Meet Jessie Vanassche - IWMT 2015 winner

Jessie (right) receiving prize from Kathryn
(photo courtesy of Uptown Eventing)

Jessie Vanassche is a determined young event rider who is truly dedicated to her sport given her base is the beautiful Isle of Wight. Last year she not only won the Ian White Memorial Trophy, but also took home the Moose trophy for completing her crosscountry round closest to the optimum time. This month she travelled over to the mainland to enjoy her prizes - a lesson with the fabulous Gill Watson and some crosscountry schooling at Aston-le-Walls. Here we find out more about her and her winning horse, DaVinci2 and how she manages to event from off the southern coast.

How long have you been eventing and what attracted you to the sport? Horses have been a massive part of my life, ever since I could walk. I enjoyed all the equestrian disciplines, and my time on a competition yard meant I kind of fell in to competing. I spent a lot of my younger days on ponies, competing on riding club teams. I think this is when I decided that eventing was the way forward for me. I started affiliated eventing in 2007.

The very handsome DaVinci 2

Tell us about your horse, DaVinci 2: He took quite a while to find. I had been loaning a 14.2hh pony and when she came up for sale I had to decide whether to buy her or find something bigger. Sadly she was sold on as I wanted a horse to last me a little longer. Although we came over to the mainland for our search, DaVinci 2 (DV) was  found right on our doorstep. Through my cousin, eventrider Sarah Holmes, I met DV's then owner who Sarah was riding for a couple of times a week. I went to try him and I absolutely loved him! Given he's quite a big build British Warmblood, you'd expect him to be a handful, but he is the perfect English gentleman and loves a cuddle. So, I've now had him for 18 months and when I bought him, my aim was to event him and qualify for the Badminton Grassroots. To my delight, we achieved a BE90 qualification last season and so I'm very excited about competing there this May. My next aim is a BE100 qualification. Smith's Lawn was my first BE100.

How do you manage to event when living 'overseas' in the Isle of Wight? It has it's challenges. I think our longest journey has to have been to Lincoln for the Riding Club Championships. This took us 6 hours from Portsmouth, excluding the ferry crossing and getting to the port. We have done this for many years now though. Ferry timings can cause a headache, not to mention the added expense to our travel costs. On a few occasions we have turned up at the terminal to see our ferry pulling out without us!  However, all my horses have coped with this unusual trip - it's like parking your lorry for a while. It's only when we're waiting for a ferry that I sometimes wonder if it would be easier to live on the mainland, but the hacking on the island is great, and you're never too far away from green land or the sea. Plus we have affiliated and local showjumping and dressage events at our yard.

Flying over jumps at Aston le Walls

Who do you train with? I train weekly with  Sarah, who is brilliant and has taught me for many years. I spent my early teenage years eventing with her and I think this is where I really caught the eventing bug. I also have monthly lessons with Nicola Buchannan (nee Jourdain) who has taught me dressage since I was 11. Recently, I've had lessons with Richard Waygood who's significantly improved DV's jumping technique.

How do you juggle eventing with other commitments? During the week, I currently juggle two part-time jobs: one in the family-owned garage and the other on my aunt's yard (Lake Farm Equestrian Centre). This is where I stable DV. Working on the yard has given me invaluable experience which I apply to my own horses. I have the weekends free to compete and I love the mix of office and outdoor work.

Jessie and Gill

What attracted you to the IWMT competition? This was the first time I had competed at Smith's Lawn horse trials. I saw the section was for amateur owner/riders and that there was more than one trophy to aim for within the class, so I thought it was worth entering. It turned out to be a successful first BE100 for us. DV went amazingly well. His showjumping was better than ever and he flew round the crosscountry course to win. It gave me the confidence boost I needed to continue at BE100 and aim for another Grassroots qualification at Badminton. My lesson with Gill was brilliant - I definitely picked up some tips for the forthcoming season.

What are your plans for the future in terms of eventing? I would like to compete at Novice level with DV and to just keep enjoying the sport. I think every amateur rider's biggest dream is to compete at Badminton.

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.  

IWMT Sponsors: Meet Louise Leverton from Protexin Equine

The team at Protexin Equine Premium has been a long-standing sponsor of the Ian White Memorial Trophy, which will be held at Smith's Lawn horse trials in August. Here we meet Louise Leverton from Protexin who will be looking after their sponsorship activities this year.

