Darcie and I have had a quiet few months whilst I do my mock exams in preparation for my GCSE’s. I’m writing this blog on my way to riding club training. We are a member of Bath riding club and we regularly compete in the riding club competitions. I first joined Bath when I started keeping my old horse Hup at Jill Holt's yard. I didn’t really know any other members (apart from Jill) but I very quickly felt welcome. We attend group training sessions on Thursday evenings which gives us a chance to train with and get to know team members. The lessons alternate between flatwork, grids and showjumping.

Riding club isn’t just about competitions, you can join to just attend training sessions. Its caters for all abilities whether you have just started jumping to competing at high levels. It is a low pressure environment and everyone can progress at their own pace. At bath, we have an amazing instructor called Anthony who is really encouraging and knows exactly what to do if something goes wrong. It is a really good thing to join if you want to make new horsey friends, compete at more competitions or even just to simply improve your riding.

Over the next few months, I don’t have much planned with Darcie except for the odd showjumping competition here and there. We are putting most of our focus into controlling her shoulders to avoid any silly mistakes! We are doing this with lots and lots of flatwork including shoulder ins, leg yields and flexing and bending before building up to grids and tricky angle over some fences. My aim for the next showjumping competition is to jump a nice steady double clear and (maybe) attempt some jump off lines! I will post regular updates of my training on my Instagram (@katiehughesshowjumping) of our training and competition results. Now my mocks are over I'm going to try and start posting every Monday and Friday so keep your eyes out :)