The biggest event yet!

Those that say time flies when you are having fun have definitely got it right this month! It feels like only yesterday that I was making invites and putting plans together and before I knew it the wedding has been and gone!

One month ago my childhood dream wedding took place – I can honestly hold my hands up and say that it was truly perfect – more than a girl could ever want and I genuinely felt like a princess for the day.

We decided to make it personal and hold it at a one of a kind venue, my parent’s house in the South West of France. We are exceptionally lucky that they not only have a beautiful stone farmhouse (check out http://www.leperchoirdespaons.com/ to see for yourself) but they also have a large barn which just happened to be empty and was the perfect place to seat 100 wedding guests for an intimate, yet fairytale wedding.

The past year has made me realise just how lucky I am to have such supportive family and friends – with everyone jumping to help out and be part of what turned out to be the most special day of our lives. OH took no persuading when I suggested the venue and true to promises – it provided the most magical wedding reception that no guest could possibly forget.

Logistically it was a potential nightmare having to house 100 guests in rural France – however the ‘Queen of organisation’ – aka my Mum – dutifully rose to the challenge and befriended the majority of the region’s B&B’s, villa’s and hotels as well as roping in some accommodating friends – and we managed to painlessly (almost without conflict – it wouldn’t be a wedding without it) put up each and every visitor. With the build up lasting nearly a week – more and more people arrived, some from all over the world, to help hang fairy lights, tie flowers to bushes, put up bunting, direct portable toilets – and the final result was breath taking – it was a hive of activity and the partying started well before the ‘big day’!

The morning of the wedding - having slept for approximately three hours – I piled on a mountain of de-puffing-anti-bag eye cream a cosmetic counter had persuaded me to buy a few weeks earlier and felt a familiar feeling I only previously associated with my four legged friend. The flip, flopping, sick feeling in my stomach that usually signalled an event! Having felt pretty calm and relaxed in the week leading up to the ‘big day’ – every nerve I should have felt decided to descend all at once – however after an hour of bridesmaid cheer all butterflies (or great big bats as they felt like) luckily fluttered away and left only excitement in their place with the thought that in a few hours time I would be walking down the aisle to my future hubby!

Whilst the bridesmaids may disagree I think I managed to refrain from too many ‘Bridezilla’ moments – a couple of near strops calmed down by one of the girls – and a little bit of OCD about my hair being perfect – but other than that the ‘getting ready’ seemed to be quite relaxed and enjoyable. Time really did fly though and my carefully written out itinerary whizzed past in a blur and before I knew it I was being tied in to my beautiful wedding dress and crammed in to the authentic – but quite tiny old French Citroen!

Whilst I made a promise to leave the horses hundreds of miles away at home – I can’t help but compare the day to my eventing days! The previous night’s sleep (or lack of it) and the nervous morning was the exact same feeling I get before an event – a combination of fear and excitement. The months of preparation and then on the day the final spruces – then the three main phases of the wedding, whilst you may think me bonkers read on and you will see what I mean!

Part one, the beautiful, elegant phase of the dressage... we chose to have a church wedding in a gorgeous little medieval French chapel. I wondered whether I would get a good mark for my first centre line so walking down the aisle I kept as straight as possible but had a couple of wobbles on the new heels, luckily supported by the arm of trusty Dad! Remembering my practice test (rehearsal the day before) I tracked right at the end to come face to face with an emotional hubby to be. Thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the test (ceremony) without losing any marks for going wrong and despite a little over exuberance from the bridesmaids in the singing, we came out feeling like the judges (100 + in the congregation) would give us top marks.

Next on to the show jumping, or the sit down meal in this case... It’s the phase that some people dread – you never quite know what the food at a wedding will be like but as in my last event at Brightling I finally found myself feeling quietly confident that this would be a good round! We had hired one of our favourite restaurants to do the catering and they exceeded expectations – despite not having a huge appetite due to my corset style dress I still managed to consume the whole plate of my dinner and enjoyed every minute of it! As did, it seemed, the rest of the guests! The speeches took place afterwards and were the perfect balance of emotion, humour and cringey moments that wedding speeches simply have to be! I nearly punched the air again - I do believe that was a clear round!

The fast, fun, fabulous bit of the day – cross-country – or in my case the party... We had a brilliant band playing which got at least 90% of the field on the dance floor for the duration of the night – there was slow dancing, funky dancing and downright stupid dancing – it was a bit hot and sweaty, but the most amount of fun and despite having my expensive dress trodden on, on numerous occasions, (think same feeling as when horse takes big chunk out of brand new saddle!) I was sad for it to end. An exhilarating clear round, a few wobbly moments as drunken guests teetered precariously on ridiculously high shoes, and over the optimum time having not pulled the plug on the music until 2.30 am – but a clear none the less!

