It's Badminton time again!

This bank holiday weekend why not pull on some country boots and take the family down to Badminton Horse Trials over Easter?

Running over the bank holiday weekend from 21st – 25th April, the Friday and Saturday will hold the Dressage phase with Sunday being dedicated to the Cross Country Phase. Monday will hold the show jumping day, the finale of the whole event. Top class riders from all over the world will attend the 4 star 3-day-event along with top British riders such as Oliver Townend, William Fox-Pitt and Mary King.

Eventing is a competition designed to test horses over three different phases. The Dressage phase tests a horse’s obedience and elegance, while the cross country phase tests fitness and athleticism over a 4 mile course, jumping natural and man made obstacles. Lastly, the show jumping tests agility, control and fitness after a long 3 days.

However, it’s not all just the thrills and spills of Badmintons competitors, being home to the famous shopping village, it provides a huge range of equestrian clothing for you and everything you need for your horse with a big selection of brands; you can browse for hours!

If you can’t get down to Badminton this weekend, don’t worry as Sunday’s Cross Country and Monday’s Show jumping will be broadcast on BBC. Sunday will be broadcast from 11.50am – 5.45pm and Monday 1.00pm – 3.00pm.

The Starlings of the Somerset levels put on their yearly show

With the nights drawing ever darker and the rain seemingly and endless entity throughout our working week, I don’t know about you, but for me the prospect of stepping outside other than to put the horses to bed after work is about all I can manage.  However, come the weekend the first thing I want to do is get outside in the country and embrace what Autumn has to offer, rain included.

Last week I travelled to see my brother who now resides in Glastonbury.  Having just got himself a rescue dog, a German Shepherd named ‘Bee’, a lot of walking was the order of the weekend over the Mendips, Cheddar and the Somerset Levels; which brings me to one of the most impressive displays of nature I’ve ever witnessed.

Now I wouldn’t class myself as a twitcher, apart from the odd Buzzard hovering above my head whilst out riding I’m not one to usually get too excited about a load of birds, but this was different.  Every Autumn/Winter Starlings migrate from the far north to roost in the ‘relatively’ milder British climate, in particular in the Somerset Levels.  So here I was, in my new country boots, ankle deep in water watching the shape shifting formations as the Starlings dart about in the dusk sky.  The nearest I can get to describing it would be like the old school days when you held a magnet under a piece of paper with iron filings on it; the movement of the filings bore more than an uncanny resemblance to that of the Starlings.

And now, back to work.  I wonder what this weekend brings...

Image © By everywhereisimagined via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence