Sparsholt Festival of Dressage

If this was a meeting, I would apologise for any absences, so I apologise for my absence. But I would like to announce my trio of good luck:

 

1. I got a first in my degree, and a first for my dissertation! Yaaaaay.
2. Ernest and I came first in our competition last Sunday (more details to follow).
3. I have work experience as a Publishing Assistant in October with 3PM Magazine Subscriptions.

You can't see it but on the serviette is the word "First" :)

Now let me tell you all about The Festival of Dressage at Sparsholt, Hampshire. Ernest and I haven't competed since November, so I was super excited to get out there again. The Festival took place from Friday 28th June to Sunday 30th June, with both affiliated and unaffiliated competitions, ranging from Prelim to Advanced Medium and beyond. There were also dressage to music classes.

Saturday

We competed in Prelim 19 and Novice 22. It was really nice weather, which was lovely, but it meant we couldn't warm up for too long.

 

Now, my first dressage test (P19) was AWFUL. I rode really badly: long reins, flap flap flap. I missed marks on accuracy because my reins were too long, so I didn't have a good contact; this is important because if your reins are too long in dressage, you can't really steer properly or contain all the energy as you push the horse forward. Which also helps to explain why me flap-flapping was useless; it's not giving Ernest any accurate signal as to what I want him to do. Go faster? Flap flap. Go slower? Flap flap.

 

However, we still managed to get 64.09%, and earn an 8/10 for our entry down the centre line of the school to start the test, and 8/10 for our final centre line and halt, which was square!

This means that all four feet were nicely in a square, without one slightly in front or behind.

All marks are out of 10 in dressage, except free walk on a long rein and the collective marks, which include paces, impulsion, submission and rider, which are worth double. So if you are joint with someone, they look at your collective marks to see who has the most marks.

 

When I upload the videos, look out for the world's worst canter transition, and the nice square halt at the end.

 

I'm glad I rode this awful test, because when I was warming up for Novice, I remembered all the things I did wrong previously and tried to correct them. So my reins were shorter and I became much more effective with my leg, asking Ernest for a lot more impulsion - this is not speed but energy - and thereby getting a nicer contact.

A nice contact means when the horse or pony is rounder, instead of the neck being all long like a dinosaur.

 

The warm up was miles better, and we even got some steps of medium trot, which is what we'd been working on in preparation for the competition. Funnily enough, Ernest doesn't have a problem with medium canter!

Medium trot is when the stride covers more ground, so is effectively bigger, but not faster. The stride is lengthened and the horse really has to have the back end engaged, to have the impulsion to move forward.

 

I was really chuffed with our Novice. I rode much better, and as a result he moved a lot better. I missed some accuracy because I didn't quite hear my caller, but she couldn't exactly bellow because there were lots of other tests happening at the same time. However, I was much happier with this test and came out feeling like I'd ridden to an acceptable level for a Novice test.

The levels are Prelim, Novice, Elementary, Medium, Advanced Medium, Advanced, and beyond that you really are hot stuff.

 

We got 62.41%, and came joint 10th. I didn't get any medium trot in the test, it was really pleasing to get a few strides in the warm up, so I can learn what a medium trot should feel like.

 

 Ernest chilling after his dressage.

 

Sunday

We did Novice 22 again on Sunday, but were inside this time. There was decorative shrubbery around the outside of the white markers, which Ernest kept spooking at, so I felt a little annoyed because normally he doesn't spook at anything.

 

However, taking what I'd learnt from yesterday, we had an effective warm up so I was ready to ride properly. I felt like I was fighting him around the test, and in the top corner you can see on the video I'm having to be quite firm with my hand to stop him messing around.

 

I came out of this test feeling frustrated, because I felt I'd had to fight him around the arena, but upon watching the test back (my mum videos my tests - invaluable), I was pleased to find that you really can't see it. My friend, and trainer, pointed out that rather than "fighting" him, I was actually having to ride him to a more effective level.

 

And, to my astonishment, we actually won the test with 66.90%!

 

To my surprise, we also won a lot of cool prizes, as well as a really big rosette:

• A photo shoot worth £100 from Centaur Photographic
• A £10 voucher from Wish Bands
• Equilite's Sore No-More "The Sauce", for equine hoof and skin conditions
• A full initial assessment and treatment by a chiropractor or hypnotherapist, worth £60, from Your Mind Your Body
• A Don Harry browband
• A £40 gift certificate from The Balanced Rider

Another bonus from Sunday was meeting Dickie Davies, former TV presenter on ITV's World of Sport. I was standing Ernest in the shade after our Novice, and he came over to talk to me about Ernest's colour. He was really friendly to both me and my friend, and very complimentary about Ernest, so that was a cool addition to the good luck of the weekend.

