January 2002

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL !

It's been fairly quiet around here lately, but Sarah took Hugo to Tall Trees for a Dressage outing, he won the Novice qualifier convincingly, and then managed a very respectable score in his very first try at Elementary. Considering that he is only a baby, and has only been in serious Dressage work for a little while, that's some achievement !

Czar, Hiera and Vinnie went to Bicton Dressaging on Sunday - a horrid, wet, windy and cold day, and Czar's first ever outing under saddle. Petra took lots of pictures which will be here in a few days, provided they came out in the nasty conditions !

Had there been a class for the wettest support team we'd have won hands down ....

Everyone came away with a placing - Czar got a third in his second test (the first being marred by some "overenthusiasic" canter transitions) . Vinnie came 6th in his, well done !. Hiera got a 4th in her second test, just missing on a rosette in the first test by trying to fall over in a corner (well sat Sandy ! )

Barry is still limping about because of his broken coccyx, so has offered to let Petra exercise Wulfie for him .... If that prospect won't make him recover quickly nothing will :-)

How did he break his coccyx ???

No, not heroically crashing and burning over a 6ft oxer, but playing Superman in the snow on a sledge down one of the steep fields, and hitting a boulder hidden beneath the snow ....

Congratulations to Julie Wilson - who won the Centyfield Christmas Quiz, and will be coming down for her first prize (a weekend at the stud) when she sorted out the details. WELL DONE JULIE !

Back soon !!!

December 2001

With Petra running off to the USA and Germany for a few weeks there has been a horrible gap in the "News from Centyfield" page ....

So much has happened since the last update !

Czar went forward to his CHAPS (UK) Grading at the end of December. For the first time there was a panel of 5 judges (instead of the previous 3) , and with 22 stallions coming forward for assessment things were going to be hotly contested from the start.

The criteria were strict and the judges took no prisoners, only the best were going to be good enough to come away with the coveted "graded stallion" status.

Only 6 of the 22 made it - and Czar stood Reserve champion by the narrowest of margins - less than half a mark.

He earned a flawless 20 out of twenty for his jumping style and technique by all 5 judges, literally exploding over the fences !

On the subject of Gradings ...  We have just heard that one of Hamlets' German bred sons was just presented for his Grading with the ZfDP in Germany and passed with very good marks. A well bred Fewspot out of a Knabstrupper mare he is carrying on the tradition of his sire and grandsire, and we look forward to seeing his offspring in future.  Below a photo of him as a foal

Indy ( Centystage) had a superb year, winning British Novice and doing well at his first Elementaries, also qualifying very quickly at BSJA British Novice and Discoveries, now jumping Foxhunters. This stunning son of Centyfor is still only 5 years old, has some outstanding foals on the ground, and looks set to follow in his famous sire's footsteps as a star !

Figiel went to a few more affiliated competitions, and is amassing Dressage Points rather rapidly.

Barry and Sarah got rather lost on the way to one venue, arriving with literally minutes to spare, Warm-Up consisted of trotting off the ramp, up the lane and straight into the arena, and he still won his test ....

He is almost out of Novice now, and will probably skip Elementary and come out at Medium level in 2002.

New boy Hugo started his career at Centyfield by getting several good placings and collecting points as well, pictures coming soon.

Hamlet had a rather mixed time - his competition record remains brilliant and he is now qualified for the 2002 Regionals at Medium already.

He gave Sarah one hell of a fright a couple of weeks ago when he somehow managed to knock one of his teeth while playing in his stable. Amongst a lot of blood and the tooth sticking out of his mouth at a rather sickening angle he had Sarah convinced that he'd broken his jaw - closer inspection showed that "fortunately" it was only a tooth that was broken. This will not affect his work at all and he is still aimed at Prix St Georg in 2002

The "French lot" travelled to France and are happily settled in with their new owners Robbie and Kevin.. Daytonia and  Folly are safely in foal to Hamlet, and Halina (Hamlet's daughter out of Dizzy) is colouring out nicely and will probably end up a liver chestnut near leopard spot.

COMING SOON :

The Dressage Team v The Showjumping Team

As of 2002 *NO* Centyfield stallion will be competing at Showing anymore, they will be either Showjumping, or doing Dressage, or both.

We will have a new page which charts the progress of "The Jumpers" versus "The Dressage Team"

As winter settles over the stud the wait for 2002 and the new foals begins.

We wish all of you a VERY happy Christmas and a fabulous new Year, may all your ambitions come true, all your foals be coloured (or spotted)

See you next year !

In the meantime, have a go at the new Centyfield Christmas Quiz to while away the long dark evenings !