A Dream Comes True for Kerry....

Sometimes it takes you a while for reality to sink in.  That is exactly what's happened to me in January!

On the Friday I confirmed my visit to Team Hollings for the Supreme Products makeover that I had won through the Supreme Products Facebook page in 2012. This competition was giving me the chance to spend a day with Team Hollings, having a makeover for my pony Quest and being given guidance on which Supreme Products to use when, how and why.

I felt completely fine, I'd rushed round and arranged for my two children to go spend the day with my mum while I took Quest for his big pamper session, I'd had my tea as usual and got in to bed!

......And yet I didn’t sleep a wink. I think all the excitement started to build - well it wasn’t excitement, it was nerves! If I am completely honest with you I was scared stiff!

 

Me, a total novice at showing going to see a big name like Penny Hollings with my gift pony (gift because Quest was bought for me by non-horsey friends for Christmas in 2009).

 

The horrid thoughts started going through my head - what if they think I’ve brought a donkey to a pony party? What happens if he shows me up? After all, his last outing was Cheshire County some six months previously, and he does like to show off occasionally!

 

I was up five or six times in the night, checking that I had everything; that my gloves were in my showing jacket pocket; that I had packed my plain tweed, my over checked tweed and my blue jacket, just to be safe.I had even lost my short boots at some point and was hunting for them panicking and thinking ‘would my long boots go under my black dress pants?’

I was up before the alarm, and had two coffees before my children even raised their heads. Once breakfast was out the way I dashed to the yard to hang hay nets and skip out the ponies before I travelled up the M6 to Kendal to drop my children off with my very patient and forgiving mother.

I made sure I only got there at 10am so she could have a lie in on her only day off! After a quick 20 minutes catch up and yet another coffee - his my fourth- -I was back on the M6 travelling south to get to the yard to properly muck out and get Quest sorted ready for transport collecting me at 12noon!

My transport - Annabel - telephoned to say she was on her way but slightly delayed! This saw me dashing to the loo, probably with nerves, and rechecking I had everything I needed - the in hand bridle with his stallion bit and plaited leather browband; his ribboned browband; the red tie that matched that; my three tweed jackets - the whole lot! I am sure I packed for every eventuality!

Annabel arrived and Quest - who enjoys having days out - shouted to her as she arrived, he walked out of the stable, across the muddy ground and straight into the box!Within 10 minutes after I had loaded everything along with the kitchen sink, we were on our way.

After chatting to Annabel for what seemed like only five minutes we arrived at the Team Hollings yard. By this point I was feeling slightly sick.... I have seen Penny before, I was standing outside the ring as she took first place! She is someone I have looked up to and aspired to be like for a long time. So to be finally meeting her and getting advice and tips had me scared stiff.

To also be meeting Sarah from Supreme Products and Tim who had organised the day on behalf of Supreme Products also had me nervous.

I didn’t know what they expected as the photograph I had entered into the Supreme Products competition was from the end of Quest's 2011 season when he was only two-years-old. He has changed a lot since then, as he is now four.

 

Pulling into the drive we were met by Tim and Penny and members of the team, who all came over with friendly smiles and quick hellos! This had me instantly at ease, I just hoped they liked what I was about to show them in the box.

Having not done anything with Quest since Cheshire County I had intentionally left him untrimmed so I could get the most from the makeover, and get the best advice on thinning and trimming him up ready to plait.

I brought Quest out of the box and he was a tad giddy, however he soon settled down and we were asked to stand near some stables so that I could have my before picture taken.

Smiling for the photographer I was thinking 'my god my horse looks like a poor relation to the two immaculate horses that were being turned out for a run, he has a mane to rival any natives, and his pulled tail could have been used to clean my loo at home it was that bushy!'

Penny and the team made comments on him, saying how lovely he was, and they were glad I had left him in the state he was as the whole point of a makeover was to show how best to go about getting a horse ready for showing.

 

(However I had been bad - I had trimmed his ears the day before as they were bugging me, and I had to get rid of the mohican that was his bridle path! I had managed to trim away too much - someone has previously called me a frustrated hairdresser when it comes to trimming - as I have taken too much off his tail before today when trying to get him ready for showing. So I will be letting that patch grow out and plaiting it when it’s long enough.)