 



 

xxx

Flash Fitness! Workout "game"?!

I've made a new game...

 

A FITNESS GAME? A GAME ABOUT FITNESS? HOW CAN FITNESS BE FUN?

 

...I hear you say. Well, let me explain...

 

I bought a set of weights from Fitness Superstore last year (which you can find here) so I could workout from home, because sometimes facing lots of people in the gym and driving into town etc is a bother, especially if I've already been out all day. And now my brother has moved out, I have a proper space to use as a gym.

 

Having a personal trainer, I have a multitude of workouts to choose from, but occasionally I just don't feel like doing anything. So I thought of this game for the days I just don't know what to do with myself, but know I need to move ma body...

 

The Game

 

1) Get some of these - colours preferably, so you either mix them up for a full-body workout or focus on one body part in particular.

 

 

2) On the appropriate colour, write an exercise with the number of reps and the weight. To be eco-friendly, I'm not using one card for each move, but cutting them into strips. I've also left space to increase my reps and weight when appropriate.

 

Obviously we all have our favourite moves, but below are a selection of the exercises I've included. I will add to these, once I've had a look online and in my fitness magazines for more ideas.

 

For lower body:

Squat, 15 reps, 10kg each hand (I usually use a 20kg barbell at the gym)

Bulgarian split squat, 10 reps each leg, body weight (for this you will also need a chair)

Kneeling glute press, 10 reps each leg, n/a

Walking lunge, 20 reps, 8kg each hand

Side lunge, 10 reps each side, 8kg

 

For upper body:

Bicep curl with twist, 10 reps each side, 4kg

Alternative dumbbell row, 10 each side, 8kg

Chest fly on stability ball, 15 reps, 5kg

Chest press on stability ball, 15 reps, 6kg

Overhead triceps extension, 10 reps, 3kg (haha wussy)

 

For abs:

Sit ups, 20 reps

Plank, 30 seconds

Side plank with reach under, 10 reps each side

V-ups, 20 reps

Reverse curl, 20 reps

 

 

3) Clip the groups together, and when you want to use them, make sure you shuffle the cards so you don't get the same exercises in the same order all the time. Remember, when you shuffle, turn the cards over so you can't see the writing.

 

4) Pick 5 from each side if doing a full-body workout, or 10 from one specific colour. Choose fewer cards if you are doing a shorter workout. Turn them over and get moving!
 

This is what I got for my first workout:

Alternate dumbbell row

Kneeling glute press

V-ups

Side lunge

Reverse curl

Hammer curl

Overhead triceps extension

Squat

Side plank with reach under

 

I also have a stationary bike (I know, quelle surprise, but I did use it a lot in my first year of University when doing all my reading for classes or watching films with my housemates), which I will use for 10 minutes as a warm up. Alternatively, you could run up and down your stairs, go for a short run outside, dance furiously, do jumping jacks or skip.

And, perhaps most importantly, remember to streeeeetch at the end!!

 

I hope you enjoy this game. Recommend me your favourite moves!

Also, I'm sure I didn't invent this...

 

xxx

A Midsummer Night's Dream

So this is a little late, but on the 8th I went to see A Midsummer Night's Dream with my mum and friend; it was a really nice day, breezy walking along the Thames, but oh WOW did it get hot inside.

 

I've only been to the Globe once before when I was at school, to see Much Ado About Nothing; Mark Rylance played the king (he was in The Other Boleyn Girl and lots of other interesting things - he's kind of a big deal. People know him) and it was really exciting and fun to see real live acting in such an iconic theatre.

 

I was super excited to go again, and whilst I knew this play was a comedy, I hadn't studied it or even read it for pleasure before, so I was eager to find out what the story was. The website has a good, and brief, synopsis: http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/theatre/whats-on/globe-theatre/a-midsummer-nights-dream-2013.

 

 

Verdict: 5/5

Light-hearted, raucous, fun.

 

This play was so funny. I know the 'language barrier' often makes people think they will misunderstand the humour of Shakespeare's plays, but this was hilarious. The interplay between the characters was really engaging, particularly between Oberon/Theseus and Titania/Hippolyta, and the story was very easy to understand.

 

I can't decide whether my favourite character was Bottom, played by Pearce Quigley, or Puck, played by Matthew Tennyson. Bottom was eccentric and oblivious, whereas Puck was eccentric and mischievous. Bottom, a member of the acting troupe "The Mechanicals", was a main source of humour because of his desire to play all the roles of their chosen play and his constant interrupting of other characters. During the final performance (a play within a play, clever!), Bottom's foot goes through the floorboard of their make-shift stage, so he has to sit on another character's back while it is mended. The awkwardness of the actors balancing on a tiny stage space was very amusing, and I'm not sure if it was part of the play or not but the other characters, who were watching the play (within a play) were laughing as much as the audience!

