Last weekend I spent an afternoon at Starnash Farm talking to the team about their goals for 2020.
Firstly there are some building plans coming to fruition. Andrew was working hard on the new entrance so access to the stables will be a little easier and there will also be a new covered horse walker. In this appallingly wet winter I can appreciate just how useful this will be to ensure every horse is safely exercised on those days when it is just too miserable outside to do anything else. It will also be a great recovery aid for any horses on box rest.
Discussions then turned to the various horses and riders that make up Team Starnash:
Two of the horses that have regularly been ridden by Laura in 2019 are looking forward to more successes in 2020. Billy Heythrop (shown in the first image at Hickstead in 2019) will be moving on to 6 year old classes; he will be competing internationally aiming for the World 6 year old final. The beautiful Hana de la Pomme will step up to Foxhunter this spring and will be heading to her first 1* International.
The younger riders that I have in the past enjoyed photographing at Starnash and at the shows include Chloe and Callum who will again be heading for the National Championships and Antonia who now has a new young pony Goochi to move up the ranks having sold her lovely pony Star to a younger rider.
As well as the local riders, Starnash hosts horses for several international riders whilst they attend local boarding schools. Humphrey and Olivia from Mauritius will be competing for Eastbourne College in 2020 and Humphrey will also be making his international debut. Sophia from Mexico attends Bedes School and will be competing on her horse Baccaratzz this year.
Finally, this year will be India’s last in ponies and she expects it to be a very busy year both at home and abroad. There are some interesting plans being developed and so more details should emerge over the next couple of months.
India training at home on the cheeky family favourite Mickey V
Antonia on her new young horse Goochi
Callum competing for the Eastbourne College team on Troy at Windsor in 2019
Chloe competing at Felbridge in 2019 on her pony Flo
Antonia and her old pony Star - we had a beautiful day for her portrait session last spring.
Laura competing at Hickstead last year on the beautiful Hana de la Pomme