Ok, so it has been quite a lot more than the promised two days yet again!

I have been away again in Barcelona (where I saw a fabulous 6yr old with "GP" stamped all over him!!!) a gorgeous Candau stallion with more front leg than Totilas and an incredible black boy who has already been snapped up by one very lucky lady!

So, as you can see, I have been a busy bee!  On my return from Barcelona I had arranged to take my two ladies to Essex to see Sue and Frank and, as whenever we go to Essex Sue, Frank, Hannah and Charlotte never give me a look in with the girls, I figured I would be able to write the blog on Barcelona there (see, forward planning and everything!!).

However, that was not to be.  The girls, as expected, were taken from me straight out to the trampoline and all motherly duties and titles stripped from me for the next 48hrs.

However, the blog I was instructed to write was not about my current Barcelona trip but (as I was handed a CD with approximately 200 very large pictures on) about the demonstration we did at Ingatestone Saddlery in the summer!

How could I say "NO" when everyone had put so much time and effort into the demo and Ingatestone Saddlery had been kind enough to ask us (anyway, I need to keep on finding content for the blog!)

So, I step back in time to write about our demo and promise I will write the Barcelona blog in the next few days......... ;-)

We were honoured to be asked to give a demonstration of the Spanish Horses at Ingatestone Saddlery, Ingatestone, Essex in July of this year.

It was the shops' ten year anniversary and we celebrated with a weekend of fun, including a demonstration by Pat Pirelli, saddle fitting, a barby, bouncy castle, face painting and best, of all 10% discount in the store!!!

We also got to try and test the new Albion saddle, specifically designed for the Iberian horses and being used in the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.  Yes, I want one!!!!

Pics of the demo below, all the boys of course behaved impeccably!

OK, so it has been several days again but, in all honesty, what have I got to write about!!??!!

Sharron calls my eldest daughter "Little Miss Sunshine and Showers" due to her dramatic mood changes (she is three I hasten to add!), and I have to say, I am feeling much the same this week!

Minchkin, this is dedicated to you.....

So, on Tuesday Libby came for a class, which showed that her pilates sessions are working beautifully as her lateral work is coming along so well  (we managed to keep the passage through the half pass and get a super half pass canter), it was just lovely to see her again and watch her enjoy the Spanish boys, I really do  think that I get almost as much pleasure from the lessons as the riders, these horses are so inspiring!

When she finished we were running a little tight on time so I bullied her into coming on a quick hack with me on my new man which she agreed to very easily!

We took these two stunning creatures for a plod around the lanes and, when I commented to her that it was only the third time I had sat on his back she was aghast "..But Tarma, you are not even wearing a hat...??!!"

My flippant response was simply "..but he would never hurt me Libby..!" and I thought no more of it until later when the moment was re-enacted in my mind.  I had meant every word.  How could I have meant this after knowing an animal for literally one week?? Was it simply just the Spanish breed as I have always thought it was or an instinct and a special feeling between me and this new beauty?

Maybe I am of an age where I have finally met that "special someone" or, is it just that these guys are so lovely, I really could fall for each and every one..??

I cant work it out.  All I know is that, since he had his back treated on Friday and has needed "a day in the box, one in the paddock and two days on the pessoa.." before I can ride him again, coupled with the fact that I am off to Barcelona tomorrow until Thursday so wont be able to ride him until Thursday afternoon at the earliest, I have gone from being up in the clouds to down in the doldrums super quick....

Could it be love?  Really??

Ok, so it has been four days (not the promised two) but the blog has been on my mind I swear!

In my defence, I have been super busy! Apart from hosting my little Annabelle's second birthday party on Saturday (how the time flies!!) I have also fallen madly and desperately in love!

I am sure the hopeless romantics out there will sympathise and understand, nothing else seems important - I can only think of him right now and, although I know I have a pile of work building, I just cant seem to drag myself away!

Those Liquid brown eyes, which follow my every move.  His perfectly formed ears and strong, muscled shoulders, soft black nose and beautifully rounded bottom.  I really am totally besotted!

