Every year since Emma Brinkworth took over the livery business at Brackenhill Stud, she opens its doors with a bit more of a shebang to celebrate past achievements and future opportunities in what is possibly one of the most challenging, demanding, overwhelmingly stressful yet also incredibly rewarding job in the equestrian industry (as any livery yard owner or manager will sure know!).
Having been based on site for the last couple of years I became very fond of the place and even though I continue looking for a full on base for the Academy, Brackenhill Stud will always be very special to me.
We have some exciting new training opportunities planned in the coming year so do come and snoop around 🙂 Grab a chair and sit down for a chat or just take a walk, buy some tack from the table tack shop sale, win a MINI, win something in Tombola – you know the drill!
I will be around too if you would like to know more about training stays with me at Brackenhill so give me a txt or a ring if you can’t find me 🙂
ROYAL DIVA, born May 2017, AES Dam: Tilly (Irish cob), Sire: Royaldik (OLD)
This is one of my favourite photo taken by Becky Bunce on the day of this photoshoot. Something touching in this image of a foal that is about to be weaned soon, standing seemingly alone, looking ahead, so close to full independence. Yet, the mare is there right behind her, always watchful and always ready to protect her offspring.
Looking on behalf of a young rider who has grown a pair of mega long legs and needs to let her little pony, Foxy, be ridden by her younger sister.
13 years old Mia is on a mission to find a 14.3hh-16hh friend to take part in various Academy training events, lessons and Camps as well as variety of Pony Club activities. She would love to Event at PC level as well as BE80/90 when ready.
Ideally looking for a bigger Foxy who:
is easy and polite to handle by Mia’s mum who does a lot of pony handling indeed
is careful over coloured poles and stylish in the air with good jump technique
has three correct paces and does a nice dressage test at Prelim level on grass or surface
easy to take to events, polite and happy with a haynet
good to hack
and:
has some experiences jumping 80/90cm jumping courses
has some experiences over 80/90 XC courses (can be just schooling or Unaffiliated events)
Foxy is not brave XC so we are looking for an upgrade in that department and hoping for something with a bit of a heart for natural fences and polite attitude across the country (nothing that might take young Mia sightseeing too much…).
Please contact aspire@outlook.com or via comment on here or a message on Facebook with anything suitable!
It doesn’t always happen that we manage to coordinate the riders from both yards I run the Academy from but this time both the London and Brackenhill Stud based riders were able to do the same event on the same day.
If someone told me three years ago that this little coaching project will have grown as it has and included all these fantastically supportive members and committed riders it has right now, I probably would have told them not to be so stupidly optimistic 😉 Here’s to another three years and what they bring!
Aisha on Prince and Del on Boo. Photo by Mitchell Gash. For Aisha the mission was to take Prince round safely around their first hunter trial together. For Del – well, it was his first hunter trial full stop so the aim was to complete safely! He first got the taste of XC riding during the Summer Camp in August and we organised for additional two schooling sessions before the Trials.
Kate with Jack (left) and Kelly with Mojo (right) getting ready for the 70cm pairs. It was Mojo’s first hunter trial after several XC schooling sessions at a few venues and Kelly’s major goal was to give him a fun, confidence giving round to teach him the ropes.
Caitlin and Mollie – after several very nervous XC attempts, this was to be Caitlin’s first hunter trial with Mollie and we were aiming for calm, stress free round 😉
Jasmine and Amber – another first timers together! Jasmine’s first Hunter Trial on an experienced super pony that is Amber. The mission was to enjoy, stay calm and finish in one piece 😉 They had a fantastic round!
Tack check before the start – Jasmine and Amber
Some of the awesome crowd that keeps this coaching project on the road 🙂
Boo and Del warming up for their round. Photo by Mitchell Gash
Aisha’s mum, Lou helping with the grooming on the day. It’s all a team effort 🙂 Photo by Mitchell Gash
We joked about it and he’d just gone and won it! 1st place for Del and Boo in their class after a clear, flowing round inside the time. Having started his lessons on Academy’s programme in January this year from complete basics on the lunge, Del has been a fabulous student, progressed steadily and we are upgrading the goals as we go! 🙂
5th for Caitlin and Mollie – strike a pose 😉 Lovely, calm round which will hopefully be the first of many confidence building ones 🙂 Photos by Tatiana Thorpe.
Catch it Quick Photography
Caitlin took her super cob Jasper round too. We initially entered Jasper HC for laughs with me to ride him but I re-injured my hip and had to pull out. I think Caitlin had good fun on him instead 😉 Catch it Quick Photography
Catch it Quick Photography
Catch it Quick Photography
Jasper flying through the woods 🙂 Photo by Catch it Quick Photography
Aisha and Prince – super round for this pair improving on so many points we work on in our weekly lessons 🙂 Photo by Mitchell Gash
Kelly and Mojo in last gallop stretch towards the Finish line after a superb clear round over all 19 jumps. Mojo is “growing up” each time he goes out 🙂
Official Blog by Aspire Equestrian Riding Academy 