The second half of September included my birthday and two events, Purston Manor and South of England. I had a very sociable pub supper with a few good friends on my 26th birthday, although the menu at my disposal was still limited as this was only two days after smacking my lip open at Pontispool! Luckily it healed fast so I didn't look too silly for the VWH hunt ball; this was a fun affair with dodgems, food fights and silly dancing!

George ran in his third Pre Novice at Purston, I was delighted with his performance, but surprisingly there were no prizes for his double clear as we got 10 time faults for going too fast cross country! I honestly cantered round with the handbrake on, but on such an open course through fields it is easy to save a few seconds, particulary as George now jumps in such a lovely confident rhythm. My dressage mark could have been better, he felt a bit sleepy, but there was no way he was touching a show jump! I liked this event, the cross country isn't good for spectators but I loved the flowing course, convenient arena layout, lovely house and sociable attendance! Sadly, George will now be sold and I will really miss eventing him, it was such a pleasure!

Scar and Pennyz ran at South of England, the former in the Novice and the latter in the CIC* - her first international! Poor Scar absolutely couldn't cope with the hard skiddy going in his tiny dressage arena and could honestly hardly stay upright! He lost his confidence with a bad slip up halfway through and I then had to practically walk round all the corners and certainly gave up on the 12m canter half circles as we nearly fell on our faces! I bumped into the judge later who commiserated with me and said she could see the panic in Scar's face so she gave us a very understanding mark! He just rolled one pole in a beefy show jumping but went cross country in the time, almost climbing back up to a placing. He tries so hard to please and I am very fond of him.

Pennyz finished a very respectable 12th in a huge CIC section. The dressage has plenty of room for improvement, but it was only her first attempt at a tricky international test with leg yielding. She executed this in a rather erratic manner, but I was so impressed she held the two extra long counter canters that I didn't mind. It was also such a treat to frolic around in a long 20x60 arena again after months of getting dizzy with knotted horses' legs in 20x40s! She was one of a small portion of entries to achieve a brilliant double clear in the time. I was thrilled - she felt so grown up and jumped her biggest track yet with great confidence, despite not having had a run for a while.

The main reason the last couple of months have been hectic is that I have been hatching great plans... I just didn't want to make them official until my ideas were clear! I hope to move myself and the horses to the Cotswolds this winter! There is a whole catalogue of reasons for this decision but I just haven't done anything about it until now because it is all so daunting and much organisation is required for my lock, stock and barrel relocation! I am selling my cottage, finding affordable stables to rent, moving the horses and camping with friends until I buy another cottage!

I feel awfully brave and grown up tackling it essentially on my own, although of course several friends are helping me and advising me on individual aspects. The reasons for this choice are geographical, economical, social, practical, aesthetical, and, most importantly, career orientated. Not only are the Cotswolds mouth-wateringly irresistible to me, but it is where a large portion of my friends live, the rest having inconveniently gone to London. This is because the Cotswolds is a very social and active area with equestrians. I also very much hope that I will have better contacts to find more owners and sponsors to further my eventing career. Renting stables instead of paying livery should enable me to cut my costs, as I cannot afford my current arrangement long term, however convenient. Of course I can never thank Sarah Bullen enough for all her help and guidance over the last nine years, but it is time for me to organise my life independently with a more sustainable system and learn from my own mistakes - all very daunting!

These plans have resulted in numerous trips to Gloucestershire to look at yards. I am particularly interested in one near Stow on the Wold, set in huge green fields on a hill. Turnout and hacking are always my priority, but in this case an arena, a racing trainer's gallops and a show jumping arena all within the village are a great bonus for saving time and horsebox fuel! I am so sad to be selling my beloved cottage though - I only wish I could move it! I will struggle to find such a big bedroom and bathroom with double windows, in another small cottage! I have been scrubbing the cottage for weeks for the brochure photographs and in the garden I scrubbed all the terracing on hands and knees and felt like the Chelsea Flower Show snipping round the lawn edges! I also cheated and bought lots of flowering plants to hide in the flower beds as they are no longer at their best! Indoors I have taken down hundreds of scattered photographs, reduced clutter, touched up paint and scrubbed everything within an inch of its life! All the HIPs documents have finally been completed after filling in much paperwork, so the cottage went on the market at the end of September with viewers lining up fast to look around!