Rossi is beside himself, he senses a real competitor for my affections and is is just hilarious to watch the two of them in action!  They are stabled next to each other (it is a vision, it really is) and, no matter where I am or what I am doing two sets of eyes follow. They both stand beautifully proud, with their heads up, each trying to look more impressive than the other.

Rossi, in desperation, finally reverts to his "tongue trick", sticking it out and holding it between his teeth, so I will stroke it.  He knows that I fall for this one every time and that this is one thing our new boy cant do!

Hello Again to everyone and please accept my apologies for not keeping on top of the Blog - I had promised myself I would do so at least every two days, but time just whizzes by!

I was honoured to be asked to help out at the BAPSH show, a SICAB qualifier and the first of its kind outside of Spain.  My duties included looking after the judge "Don Ignacio Bravo Garcia" and the commentary!

Looking after Ignacio was scary enough as, although I do know him and have worked with him in the past, everyone knows how tricky these guys can be!  However, that was a piece of cake compared to the commentary, which somehow changed from "just announcing the awards" to the whole weekend ("Oh, did we not make ourselves clear on that one...?!?!?").

Joking aside, there were a few hiccups (announcing the wrong class, wrong sex, wrong times etc etc!!) but I actually got into the swing of things by the end of it and was so pleased to see the horses doing well and everyone doing their best to make it a success.  Anyone who wishes to book me for further shows and doesn't mind a Gloucestershire accent and their horses being announced in the wrong order, feel free - my services are!!

I have to congratulate all of the winners but would like to just mention some of the horses sourced by me in the past.   These included the owners of my first ever PRE mare Lluna Rombo owned by Gil Gibson who at the age of 12 I believe (how time flies!!) won the adult mare section and Duque, owned by Amy Long who came second in Morphology in the very strong adult stallion section.  I have to say Amy that the judge really liked your boy but, unfortunately, he didn't see your medium walk in the functionality and so you dropped some points there!  Also, as always to Michelle Van Meurs and Isleno who did extremely well to win the Adult Movement Champion award - yes, Ignacio did love him and commented several times on how lovely it was to see a Spanish horse enter the arena full of "alegria", calling attention to himself with a "look at me" attitude!

I have mentioned these three specifically as they are all individually and privately owned and have been for several years by the same owner.   I think it shows just how important it is to build a relationship and a bond with your horse, trust, understanding and communication are paramount and cannot be developed in a short space of time.  All of these horses tried their absolute best for their owners and it was a pleasure to see these partnerships working so well!

Everyone worked so hard to make the show a success and I think we all had a good time.  Well done to everybody and lets hope it goes as well next year!

The show finished on Sunday and, on Monday I flew to Sevilla with Ignacio to meet with some lovely clients to visit the Bariain Stud and also the stud of Solera Bravo.  The trip was very interesting, not just because we saw some incredible horses (some of whom will feature on the site in the next few days!!) but, also because we had a car accident (I wasn't driving I promise!!) and managed to land ourselves in a beautiful town in the middle of an enormous agricultural fair!  It was so incredibly busy but even in among the throngs of people and chaos, we managed to find sanctuary in the form of a Parador Hotel, where we had evening dinner in an open air restaurant in the historic centre of the town.....

Just when you think that life doesn't get much better, I landed back in the UK and on Friday managed to get to the yard to ride my (yes "MY") new horse, who had arrived while I was away.

In typical style, we tacked him up and hopped on.  It was Friday, which is bin day where we are.  He saw the bin lorry, buses, lawn movers, rubbish bins overflowing, skips, trains, level crossings and just about everything else that could have possibly been thrown at him and just strolled around without a care in the world - I fell in love and haven't stopped smiling since.  Rossi just looked on, he really did think he might have serious competition and was not impressed!!

I couldn't ride today as it was Annabelle's second birthday (so a fabulous excuse!), but cant wait to get back on board tomorrow.  That is of course, if Rossi hasn't opened the new boys' stable door and "set him free" in the meantime.....!!