Hesteyri Horses

01/09/2024

29/08/2024

Sorry for the lack of updates. It’s been a real week.

On Tuesday we went XC training at Tumpy Green. We took Mimi, Tulip and Pea, who were all fab.

Sales livery, Pea (in green) was just unreal. This perfect girl just never thinks twice, trusts us 100% and lives and breathes jumping! Only 5, and she warmed up like she was in a dressage test, completely ignoring the trains going back and forth. There’s just nothing this girl won’t do!

Tulip is in Bluebell, she’s a schooling and sales livery who was stunning to SJ a couple of weeks ago, but hasn’t XC schooled very much. She was brilliant, a little worried at first but then settled into it and flew. She was great to be introduced to water and basically just loved life!

Schooling livery, Mimi, who we have had for a couple of weeks while her owner and good friend Immy got married and went on her honeymoon! Mimi can be a bit keen, so we were so happy when she warmed up so politely. Then we got jumping and boy can she jump. She made the biggest jumps look easy, cue us booking her in to go eventing at the weekend!

Thanks Em for the pictures and videos, and being a badass super groom!

We had some trouble on the way home and want to thank everyone who helped us! Including but not limited to: Luke (Em’s superdad who is a hero), our own superdad, Beth and her superdad, Emily and Chloe (of course), Sam, Lisa and our boys. Sick of having catastrophes but never get tired of the people who are always ready to help us. As I said, not limited to the people we mention, it’s everyone willing to drop everything for us time and time again. I hope we’ll be worthy of you all one day.

29/08/2024

Horses looking for homes

💙 Tulip 💙
16.1, 10 year old mare. Stunning on the flat, jumping 80cm, xc schooled. Hacks well. Offers around 6.5.

💚 Pea 💚
14.2, 5 year old mare. Jumps anything you point her at, clear round 90 SJ, jumped some 1m fences XC. Bombproof to hack. Offers around 8.5.

💜 Togo 💜
15.2, 8 year old gelding. Sweet to hack, just started schooling and jumping again after KS injections. Needs someone experienced. Offers around 2.5.

🩷 Annie 🩷
16.1, 12 year old mare. Experienced schoolmistress on the flat and to jump. Many time winner BS with clean record. Offers considered (around low fives, high fours).

24/08/2024

Thank you to everyone who helped today for the first day of our working party, and those who were unable to make it this weekend but are always there ❤️

Day two tomorrow, hoping for some better weather! We have so much bbq food so even if you can’t help out for the work part, join us for the party part!

Thank you Em for doing such a good job on the tack room, Chloe for helping us fence in the p*ssing down rain, Dad for always being my hero, Luke for looking at Dan’s car, Jun for tractoring all afternoon and everyone who would be here but couldn’t be this time.

Love Team Hesteyri!

18/08/2024

Tulip, Menin Gate and Stag at CCR on Wednesday!

Sales livery, Tulip (in Bluebell) was first up with a 70 and an 80 and she absolutely flew, didn’t look at anything and jumped beautifully, with scope to go much higher! Hopefully, you can all see for yourself how cool this mare is, we are looking for a brilliant home for her, one where she will get to do what she loves! Absolutely loves going out for parties, and she’s super smart so someone who will enjoy having a play on the flat as well as jumping would be amazing. Her price will increase with the more she does but she is currently a bargain at mid four figures so don’t hang about.

Menin Gate (burgundy) did 80 with Lauren and I was so proud of them both, she doesn’t get as much time with our unicorn as me and it was a foot perfect round! He then did his first 90 and was so brave to jump everything first time! Hopefully the transport woes are behind us (thanks to Luke, Emily’s dad) and we can get him to some parties!

Stag Horn (in sage green) was next with a 90 and then his first 1m and he was absolutely amazing! So proud of him. I came out and practically fell into Lauren’s arms and we had a little cry for our JJ. CCR was his home from home, and I always feel him jumping with me when I’m there. Grateful to have the best sister ever, who knew when I walked out of the ring. She just held me and said “he’s still here.”

Thank you so much to Emily for being an absolute super groom with some extreme horse juggling, and still managing to take awesome video and pictures! And she got us breakfast to have on the road too! Such a legend! Have more thank yous but I've run out of space so will put them in the comments!

15/08/2024

15/08/24
Rio started the day again, and he was awesome, so chuffed with him this week, what a legend.

Lion had a little jump today and he was a star! It was a tricky exercise with changes of leads, and his first double, but he always gives his best!

