So

Kelso abandoned, Ayr on Tuesday next target, quiet morning on the yard, horses on the walker, a few visitors, time in the office and perhaps a visit to War Horse this afternoon (if it's not too odd to have been to the cinema four times in 2012, twice the total for 2011 and its only the 15th Jan!). Yesterday morning when I was heading up the brae to feed the horses I felt particularly knackered, Friday had not been a great day despite Lucy's winner, she'd had a heavy enough fall and the proud parents were concerned when she drove off to Northumberland, she would be leaving very early from there to ride out in Yorkshire and was then booked for two rides at Wetherby prior to a four hour drive home, all too much in our view but certainly not in hers. Added to that I had a couple of (hopefully minor) setbacks in the yard, our horse had fallen and looked a bit sore, I had been out to dinner and only had about four hours sleep, another busy morning beckoned, reasons to feel a bit tired I think. However by the time I had fed the horses I felt completely reinvigorated, I don't understand it really, it seems to come from the horses themselves, my desire to do the best for them and their desire to reciprocate (well, most of them!), perhaps it was just seeing Forcefield bright and well and shouting for his breakfast after his fall, I don't know but there is some sort of force that works better than cafeine, just as well really! I remember marvelling at Scotland's great dual purpose trainer Jim Goldie's schedule last summer where he appeared to have runners all over the country under both codes, always smiling and jolly I asked him how on earth he managed, he replied simply "adrenalin is a great motivator" - long may it last I say. Frank was in yesterday and here are some marvellous photographs that he took on a dull and frosty morning...

Forcefield, none the worse, looks on as his colleagues head out to exercise.

Two greys by Terimon, Little Glenshee (Lucy H) left and Papamoa (Gemma) right.

Seeking Power (James) right shows Native Coll (Jen) a turn of foot!

Little Glenshee cooling off

Ooh, afternoon already, cinema foregone, too nice a day, harrowing gallop instead, some more great pics from Musselburgh on Friday, this time from Mike Bishop.... and by the way nobody should miss Tom Kerr's sensitive article in today's RP about the horse that died in the first at Kempton yesterday whose owners he had been assigned to follow for the day, he manages to convey so much of what all owners and trainers experience through this sport.

Isla Patriot (Peter and Kelly)

Red Tamber heads for home

Rossini's Dancer (Lucy)

The debrief.........

PS - if the Chief Operating Officer of Tesco didn't know that there was a negative statement from Tesco looming when he sold £200k worth of stock two weeks ago then is he fit to do his job anyway?