Goodbye to a friend – Steph Gumn

Goodbye to a friend – Steph Gumn Blog

Gosh, I don’t even know where to start. The past couple of months have flown by and so much has happened. I’m not sure where to even start.

Axl had been jumping very well in the run up to nationals. The national 4 year oldfinal was the first big show he had been to, bigger atmosphere and more pressure than before. Axl has always had a good brain and he coped like a pro jumping a clear in the final round of the national 4 year oldfinal. We didn’t place but I couldn’t have been more proud of him, with fences standing at 1.15 which is bigger than we had even jumped at home.

I gave him an easy week between nationals and scope as I didn’t want to fry his brain. We jumped the clear round indoors as a sweetner, which again he popped round no issues. He jumped brilliant scope week, had a really unlucky pole in each 4 year old prelim due to me more than him which meant we missed the final indoors but we did get to jump the 4&5 year old handicap. I wasn’t going to jump it as I felt he had jumped some great rounds and bigger than he was used to. After I walked it I thought it suited him and that it wouldn’t do him any harm to have a school round. He was jumping so well that i decided to have a play against the clock which meant we finished 5th out of all the 4s and 5s and 3rd out of the 4 year olds. I was over the moon with him, from his first show onwards he’s been a real trier and loves being in the ring. He’s always jumped so much better at a show than at home, he lights up out and about.

Axl then went on a holiday and I started work with Nemo, my three year old. He was a bit awkward to break as he didn’t like moving with weight on (slight requirement) so in the end I had to use a dummy on him. He hasn’t looked back since! He’s been under saddle for 3 weeks now and he will happily walk, trot and canter round the school. He will now be lightly worked 3 days a week until later in the year when he will start to get ready for his first season jumping.

I decided that it might be the right time to sell Axl from a business perspective. I advertised him and only a few days later he left my yard to his new home. I wish him the best of luck, he really has been one of the loveliest horses to produce.

So for now it’s just me and Nemo! I hope to find another horse to add to the team (hopefully another 4 year old) and I also have one coming in to produce alongside Nemo. My show organisation is moving forward, can’t believe the show is next month! So it’s been a couple of months of good results and change.

Let’s see what the next months brings!

Steph