 

Puck was a very curious character, partly because Matthew Tennyson was so slight and looked so young I was trying to guess how old he is! Puck is the naughty servant of Oberon, who enchants both the right and the wrong people. Tennyson was amazing, he pranced around onstage like a ballet dancer and spoke so convincingly like he was in a fantasy world I really felt like I was there too.  

 

I particularly enjoyed how they created the forest, using branches and twigs, and the costumes and make-up were beautiful; feathery head adornments and animal masks, all earthy colours. I couldn't take any photos, but if you Google "Midsummer Night's Dream Shakespeare's Globe 2013", some good pictures come up.

 

It really was an experience to see this play, and although I wasn't standing in the pit, I enjoyed how the actors ran, or were chased, through the audience members. I would definitely recommend going to see this play specifically, but any Shakespeare play at the Globe is bound to be exciting and memorable for both the acting and environment. My next "want" is to see Macbeth.

 

xxx

Flash Fitness! First run since March.

As the title suggests, on the 6th I went for my first run since The Festival of Running in March. It was rather more of a mini run, and although I was exhausted, I had planned Thursday to be run-day this week so I would rather have done a short run than nothing at all.

I ran for 15 minutes and 19 seconds, so that would only have been around 1.5 miles, and cooled down by walking the greyhounds with my mum around the route I'd just run (or ran?).

Here is a picture tour of my run, featuring Princess the greyhound, Claus the greyhound, and my mum.

This was the start.^^ It's a nice long straight path, popular with Princess and Claus because of the many interesting sniffs.

The second part of my run is also fairly straight, where I run alongside a stream until I reach the end, where I have to cross a road.

This is my favourite part of running around my area. I go past a skate park and down a path which runs through a field; as the second picture shows, there is also a stream and a little bridge to run over. Annoyingly, there were quite a few midges as it was warm, and I'm sure I got one in the eye. Princess and Claus also love this area as they can bury themselves in the long grass...

 



This section is my favourite part of the 3-mile route that I usually do. It's very flat so was a nice introduction back into running, but I'm looking forward to the challenge of training for the Basingstoke Half Marathon in October. My time last year was 2 hours 7 minutes, but I'd like to be in under 2 hours.

xxx

 

Alert ears.

 

Flourless Chocolate Whey Cookies

This recipe comes from Oxygen magazine's May edition. As soon as I saw them I thought, "they look super yum", and I was right!

 

You need:

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 scoops chocolate whey protein powder

1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas

1/4 cup natural almond butter

5 pitted dates

1/4 cup warm water

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp ground flaxseed * I couldn't find this anywhere in Tesco's, so I didn't include it.

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup egg whites

1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

 

Preheat the oven to 350F, which is about 180C. Put baking paper over a baking tray.

 

Blend everything. The recipe recommends blending all but the coconut, because you toast  it lightly before adding it, but it was getting late when I made these so I didn't bother. I just added the coconut with everything.

 

Spoon the batter into 14 heaps.

 

Bake for 25 minutes, then allow to cool.

 

 

These were really tasty, cooked and uncooked (yes I tried some of the batter). My mum, best friend and I agreed the chickpeas made them taste like chestnuts. You really do taste the coconut, so if you're not a fan just leave it out; I'm going to experiment with different additions, such as cherries and raisins.

 

The nutritional breakdown is 47% carbs, 16% protein and 37% fat, however this is when ground flaxseed is included. The fat level seems high, but as will be shown below, the saturated fat level is low.

 

Nutrients per serving (again this is with the flaxseed included, but I doubt it would change the numbers that much):

180 calories

22g carbs

8g protein

8g fats, 2g sat fat

14g sugar

3g fibre.

 

My grandma and mum are both on a gluten-free diet, and I'm back on the clean eating (accept maybe a piece of cheesecake yesterday and Tuesday), so the flourless recipe is perfect. Also, although these aren't too sweet, they are a nice treat if you are craving something naughty.

 

 

 

I'm not sure why the pictures have come up so weeny, but hopefully you get the idea of what the batter looks like and what the cookies look like after their nap in the oven.

Recipe by Amy Layne.

 

xxx

3 Sports I'm Terrible At

Before I invite you to laugh at my sporting misfortune, I have 5 good things to tell you.

