This week has been a blur of activity leaving very little time to access the internet, or be around on social media. To give you an idea of what I’ve been up to, my week went like this:

• last Saturday, drive 220 miles in horsebox to stay at Somerford Park Premier League show (Cheshire, UK) – six and a half hours. Settle my little superstar in his stable, hook the lorry up and get the gas turned on, settle down to a couple of uninterrupted hours of editing, with no access to the internet – yay!
• Sunday, walk the three quarters of a mile from the stabling to the arenas (I really must invest in a bicycle) and watch a couple of clients compete. Walk back, do 4 hours of editing (yay!) then plait up and ride my own class.

Little superstar decided to comply, and we had a great round for a decent score, including personal bests at Grand Prix from two of the top International judges in the sport – yay!

• Put pony to bed, then 2 more hours of editing!
• Holiday Monday – up early to walk back down to the arenas to warm up a client. Trundle back up the road for last uninterrupted hour of editing, then plait and compete in the Grand Prix Special, when superstar pony decided that it was all too much fun and his wicked sense of humour surfaced, providing total loss of brakes and a resounding bottom in the class. He’s a little miracle to be still competing top level at his age (22 years old – equivalent to a human of 66), and when he decides he knows best I’ve learned not to argue, just to laugh like hell as it all goes to pot!

Are you all looking at me? Aren’t I handsome???

• After recovering from hysterical laughter and returning him to his stable, start packing up and then drive 6 hours home to arrive 10pm at the yard.
• Tuesday start teaching 9am, finish by 5pm and home to sort out 1001 (not quite, but you know how it is) emails and admin.
• Wednesday start teaching a little later (phew) then home to try completing catch up, plus washing and packing ready for
• Thursday up at 6am to catch a 9am flight to Glasgow, land, catch taxi to venue and start teaching. 6pm one hour break to eat, then 7pm give presentation to local judges, teaching them how to judge Dressage Freestyle to Music classes, including live demonstrations. Finish 9pm and go to stay with wonderful host who provides whisky (necessary by now!)
• Friday start teaching back at the venue at 10am through 2.30pm, gallop back to the airport for a 4.10pm flight, home by 7pm and back to catching up again!

There you have it – a week in my life at this time of year!
At least the lack of internet at the show gave me lots of lovely concentrated time for editing, and now I’ve managed a bit more this morning before a late start to work, then drive 100 miles tomorrow to invigilate a judges mock-exam.

At least I get Monday off!

But no, wait…. that will be back to editing…

Who else has a hectic time of year with their day job? I do love mine, thankfully, but spring/summer is always pretty intense.