Tulip worked so nicely on the flat and was so loose, especially considering her big day yesterday.

Then Acorn had another brilliant hack with Annie! The bins were out so lots to look at, and then he had to deal with a dog running up to him barking and then sniffing around his heals. He just carried on like a little angel!

To celebrate Em’s A-level results, we boxed Rose, Togo and Pea to Leyland for Arena hire.

Pea was epic, pinging everything she was pointed at (she’s literally never stopped in her life) she’s just so cool, took her in and there was 1.05 course up and she just took it all in her stride.

Then Em got to jump her first proper jumps on Rose and it just makes me so proud. She has come so far and it’s amazing to see, and just be able to focus on her and know that Rose has got her no matter what. It’s really special to be able to trust your horse that much. Good job we had a no stirrup session on Tuesday, zoom in to see why! Just so proud, Em’s first 40cm course was in February and it was quite terrifying, but today is the result of hard work behind the scenes.

Togo was such a brave little pony! There’s a lot to deal with at Leyland, it’s a spooky arena anyway, and it was really windy and it backs onto a main road but the little man was awesome! Jumped everything first time like a little dude.

Back at the ranch, Cash went beautifully out with Swift and Togo rode with them back to his field. Cash was an absolute saint and was so chilled with traffic, even a fast delivery driver.

Bruce, Stag and Menin Gate went for a lush trot up the lane and we spent most of it giggling. So proud of Em for the way she’s been riding Bruce, I wish I could have filmed him floating down the lane (but my phone was soaking).

Henry and Red had a very soggy mooch up the lane but were both good boys.

Hazel was so, so much better for her walk out today, no Lone Ranger rears which we were chuffed with!

14/08/2024

14/08/24

Rio, Annie and Pea all schooled first thing and were all awesome.

Then we boxed sales livery, Tulip (in Bluebell) to CCR with our boys, Stag and Menin Gate. Thanks to Em for our breakfast on the go!

Tulip was first up with a 70 and an 80 and she absolutely flew, didn’t look at anything and jumped beautifully, with scope to go much higher!

Menin Gate did 80 with Lauren and I was so proud of them both, she doesn’t get as much time with our unicorn as me and it was a foot perfect round! He then did his first 90 and was so brave to jump everything first time! Hopefully the transport woes are behind us (thanks to Luke) and we can get him to some parties!

Stag was next with a 90 and then his first 1m and he was absolutely amazing! So proud of him. I came out and practically fell into Lauren’s arms and we had a little cry for our JJ. CCR was his home from home, and I always feel him jumping with me when I’m there. Grateful to have the best sister ever, who knew when I walked out of the ring. She just held me and said “he’s still here.”

Thank you so much to Emily for being an absolute super groom with some extreme horse juggling. Such a legend! Lovely to see Sarah and Ren, thank you for your help too! And Charlotte for endless patience and being so accommodating when we have multiple horses in the same classes.

Back at the ranch, we got straight out with Acorn and Rose for his first proper big boy ride, he was absolutely perfect, trotted up the lane, in self carriage (it’s how you start them that counts, kids) and confidently mooching on home.

Cash also had his first big boy ride with perfect Swift, and with Lauren as back up to make sure that everything was fine. He had some extra pats from Hugo too, and turned his face in when he could see him reaching out. We were sceptical that we would get here with this boy after his past, we’re just so proud of him for every bit of trust he shows us.

Togo, Lion and Bruce went for a ride together.

Hazel had her 2nd walk down the road, still with some airtime, but huge improvement on yesterday!

Last to school at home was Fortune who was just lush.

And then Lauren went off to do Mimi because she’s a legend.

13/08/2024

13/08/24

Today was mental, but it was always going to be with 17 to work. Riding 8 horses in a day isn’t that bad until you factor in all the extra bits like fetching horses and tacking up. Just need to clone ourselves and Em and we’ll be away.

Stag was a star in the school first thing.

Pea was next and went absolutely beautifully and smashed a pole exercise in trot and canter, as well as learning turn around the forehand and working on other laterals.

Rio was absolutely amazing, did some really mega work and just gets better and better!

Hazel had a walk down the road which was a bit of a tall ask (it doesn’t sound like a tall ask but she’s pretty feral so it was a big deal). Really proud of her for settling though.

New sales livery, Tulip, was absolutely stunning on the flat, she’s pictured strutting her stuff. She will be up for mid four figures.

