26th March 2016

Not a beautiful spring morning, howling winds!

We worked Kimberlite Candy, Singlefarmpayment, Triopas, Chase End Charlie, First Du Charmil, Pinnacle Panda, Hag Stone and Very Intense. Bells On Sunday and Isle of Ewe swung through on the woodchip having warmed up on the sand. The others in full work hack cantered 3 miles on the sand.

Our day at Maisemore was not one to remember, we opted to run in the hunt race given we wanted to support the hunt and wanted the better ground. Annoyingly, he came up out of Zac’s hands at the 5^th and deposited him on the ground. It is annoying but it happens and we all have to accept it. Given what has happened in the news this week I have to remind myself to keep things in proportion. Both horse and jockey are fine, we have other days, some people don’t.

There appeared to be a fantastic crowd, many friendly faces, some very dodgy stewards and a particularly dodgy time keeper in a flasher mac.

I don’t normally get to see the pony races - they were great. There are some good young kids riding these ponies and no doubt one or two will become top flight jockeys in days to come. I hope they are all encouraged to finish their education and then willing to work their way up through the industry. By the nature of it all, many of the kids are from (for want of a better word) privileged backgrounds. Ultimately, I don’t think they will end up on the shop floor, and that is were the industry is in need of some serious help.

It was good to see the competition for rides is still strong and folk still look for spares.

Frank Windsor Clive in a few years…………….