One big happy family!! Kaden centre back.

Kaden's first winter here was pretty hard work....!

My year began so grandly is coming to an anticlimatic close! A poorly timed allergy means Cole won't go to Fair Hill as he missed a couple of gallops and Morven which means his fitness is not where I want it to be. A bit of a bugger but in the scheme of things it's not life changing. He already has his qualifier from Bromont and we can finish the year with a few more intermediates. This weekend at Loch Moy I have Cole, Ronnie (Pat and Jill McCuan) and Lightning (Julie Scott) so I'll be busy enough. A couple of my students had successful weekends at Morven in the pouring rain; Gibby Booth and Laney 4th. Alex MacLeod and Jim were 3rd in the intermediate after taking it easy xc. She broke her jaw in multiple places only a few weeks ago so it was a good test as to whether or not she's fit enough to head to Fair Hill next week.

This week also saw the end of an era with my favourite working student, Kaden Weaver, heading back to the motherland, Australia. Almost with me in tow, such is the homesickness I often feel particularly for the Australian foods and scenery.. But I digress! After 2 years working with me here he takes back an American wealth of knowledge, experience and great stories! He leaves behind some good friends and great stories that we'll be telling for years to come! For example: the day he went to the feed store and came back with a ferral, all devouring ferret! Or the time I was followed home from dinner by an unwanted suitor and Kaden got out of the car at the first stop sign and told him kindly to go in the opposite direction. And kindly I mean there was a large amount of shouting and the odd fist thrown! Kaden also was the first to put his hand up to get on any horse the was giving anyone trouble. He had the odd nap in the aisle. He was Diggers best friend. He always had everyones best interests at heart. He was the best customer in our vending machines! The hunt will miss him, all of my students will miss him and of course I already do. I had to bed the stalls this morning myself....! Thank you Kaden for everything you have done!!! You left the barn a better place than you found it!