super groom Edie Pender-Cudlip came to attend to TJ's every need and Cindy Llewellyn was on hand for last minute training. All this really helped me to focus on enjoying the occasion and doing our best. I was so grateful to receive support from Team GB including physio for TJ and walking the course with Chris Bartle, which meant I felt so ready and excited for the tough XC test. It was super technical with questions, skinnies and angles everywhere and four very tough water jumps, combined with being 11 and a half minutes long!

TJ was really on form and whilst he was never going to trouble the dressage leaders, he stayed relaxed, tried very hard and did his best which is all you can ever ask – the marks will improve as he gets more established at this level. As usual he was amazing cross country, literally flying round pulling hard and locking onto every fence and finished so full of running I couldn't pull him up – just 4 seconds over the time (only 3 riders were inside) we pulled up into the top 10! He came out the next day full of himself but sadly it didn't all go quite to plan in the show jumping - it was very big and technical, he was far too keen and fresh and I rode him too backward so 6 rails down was disappointing. However, we still completed our first 4* in 18th place and I couldn't have been prouder of our achievements and how easy he made it all feel.

The girls' turn!

After her win at BCA and two weeks off, Tia continued her run of form, finishing in the top ten at our next four events! She is so much fun to ride and great to just enjoy her skipping round these courses so easily, I forget sometimes she is only seven, as she feels so confident and established. I stepped her up to do the 1* at Firle Place which is such a stunning park and venue and again she made it feel very easy. A small rider blip in the show jumping led to a couple of poles down, but I couldn't fault her – she was on springs and loving every minute of it!

We finished off her season with another great run in the 1* at South of England but I felt she lacked fitness that reinforced to me that I haven't had the time to prepare her properly and very reluctantly I have put her on the market. I love riding her and won't be too upset if she doesn't sell but looking ahead to next year with TJ and Juno to ride, the demands of my job just won't allow time for three horses and she deserves to go and be some lucky person's number one horse.

Juno has the most amazing attitude and is incredibly laid back, so whilst I decided not to event her this year I thought it would be good to get her out to some events to experience the atmosphere ready for what I think is an exciting future ahead. So off we went to Barbury for the Burghley Young event horse class – nothing like starting at a big international event! She was totally unphased and behaved impeccably throughout, including the 2 hour journey and staying away for the first time. Next stop was Gatcombe, even more atmosphere but again she was foot perfect to finish 9th in a very big competitive class. I finished off her summer education with some local dressage and arena eventing, which she duly won! A well deserved holiday again for her now, I'm so excited for eventing with her next season!

TJ goes to Burghley

After a short holiday – TJ hates holidays – preparations began for the British Open Championship at Gatcombe Park. Having done both the novice and intermediate championship with TJ, this has always been a class I have wanted to do. Back at 3* level, TJ was well within his comfort zone and produced a lovely dressage test. We'd worked hard on our show jumping since Luhmuehlen and I was so impressed with how well he jumped in a big atmospheric ring with him listening and making a much better shape over fences. I now need to trust our new regime and ride him forward and allow him to jump. We had a ball during the cross country – he skipped up the very steep hills and toyed with the fences – an incredible feeling to finish 17th in this prestigious class and feel perfectly prepared for Burghley!

Wow, dreams really do come true! I really can't explain how special it was to be there and the memories we made will last forever - from arriving at Burghley and hacking past the stunning house, to drinks in the house, cantering down the centre line with a stupid grin on my face, to galloping up winners avenue and over the Cottesmore leap en-route to a fast clear, to completing in 24th place with a very happy sound horse and celebrating with my incredible team of supporters! A personal best in all phases and he made it feel incredibly easy, doing it all with a big smile on his face only matched by that of my team and I at how special he is and how lucky I am to have him. Back to work on Monday and the celebrations continued with massive support from all my colleagues and clients and constant congratulations from people I have never met who are inspired by the story of my little horse and his amateur rider achieving our dreams.