Cash had his first taste of a big boy ride as Em picked Lion up from the field on the way home. He was an utter star!

Em had an amazing lesson on Rose, think we’ll have to take her stirrups away more often!

Lion was a little saint to school over the poles and did some brilliant canter work.

Then Acorn had a big boy ride too, going out with Lion, who Em rode to the field, and then going out for a beautiful trot up the lane and past a Jewson Kitchen & Bathroom Coleford lorry (thank you so much for turning the lorry off and waiting patiently, not all heroes wear capes) while Em and Lisa switched Lion for Bruce and then Lauren rode Bruce back. We decided it was the perfect way to get Acorn used to potentially meeting people for hacks and he certainly showed how well adapted he is today!

Then Brucey had a lush pole work session.

Henry had his first look at poles and was a bit of a wet wipe so aunty Em had to lead him over, after that, he was really brave!

Menin Gate was heavenly to school while Lauren took Bruce back and picked up Togo with Emily running the tack down in the car and Lisa looking after Hugs.

Togo was exceptionally lush (Lauren’s words) for a pole and flatwork session.

Fortune was a little poppet in the school, somewhere along the way, she’s become this zen horse and we’re so here for it.

Swift and Annie finished the day with an absolute epic jump session. So chuffed with them both.

12/08/2024

12/08/24

So today, we were lucky to have our girl back, but not only that, with her, Emily brought Jess who was amazing!

We started with Lion, who was super for the dentist, and who rode out with Annie, Rio and Tulip, our newest sales livery who arrived on the weekend. They were all superstars.

next up were Stag, Togo, Rose and Pea who were also all pretty heavenly!

Then, Acorn rode out with other horses for the first time, Jess and Emily lead Lion and Togo down to their new field with him. He was such a good boy and had the most heavenly trot, and was so brave going further than ever, off the lead rein and meeting traffic.

Bruce, Menin Gate, Swift and Red were lush to ride out, Menin Gate had a gallop up the hill while Emily was turning Bruce out with the boys!

Fortune was absolutely perfect to school with lots going on! So proud of how far she’s come, and that’s she was the only one I could catch because the hay had just been put out, who’d have thought it!

Hazel, who is a backing livery and arrived at the weekend with her field mate, Willow, then had a walk up all on her own and moved in to a separate field with her big sister, Fortune. It was a big step for her but both Willow and Hazel are already settling apart from each other which we’re chuffed with!

Cash had his most grown up ride out with a splendid (Lauren called him splendid today so I thought I’d switch up my adjectives even though it makes me feel like I’m in an Enid Blyton book) trot off the leadrein! So proud of how the babies are growing up!

Henry finished the day with had a fab school.

Thank you so much Jess and Em for all your help today, couldn’t have done it without you!

Picture of my unicorn schooling at home the other day.

05/08/2024

Here’s our little Princess smashing a double clear at British Riding Clubs Eventing Championships to finish on her dressage and come 9th out of a sizeable section of almost 50 horses!

We are so lucky to have her and to have had more than ten years with her building that trust she shows so often.

This weekend has been absolute carnage, with people getting time and faults in a show jumping round that used the terrain to make for interesting challenges, and people getting eliminated left right and centre cross country with the fewest clears I’ve ever seen at an event.

Our little mare isn’t a brave horse but she trusts we’ll never ask her to do something she can’t do, even when she’s negotiating slippery terrain or coming to a fence that’s giving her the heebie jeebies. This weekend, that really showed because she trusts Lauren 100% to bring her home, and I trust both of them completely, to get back safely and together with smiles on their faces. They did that and more today and I couldn’t be prouder. Rose was so happy all weekend and it was adorable, and so special to be still having adventures with her.

Thank you so much to our amazing riding club for making this weekend possible. We are endlessly grateful for Hereford & District Riding Club and the amazing people we’ve met on the way!

Well done to our team mates, you were amazing and I can’t believe we came 2nd in the quiz! Thank you for the laughs, support, cider and late night conversations about ponies!

Huge thank you to Jo and her partner for coming all the way out to volunteer for us! You are amazing!

Thank you to our girl, Emily, for all your help, and making this weekend so special. And to Em’s dad, Luke, who has managed to get the lorry back on the road!

And to our long suffering family who make everything possible. For sending us with food, gas and everything we might need, right down to a heat proof board so that we didn’t singe the grass with the bbq! Thank you for looking after the horses back at the ranch, for videos of Hugo and Simba, and for being the best people we could have hoped to call family.

