GGGear Cross Country Base Layer Set

GGGear Cross Country Base Layer Set

Get ready to stand out from the crowd on the cross country course with GGGear’s base layer cross country colour sets!

I ordered a “children’s design your own base layer, polo and hat silk” set for my soon to be 6 year old daughter Frankie. She is beginning to go out competing more and more so to inspire her further, I thought her very own bespoke cross country set was just the ticket. I did a bit of research as there are a few companies that offer this service but I really like what GGGear had to offer. They are very competitively priced and a family business, which I liked, so I opted to order from them.

They have all sorts of options available with cross country colour; set that are pre-chosen for you, sets that include matching accessories for both rider and horse to co-ordinate and much, much more.

Website

I found the website very easy to use when ordering the bespoke option, with drop down boxes for each item, size, colour options, pompom options and patterns to go on the base layer, polo shirt and hat silk. There is a box where you tell GGGear what to print and where and what colour you want it too making sure you can relay exactly what you want and where the prints are to go. This is a real selling point for us, so you can customise your silks exactly to how you imagined them in your head. The print options they have for patterns is endless: stars, spots, paint splats, apples, you name it. If you have an idea they can probably print it for you!

Because Francesca is going to be 6 (and a tall one at that!) I ordered her the Small/Medium youth. I chose royal blue base layer and hat silk with bright pink stars and then a contrasting bright pink polo shirt printed with royal blue stars. I had picked this option because from the very beginning Frankie has worn her trusty royal blue with pink spots hat silk and loves it, so I wanted something along those colour schemes but not totally the same.

With the order placed and paid for it wasn’t long until it arrived just a few days later by Royal Mail Tracked service. I was delighted when opening the package to see what I had ordered was absolutely spot on and looked even better than what I expected!
I don’t know about you, but children can be hard to please sometimes; even when you think they are
going to like something they surprise you and don’t. However, when I presented Francesca with her
birthday present (albeit a bit early as she was going to a Hunter Trail) the response from her was
sheer delight at her new base layer, polo shirt and hat silk set and it had to be tried on immediately!

It fitted her great, with a bit of growing room so it can be enjoyed and worn plenty of times without
her growing out of it too quickly……hopefully. All she seems to be doing at the moment is growing
out of her clothes!

Look and Quality

As you can see from the pictures she looked so smart in her co-ordinating base layer set and she felt very special in it too as it was made especially for her. She opted on the competition day to wear the base layer on its own as it was a hot 24 degrees.  It was great to have the option of the polo shirt to layer over the top or to change into the polo shirt afterwards.

The quality of all the items is very good and the printed stars are sharp and stand out on the clothing. I was pleasantly surprised when I got asked a few times by various competitors and mothers where the cross country colours were from as they looked brilliant on. With mummy points earned for getting such an amazing birthday present in the eyes of a pony mad child’s as well as running round 24 jumps over a distance of nearly a mile at the hunter trial, this mummy hopes she will be lucky enough for someone to get her her very own bespoke base layer cross country set.

Link for design your own childs set here for £55!

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Wayland Show - A Case of The 2nds

After not showing for weeks Georgie and I spending Saturday afternoon bathing, trimming and overall making Beanie look like a shiny fluff-ball.

Legs being whitened with Smart Grooming Leg and Body Whitener

We hadn't been showing since Hickstead and that weekend of Hickstead was so disastrous it didn't even warrant a blog post. First Beanie banged his hip mysteriously in the field and took a lump of hair off, then got there to find our ring was has hard as concrete and rutty as a field that it was thoroughly under whelming (well it was to be anyway, not sure how Georgie felt).

So 7 am came, and after plaiting up and packing the car, we headed off to Wayland Show in Norfolk. We'd been last year and really enjoyed it and found it to be a nice atmosphered country show.
We arrived to Beanie being very on his toes, perhaps he thought he'd become a happy hacker after doing not very much for the last 3 weeks but he was full of energy!
Lisa and I went off to the show secretary to get Georgie's number and find out an estimated start time for the ROR Challenge class. Well thinking it would start about 10 am couldn't have been more wrong as there was only 1 entry in the working hunter pony so all hands on deck to get B and Georgie ready in time.

He must have picked up on the rushed vibes because even after Georgie had got on he was very spritely! 
Now, when Beanie get excited from jumping he bucks on landing, and after a couple of jumps did an almighty buck and unseated Georgie just before she was about to go into the ring!
"Wonderful" I thought sarcastically, this is setting the tone for the day!