 

1. I LOVE Graze. I'm on my fourth box and life is fabulous.
2. My boyfriend is coming to England all summer. Cue fierce badminton matches.
3. We went to the National Gallery on Tuesday and I saw my favourite painting, "The Execution of Lady Jane Grey" by Paul Delaroche. It's still in room 41.
4. I had my first show jumping lesson last Friday. Biff and I haven't jumped for months, so it was super fun. Although, I did manage to pull a few muscles in my back. Ouch :(
5. Despite putting on 4kg, I still fit a Miss Selfridge size 6 top. Ha ha haaaaa. But seriously, those 4kg better be gone by July because I have a wedding to attend and I will fit into my dress which I bought last summer and spent £79 on.
6. So I have six good things to tell you, but then I did an English degree (which I officially finished on 17th May) and not Maths. Tonight, boyf, my friends and I went to Mildred's, a vegetarian and vegan restaurant, and Leona Lewis was sat diagonal to me. She's pretty. This isn't an especially good thing, and not surprising given she's vegetarian, I just wanted to play celeb spot like they do in Heat magazine.
7. By six good things I meant seven. I have a new godchild, as of 17th May.

 

On to the main event. Or mane event, given how much I love horses.

I was never sporty at school. I hated P.E, except for a select two sports: swimming and rounders. But I have partaken in a fair few different sporting activities. Here is a list of my worst achievements:

 

1. I think we can all agree that I am awful at cycling. AWFUL. I will post a video one day (lies) of just how bad I am. I just don't understand why people enjoy this sport. Maybe it's my lack of balance. Maybe it's a mild fear of the humble bicycle. Maybe it's the fact the last time I cycled I embarrassed myself. I don't know, but I have always been a terrible cycler; I used to cycle up and down the road at my old house, but when I got to the end I didn't know how to turn around, so I used to get off, move the bike, get back on, and cycle to the other end. I also remember being told how easy it is to cycle no-handed by my brother and his friend, and when I tried it, I fell of instantly. Then, walking injured back to the house, I stood on a thorn. Stupid bicycles.

 

2. Given I'm not terrible at badminton, I'm really bad at tennis. What do you mean over the net? I like to hit it over the walls of the court, let alone over the net. Or sometimes, if the ball is coming at me at speed, I like to just hit at it, so no one really knows where it will end up. Or I treat it like a badminton shuttlecock, so it still doesn't go over the net, but smashes on the ground. Stupid tennis.

 

3. I haven't played football for years, but when I was in France, I tried kicking some balls into the goal. Missed all but one and it hurt my foot. When I was younger, I could never manoeuvre the ball, so I would just kick it in straight lines. A football player I do not make. 

 

This list was originally going to be 5 Sports I'm Terrible At, but I have definitely become more sporty since school and so many of the sports I was terrible at (except tennis) was probably the result of a complete lack of effort on my part.

 

xxx

My First Graze Box!

Morningggg, it's 03:59am and what better way to keep occupied during another interrupted night's sleep than to blog.

 

So, I said I was back, which was a BIG FAT LIE because then I went on an adFrenchture for two weeks to see the best boyfriend in the world and was very busy eating fromage and baguette and meeting his family. Which is huge.

 

Also, my University final exams officially start at 09:00am today, but I'm currently feeling OK. The most nerve-wracking one is the last, next Friday, but I revised quite a lot while I was away (boring snoring, I know) so I feel more confident now.

 

But anyway, enough of that. I finally joined the Graze gang! I've been given coupons countless times but actually got round to signing up last month. My first box came on Monday 15th April, and I was super excited to see the little cardboard box sitting on the mat in the hallway when I got in from my French lesson.

 

 

 

I signed up for the Nibble box, because it provides a wider range of snacks. Even the options I'd eat on non-clean days are a much healthier option to the usual naughty suspects I'd allow on these days.

 

The process of signing up, choosing which snacks I'd like to try and which I'd "bin", using the coupon, choosing the frequency of deliveries etc was incredibly simple, and all of the aforementioned factors are easily manageable on their website. They also have the perfect option of scheduling a holiday, so they don't deliver during this time; I had to use this after my first box and it was reassuring to know how flexible Graze are with their deliveries. 

 

 

 

From top left, I received a Light Lemon and Poppy Slice with an afternoon tea infusion of "Assam, Kenyan and Earl Grey tea leaves", Bonnie Wee Oatbakes with a caramelized red onion marmalade, Green Olives with basil and garlic and Cookies and Cream, which included "mini chocolate cookies, roasted hazels, white chocolate buttons and sunflower seeds". 

 

They were all delicious, and the perfect size for a snack. I am usually in about four different places each day, so being able to just grab one of the little boxes was perfect, and I was genuinely full after eating them. The oatbakes were my favourite; I've "loved" them online so hopefully I'll receive them again soon!  

 

My first box was only £1.94, and the nature of my coupon means the next two are £3.39. The full price is still only £3.89, and I've opted for weekly deliveries. I would recommend trying Graze; I was really impressed by the quality of the food, the eco-friendly packaging and the personalized, easy-to-use website.      

 

xxx