Quest and I were taken round to the stable block and I tied him up with his hay net, Quest has never been set upon en masse and within minutes of being there he was taken in hand by Penny and Stacey, the Showing team Manager - and I stood back and watched them work their magic.

 

Watching the professionals at work really made me understand how much of an art form it is to get the desired results, and that with practice, lots and lots of practice, I might just get up to a decent standard.

All my fears of the previous night were banished within seconds of meeting Penny and her team, they were all very friendly and within minutes we were laughing about common experiences.

Before I knew it I had yet another coffee in my hand and I was being shown how best to apply what products, and what products would work best to help with Quest’s turnout.

I have always been a fan of the Supreme Products Blue Shampoo as it works wonders – so seeing how the Supreme Products Stain Remover Shampoo was applied and left to lift the stains on his hocks before the Blue Shampoo was applied was brilliant, and definitely a top tip as it worked amazingly. Usually I scrub his legs, wash his body and if the stain is still persistent I re do his legs until they are faint enough for me to use Supreme Products Leg & Body Whitener.

 

I asked a lot of questions about how you would go about pulling a mane as thick as Quest's.  With Quest having welsh breeding he has a very thick mane and tail, so thick he is not a fan of it being pulled.

Stacey pulling, thinning and tidying Quest's mane.

Stacey advised that once it was thinned out and pulled that you really should keep on top of it and thin it often, so that you don’t have to take too much away at any one time. This is a tip I will definitely follow as it is such an ordeal to thin him if left too long.

Once Stacey had thinned his mane and tail she then went on to plait him up. Previously I have always put 11 to 13 plaits in his mane as it is that thick and his plaits looked awful otherwise, so I was shocked to find out that Stacey had managed to get just nine plaits in his mane!

Stacey used Supreme Products Easy Plait to help the process and as Quest has a rubbed patch on his mane from his winter rug, she also talked to me about Supreme Products Mane & Tail Builder to help generate hair growth.

Once the plaiting was complete Quest’s makeover was really starting to come together. 

Stacey explained how to use Supreme Products de luxe Coat Gloss to lay his coat and add shine before she went on to add Supreme Products Highlighter Gel to enhance his eyes and nose.

While I went off to put my show gear on, the finishing touches were carried out and when I returned ‘wow’ what a transformation, I couldn’t believe it!

I decided to wear the jacket I wore at Cheshire County and after hopping round the back of the horsebox trying to get my pants to fit over my jodhpurs as it was cold, I finally managed to get into them and get them fastened much to the amusement of Annabel who was sitting in the box.

 

Taking my bridle and lead, I also grabbed my in-hand welsh stallion whip and show cane as I didn’t know which was needed and I dashed back to check all was ok with Quest.

After being told that unless I was doing a Part Bred Welsh class I only needed my cane I was all set and put on Quest’s show bridle! And 'voila'! From scruff to Supreme Products star in just two hours!

From there we had photographs taken, to be honest there were photographs taken of the whole process to turn Quest in to a show ring superstar.

  

Kerry and Quest

The before and after photographs show what amazing results you can get when you know how to use the Supreme Products range correctly, know exactly what they do and how best to apply them to get the maximum impact and the best possible results.

I came away with so much information just from the makeover session. But that wasn’t the end of our day with Team Hollings.  Penny talked me through some ring craft tips, and showed me how to stand Quest up correctly.

 

I was also shown how to get him to focus on me and work with me in the ring, just having that one-on-one I came away with more confidence in my ability to show him off to his best.

Being a total amateur I often feel that I am not showing him off to his best so the ring craft advice was a huge bonus.

What I learned from my day with Supreme Products and Team Hollings has changed how I will go about showing Quest and preparing him for the ring! 

After learning so many useful tips in show preparation and ring craft I can’t wait to get out with him now. 

I also found out that all my worrying was for nothing. Penny, Stacey, Sarah and Tim were all really friendly and easy to talk to, and I came away with a huge smile on my face!

I am still smiling now a good 48 hours after, and it’s not because of all the coffee!

