Scent laying for the Cambridge University Drag Hounds

Sorry I haven't posted for a while, I've has such a busy December and start to the New Year, plus I spent most of it ill with this chesty cough that has been doing the rounds!
Erik and I have enjoyed me being off work as he's been being ridden loads and loads and we've been doing different rides or our normal rides backwards to liven things up and he's loved it!

He got dressed up for Christmas when Georgie, Frankie and I went out for a lovely hack Christmas even and obviously, any excuse to dress up your horse!
We've also has some jumping schooling at home which he's enjoyed. We carried on from our last lesson  and have been doing some 'gymnastics' in the school at home, namely in the form of raised trotting poles, a square grid at the end which you can use to come at in all different directions, doing jumps with no ground line with flower pots underneath and stacking cavaletti's.. It's all been going on! When i've been doing these are home Erik has been a little fresh and unfocused with him wanting to stare through the fence to see what Beanie is up to but some trotting pole grids and lot's of circles and turning soon got his mind focused and paying attention. Jumping has been going well and I am pleased.

Georgie and I having a quieter December meant we were keen to get out and do something, so when I had the idea of being the scent layers/draggers for the Cambridge University Drag Hounds we were keen to ask and were excited to be accepted. Trumpington Hall is somewhere where Georgie and I have been going for a long time, since Pony Club even, and with it being so close to home it's always a fun one to go to.

We plaited up that morning and spruced up the horses the night before we were all ready to go, so with my whizzing off in my car to the meet to walk the lines Georgie and Mum very kindly bought the horses along a little later. As we've not had rain in a good few days the ground was absolutely perfect! A nice combination of give in the ground but not too heavy at all, absolutely spot on. 
We obviously left the meet about 10 minutes early to make sure we weren't caught up by the hounds, huntsman Duncan or the field! Lucky we did because we got started and jumped a few fences when Erik thought this was all very exciting and tried to zoom off with me and after a brief wobble in confidence and a bracing pep talk from Georgie we were off again and going. I hadn't quite got the new to keep jumping as it's then that Erik get's really excited and tended to want to just go off as fast as possible! 

Photo courteous of Timelight Equestrian Photography, used with permission on social media

Luckily I had Georgie and Beanie with me to drag the first line while I got myself in control and faught off my demons. Beanie really is amazing he just jumped anything Georgie put him at, while dragging the scent! 

 Thank you Kamikaze photography for the photo 

 Thank you Kamikaze photography for the photo 

 Photo courteous of Timelight Equestrian Photography, used with permission on social media

Thank you Kamikaze photography for the photo 

We however steadily dragged the scent for the entire first line and it was nice to let our horses stand and have a breather while we watched the hounds and field make their way towards us! 
It was a rather surreal experience being the other side of the field and seeing everyone coming towards you rather than being in the field itself with everyone! 

 Waiting for the field 

Caught up by the field at the end of line 1

After a brief breather Georgie and I set off for line 2, along the bank of the River Cam and along the cross country course! Over the years we've cantered along here on various horses so it was nice to add another to that count and Georgie had fun popping over fences and waving to onlookers in Granchester Meadows! Erik was behaving himself well here and I was able to take the scent line from Georgie while she jumped along! He was very good considering he had never dragged before and he's got a line of bailer twine with a very smelly rag on the end dragging along behind him! 

 Photo courteous of Timelight Equestrian Photography, used with permission on social media

 Thank you Steph for snapping this pic! 

We then made our way to the final part of line 2 which was in to the woods where the cross country course usually winds through! The last time I went through that woods was during a cross country trial when I was a child/teenager so that was a lovely blast from the past! 

We ended the line in the field we began in and again it was really fun to see everyone canter back in to the field with lot's of smiley faces. It looked like everyone had a lovely time and really enjoy themselves, as did the horses! 

With a lot of steam coming off the horses a breather was needed before line 3, which was lines 1 and 2 backwards and without hounds so a good half returned to do line 3 while the rest made their way back to the boxes to wash of their horses and have some refreshments. 

It was a good few miles and quick pace so they were well earned by horse and rider. Georgie and I decided for the later and to call the day the end there and finish on a good note. Both horses adrenalines were certainly still up while we untacked and we quickly dried them off and got them home to settle before having a thorough wash off and clean up! 

Back home Bean was dried off under the heat lamps and Erik snuggled up back in his bed, both of them with a big pile of hay and a hearty feed!

We had such a lovely day together Sunday and we wanted to say thank you to the Cambridge University Drag Hounds for having us and providing such a lovely day out. 

If you'd like to go out with them yourself, their meet card can be found on their Facebook along with corresponding events pages. 

PS we'd highly recommend Burghley! 

Snuggled up! 

Semer Hedge Hopping with the Cambridge University Drag Hounds

As I lay here stiff as a board and aching all over I do wonder - is it the sign of a great days hunting or just a sign that I'm so unfit? Do tell me regular hunters! 

Sunday was the Cambridge University Drag Hounds (probably) largest meet of their season at the infamous Semer. With a very respectable 50 on horse back and lord knows how many foot followers, as well as dry mild weather it had the recipe it to a great day out. And that it was! 

I found out midweek that there was a possibility that I was going to be able to ride, so come Saturday I inquired to see if I would be riding to find out to my delight, that I was indeed going to be able to attend. 