Louise at Burghley last year

What is your role and how long have you worked for Protexin?
I am Territory Manager  for the central region of the UK and started with the company on 1st August last year. Before coming to Protexin I worked for an equestrian wholesalers that distributed Protexin products so this is how I got to know their brand. I feed  Protexin products to my own horse because I know and trust what they do. This is what attracted me to working with the company when the opportunity came up.

Tell us about Protexin Equine and their mission
Protexin Equine Premium is a leading range of probiotic supplements for horses and ponies of all ages and capabilities. We are dedicated to producing innovative research-based products of the highest quality. All our products carry the BETA 'NOPS' logo which means they do not contain any prohibited substances, so users can be rest assured that they can keep their horses on our products and compete with no concerns.

What are the products used for and why should horse owners use them?
The products focus on gut function, which when working correctly will help with the overall condition and wellbeing of the horse. The gut balancer is a good maintenance product containing pre and probiotics, which horses can be fed on a continuous basis as part of their daily feed. This product also works well with horses who get a bit loose with their droppings. Quick Fix is a paste version of the gut balancer and is very good for settling nerves - what we humans would understand as butterflies. It is very useful when travelling horses and even colic! Acid Ease contains the gut balancer along with antacids and kaolin to neutralise stomach acidity and this would be used in horses with gastric ulcers.

Protexin supports riders across the equestrian disciplines - tell us why you feel it is important to support riders like this?
Protexin Equine Premium has endorsed riders across all disciplines; the endorsed riders get a deal on products as well as free saddle cloths and other branded items. This is in return for them talking about and recommending our products. We appreciate that this is a tough industry so any support we can give riders will be a huge help, and vice versa. We don't have riders that are just looking for any form of sponsorship - we want to support those riders who are using, trusting, and believing in our products because this will come across when they are talking to others about our brand. We believe it is important to support riders at all levels of the sport.

Sol

How do you fill your free time, and do you ride yourself?
I have a horse of my own called Sol. He's a thoroughbred, rising 4 years, who I hope to event. However, I am bringing him on slowly and starting him again because he was bred to race and started young. I also enjoy keeping fit and do a fair amount of running, entering half marathons and mud obstacle runs such as Tough Mudders. And my very cute puppy, Bailey,  keeps me busy.

Protexin goody bags! (photo by Uptown Eventing)

Why did Protexin Equine get involved with the IWMT and what do you get out of your involvement?
I, on behalf of Protexin Equine, have chosen to be involved because I feel it is a great opportunity to  raise awareness of two fantastic charities. Plus, the fact it is named after Kathryn's late husband gives it a personal impact. I believe that these more personal events are better attended and there is usually a fantastic atmosphere because people are there to have fun and raise money. It takes some of the pressure of the competitive aspect for the amateur riders while still offering fantastic prizes. Of course, Protexin's involvement will create greater brand awareness too.

Bailey

I will be attending the IWMT this year and will have products with me on the day. If anyone wants to talk to me about them or purchase items then please come along and say hello. I really want to contribute to this event and raise awareness by spreading the word. 

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.  

Wilbur's words: Reiki in the Sunny Chilterns

Me, Mole and Wilbur enjoying the reiki energy

I had the privilege of training with Cathy Birkinhead for my Reiki Level 1. Having felt the benefits of reiki myself, I wanted to share this with my horse, Wilbur. He's been out of sorts over the past couple of months - like me, he's not a fan of cold weather and mud - but I also wonder if there's something else going on internally, such as gastric ulcers or low grade pain. I took up Cathy's kind offer of giving Wilbur a reiki treatment, and here's how we got on.

Cathy arrived at our yard on a beautiful crisp sunny afternoon. She brought a bag of delicious apples and carrots plus a little bag of chicken bits for Mole. A good start! After some introductions in the stable, I led Wilbur into the outdoor arena. Normally when I take him in there, he fidgets, and I suspect he picks up on my tension as I get ready to ride. This time, however, he stood calmly and gave out a long deep breath. As Cathy scanned the side of his body with her hands, he moved  as if he was directing Cathy to stand by his abdomen and flank and then stood perfectly still. Cathy felt a heaviness in that area compared to elsewhere and directed her energy there for a while. During this time, I stood at Wilbur's head. Every now and again he would lick and chew, as he relaxed into the energy around him.