For further information contact Supreme Products on 01377 229050 or visit www.supremeproducts.co.uk

Horsebox owners - Do you need an Operators Licence or a Tachograph?

VOSA (the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency) are increasingly stopping horsebox owners that are using horseboxes large enough to come under HGV Operators License and Tachograph Legislation.

There is a lot of information available, much of it is misleading, confusing or doesn't provide the answers you need!

The Missina LoRanger 

 

 Much of the information is produced by organisations and private individuals that don't have any experience in the area; the legislation in question is complex and detailed. The following guidelines have been provided by a company that deals in operator licensing on a daily basis. 

Please read on for further information, but if you require any further clarification, please visit the VOSA website by clicking here
 

DO YOU NEED AN OPERATORS LICENSE?

HERE ARE THE FACTS

• If you are using a vehicle with a Gross Plated Weight (GPW) of above 3.5 tonnes in connection with a trade or business, then you need an Operators License.


• If you are using a vehicle for private use then you do not need an Operators License regardless of weight. However, you may need to use a tachograph if the vehicle is over 7.5 tonnes Gross Plated Weight.

USING A TRAILER

• If you are towing a trailer that has an unladen weight of 1020Kg or below then it is not counted towards the weight of your vehicle.


• If your trailer has a GPW of above 1020Kg then it is counted towards the weight of the vehicle.

TYPES OF OPERATORS LICENSE

Restricted Operators License

If carrying goods that are your own in connection with your own trade or business, a Restricted Operators License is needed.

Standard National Operators License

If carrying goods for other people in connection with a trade or business for hire or reward. Then a Standard National Operators License is needed.

Standard International Operators License

A Standard International Operators License is needed to operate for hire or reward outside the UK.

DO YOU NEED A TACHOGRAPH?

HERE ARE THE FACTS

• If the vehicle has a GPW (Gross Plated Weight) of over 3.5 tonnes and is used in connection with a trade or business then you need to use a tachograph.


• If the vehicle has a GPW of under 7.5 tonnes and is used for private use only (not used in connection with a trade or business) then you do not need a tachograph.


• If the vehicle has a GPW of over 7.5 tonnes irrespective of private or business use then by law you need to use a tachograph.

EXAMPLES

1. Emma has a horsebox which has a Gross Plated Weight of 7.5 tonnes. She uses it to transport her horse around the UK to shows, there is no financial gain or payment in kind for participation in the show. Melissa does not need an Operators License and she does not need to use a Tachograph.

2. Wendy has a horsebox which has a Gross Plated Weight of 7.5 tonnes. She uses it to transport her horse around the UK to shows. So far this year she has made £20,000 in winnings and has secured sponsorship deals with several businesses. Wendy is considered to be working 'in connection with a trade or business' because of the sponsorships and making significant financial gain because of the prize money, therefore Wendy would need to have a Restricted Operators Licence and use a Tachograph.

3. Lisa has a horsebox which has a Gross Plated Weight of 26 tonnes and she uses it to transport her own horses around the UK for personal use. No sponsorships are involved and the vehicle is registered to herself. Lisa would not require an Operators License but she would be required to use a tachograph due to the weight of the vehicle.
 
4. Jennifer breeds horses which she then sells for financial gain or payment in kind. She transports the horses in a 7.5 tonne horsebox. Jennifer is running a business, she would need a she would need a restricted Operators License and would need to use a tachograph.

For more information, visit http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/

 

 

Daily Horse Care with Katy Carter and Supreme Products

Katy Carter

THE Katy Carter Show Team is well known for producing top class horses and ponies and they have a busy 2013 season planned.

The team is very experienced, having shown horses and ponies at the highest level for many years, and they have built up a great reputation as producers for their wide range of clients. 

The yard has had the privilege of many successes throughout the years and the team has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to top class turnout as well as health and welfare issues concerning horses and ponies.

Ensuring their horse care cupboard is always up to date and stocked with the latest products is essential for the smooth running of the yard.

Says Katy: “If you own horses and ponies it is inevitable that at some point they will get cuts and grazes and need some TLC.  It is all part of the process but making sure you have creams, wipes and sprays that can quickly clean and help challenge infections is very important when it comes to every day care.

