Twenty five years ago....

Ian's freezing room in his student house, Derby Road. I rather hoped Wendy James
 would catch a chill!

Twenty five years ago on 7 December 1990, I met the man who changed my life. It was a cold winter evening, snow was imminent. Simon Baily (aka Cupid Bailey!) and I had successfully avoided being hit by flying spuds courtesy of Nottingham University Willoughby Hall's end of term dinner. Across campus, the Sherwood Hall Christmas Party beckoned.

Why was I so excited about being there? Why did I keep asking everyone if Ian was going to be coming along? Something has been clearly working away subconsciously. Sure, we'd played volleyball together a few times, and had had a beer or two with friends, but I hadn't been aware of any feelings for him.
After what seemed a lifetime, Mr White arrived alongside his mate, Andy. My heart skipped a beat as he walked into the throng of dancing bodies. But then - damn it - a pretty blonde grabbed him and threw her arms around him. My disappointment took me by surprise - it wasn't to be my night. He was already taken.

Simon and I, Willougby Hall, 1990

How wrong I was. He eventually shrugged off the persistent blonde (alright, my interpretation of the proceedings!) and joined our merry little group. To cut a long story short, we ended the night kissing in the foyer of Sherwood Hall. A security guard tried to usher us out into the cold night air as the party came to an end but Ian was having none of it. I think his response to that guard was 'Can't you see I'm busy?' And the rest, as they say, is history.

Thanks Cupid Bailey for the introduction and thank you Ali Dexter for being the best sister-in-law I could have ever wished for.

Mole diaries: Take the lead and let go. Establishing recall

'I'm scared to let go!' Letting your dog off the lead for the first time seems to be one of the biggest challenges new dog owners face, myself included. You want him to enjoy his freedom out on walks, but at the same time, you want to maintain some control and keep him safe. Here are some tips that I've learned from Mole's training sessions with the lovely Sophie Langston.

Step 1: Take baby steps
Start establishing recall in familiar surroundings like your home and then garden. Place a favourite toy between you and your dog so you build in distractions.  Use a long line (longer than a standard lead but isn't extendable so it's not always under tension) out on walks so your dog gets used to being at a certain distance from you while you practise recall. You can then progress to letting go of the long line, so you still have something to grab if necessary, until you feel confident enough to remove it completely. Once he's regularly 'off-leading', you can still put his lead on at different times during the walk so he doesn't always associate this with going home. Consider walking with another dog who you know has a good recall so your dog has a buddy to stay with.

Step 2: Make sure you're worth coming back to
Save your tastiest treats for use on walks to reward your dog when he returns. You can also take a favourite toy that's for walks only, preferably with a squeaker so that you can attract his attention if needed. Your aim is to be more exciting than the other distractions, although eau de squirrel is a difficult one to beat! When he comes back to you, alternate giving him one treat, or scattering multiple treats on the ground, or playing with his toy. Get into the habit of touching his harness/collar each time he returns so it's not just associated with clipping on his lead. And, never reprimand him when he comes back after having a jolly elsewhere as he'll associate the telling off with coming back, not for running off.

Step 3: Pick your destinations carefully
Find a safe environment for you and your dog to walk in. I prefer walking in open countryside or on the beach because a) I feel safer and b) I have good visibility if Mole decides to zoom around. In woodland I feel more vulnerable and it's easy to lose sight of your dog if he picks up a scent. There are also enclosed paddocks that you can hire for dog walking, or see if your local stables has an indoor arena that you can hire to give your dog some off-lead time.


And finally
Do what feels right for you and don't feel pressurised into letting your dog off the lead. If you're confident when you let him go, he's more likely to want to come back to you. However hard you try and hide it, your body language and tone of voice will give you away if you're nervous. It's amazing how your mouth suddenly goes dry when you panic and you can't whistle or shout loudly. In fact, I always carry a whistle with me as back-up.
Bottom line is he's your dog, your responsibility. As his owner, his safety lies with you. Take things at your pace - every dog is different and every owner is different.There may still be times when he suddenly takes off at pace, but if you continually refresh your recalling skills you are at least minimising the risk of losing him. Have fun and happy walking!

What training tips can you share for establishing recall?

Kathryn White is owner and director of Cathean Ltd Medical and Copy Writing Services. She is a published medical, copy and equestrian writer with a passion for creating compelling text in collaboration with her clients. Her customers include pharmaceutical, healthcare and equestrian businesses across the world. 
 
 

PetPlans: It doesn't always go according to plan!

Oh what a difference a few weeks make! From a top 10 place at the PetPlan Dressage Festival at Bury Farm EC, we ended up in the bottom 10 at Vale View EC.