04/08/2024

British Riding Clubs Eventing Championships 2024

Well our little princess does it again. We were proud enough of her getting to go, and being an angel all weekend but she smashed a double clear to finish on her dressage and come 9th out of a sizeable section of almost 50 horses!

I don’t even have the words for this horse. We are so lucky to have her and to have had so long with her. We have had her since she was 5 years old and she just competed at her 4th BRC championship since 2021 at 16!

This weekend has been absolute carnage, with people getting time and faults in a show jumping round that used the terrain to make for interesting challenges, and people getting eliminated left right and centre cross country with the fewest clears I’ve ever seen at an event.

Our little mare isn’t a brave horse, but she has absolute faith after more than 10 years that we will never ask her to do something she can’t do. This weekend, that really showed because she trusts Lauren 100% to bring her home, and I trust both of them completely, to get back safely and together with smiles on their faces. They did that and more today and I couldn’t be prouder. Emily and I had a good giggle about them trotting around the second half of the course because they were so up on the clock, but they smashed it! 2 seconds inside like absolute bosses.

Thank you so much to our amazing riding club for making this weekend possible. We are endlessly grateful for Hereford & District Riding Club and the amazing people we’ve met on the way! Well done to our team mates, you were amazing and I can’t believe we came 2nd in the quiz! Huge thank you to Jo and her partner for coming all the way out to volunteer for us! You are amazing!

Thank you to our girl, Emily, for all your help, and making this weekend so special. And to Em’s dad, Luke, who has managed to get the lorry back on the road!

And to our long suffering family who make everything possible. For sending us with food, gas and everything we might need, right down to a heat proof board so that we didn’t singe the grass with the bbq! Thank you for looking after the horses back at the ranch, for videos of Hugo and Simba, and for being the best people we could have hoped to call family.

29/07/2024

We have been teaching Rio and little Meg for a little over a year now and these two make us beyond proud. I think that they’re a real advert for perseverance and hard work. This time last year, Rio was taking off with Meg, and running out, didn’t know how to go in a true contact or even canter! The difference in them is insane.

People told this little girl and her mum to get rid of this horse, he was naughty, Meg could be great with a different horse, etc. etc. Well I hope they’re eating their words now, because all they actually needed was a couple of coaches to believe in them, and not tell them that the horse was naughty when he just didn’t have the balance or skill yet to do the job. Thank you to Heather for being one of those people who encouraged rather than discouraged, to Meg’s parents for giving their girl every chance to succeed, and Meg herself for showing us why we do what we do.

People try to put us down by saying that we do things our way. Well our way is putting the horse first and never blaming them. Pretty proud to say that’s this little girl’s way too now, and I’d say it’s serving her pretty well!

28/07/2024

28/07/24

HDRC fun rides at Pengethley never disappoint! This one was extra awesome though.

We were trying to work out who Em could ride. Rose is a lot of fun but she’s also a bit mental and Togo has never done anything like this before so we didn’t want her winding him up.

We decided that if she couldn’t take the 16 year old, she would just have to have the 5 year old who is the most reliable horse on the yard for someone who has never done a fun ride!

So we took Togo (purple), Pea (lime green) and Menin Gate (burgundy) to go and have some fun.

Togo was the unknown entity but he didn’t put a foot wrong, he was just so brave and loved every second, did some jumpies having only jumped a little cross pole at home before! He absolutely loved having a blast around some of the fields but then was as easy as anything to bring back to have a walk, and we even stood around having a chat when Helen and Beth caught us up without any of them getting fidgety. And he stood like a rock when he shook his bridle off because of the flies, just waited for us to sort him out and cracked on. He is now looking for a brilliant home, he’s up for very low four figures as we just want what’s best for him, which we think is someone who would love to hack and fun ride and just have a new best friend.

Sales livery, Pea, was an absolute saint, of course! How lucky are we that we have a five year old who will babysit horses and people rather than the other way around! She was an absolute gem, as usual, jumped everything she was pointed at and was just a poppet. So proud of her for looking after Em, but also of Em for riding so well. It was her first time at a fun ride and she’s not even jumped cross country, after only riding Pea out hacking, she was really brave and did a super job.

And then Menin Gate was a unicorn as always.

It was so lovely to have Jun and Hugo with us! Thank you so much for carrying Hugo around and taking awesome pictures!

