Brand Ambassador Blog - What's Cat Dalton been up to?

2020 so far...Pre and post lockdown!  

So 2020 had a busy start with both my own and client horses; Derrentigue Bruce finished 10th at the BD Prelim winter regionals and had qualification in the bag for Summer Prelim regionals and Novice Area festivals.

Above: Derrentigue Bruce

Lesley Dexter’s lovely ex-racehorse Thunder Bay (Trigger) had completed his first BD Elementary tests and was aiming for Petplan Area Festival Qualification whilst her homebred rising 5yo, Annie (tb x Thornwick Challenger), was coming along sweetly and ready to start getting out and about.

Above: Annie

The stunning Flori was newly kitted out with her Farringtons Centreline Dressage saddle gaining some impressive scores unaffiliated, and should have contested in her first BD competition the weekend the virus hit. 

Lindsey Robshaw’s Rohan was enjoying his hacking and attending a few pole clinics at Thornton House Farm -also with the aim to be trotting down the centre line in the not so distant future!

Meanwhile, my own horse Max was gearing up for some eventing after spending the majority of 2019 on box rest for a chipped splint bone. 

And then, ever so suddenly, it all changed!

It’s disappointing we’re facing a summer of written-off competitions, and I’m really missing all of my clients, but I’m so lucky and extremely grateful to be living here at Thornton House Farm, still able to work Max, Trigger and Annie.

I know many people aren’t able to see their horses at the moment, let alone ride, and I can’t imagine how hard it must be for them facing at least another three weeks of ‘lockdown’. THF have very sensibly implemented a few rules, though we’re still able to ride, this is limited to flat work and hacking around the premises. To keep work varied and interesting, the horses have been doing a mixture of polework exercises, groundwork, schooling and hacking around the premises (so long as THF’s two resident swans aren’t about to attack...poor Trigger had a traumatic experience last week!)!

We’re keeping busy too with plenty of jobs around the yard, pony makeover and photo shoot sessions to support local competition venues ‘online showing’, joining in with the ‘loo roll challenge’ or even just keeping an eye on the naughty dogs who seriously don’t get the whole ‘#stayhome’ business at the moment!! Almost enough to let us forget we’re in the midst of a global pandemic...until you have to venture to the supermarket and queue for miles that is!

Above: Marble                                    Above: Bernard catching his loo roll!

Despite these scary and uncertain times one thing is for sure- the saddles and rehab pads have never been so sparkly clean, think I’m actually becoming a little obsessive! Lots of time for tack cleaning, even if we can’t go anywhere...

Come back soon to see what else she's been up to.