Team Tottie October Diary

Young show jumping trio Portia Howard, Jemma Kirk and Philippa Dobby are better known on the circuit as Team Tottie. This month we hear about their hectic schedules in October.

Portia

This time of the year it is great to get the young horses out and to start to have a play with them and really spend some individual time with each of them without having to be off competing on the more experienced horses.

I have been going to lots of local shows getting double clears with the youngsters and it’s also good to see them mature and get more confident ready for next year’s shows and events.

There is a new series that has just started called the Premier Centres Association Grand Prix Qualifier. This is a wonderful addition which qualifies you for the British Open.

I competed at Towerlands last month and won the first qualifier with Kartonne de L'Abbaye and I also achieved fifth place with Macgarveys Choice in this class.

Macgarveys Choice is a bay, nine-year-old gelding currently jumping up to 1.40m and is owned by Alison Claxton; a really good horse to jump with a lot of scope.

I also took Grand Cherie to Towerlands and gained fifth place in the B & C class, which I was very pleased with.

Grand Cherie is a beautiful bay gelding who really loves to jump. He is eight-years-old and is currently jumping at the same level as Macgarveys Choice. He is owned by Danielle Smith and is a really nice horse with a lot of potential.

We now have a quiet couple of weeks before everything begins to get busy again around Olympia.

We have two more of the Premier Centres Association Grand Prix Qualifiers at the College, near Keysoe, on November 24 and another at Addington from 30^th November – 2^nd December.

Will write soon – Portia

Philippa

I have had a quiet time this month with my competition horses, as I have been trying to concentrate on my three new arrivals.

My new French horses have arrived and I can’t wait to start playing with them and seeing what they can do.

I have one three-year-old and two that are four-years-old. I’m going to start to ride them and get used to them through the winter, and also give them chance to get used to me.

I am going to start competing in the New Year at some of the local shows and in unaffiliated classes.

If all goes well, I am aiming to compete the two four-year-olds in next year’s five-year-old classes.

Depending on how she is going, I am going to spend a little more time with the three-year-old and begin to compete at a low level and possibly stay at an unaffiliated level until I know she’s right for going affiliated.

It’s important not to rush these things as the tiniest mistake can mean a lot to a young horse and I believe in taking it steady.

I have even more time for these youngsters at the moment as my competition horses are having a well-deserved break after the long, competition summer time.

I will bring these back into work mid-December ready to compete for the New Year shows and events.

This break has also come at the right time of year as I always struggle to find time to go Christmas shopping!

In the New Year I am also looking forward to my week’s training with Rodrigo Pessoa as part of my win in the Pessoa series. This will be in Belgium, so that’s really exciting.

Will write soon nearer Christmas - Philippa.

Jemma

My horses are all back into work again now after their break in the summer.

Our first competition was back nearer home in Scotland. I competed Tosca is the Grand Prix and gained second place which was a good start back.

I also competed Pieter and Miss Saigon in the 1.30cm and 1.35cm classes achieving two fourths and a third.

I know many people don’t like to have favourites, but I have to say Pieter is probably mine.

He is a lovely bay gelding measuring 15.3hh; he has such a loving and cheeky character I don’t know anyone who doesn’t think the same as me.

I have had Tosca since she was five-years-old and she is now seven. I am hoping to aim for the Young Riders classes with her next year which is really exciting.

Miss Saigon is my 11-year-old bay mare. Such a lovely horse who really enjoys her jumping level at about 1.45cm; she’s definitely the boss of the family!

I have all my horse in for the winter now. I brought them into the stables about two weeks ago.

I like to keep my horses in throughout the day as well as the night, as the fields soon become very muddy and it’s very cold then to hose their legs off to get all the mud off.

As the horses get ridden each day, this is enough to give their legs a stretch before going back into the stable at night.

I think it’s important to look after your horses that little bit more throughout the winter time due to the weather and field conditions. You always know Christmas is nearing when the horses are in the stable!

Apart from looking forward to all the festivities of Christmas, I am also looking to competing in Holland with Tosca and Miss Saigon.

Best Wishes - Jemma.