Huge thanks to HDRC for everything you do, thank you for the volunteers and land owners, but above all, thank you to Beth and Helen for being people who make the world a better place, looking out for both people and horses. Love our club!

27/07/2024

27/07/24

Oh my Bay Bies. I have rarely been so proud.

Stag Horn absolutely smashed it today. He went out so confident and calm, absolutely flew around, didn’t look at anything, not even the water tray which he’s not had in an 85 before. He had one unlucky rail which was a shame but he felt so class!

He then did his first British Novice and what an absolute star! He was so brave and felt like he skipped around even the 1m jump off. He really deserved a clear because he was absolutely amazing but had a rail because I over rode a fence that everyone was stopping at! Still pleased with 6th in a big class, and he was the fastest four faulter. So proud of my little bay superstar, just feel like I let him down.

Annie felt a little uncharacteristically flat in the first round, just a bit hot and tired and had a pole. She went back on board for a bit with her feed and then came off feeling similar in the 90.

She’s had a big week going to the beach Monday, the woods on Thursday and schooling like a dreamboat for the rest of the week, and she has won or placed every time out for as long as I can remember, she has nothing to learn and I know she will always jump for me. But there’s only one Bambi and always another day so we retired after she jumped 7 beautifully. She was very confused as she knew the course so went to carry on to the jump off. The biggest cuddles for the best girl who always gives me everything. If someone told me last year that she would be as honest as she is now, I’d have said ‘yeah in my dreams’. Which says a lot about the horse she is everyday. I don’t even think she has a stop in her anymore and that makes me beyond proud of her and the way she has grown.

Had such a lush surprise in the form of Em, who was supposed to be at work today and got out because she works with great people! Honestly made my day having her with us. It’s all about the team you have and how amazing is it to have people who are as proud of your horses as you are and see their every accomplishment! Thank you for the video and just everything you do!

It was so lovely to meet Suze today, after only exchanged Facebook comments for ages! Well done for 2 lovely dcs and 3rd in the Novice! So deserved!

Thank you as always to CCR for putting on a fab day of jumping!

26/07/2024

I’ve always struggled with privilege.

I don’t find it inspiring that there are people at the top who have got there thanks to money. Because money really can buy talent. It can buy lessons, it can buy schoolmasters, who jump even when they’re being jabbed in the mouth everytime they do, who still give one time changes when they’re lame, and whenever they stop doing it for people who still can’t ride, they’re naughty and sold, given away or shot. They don’t sit in a field and get to be a horse.

And it’s not just financial privilege, it’s quite often luck, someone got lucky and rode a really good horse once, got spotted and then got another one and again and again until you die.

And it’s not just privilege it’s the decisions you make because you ‘have to’. It’s the horse you put to sleep because it was never a good ride and now is too dangerous, and because that horse has never given you anything, you think you don’t owe him anything.

The thing I struggle with so much is knowing I would get there if I put my morals to one side. Knowing I would have more money to buy ‘better’ horses if I had put that 5 year old to sleep instead of retiring him. If we didn’t stop a horse from being put to sleep, not because we had something to gain, but because he deserved to be a horse.

The thing I struggle with is having backed more horses than most people have ever ridden, and people still thinking that a half tonne prey animal (who could kill you but doesn’t) owes anyone anything. As if allowing you to be up there isn’t a miracle in itself.

The thing I struggle with is that people who have always had horses bred to jump, or whose horses take them to a jump from the time they’re babies, who have inherited bravery and jump, those people get to tell me that it’s all in the training when they’ve never taught a horse (that was designed to run fast on flat ground) that jumping coloured sticks is fun. That’s coming from someone who absolutely adores ex racers and completely has a type, but also coming from someone who has had well bred horses take me to a fence and show how easy it can be. Usually after we’ve got them over a problem and just when they get good, they go home or move on to a new one.

It’s making choices to avoid and ignore those trainers who tell you to ‘dominate’ your horse, ‘pull his back teeth out’, ‘hold him there until he yields’ without wishing death on them or ruining them. It’s realising the people who tell you your horse is spoiled and you need to hold her in an outline to get results are probably right but not doing it anyway. It’s working 14, 15, 16 hour days for pennies because you don’t want that horse to go back to the people who have given him the problem, so you do it for free, while the people who tell you that you have no business sense move on, forget about the horse and carry on winning. It’s knowing that if you can’t achieve your dreams and still put your horse first, you’ll still be a penniless dreamer with your happy horse in the garden.