Photo courtesy of SBM

On the morning of the event, Wilbur and I took the opportunity to do an arena walk and I'm glad we did. Both arenas were indoors, but the National Arena, used for our class, had the canteen and kitchens running along the whole of one long side, behind glass, and only about 2 feet away from the arena boards. Not only that, but the tackshop was on the upper level also behind glass. These distractions certainly caused quite a lot of spooking although I'm pleased to say our arena walk worked as Wilbur wasn't too distracted.

However, the occasion got to me, and I tensed up as we went in. It's amazing how the nerves kick in when you travel to an unfamiliar venue - especially when the judges are sat at tables at the end of the arena and you can hear them whispering! Having said that, Wilbur and I didn't have too many discussions. We even managed to halt at G for our final salute without Wilbur trying to halt earlier, so all in all I was pleased with our performance. The marking was tough, as one would expect at a championship event, and all the competitors' marks were considered low from the discussions I heard by the score boards. We ended up with 61.2%, which is one of our lowest affiliated scores and certainly a contrast to the 67% we achieved at Bury Farm EC. But that's dressage! I still had a great weekend, and met some fantastic people. 

Mole enjoyed his trip in the lorry too!

Polish Adventures Part 3: Junior European Eventing Championships

Much loved commentator/controller, Henry Symington, is well known to many of us who event. He is the 'voice of eventing' on the domestic scene, providing entertaining commentary and ensuring our safety on course. He also commentates and controls internationally, and here he regales the final part of his recent adventures to Poland for the Junior European Eventing Championships. 

Sunday saw us initially back at the ‘trot up strip’ for the second and final horse inspection; another to chance for the vet and jury to see how the horses had fared after the cross country and ‘Pass’ them fit for the show Jumping. I think I only messed up one pronunciation so was feeling rather proud of myself.

Personally, I despise showjumping commentary because it involves a fair amount of maths. Sums didn’t feature highly in my school reports. ‘O’ Level maths was a massive achievement after a long struggle during my school career. My Polish colleague fired off with his usual enthusiasm, particularly, I noted, for the Polish riders. Meanwhile, I tried to work out the final scores and resulting rider placings. 

Another of my duties was to provide microphone coverage for the ‘bell’. This consisted of pushing the microphone closer to the bell so the signal to start could be heard. However, there was one small snag. We were using a radio mic, which can't be switched off because otherwise you have a slight delay in sound transmission. So, while the mic was in position to hear the bell, we couldn't commentate, or at least, we had to be careful what we said! Another challenge!

Our British Juniors take team bronze

Having used every conceivable finger and  toe we had a result. As predicted, the German team and individuals continued their dominance, winning individual and team gold. France achieved team and individual silver, while Great Britain took team bronze with a very credible 5^th placed individually.  

The closing ceremony saw more flag waving, parading, and singing of National Anthems with me occasionally chipping in comments where I thought appropriate. And with that the 2015 Junior European Championships at Bialy Bór were brought to a conclusion. But that wasn’t the end of our adventure. O no!

We still had to catch our flight with little time to spare.We already knew the journey back to Gadńsk was going to be tight, but with the Closing Ceremony over-running and our vehicle not turning up on time, it became a whole lot tighter. Sunday evening traffic in Poland is pretty similar to that in England with people not wanting to waste fuel and naturally the traffic got heavier the closer we got to Gadńsk. By the very skin of our teeth we made it (though mentally we had been making plans to stay in the local airport hotel and fly out the next morning). 

If there was a slight downside to the trip, it was the food. The Polish diet seems to be very sausage orientated with very little fresh vegetables or fruit And, believe me, we went through our whole ‘sausage satisfaction’ joke catalogue over the week we were there. One day we did have fish - thought it was of no descernable provenance - with cabbage, which I felt was a rather strange mixture so stuck with the sausage option…and that probably leaves the way open to a whole lot more jokes. So, since my return I’ve momentarily turned vegetarian to redress the balance.   

A massive thanks go to all at Bialy Bór for hosting the event; for looking after me and making me feel so welcome. Thanks also to to Jonathan Clissold for having faith in my ability and inviting me out there and to the other officials who made the week a lot of fun. 

If you've enjoyed reading this blog and would like to hear more hilarious tales from the commentary box, Henry is available for after dinner speaking, as enjoyed by the pony club, British Eventing officials and other groups. You can contact Henry on henrysymington.45@btinternet.com  for more information.

Kathryn White is owner and director of Cathean Ltd Medical Writing and Cathean Ltd Copy Writing Services. She is a published medical & copy writer and equestrian journalist with a passion for creating high quality content for her clients. Her customers include pharmaceutical, healthcare and equestrian businesses in the UK and across the world.   