“If your horse or pony requires treatment for a wound it is important to take action as soon as possible.  In many cases minor wounds can be treated with creams and sprays but if you are unsure we would always recommend getting advice from a vet.

“Useful products to keep in stock include Supreme Products Horse CareCream which is great for ongoing attention for minor cuts and abrasions.  It is very useful to have in your tack box when a wound, graze or cut needs attention and also moisturises the skin and helps promote hair growth after a wound has healed.

“For times when a quick ‘clean-up’ is required Supreme Products NaturalTea Tree Body Wipes are an essential.  The wipes help cleanse and soothe, leaving the ponies feeling refreshed and clean.

“If we are worried about germs and infections on any grazes we turn to Supreme Products Skin and Cut Care Spray.  It is ideal for when an immediate response is required and helps challenge germs for minor wounds.

“Supreme Products Foot Care Spray has been designed to be used against foot and frog problems.  The spray will challenge germs, thrush or local infections that can occur whatever the time of year, especially in the turned out horse or pony. We – along with many others – use this product as a preventative product and we find we have much fewer foot problems since using this product on a regular basis.

 “When it comes to on-going attention to daily care we use Supreme Products Heel, Sole and Frog Care to help keep hooves in prime condition and aid restoration of feet after we have used the Foot Care Spray and repair after sole and frog conditions.

“My partner - Jason Lindley - is a farrier and recommends the hoof care products to all his clients as they make such a difference.”

For further information telephone 01377 229050 or visit www.supremeproducts.co.uk

Britain hold on to the lead by a fraction

It was a tense day two at the Greenwich Arena for the second half of the Grand Prix which saw tears, showers, records broken and one of the tensest competitions ever known.  The home team started the day with riders atop the leader board and from the off it was clear that it would be a challenge for them to stay there.

Italy’s Valentina Truppa posted 75.790% with Eremo del Castegno when just the fourth in the arena while the maestro Edward Gal rode a masterful round to earn 75.289% with the inexperienced Undercover just a few horses later to shake up the top ten and give the Dutch team score a huge boost.

After the first break, in cantered Britain’s Richard Davison to a wonderful reception, despite a rain shower, with the Countess of Derby’s Artemis.  The Floristan-sired gelding was clearly on his toes but Richard had ample time to settle him round the vast arena.  Once in the test, the marks quickly came and Richard used all his expertise to coax every single point possible.  72.812% was their score which left them 18^th at the close of play and safely qualified for the Special.

After his test, Richard exclaimed; “Boy that was hard work! I didn’t have one second to think or enjoy any part of that test; I was busy! With the rain shower and the ponchos coming out Artemis suddenly got all jumpy so the last ten minutes of our warm up were not what I wanted; what I’ve been dreaming about for the last four years.

“I was getting a more and more scared horse on my hands. It felt like taking a child for its first day at school; he was scared and I had to take him by the hand and say ‘come on, let’s do this together listen to me and you’ll be absolutely fine.’ He has got that side to him - in the last few months with doing all those indoor shows he’s really grown in confidence.
  
“Halfway round the test I felt him take his first breath and I thought, that’s where I want him to be – they’re horses and they run away when they’re frightened. Believe me he wanted to run away from Greenwich all the way back to Staffordshire!

I’m really pleased with him though and the way he grew in confidence as the test went on, nothing can prepare you for being in that arena. I was just glad to get to the final halt.”

Next was Germany’s new sensation, Kristina Sprehe who has had a meteoric rise with the black stallion Desperados.  This combination was one of the pre-competition favourites so the crowd was fixed on their performance.  The marks were flowing for some beautiful work and it was 79.119% in the end – not quite the magic 80% but a solid second score for Germany and for her individual ambitions.  The score was enough to break the Olympic Grand Prix record held by fellow country-woman Ulla Salzgeber.

The best showman on the circuit, Juan Manual Munoz Diaz gave the crowd a treat with his flamboyant performance with the striking white stallion Fuego to score 75.608% which left him tenth at the end of the day.
 