I’ve been so disillusioned this week. So betrayed that everyone seems to be staying at the top for the same reasons, so hurt that I just didn’t see how we can carry on doing this sport in this world. And scared that we’re all a second away from having a phone call recorded and manipulated until the world is throwing a party about your downfall. People saying you’re as bad as the cruelty because you don’t think someone should lose their life over their mistakes when they’re already facing their punishment.

And then I had moments with people who are not running their youngsters into the ground, who joke that they give their kid’s horse more attention than their kid. Those girls who live and breathe for horses, who help us remember that the real privilege is getting to be around them at all, who advocate for horses everywhere they go from the UK to South Africa. And I was reminded that the people who truly care about animals are the ones who are proving it, the ones who have their fields or rented fields filled with horses who other people think they owe nothing to, because they know they deserve the best in life whether they are at the top of the sport or they’ve never allowed a person on their backs. (Hi, you know it’s you, I love you. I mean, ‘happy Easter’). The ones who are always sharing the positives and not looking for the next person to bring down. The ones who make their corner of the world a safe place for horses, who show how it should be done instead of telling everyone how it shouldn’t be done. Who put the horse first and the sport second every day. The ones who really care aren’t always the ones shouting the loudest. They are the ones that know that kindness and understanding has to be shown to everyone, not just those of the four legged variety.

Do you know how proud I am you were created?

16/07/2024

16/07/24

Today started with a fab session for Cash. He started very tense but he was so brave and had me all the way on today, a step forwards from just leaning over.

Stag had an epic session working on flying changes without jumps or poles as cues. So proud of him for such clean changes.

Pea worked so hard on collected trot and was a real star!

Emily had a brilliant session on Rose learning how to change (Emily, not Rose 😂) always so lush to teach on her as we can teach Emily the right way instead of teaching the horse at the same time.

Swift was a good girl for a chilled flat session.

Menin Gate smashed his session with some epic clean changes, I’m hoping he can do them on the straight next week!

Then we went to Ace Cross Country with Lion and Little Meg on Rio!

Lion was beyond special. He only jumped with us for the first time last week and then this week he’s the star of the show!! Dad was asking “is Lion the one who you think is going to be really special?” Yup that’s the one. What a little legend!

And don’t get me started on Rio and Little Meg. This time last year, everyone was saying how naughty this pony was. Now look at them. They just needed the right coaching (sorry but I’m really proud of my sister) and someone to believe in them. People who try to bring you down and don’t see how good a horse can be aren’t worth your time. Sorry, stepping off my soapbox.

Thank you so endlessly to Emily for being amazing and for these fab pictures! And Lisa for driving and videoing! And to Team O’Shea for another absolute legend!

14/07/2024

Stag and Annie headed to BS at Mendip Plains Equestrian Centre yesterday and they were both on top form coming home with 2 double clears, 2 wins and 2 seconds!

Stag started with an 80 to warm up and he was foot perfect, felt so confident and like a true professional! I rode the jump off a little too fast and struggled to get him back for the double so he just caught the pole but it was totally my fault! He was 8 seconds faster than the next fastest so still bagged second!

In the 85 amateur qualifier, he was a total dude, just catching the plank which was unlucky and then I managed to miss the finish flags! Really stupid but thank god I did it with him or I definitely would have with Annie (I usually have them do the counter turn when I come in super tight to the last as it balances them back out). He still managed to come 2nd to Annie which he really deserved as he was pure class.

Annie (Cornsay Aurora in Pink) did an amazing job in the ring as always! She was in season and didn’t warm up brilliantly so I gave her a gallop up the long side to open her up both times and she did two foot perfect, fast double clears and won both her classes! Beyond proud of her as there are just days when you just want to curl up in bed with a hot water bottle and there she was doing two faultless rounds despite that.

I have the hugest amount of gratitude for my big sister. Not just because she reregistered me BS as soon as I was well enough and booked the ponies in, and held Annie and Stag while filming, or because she looked after me (I have a cold on top of the usual which isn’t ideal for either POTs or asthma). But because my entire life, I’ve had my own cheerleader, a best friend who genuinely wants the best for me always, who never competes with me or brings me down, just wants me to be happy and enjoy life. I love you so much.

Massive thanks to Claire for letting us borrow the lorry! You’re an utter legend, especially last minute. It takes a village and we’d be lost without you!

Cornsay Horses