I've had a couple of days off since I last posted on this blog. As it was half-term, I took Anthony down to Devon to stay with his grandfather for two days (Wednesday to Friday) and all three Berrys seemed to have a mighty time. We let the train take the strain, which is always an enjoyable (but not inexpensive) way of travelling. Still, I suppose that the cost of fuel makes all travelling very costly, but even so running a railway ought to be a license to print money, as tickets are very dear and all trains nowadays seem to be full or nearly full. But train
travel is such fun: it's an adventure, as well as a very easy way to go. We only had one full day down there, and that day was one of pretty much constant rain, but the rain didn't dampen the enjoyment - despite the fact that the highlight of the day consisted of standing on Exmoor, which is an activity which is much more enjoyable in dry weather than wet. Happily, the rain was only light at the time, so we really were able to enjoy spending an hour in the company of a man called Nigel Penfold and of his two Harris hawks, Cassius
and Lady Macbeth (whose names would appear to suggest that Nigel is an enthusiast of Shakespeare as well as of hawks). This was really good fun, even if Anthony's comment halfway through that he was "living the dream" suggests that perhaps he doesn't take the English language quite as seriously as he should. Mind you, he is only eight, so that's forgivable. This treat took place out on the moor above Withypool, and the getting there was also a delight: a drive to and over the moor is always a pleasure whatever the weather, and this drive was made all the more pleasurable by the sighting of a couple of herds of magnificent Exmoor ponies.
Although our full day down in Devon was one of inclement weather, this month's weather is largely remaining very good right until the end of October (which ends tomorrow). Our train journey down from Paddington to Tiverton Parkway had taken place on a lovely golden sunny autumn dusk, and the day on which we departed was even more special. We really did see the Devon countryside at its best as we left it, all the more spectacular for the heavy mist resultant from a day of rain having fallen on warm soil being followed by strong
morning sunshine. I'm not at all good at leaving home (I think that those two nights represented only the second and third nights which I have spent away from home this year, their predecessor having been when I stayed at Aintree after Alcalde had run there in the last race at an evening meeting in the spring, and on that occasion I'd been home by about 8.30 the next morning, so that hardly counted as an extended absence from home) but I always surprise myself by finding that I do actually enjoy being away, however much I dread it in advance. I think it's the leaving home which I so dislike, rather than the being away from home.
I'll next be leaving home tomorrow, but then I'll only be away for six hours of so: Kadouchski (pictured enjoying his roll in his stable after exercise this morning) is set to contest his second steeplechase when he runs in the third race at Kempton tomorrow afternoon. Fingers crossed he ought to run well, as he did in his first steeplechase nearly three weeks ago when he finished second at Huntingdon. Tomorrow's field looks very similar, so I would imagine that he should be one of several chances in the race. On my return I will leave home a second time for the day: that will be to head to London for ATR's overnight coverage of the Melbourne Cup, when Matt Chapman and I will brahmaize the night away
while Flemington's 10-race (or possibly 9-race, I haven't yet checked) card takes place. So tomorrow night will be my fourth night away from home of the year, although again I'll be back in the yard by 8.30 the following morning. Regarding the mildness of the weather, I've clipped (admittedly only trace-clipped, as that's as much as I ever do) Kadou in advance of his race tomorrow. I don't like clipping horses any more than necessary as I think that they appreciate a long coat when it's cold, but it's so mild at present - still shirt-sleeves weather, which is amazing - that I think that Kadou would get too warm on the journey down and in the preliminaries tomorrow with his long coat, and I don't like to see a horse sweating before his race. So he's had some of his hair removed, and I think that I'll also clip Alcalde (pictured yesterday ridden by our visitor from Stockholm, the trainer/jockey Annika Kallse, who was over for the Horses-in-Training sale) before his outing at Sandown on Saturday, as his coat is even longer than Kadou's.
I've had a couple of days off since I last posted on this blog. As it was half-term, I took Anthony down to Devon to stay with his grandfather for two days (Wednesday to Friday) and all three Berrys seemed to have a mighty time. We let the train take the strain, which is always an enjoyable (but not inexpensive) way of travelling. Still, I suppose that the cost of fuel makes all travelling very costly, but even so running a railway ought to be a license to print money, as tickets are very dear and all trains nowadays seem to be full or nearly full. But train
travel is such fun: it's an adventure, as well as a very easy way to go. We only had one full day down there, and that day was one of pretty much constant rain, but the rain didn't dampen the enjoyment - despite the fact that the highlight of the day consisted of standing on Exmoor, which is an activity which is much more enjoyable in dry weather than wet. Happily, the rain was only light at the time, so we really were able to enjoy spending an hour in the company of a man called Nigel Penfold and of his two Harris hawks, Cassius
and Lady Macbeth (whose names would appear to suggest that Nigel is an enthusiast of Shakespeare as well as of hawks). This was really good fun, even if Anthony's comment halfway through that he was "living the dream" suggests that perhaps he doesn't take the English language quite as seriously as he should. Mind you, he is only eight, so that's forgivable. This treat took place out on the moor above Withypool, and the getting there was also a delight: a drive to and over the moor is always a pleasure whatever the weather, and this drive was made all the more pleasurable by the sighting of a couple of herds of magnificent Exmoor ponies.
Although our full day down in Devon was one of inclement weather, this month's weather is largely remaining very good right until the end of October (which ends tomorrow). Our train journey down from Paddington to Tiverton Parkway had taken place on a lovely golden sunny autumn dusk, and the day on which we departed was even more special. We really did see the Devon countryside at its best as we left it, all the more spectacular for the heavy mist resultant from a day of rain having fallen on warm soil being followed by strong 
morning sunshine. I'm not at all good at leaving home (I think that those two nights represented only the second and third nights which I have spent away from home this year, their predecessor having been when I stayed at Aintree after Alcalde had run there in the last race at an evening meeting in the spring, and on that occasion I'd been home by about 8.30 the next morning, so that hardly counted as an extended absence from home) but I always surprise myself by finding that I do actually enjoy being away, however much I dread it in advance. I think it's the leaving home which I so dislike, rather than the being away from home.
I'll next be leaving home tomorrow, but then I'll only be away for six hours of so: Kadouchski (pictured enjoying his roll in his stable after exercise this morning) is set to contest his second steeplechase when he runs in the third race at Kempton tomorrow afternoon. Fingers crossed he ought to run well, as he did in his first steeplechase nearly three weeks ago when he finished second at Huntingdon. Tomorrow's field looks very similar, so I would imagine that he should be one of several chances in the race. On my return I will leave home a second time for the day: that will be to head to London for ATR's overnight coverage of the Melbourne Cup, when Matt Chapman and I will brahmaize the night away
while Flemington's 10-race (or possibly 9-race, I haven't yet checked) card takes place. So tomorrow night will be my fourth night away from home of the year, although again I'll be back in the yard by 8.30 the following morning. Regarding the mildness of the weather, I've clipped (admittedly only trace-clipped, as that's as much as I ever do) Kadou in advance of his race tomorrow. I don't like clipping horses any more than necessary as I think that they appreciate a long coat when it's cold, but it's so mild at present - still shirt-sleeves weather, which is amazing - that I think that Kadou would get too warm on the journey down and in the preliminaries tomorrow with his long coat, and I don't like to see a horse sweating before his race. So he's had some of his hair removed, and I think that I'll also clip Alcalde (pictured yesterday ridden by our visitor from Stockholm, the trainer/jockey Annika Kallse, who was over for the Horses-in-Training sale) before his outing at Sandown on Saturday, as his coat is even longer than Kadou's.
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