Upon entering the ring he was both on his toes and had his eyes on stalks, all of us having no idea how he'd get on. The vast majority of horses had been stopping at fence 2 that we prayed he wouldn't follow suit. It wasn't a particularly horrible fence in itself but the landing was basically dead into a corner and you had to turn on a 90 degree angle and a stride later was fence 3. 
He got in there and after a big jump over fence 1 I thought "maybe he'd be so exuberant he wouldn't even look at the fence or landed and just fly over it", but I was wrong.
He stopped and oggled it thoroughly digging in his heels but Georgie kicked on and refused to be defeated and got him over it. 
Now over what I thought was the 'bogie' fence I thought she'd be fine, although not being very focused and looking all over the place he was jumping ok. Georgie has finished the course and made her way to the first of two bonus fences when, at the very last moment, Beanie put in a naughty run out. Georgie turned and represented but he was having absolutely none of it. After presenting him at it a final time and riding positively he stopped a third time and was subsequently eliminated.

Not going to lie, I was really hacked off. I'm not a morning person as it is so for Beanie to a completely birk in his first class of the day wasn't exactly the best of a 5am day start.
We got back to the box for Georgie to exclaim "im entering him in his riding horse class, he can be punished by poncing!". 
Beanie is a very good all-rounder and enjoys his jumping, so Georgie competes him in the challenge classes so he doesn't get bored of showing. So for him to misbehave in a class that was supposed to be some fun for him, she was one unimpressed owner!
Fortunately the class wasn't too long away so we could have some refreshments and change his bridle and saddle over. He was re-turned out beautifully (if I do say so myself) and off we went to the ring.

He's a quirky one that horse cause after a break he was in a totally different mindset.
he was chilled, responsive and happy. Shortly after the call for competitors we're asked to make their way into the ring for the class to start.
It was like watching a totally different horse. He was floating around the ring, being responsive to Georgies aids and carrying himself beautifully and light in Georgie's hands.
He really did look a picture.

All of us were watching on longingly and were pleased to be pulled into seconds place for the judging.
To be fair to B he gave the judge a beautiful ride, but just as she was riding him the motorcross display started. I actually love motorcross but the sound of a 4 stroke scrambler just as the judge was riding was the last thing I wanted to hear.
Sadly just as the judge asked for canter a bike revved while doing a huge flip and he jumped but other than that the judges ride was spotless.
The display got louder and louder with the commentator practically shouting something inaudible over the commentary system he was so excited and more and more bikes took to the air for very cool tricks, but frustratingly Beanie could hear it but not see it.
He did trot up smoothly for the conformation judge, if not a bit on his toes.
We were all pleased to see Beanie had held his place in second and come away with a rosette and some prize money.
That's better than being disqualified! Our minds were now focused on the Retraining of Racehorses and Tattersalls Open Show horse class after lunch.

In much better spirits than before we had a lunch sitting in the sun chatting, while Beanie munched away at his hay net while sunning his back.
He was really very shiny! Perhaps he thought he was done for the day?

Everyone feeling much better after some food and drink we tacked B up for a third time and prayed he hadn't had enough for the day. It was getting increasingly hot as the sun beamed down so just prayed it stayed cool. I don't think any horse likes showing in boiling hot weather!

The ROR class was big, with approximately 18 horses in it and they all looking spectacularly turned out. This would be a tough class!
At the last minute there was a judge change which through some people but the original judge was replaced with a charming older gentleman who, as we found out, was a kind gentle rider which just what we like.
After a nice go around, to which B didn't disappoint, he was pulled into third place.

Photo by Diss Event Photography

Much like before, Beanie gave the judge a lovely round, and with no displays this time he was faultless - He really did go lovely. He had beautiful self carriage and nice even paces, lengthening nicely when the judge asked for a bit more in the canter as well as bringing him back beautifully in working canter. Georgie and I grinned, feeling so proud of this big ginger horse who was bit of a silly sausage earlier in the day. Honestly, It was like watching a different horse!

Watching on anxiously after the conformation judging we were really pleased to be pulled into second and qualifying for next years ROR final at Hickstead! It was like a repeat of last years class at Wayland where Georgie was second too!
B had redeemed himself then and was no longer in Georgie's bad books!

          Photo by Diss Event Photography
 
After the riding horse class Georgie was approached by a well known producer and asked to ride one of his horses in the ridden championship. They had 2 horses qualify and only one rider! Obviously this is a big compliment to be asked to ride, to which she accepted, so a quick rush outside the ring, jumped on and rode having never sat on it before.
She evidently gave it a nice ride as it was pulled in reserve ridden champion!
It was a lovely horse!

It was now 5 oclock in the evening, so after packing up quick sharpe we head off home in the car with lots of chat about the day and how it all went!
After a really crappy start it ended really well! See you in June Hickstead!
We currently aren't sure what our next show is as Mum and Dad move house, Beanie and Millie move to a new yard and Georgie goes on holiday!
Fingers crossed it Gransden!

