Have you ever fancied going away with your horse for the weekend, riding over a beautiful country estate with a few cross country jumps to pop over, then read on……………………….

It all started with a mad dash home from work on Friday 3 July, assemble bags full of horse equipment and one small bag for me! My friend Jill collected me and we set off, very excitedly like a couple of small children.

In the time it took us to eat a large bag of sweeties, we arrived, threw the bags into the accommodation and carefully put the wine into the fridge.

Then we headed down to the stable block, met up with the rest of “the ladies of West Devon Riding Club” and prepared the stables for our horses, hay and straw were provided. We were all based in the same stable yard area, so we could all enjoy a good yap and help each other out. The stables were on the smallish side but it didn’t seem to bother the horses, in fact, Bella who was the largest horse in the group had obviously settled in so well that she needed a bath the next day to clean her up!

After a lovely evening meal sat outside with a glass or two of wine, we talked into the evening, before we realised that we needed to be up early the next day and as we all know horses and hangovers are a bad combination.

My horse, Rosie is kept a couple of miles from my house, so to be able to get up and walk into a stable yard to see her morning and evening was a real treat. She had her breakfast and I went off to have mine, once again I didn’t go hungry.

Saturday morning was meet our instructors and the other people who would be in your group, I was lucky enough to be in a group with most of “the ladies from WDRC” and our instructor was a lovely lady called Clare. I introduced myself as a very nervous rider who wasn’t going to jump, well, all thanks to Clare gentle persuasion by the end of the day I had not only gone over small jumps in the sand school but a couple of cross country jumps as well. It was a case of one jump for a willing little horse but a huge leap for the human on board!!

We had an interesting talk on Saturday evening by a sports psychologist followed by another good meal and more wine, then off to check the horses before turning in for the night.

All in all I had a brilliant weekend all thanks to the Ladies of WDRC, who were all good company, the ever patient Clare, good food and wine and of course the really star of the weekend, my willing little horse Rosie.

Must dash, I need to get into training for the 2012 Olympics.

Nicola        See a Photo of Nicola and Rosie