Emily Dunn is the head groom for Irish eventer Esib Powers. They are based out of Maizey Manor Farm. Check out more from Emily and Esib at the Powers Eventing Blog, and follow @ejddunn and @powereventing. Many thanks for writing this Emily and thank you for reading.
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From Emily:
It has been nearly three weeks since Barbury Castle Horse Trials, and in that time our eventing schedule has consisted of two dressage tests and one intermediate/mud wrestling competition. Credit really does need to go everyone involved at Aston Le Walls for managing to run in excess of 1000 horses over the weekend in extremely tough conditions. I’m sure I speak for every member of British Eventing when I say that we are hugely grateful for the outing! However I am going to admit now, I’m not sure which has been harder, dealing with the endless rain and cancellations or trying to pull together anything to write about for this blog. This will probably become evident the more you read on, so in advanced I am sorry.
If I’m honest, the motivation levels have been lacking at Power Eventing since Barbury. It only feels like now that we’re getting back into the swing of things and focusing on our next big aim. The weather man is claiming that we will be getting some sun soon, hopefully this means events will actually get to run, working outside will become possible and not just something crazy people do and I may get the chance to improve on my farmers tan. One can, at least, only hope. So from this point on things are looking brighter and it will be all systems GO for Burghley Horse Trials at the end of August, well I won’t get too ahead of myself…….the systems are at least slowly warming up to get ready to go.
So with Gatcombe being the latest big event to fall victim to the British Summer, there really isn’t any eventing information to bring you from us, at all. The most exciting thing to have happened at Power Eventing is the arrival of Border terrier puppy ‘Cooper’, he was a gift from Esib and Jackie Green to me. His appearance to the team came perfectly timed, being the day after the announcement of the Irish Eventing Team and sale of one of my most favourite horses on our yard. Now is probably the best time to remind everyone that a puppy is for life and not just for cushioning emotional traumas, and also it was my birthday. Consequently part of our lack of motivation has been coming from him. Cooper is the perfect distraction from doing anything that involves standing out in the rain or being, in any way, productive on the yard. He is also the cause of my phone being clogged with 2497 photos of Cooper sleeping, Cooper sitting, Cooper eating, Cooper looking cute, plus a few hundred videos of him running, jumping and chasing his tail.
We did however manage to tear ourselves away from the new puppy and took a day off the yard this week to head down to watch the Hickstead Eventers Grand Prix. Esib’s brother Robert was competing one of our former 3* horses, Doonaveeragh O One AKA Tommy. The Eventers Grand Prix is normally a competition for eventers and show jumpers going against the clock over show jumps and cross country fences, but Robert is, professionally, a National Hunt Jockey. I know Esib would like me to mention here that he did actually start his career in show jumping so isn’t oblivious to seeing a stride to a fence! He had a great round finishing 3rd behind Trevor Breen and Andrew Nicholson, not bad for a Jockey or ex show jumper. Not wanting to be outdone by her brother they then went head to head in the Bull Rider series, Robert lasted an embarrassing 13 seconds, which was met by sibling love/ jeering from Esib, only for her to get on and last 12 seconds, that’s when we decided it was time to go home.
Andrew Nicholson with Quimbo (2nd) and Robert Power with Tommy (3rd) at the Hickstead Eventers Grand Prix Lap of Honour
Hopefully next time I will have some actual eventing to talk about as we will have a new Olympic Champion. However something much more important than that is, I should have dusted off the cross country boots, as one of our young horses has his first three day event at Hartpury Horse Trials and September Bliss will be there to help us leave Barbury behind us and put right some of the recent wrongs. Sorry now I really do have to go, Cooper is sleeping again I need to take some more photos……