Sophie x

Stylish accessories for the countryside -The Bobble Hat Shop productreview!

Now, I may be a country girl who's hair is usually fly away, chapped lips from the wind and sometimes having a faint smell of horse about me so when I was very kindly sent some fashionable products by The Bobble Hat Shop  I jumped at the chance to put some make up on, untie my hair from a bun and write a fashion post!

In the winter my sister Georgie had bought this lovely hat with a fur pom-pom on top and I immediately wanted one. Is it because I'm the younger sibling who always wants what the older sister has? Perhaps! But I knew that the main winter fashion item to be seen at any good horse event, was a fur bobble woolly hat! Alas I just couldn't find the right one for the right price but I have now discovered The Bobble Hat Shop and I couldn't recommend them highly enough!

                                                     Treats!

I was very kindly sent 3 products to try out - A red hat cover with large natural fur pom pom, a rib knit woollen hat with natural pom pom and a gorgeous grey fur key ring! They're the most reasonably priced hats and accessories I've found, meaning you can be on trend without breaking your bank account! 
All prices and links to purchase them can be found under each write up!

Hat Cover - Red with Large Natural fur pom pom

Beautifully modeled by my sister Georgie (and B) before their ride!

For years we've all had the same old option of hat silks either with a button or a wool bobble but now you can have a hat silk with a fur pom pom, therefore looking fashionable all while riding your gorgeous steed!

They come in a variety of colours made from a satin blend mix with an elasticated edge to enable a perfect snug fit on any size jockey skull hat. I chose a red silk but you can customise your coloured hat silk with different coloured fur pom poms too - making it easy to match your cross country colours!  Pom poms come in Natural, Black, Grey, White, Hot Pink, Baby Pink, Silver, Navy and Baby Blue. With 8 silk colours and 9 pom pom colours, you've got a lot of options to choose from and will be the envy of other competitors in the warm up arena!
Plus if you happen to get the hat silk dirty the fur bobble is removable (via a very sturdy popper button) so you can machine wash it without ruining the fur. Now that is what I call forward thinking!

Buy one here, starting from £29  

Have a look at the video for some colour combination inspiration!

Rib Knit Wool blend hat in Oatmeal, with large natural fur pom pom -

My navy cable knit with white bobble

I know what you're thinking, it's not winter yet and it may be a mid 20 degree day with about 90% humidity but that didn't stop me from longing for a crisp winter day where I can snuggle up in a scarf and hat to keep warm. 

These gorgeous hats have become a 'must have' within the fashion and equestrian world having being worn by Charlotte Dujardin, Jodie Kidd, Cara Delevingne and Emily King so if some of these very stylish celebs can wear one, why can't you?

I have mine in oatmeal which is sure to go with everything, although they come in 7 different colours you're sure to be able to match it with your favourite winter outfit!

And, like the hat silks, you can also unbutton the pom pom to either wash your hat if you get it dirty or if you want to change the pom pom over to a different colour to mix and match your outfit of the day!

You can buy one here for £18.95! A real bargain compared to other brands who are charging between £28 and £35 for a knit hat with a fur bobble!!! 

White fur key ring/Bag accessory- 

These little beauties have proved very popular as a little fashion accessory to add a bit of colour or character to your car keys or hand bag. Having been caught in photos with Khloe Kardashian, Kendal Kenner, Made in Chelsea's Louise Thompson to name just a few.

They also come in a range of colours and clip easily onto your clutch bag, keys or hand bag strap adding a splash of colour and character! And how are you ever going to loose your keys at the bottom of your handbag with this fluffy number attached? The answer is it's near impossible!
They clip on really easily with a beautiful gold clip and are just as easily taken off again to change over to a different bag!

I am forever tucking my keys into my pocket while out with the horses, and it makes it a cute easy to find again tag!
They can be purchased here for another amazingly low price of £15

I'd highly recommend all of The Bobble Hat Shops products, they're really well made and aren't going to break the bank. Whether you'd like to admit it or not everyone likes keeping up with high fashion trends and all of their products do that without making a massive dent in your bank account. There are quite a lot of other shops who offer similar products but with such a large mark up they often turn people off from buying them. They certainly did for me so with The Bobble Hat Shop you don't have to spend a lot of money for something you've always wanted!

They'd also make lovely presents to friends and family members who want something different to liven up their riding or going out look! There are just so many combinations that there is always going to be something for everyone and they can be changed to make a whole new look by being able to change the pom poms!
If you have any questions or enquiries then head over to their 'contact us'  page, or follow them on their social media accounts Facebook and Twitter  to see which events they're going to be at so you can see their products before you buy them!

Now go and buy one! Treat yourself, a partner or a friend because at these super reasonable prices you'd be mad not to!

Sophie x