I wrote above about it being infamous and that it is. Georgie attended last year and said just how fast and chaotic it is; as well as various other seasoned hunters saying the hedges were big, the pace fast and all bets are off with regard to any sort of hunt etiquette! Plus the team chase there being well reported this year as big, so I won't deny that when I mounted up yesterday I was a little nervous having no idea what to really expect. 

New jacket got it's first run, and I'd like to think I looked smart. 

Thank you to G for lending me her fabulous Hit Air jacket and I felt safer wearing it!

It was lovely trotting down to the pub for the meet to see so many horses, as well as lovely food and refreshments! 

Thank you to Sam for all the photos 

After unfortunately running a little behind schedule we kicked on about 1.30pm to start the first line. All I'm going to say on the matter was that it was a free for all! 

Aforementioned hunt etiquette of not cutting up or overtaking others was well and truely out the window but I'll say no more on it. 

The first line was extremely fast paced but all jumps seemed to be taken well and with only one faller, which to her credit (apologies but I do not know the girls name) but was not her fault (note the free for all)

But after the first line the field started to spread out a little and with a rather unfortunately loose horse incident delaying it only slightly (again don't know the girl but I do hope, if she reads this, that herself and her horse are all ok).

At the start of the second line I soon realised that I was having slight brake failure on the cob; I would say Supercob but he has to redeem himself a bit first, but more on that later.

Alas while coming towards the hedge cob thought nothing of slowing down or turning so with my full strength I pulled him away from it, and good time I did too as a lady took a rather large tumble in front of me, so myself and the non jumping pack pulled up to check she was all ok while Ginny and the trusty pilgrim set off to retrieve her mount! 

Meeting up moments later with the main field we regrouped and set off towards the third line. It was a lovely sound to here 50 sets of hooves trot up the road! 

The third line took us up the side of the shooting cover (corn rows) towards a wood which we jumped into, snaked through and then back over a hedge out towards a gorgeous rolling grass field which the field and I galloped across, ready to take a set of double post and rails either side of the road into another lovely grassy field, where the field regrouped and had a little breather.

I mentioned to nearby riders to kick on and be aware to not fall off as a rather large group with cameras were waiting the other side!

            Supercob in full flight. Preparing for landing

The field then lead out over a big hedge (above) a few meters later an upright with a drop a stride or so later. I must admit I didn't see the drop until the last minute as Scully put in a big one and within milliseconds the drop was right in front of us and I had to sit back, and sharpish! Otherwise I'd have been in the tumblers club! 

This then wound round to another post and rails out of a marshy area, up a tight turn to another set of post and rails at which point my brakes and steering failed. Scully in his exuberance outright missed the turn and I could do little to stop him. Eventually pointing him into a bushy hedge to stop! I won't lie that this terrified me somewhat, I've never not been able to stop. Tony would later yell at me for not doing my flash tight enough! 

Once I had jumped into the field to join the rest of the field I decided that my hands and arms needed a break and I need to get back some of the nerves I'd just lost, so I tucked in with the non jumping pack. 

Don't get me wrong but Scully is a tank on legs and very stubborn and with his failure to admit he was getting tired and his will to gallop full speed at post and rails I decided that rather than risk an accident I was going to take a breather from jumping and try and regain brakes. 

I took the rest of the third line at a much more leisurely pace and soon had a smile  back on my face. Plus I got to view Sam Morgan and Coco slowly herding a rather large flock of somewhat puzzled sheep away from the gate we needed to exit from. I think Coco was rather unfazed by them, what a gent! 

Scully then felt that to spite me for not letting him jump anymore, that first a gate, then slightly later a gate post were mere immovable objects and that slamming my leg directly into them was no bother! My right shin is now black and blue, thanks mate!

It was soon apparent that it was 3.30pm and getting rather dark by the minute, so when the field regathered near the farm I decided to join a group of others to head back the boxes at Boyton Hall as the sun set. It really was very beautiful! 

You know what they say, red sky at night; shepherds delight.. Aye Sam?! 

I got back to the yard to the very last of the light and untacked the cob and kept him warm while waiting for Sophie, Tony and Ginny to return. We chilled and I gave him 'the I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed' look but it doesn't seem to work on horses as it does on children.

See, not even slightly bothered. Not even looking at me!

When all horses were untacked and resting on the box, we made our way down to the pub for after day refreshments and to catch up on each persons take on the day. All round were reports of a wonderful day and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, me included! 

Thank you to the Drag Hounds lot, as always!  To everyone that came out and to Mr James Buckle for allowing us to use his land, it's most appreciated.

I'm now going to try and regain the use of my arms, shoulders and legs again!

"When in doubt resume the safety position - legs forward, slip the reins and sit back" - Georgies very wise advise. It served me well!

Sophie 

Cambridge University Drag Hounds - Burghley Meet, March 8th 2015

After a busy weekend of leading Francesca out on a ride Saturday morning, then going out with Jo on the Polo ponies in the afternoon, and then a wedding in the evening I was pretty blurry eyed yesterday morning getting ready for Burghley.

I tried tirelessly for over a month to get a hireling for this meet but sadly everyone had booked them out for the Saturday and completely understandable that they couldn't do two days on the trot (pun sort of intended). So alas I didn't ride, but the upside to this is I got loads of photos and footage!

Here is the video edit I made of the footage I made on the ground, and here are the photos, hope you like them!!

Plus coming soon - Headcam footage from Georgie