Summer at last....

Glorious weather today, more hay being made, 15 horses out hacking and trotting - all looking relaxed and well.  Lucy had a great weekend being placed in the two big Ladies Races, 2nd on her first ride at Ascot on Saturday and then 3rd in the Ladies Derby at Carlisle yesterday.  She will be up at Perth this week, tomorrow riding Scotch Warrior in the 8.40 for Mike Smith and Pete in the 9.10 for Barry Murtagh and hopefully picking up a couple of rides on Wednesday.

Scotch Warrior - through the hail!

I listened to Lucy's race from a very special restaurant Domaine de Capelongue where we were enjoying the centrepiece of  my old friend Cree's 50th birthday celebrations with a motley crew assembled from around the globe, I think one could call it a 24 hour "gastrobinge"  - great fun but I was back here in time for evening stables on Sunday and the weigh-in wasn't too disastrous.  Always good to be back and I am always surprised by what I notice even if I have only been away for 48 hours, this time I was struck by how chilled out all the horses seem to be, the yard was spotless and there is a sense of order and routine about the yard that seems to have the horses feeling very at ease with themselves - much more so than usual, I'm not sure what it is, quite a few are living together in pairs in the barns still, maybe that helps, it was an experiment I started last year with one or two worriers, it seemed to work and now that I don't have (quite) so many young horses about the place I can role out the concept further.  Whatever it is long may it last.
I was happy to have missed such a disastrous King George, I have read plenty about it since and was taken by John Gosden's remarks re adrenaline overcoming pain, I remember when a promising horse I had called Fearless Foursome shattered his pastern as I was riding him on Lucinda's gallop.  I held him for some time whilst we waited for the vet then xrayed prior to putting him down, I was convinced that horse suffered no pain despite a catastrophic injury, he  munched some grass and was completely calm.
If you need cheering up after such a grim weekend on so many fronts watch this, and apologies if you've already seen it.......funny talking animals   sorry, very silly!