A Host of New Stars

This month we are delighted to start an exciting new blog from top show producer, rider and Team TopSpec member Robert Walker. With the Spring fast approaching Robert is busy preparing both his established and future young stars for the show season. Read on to find out more....Hello and a warm welcome from all at our base at Sandy Brow Stables in Cheshire.Thankfully winter is just about gone and we are getting longer days and a bit more sunshine.To say we have been busy is rather an understatement as we have had nine two-years olds to start over the winter and I can’t wait for the 2013 season.Yes I know we are only just going in to 2012 and you shouldn’t wish your life away but the team for 2013 is ultra special and very exciting.There is a real mix with all hunters weights, lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight so I feel very fortunate to have so much to look forward to.Anyway back to this year and with the first shows just around the corner I better tell you a bit more about some of my new horses for this season.We have two wonderful four-year-old middleweights to bring out for our very loyal owner Jill Day.Potters St Patrick is a chestnut youngster that came from well known inhand producer Moggie Hennessy and we also have the dapple grey, Morning Mist who was shown very successfully in Ireland by Michael O’Callaghan, who also produced our lightweight Ballard Bouncer inhand.Another one we think a lot about is the large riding horse, Spotlight, also owned by Jill and by Power Blade. He is out of a Cavalier mare and just stunning. Also chestnut, he is a very extravagant mover and won’t be pushed as I always have the future in mind.I have spent the winter season very busy hunting which I find is a great way for me to relax away from the hustle and bustle of the yard.With the hunters roughed off and all the show horses brought in over the last few weeks have seen a real turn around with new heads looking over the stable doors, lots of trimming up being carried out and manes pulled. I prefer not to pull tails until a few days before the first shows, so we leave that job until early April.As well as many new horses for my great team of owners, I am also very excited about a new four-year-old I have bought myself.He is by the show jumping stallion Handel and just stunning. He is as yet unnamed but I will keep you up to date with his progress.Having so many horses in, the yard can only run smoothly with a great back up team and exceptional horse feeds and horse supplements by TopSpec. For the second season our head lad is Padraig Delaney. He is very knowledgeable and a great asset with the young horses. We also have Sarah and Tom in their first season with us so they are looking forward to the shows.The established horses will start in April, probably at the North of England Spring show at Osbaldeston with the first major aim being Royal Windsor.The novices are such an exceptional bunch that the last thing we will do is rush them, so we will just see how the progress and tie in the shows accordingly.Hope you have enjoyed reading my first blog.Catch up soon Robert.