Cathy and Wilbur

Then, all of a sudden he started his trademark wirling of his neck and head. Round and round they went. This seems to be one of his stress responses and I think it was his way of releasing something. I didn't say anything to Cathy, but as he started this activity, Cathy felt the need to move her hands away from him in a repetitive sweeping movement, as if he was wanting to expel something from that part of his body. Then he let out another breath and stood still once more. I noticed his eyes had become softer - sometimes, over the past few weeks I've noticed facial tension indicating pain somewhere. The reiki certainly seemed to help - he and I were a lot calmer in the school the day after.

Horses are incredibly receptive to reiki energy, and I'm sure Wilbur and I will benefit from these sessions. In the meantime, I am working with my vet to make sure there isn't something going on internally. Watch this space!

Want to find out more about Cathy and how reiki can benefit you and your horse? Go to her website at Reiki In the Chilterns.

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.  

Meet Amanda Kirtland-Page: rider confidence coach

Amanda is a woman of many talents. An experienced horsewoman, qualified instructor and competitor, she now combines her passion for horses with her skills as an accredited coach and counsellor to help fellow riders. After suffering a loss of confidence following a bad fall, she set up her Confident Rider Programme which has gone from strength to strength. Here we find out more about Amanda and how she works.

You started off working in the NHS as a psychotherapist/counsellor - what sparked your interest in this area? In my mid 20s I had a riding accident that meant I was unable to ride or work for a long period of time. I decided to volunteer for Victim Support so that I could at least contribute some of my time to those that needed help during very traumatic times. This sparked my interest in counselling and psychotherapy, so I started my journey into many fascinating years of therapy training. After 3 years of counselling, I started working in my local NHS surgery, and at the same time immersed myself into hypnotherapy training at a Cancer Care Unit in Clifton. It's been a wonderful adventure ever since!

What has been a highlight of your time working with horse riders as a confidence coach? Watching the determination and the drive of all the riders I see. Despite everything they go through, the traumas, accidents, losses and setbacks they have had in life, they still hold a burning desire to ride and to enjoy being with their horses. A huge percentage of these riders are almost unable to get on their horses when I first meet them, yet their drive to learn and do what they need to, in order to achieve their dreams is incredible.

Have you seen an increase in demand for this coaching over the years and if so, why do you think this is? Most definitely (thank goodness). When I first started, confidence coaching was nearly unheard o f and workshops were non existent. There was a lot of old school mentality of 'just getting on with it' and many riders were too ashamed to admit they had become scared. Many just gave up riding, others encouraged their children to take on the sport and got their horsey 'fix' that way. It certainly helped when we had high profile professional riders, such as Pippa Funnell MBE, admitting that sports psychology had changed their lives. The positive results were there for all to see.

From attending your workshop, I understand there a several factors that can trigger a loss of confidence; is there one that you see more frequently than others? Getting older! There are a number of reasons this has such an effect. We have more responsibilities, it impacts the amount of time off from work we can have, and we have injuries (horse-related or not) that can affect our comfort, balance, posture and effectiveness on a horse. We also have had more 'incidences' which we have accumulated from our past and, we don't bounce quite so well!

Are your workshops and coaching sessions a one-stop fix or do riders need to continue to practise the skills to keep their fears at bay? Some are one-stop fixes, say if there is just one thing you are very anxious about. This could be disliking drop fences, jumping planks, or a fear of mounting. Once we have worked on that particular fear, normally that's the work done. Generally though, riders lose confidence in many areas of riding and their self belief about their ability to ride drops, often to an all time low. In these situations, it is a matter of slowly building up that confidence again by continually using the skills they have learned through the workshops or coaching. Eventually, they will find many of these skills kicking in automatically.

If you could give one piece of advice to a horse rider who is lacking in confidence, what would it be? Find the best support you can. The instructor, friend, family member or partner who will be there for you. Someone who is 100% on your side, is willing to really listen and understand your fears, to be there to help without trying to fix a situation, and to encourage without pushing too far; someone perhaps who is struggling themselves and you can both help each other. It is possible to find support, sometimes it just takes a little while to find it.
To find out more about Amanda and her workshops, please go to her website.

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.  

Tigger rides again as confidence is restored

My heart is pounding and my palms are sweaty. My horse, Wilbur, picks up on it and jogs down the driveway. I know I need to breathe, but it feels like my chest is tightening. The thought of getting to the road makes my mouth dry. Sound familiar? Well, there are simple ways to restore your confidence, as I found out a couple of weeks ago, when I attended an unmounted rider confidence workshop with Amanda Kirtland-Page.