It was then the turn of Charlotte Dujardin on her Olympic debut with Carl Hester and Roly Luard’s Valegro and the hopes of a nation rested on the inexperienced combination that only started competing at Grand Prix level in January 2011.  She entered the arena to the rapturous applause for Juan but it simply lifted the combination’s spirits.

The first show piece movement is an extended trot across the diagonal which is the perfect start for them but a slight loss of contact towards the end started nerves wrangling.  Charlotte has ridden Valegro, or Blueberry, for five years and knows exactly how to handle the situation so it was soon put behind them as the continued in tremendous style.  The crowd was silent; all realising that they were watching something truly special.  High scores for passage and piaffe further boosted the marks towards the end and they finished as the crowd erupted into sheer delight.  The wait for the score seemed like an eternity but it was finally confirmed as 83.663% which gave the lead and a new Olympic record.

Charlotte commented; “Blueberry [Valegro] is just unbelievable, to think he’s only 10 and we only started grand prix last year. He knows what he has to do when he gets in there he’s just brilliant and never lets me down. I just enjoyed it from start to finish and when you stop and have that crowd around you, it’s just magic.

“The marks haven’t been that high so I was hoping for an 80; my best before this was 81 so to come to the Olympics and smash that is a little bit crazy. I had such fun. It’s such a buzz I can’t tell you!  I’ve been here since Sunday and I’ve just wanted to get in and do my piece. It was so exciting; when you ride in with all those people around you, it’s just amazing. I’m wearing my lucky breeches, the ones I broke the world record in at Hagen so maybe they helped!

“It’s an amazing opportunity to get here and ride a horse like Valegro and I wanted to enjoy it, you work a lifetime to get to something like this and I would have hated to go in there and put too much pressure on myself and then made mistakes. I just wanted to go in there and do what I would normally do at home or at any other show and that’s what we did. I never had any doubts that he would do it.”

A short break gave everyone time to get their composure and reflect on the enormity of what had happened.

Then it was on to the final competitor for the USA, the veteran Steffen Peters with Ravel – if anyone could bring us back down to earth it was this combination.  A flowing, well presented test scored 77.705% which slotted in between yesterday’s British riders Carl and Laura.

The second last combination of the day was gold medal favourites, Adelinde Cornelissen and Parzival.  The needed a good performance to help the Netherlands from a team stand point and of course their own fortunes.

The combination has missed some work owing to a slight injury but they actually looked better than ever following the rest.  A text book performance kept the high scores coming and the final square halt presented a score of 81.687%.  Not enough to overtake Charlotte but it helped the team to overtake Denmark to lie in bronze.

The final rider of the day was the exciting combination of Helen Langehanenberg and Damon Hill from Germany who impressed many recently at Aachen.  The calculators were out and it looked like they would need 82% plus to overtake Britain in the team competition and as the horse’s best grand prix score was around the 76% mark, the pressure was on.

 As the test progressed in silence and the marks piled in, it was looking close but the final score was 81.687%.  This left Charlotte in the lead by nearly 2% and Britain in gold, but by just 0.562%.

So, an exciting day ended with the Olympic record broken twice in the space of two hours, three riders break the 80% barrier and Britain on top of both leader boards.  The riders and horses now have a three day break in competition while the showjumping gets underway and battle recommences on Tuesday 7 August with the Grand Prix Special where the team medals will be determined and the riders attempt to qualify for the Freestyle for individual honours.


Full results: http://www.london2012.com/equestrian/event/dressage-individual/index.html
Results:
Individual
1.            Charlotte Dujardin                           Valegro                 GBR                       83.663%
2.            Adelinde Cornelissen                     Parzival                 NED                       81.687%
3.            Helen Langehanenberg                 Damon Hill          GER                        81.140%
Other British
5.            Carl Hester                                        Uthopia                                GBR                       77.720%
7.            Laura Bechtolsheimer                    Mistral Hojris                      GBR                       76.839%
18.          Richard Davison                              Artemis                                GBR                       72.812%  (Ind)
Teams
1.            Great Britain                      79.407%
2.            Germany                             78.845%
3.            Netherlands                       76.809%
4.            Denmark                             73.845%
5.            United States                    72.801%


COURTESY OF BRITISH DRESSAGE