 

It can rain on my parade any day!

I'm still grinning. I  regularly stroke my rosette that's now taking pride of place in my living room.  And, I thank the rain. Let me explain.

This weekend, Wilbur and I were competing at the British Dressage PetPlan Dressage Festivals at Bury Farm Equestrian Centre having qualified for the Elementary Restricted class. I love the PetPlan Festivals. Although they are not the finals (these take place at the Winter Dressage Championships at Hartpury College) they still have a championship feel about them so they certainly test your nerves. As a consequence, Wilbur and I have never scored well at these events. And so, I arrived at Bury Farm with no real expectations, other than to enjoy myself and the atmosphere.

Mole charming the Bury Farm shop staff

I had only entered the qualifier class. I find that if I just do one test, then I can focus on that and really 'go for it'. The black clouds were building as we started our warm-up. With 10 minutes to go before our test, the heavens opened! I think I must have been the only rider in the collecting ring who was pleased - and probably looked a bit moronic with my big smile. For some reason, I always relax when it rains. It somehow takes the pressure off because psychologically I feel it levels the playing field. In fact, my only eventing win was at Tweseldown when I had puddles in my boots as we trotted down the centre line. Wilbur went on to achieve a rare clear in the showjumping, seemingly enjoying the mud. Across country he didn't spook at any of the lakes on the take-off and landings and his 'bravery' resulted in victory. So on Sunday, when people commented that I was smiling, I just said I was thankful I didn't have to go cross country as well!

Waiting for the bell to ring, Wilbur felt fresh. He spooked at the flowers and the prize-giving podium, so I knew I was going to have to be determined in the test to keep him focused. Once in the arena he felt fantastic and produced a lovely positive trot down the centre line. We still had one or two 'arguments' when Wilbur thought he knew best (thank goodness the judges all had their car windows shut as I growled at him down the final centre line because he always tries to halt earlier than required!). One judge wrote on the sheet, 'you worked harder than he did', but that's what I've learned with Wilbur, that you have to ride every movement of the test with 110% focus and be brave by asking for more. I lost a couple of silly marks due to inaccurate riding, but I was thrilled to get a score of 66.67% - one of our highest affiliated scores!

And so, a couple of hours later, I found myself struggling into some still very soggy breeches and a rather damp jacket to attend the prize giving.  We even had a glass of champagne and the sun came out for the photos.

Me and fellow competitor, Diane - thanks for the photos Emma Green!

Yesterday, everything came together. It put those times, when you feel like giving up, into perspective.

Kathryn White is owner and director of Cathean Ltd Medical Writing and Cathean Ltd Copy Writing Services. She is a published medical & copy writer and equestrian journalist with a passion for creating high quality content for her clients. Her customers include pharmaceutical, healthcare and equestrian businesses in the UK and across the world.   

Polish Adventures Part 2: Junior European Eventing Championships

Much loved commentator/controller, Henry Symington, is well known to many of us who event. He is the 'voice of eventing' on the domestic scene, providing entertaining commentary and ensuring our safety on course. He also commentates and controls internationally, and here he regales Part 2 of his recent adventures to Poland for the Junior European Eventing Championships.

Some find dressage mind-numbingly boring and akin to watching paint dry, but I rather enjoy it, especially when done well - Charlotte Du Jardin and Valegro being fine examples. Here in Bialy Bór, it soon became apparent that the German team and individuals had been hard at work practising. In fact they dominated the leader board both for the team and individual placings after this first phase. Dressage commentating is not the most testing, so it was good to be able to watch some of the tests while my Polish colleagues and teammates worked out the scoring system and how to make the computers work!

I suppose the highlight of any event is the cross country phase where ‘man’ and ‘animal’  are really required to work as a team; each one’s life literally depending on the other. The riders have at least had the advantage of walking the course several times beforehand so know what’s coming up – whereas the horse hasn’t a clue - a bit like the English speaking Commentator! Now, as many of you know, I’m not adverse to a challenge, but the whole of the cross country radio reporting was to be conducted in Polish and I don’t speak a word. Luckily I had brought my travel plot board – which tracks the horses around the different fences -  and was able to explain to my Polish colleague how it worked. I described how he would have to plot where the horses were on course as the radio reports came in and write down any refusals since I wouldn’t be able to understand what was being said. 

I have come to the conclusion that Polish is spoken at quite a high volume and very quickly - even quite benign conversations sound like an argument - so this in addition to the existing excitement of the cross country box exacerbated an already fraught situation. Once we got underway the situation didn’t improve, with radios blasting out Polish, the scoring team (also in the box) discussing computer problems and scoring issues, and at one point the Controller completely losing the plot (as far as I could tell) and leaving the box. I note with interest that the other British officials stayed well clear as I manfully struggled on through it all!

