Countdown to Burghley

Burghley is coming around so fast now, just two weeks to go. Dennis is going brilliantly and we have been doing alot of dressage training with my trainer Ian Woodhead and work to get really fit. That's both of us, I have taken up running which I do around Burghley Park. This means I've been able to take a peek at the jumps as they are being erected. They are huge!

We've competed a few times in the last month, with the events chosen carefully as part of our Burghley preparations. We had a nice easy run in the open intermediate at Great Witchingham on 17 July as a sweetener after the big tracks at Samur and Bramham. Last week we did the 3* at Hartpury, finishing with a good dressage score and a clear round in the show jumping. We retired on the cross country about half way round the course as I just wanted to jump a few fences and get Dennis' feet wet before the big day! It was me that needed the run... not Dennis, and I just want to preserve everything for Burghley now. He was delighted with himself, and wondered why on earth he had been stopped before he started feeling tired!

Stanley continues to go beautifully and narrowly missed qualifying for the Burghley Young Event Horse final by just a few places at most of the competitions we entered. He is now having a well-deserved break and will holiday until December. He is such a gent for a baby, I'm already looking forward to next year with him. I've also bought a new horse, a novice mare. She has gone straight to Piggy French to compete and bring on. So far Cody has only been out twice with Piggy, but won both times in the novice classes at Carlton and Sapey. She's a gem. We've sold Frog (Pinto de Toulgoat) who Piggy also rode for me. We hope he is settled and enjoying life in Somerset with his new owner.

I mustn't sign off without saying Horse and Hound did publish the story on Dennis' road to recovery over the past year - the three-page feature appeared in the Vet Clinic section of the 22 July edition and included interviews with me, my vet Neil Ashton from Oakham and Sam Rodwell our onsite physio. Dennis' press cuttings file is growing by the day! I also want to say a big thank you to my sponsors Sederholm Selected for their continuing support, and the recent boxes of goodies they have sent. We are going to look very smart at Burghley with the new rugs and goodies for Dennis and me.

Kate