Just being in a room of like-minded riders who all were all suffering with riding nerves of some sort was a comfort. It was proof I wasn't alone. The workshop was fully interactive, using NLP (neurolinguistic programming)-based techniques such as visualisation, self-hypnosis and anchoring.

So, how does it work? Well, your subconscious mind cannot distinguish between what is imagined and what is real; it reacts to your thoughts - the pictures you present in your mind. So visualisation helps you to trick your subconscious into thinking something else is reality which then allows your body to relax and breathe. Amanda suggested using cartoon characters for our visualisation exercises. For me, this meant having a picture in my mind of Wilbur as Shrek's Donkey and I was Tigger. Just imagining this helped my breathing to slow down. To take it one step further, picture yourself riding in the most ridiculous place. Confectionery seemed to figure highly in our discussions so we thought about riding through marshmallow woodland. For those of us who had nerves relating to jumping, we imagined flying over chocolate bars! The wackier your thoughts, the more relaxed you tend to be. As crazy as this sounds, I can say, hand on heart, it works.  Now, if Wilbur starts to be spooky or sharp, I pretend  he's talking to me as Donkey - I can hear the voice - and it instantly makes me smile and become more relaxed.

We also practised self-hypnosis, which was similar to a deep meditation. Again, this helps with relaxation and can be used before riding. The anchoring technique was also powerful. We were asked to recall a time when we felt confident (riding or non-riding related) and play this in our mind. We then created an anchor (or trigger) to stimulate those feelings whenever we need them. The workshop was excellent and Amanda was a great coach - knowledgeable and empathetic given her own battle with nerves.

I have since hacked out with much more confidence and, along with the help of  Gail Wilson (my instructor),  I feel I have more control of my nerves in the school. In fact, my newfound confidence was tested only last week when Wilbur took off round the school and....I stayed on rather than bail out! Not only that, but the confidence gained in this area has given me the motivation to take steps towards goals in my personal life too. Thank you Amanda.

Interested in finding out more? Go to Amanda's website to see how she can help you help you to enjoy your riding again.


 

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.  

Diary of an event groom: Out of season, but no time for winter blues

 

I bet you’re all wondering what event grooms do over winter, when the excitement of the last event season is behind then and the new season seems so far away? Well, so did I, so I asked Crisy Salmon, groom to top eventer, Sarah Bullimore, to spill the beans having experienced the ‘other side’ of the eventing world and her first winter on the job...brrrr!

Vally enjoying lunch in bed

Well time has flown by since my last blog and we have been keeping busy. While the horses have been enjoying a well-earned rest, we have spent more time around the stables, clearing out, tidying, and organising ready for the impending season.  We now have all the horses back in work, primarily hacking with some schooling. I assume the horses will start jumping again soon and at some point, they’ll go to the gallops. Towards the end of last season, Sarah gave her two 4-year olds their holiday so she could bring them back into work after her last event of 2015 (Pau**** with Reve Du Rouet, Valentino and Lilly Corrine), whilst the ‘top boys’ had their break.

I’m sure Sarah won’t mind me saying that the horses all got quite scruffy over winter, with bushy tails, long manes, whiskers, outgrown clips and even some feathers! I love this because it just shows how much effort is put into making all the horses look their best and ready for competitions. And, after all, when the horses are either living out or in the field at night, there isn’t really any need for them to be looking their best.

We have been hard at work in readiness for them coming back into work. We have spent the last couple of weeks washing, scrubbing, disinfecting, hoovering, pressure washing, painting and repairing all the stables to get the yard looking spotless ready for the horses to be clipped, tidied up and back in at night. The 4-year olds will still live out along with the other youngsters and the mares carrying Lilly’s foals, but I suspect the others won’t go out as much over the next couple of months given the weather. The fields are like mud baths and will become very dangerous when frozen so it may be safer to keep them in.

Elfie (Corouet) 4 y.o. and first bred horse out of Lilly Corinne

The most enjoyable thing for me over the past few months has been learning about the life of an event horse in the winter. Having never owned or worked with event horses before I wanted to see how long they would holiday for, what would be the process of bringing them back into work, and how soon they would start full fittening work again. I  also feel like I have got to know Sarah and the horses much better which has given me more confidence going into the season. It now feels like we are in the final stages of our winter break and I am very excited about the prospect of starting my first full season working here. Whether looking after the yard while Sarah is away competing, or going with her to events, it is a great feeling to be part of the team, so bring on 2016!

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.  

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.