I’m pleased to report that, as far as I can tell, all got round safely and there were very few falls or retirements, which is a great compliment to all the team trainers, vets, and grooms for preparing the competitors, both human and equine, so well.

And so, having survived the excitement of the middle phase, we went onto the final phase - the showjumping.

Read the final installment of Henry's adventures in the next Myrtle Musings coming soon!

If you've enjoyed reading this blog and would like to hear more hilarious tales from the commentary box, Henry is available for after dinner speaking, as enjoyed by the pony club, British Eventing officials and other groups. You can contact Henry on henrysymington.45@btinternet.com  for more information.

Kathryn White is owner and director of Cathean Ltd Medical Writing and Cathean Ltd Copy Writing Services. She is a published medical & copy writer and equestrian journalist with a passion for creating high quality content for her clients. Her customers include pharmaceutical, healthcare and equestrian businesses in the UK and across the world.  

Polish Adventures Part 1: Junior European Eventing Championships

Henry Symington (photo courtesy
 of the lovely Fiona Scott-Maxwell)

Much loved commentator/controller, Henry Symington, is well known to many of us who event. He is the 'voice of eventing' on the domestic scene, providing entertaining commentary and ensuring our safety on course. He also commentates and controls internationally, and here he regales his recent adventures to Poland for the Junior European Eventing Championships.

For anyone attending the very successful Ian White Memorial class at Smith’s Lawn this year, who may have been remotely concerned that I wasn’t there doing my usual ramble at the prize giving – panic not! I found myself booked on a Wizz Air flight out to Gadńsk in Poland to be the English Commentator at the Junior European Championships in Bialy Bór. 

To my shame I know very little about Poland – apart from a few grainy black and white photos from World War II and news reports of Lech Walesa and Solidarity. I had imagined it as a rather run down cold country – how very wrong I was. Flying into Gadńsk, a massive ship building port on the edge of the Baltic, I was struck by how many lakes there were and how sunny and green it was. For sunny read hot, because during the week that I was there, Poland enjoyed somewhat of a heat wave with temperatures well up in the late 30s. So, I needn’t have packed the jumper, rain mac or water proof trousers, though I did get caught out once in Qatar. Bags cleared we - as in me and the rest of the English speaking officials - were met by our driver and taken on the 2.5-hour journey to Bialy Bór, .

In my capacity as Commentator/Controller I have, over the years, been lucky enough to be invited to a number of international events. I’ve learned that very often the journey to and from the venue is the only chance you get to see the ‘country’ as the rest of the time you are working on site. So, the journey passed quite quickly as I took in the sights.

Bialy Bór is set in woodland and has undulating ground with a beautiful lake. The venue was purpose built for stallion performance testing back in the late 50s to early 60s  and proved a beautiful setting for these Junior European Championships. As a Commentator, my first problem was going to be pronunciation of names: Gabriela Klimkowicz, Adrianna Szczepara, Mateusz Sarnecki and Hesteklewa Soeren Spaette (the last being a name of a horse) to name but a few – you can see my initial dilemma. There was nothing for it but to arm myself with a pen and paper and write each name down, phonetically, with the help of my Polish colleagues.

Having stumbled through the initial horse inspection (horses after their long journeys from all over Europe are checked over by a vet and judging panel to make sure they are fit to be 'accepted' into the competition - welfare being paramount) it was then onto the Opening Ceremony and Parade of Competitors. This was mainly conducted in Polish. However, I did have an English script which was handed to me about 30 seconds before the ceremony got underway, so, where appropriate, I spouted forth hoping that I was roughly talking at the right time.

Walking the cross country course it soon became apparent that this was a true championship course.The undulating ground and going would test the fitness of horse and rider. It certainly made this middle aged, slightly tight trousered Commentator puff!

But I jump the gun – dressage first.....

Read the next installment of Henry's adventures in the next Myrtle Musings coming soon!

If you've enjoyed reading this blog and would like to hear more hilarious tales from the commentary box, Henry is available for after dinner speaking, as enjoyed by the pony club, British Eventing officials and other groups. You can contact Henry on henrysymington.45@btinternet.com for more information.

 Kathryn White is owner and director of Cathean Ltd Medical Writing and Cathean Ltd Copy Writing Services. She is a published medical & copy writer and equestrian journalist with a passion for creating high quality content for her clients. Her customers include pharmaceutical, healthcare and equestrian businesses in the UK and across the world.