As I sat with new hubby in the early hours of the morning I deconstructed the day as I would an event – the highs and, well there were no lows, re-living our favourite bits, trying to work out who it was that was found passed out in the bush a few yards from the house, who had lasted longest in their heels (I had long before changed in to flip flops!!), who had been seen sneaking off with who! It really was my best event yet – I felt like I had won the class, won the regional’s and won the finals all in one day! Nothing could have been different – the spectators were fantastic and the people behind the scenes were phenomenal, top marks for turnout on everyone and no injuries! If all the disciplines came together on this one day to create the perfect performance – let’s hope that next event season can bring the same for me and Ernie!

Signing off for the first time as Lauren Barber! (eeek that looks weird!!)

As published in http://www.manage-my-horse.com/ October eMag.

Bye bye event season :-(

So that is it now - for the time being anyway - the last event all over and done with! Brightling couldn't have been a better way to finish though - despite pilot error cruelly snatching the ribbons away from us!

It was a fabulous day - I went with the attitude that whatever happened I was going to have fun. The course was lovely and inviting - big and solid - but nothing technical (or so I thought?!?) I had the added bonus of my dressage expert friend as my method of transport and she helped me get the best warm up for dressage that Ernie has done. Our test was average in the end - 35.5 - and I know it sounds like an excuse but the photographer lurking in the corner by the arena didn't help matters when we leapt four feet off the track each time we passed him!

Next step was to befriend the arch nemesis of the show jumping - bearing in mind at this event last year we got eliminated in this very show jumping arena - I was determined it was going to be good! We went in and every fence went to the exact plan - he was perfect - he felt confident and bold and jumped each fence like a dream! It wasn't until we popped over the last fence - clear - that I realised we had managed to keep every fence up - needless to say there was some air punching and I had to restrain myself from shrieking at the top of my voice to just a small squeak under my breath!!! One year later - and I think (touching lots of wood as I don't ever like to count my chickens) that we have cracked it! The reaction I had anyone would have thought I had just won Badminton!

I was buzzing and could have gone home at that point happy - but composed myself and quickly changed into my streamlined, aerodynamic, go faster cross country gear - and we were off. What can I say - from the moment out of the start box he was awesome - he even helped me out at fence 3 when I got in a bit deep - he flew it all - even the huge double of boxes which were quite imposing - we both just loved it. That was until the second water - he absolutely leapt in and leapt out - but the evil course builders had put a brush fence on a tight turn from the water - now people had warned me about this fence and I was like, 'yeh, yeh - we'll be fine' - which we would have done had I ridden properly! Unfortunately we ran out of oomph - it was not a stop or a run out - it was a trickle to a halt and thankfully Ernie had the sense not to try it from a stand still. I definitely said the words "Dammit" out loud and saw the fence judge give me a look that said "I knew you were going to do that" - hrmph, smug! Back round and over we go, last three fences and we were home and dry! We would have taken home 5th prize if I hadn't ridden like a lemon!

I couldn't fault my gorgeous boy though - he was a superstar - I enjoyed every second of it and whilst cross with myself we were both home and back in one piece and it was entirely my fault - he didn't put a foot wrong. All in all - a great way to end the season! Until after the wedding anyway.

So, now it is on to the wedding - 7 weeks to go (not that I am counting) - no eventing but I think dresses, cakes, table plans, flowers, decorations and jewellery shopping should keep me out of trouble for a couple of months anyway! Will keep updating with the drama's that will no doubt unfold!

PS- thank you to my lovely fiance for taking this fab pic!!

Ernie in the ribbons!!

Well I never thought I would see the day but I have reached my one target of this year's eventing season and I couldn't be happier!

I wanted to get a placing at some point in the year - and guess what - at Milton Keynes on sunday 28th June we finally did it!

What a lovely event - despite the million degree (ok slight exageration) heat that we were facing - the dressage was lovely and flat and prompted our best EVER dressage score of 25.5 - shock, horror!!! (I have to give some credit to Andy Ford who has been training me - as without him shaking up my riding we would have been going round like a donkey!!)

The Show Jumping was quite spooky but a nice flat arena and I remembered Andy's words of go big and made sure I used all the space I had. We had two fences down - one was my fault for letting the canter get flat and the other was just bad luck.

The fun part - XC! It was a lovely course - with some questions but what I would class as a proper intro (sorry BE90). We had to tackle a corner which was my nemesis at Keysoe earlier in the year but our positive riding and increased left rein meant we absolutely flew it. After that fence I really relaxed and enjoyed the course -it was so exhilarating and Ernie was keen and full of running without being strong soI just had fun! As we came through the finish the first spots of rain appeared which was so refreshing after how hot it was!

We finished up 7th which I was absolutely over the moon about and am still buzzing now - unfortunately we had to leave for a 3 hour journey home so didn't get to stay for prize giving but they posted me my rosette which is taking pride of place above my desk. If I could learn to keep the SJ fences up we would have won it - so two out of three is not bad!

On to Eridge this weekend - fingers crossed we get a little rain beforehand (not during please) so the ground softens up a bit. Don't think we will quite be able to beat our 25.5 dressage score but at least it gives me something to aim for! Will have to think up a new goal now... red rosette maybe??!!!!