Mongolia here we come!

Off to Mongolia for this year's Brooke sponsored ride in two days time! Very excited! Need to remember what to take and get packing.

I'll write up a full diary with photos when I get back.

It's not too late to sponsor me. Just go to http://www.justgiving.com/chantalcornelius2009

Tuesday 8 July: Darby, Joan and all their friends

It seemed a shame to leave Penny’s wonderful haven, but we enjoyed a great breakfast, before heading back to the Ridgeway. Soon we found ourselves riding into scenery that seemed very familiar. Both Karen and I have lived, walked and ridden around this middle section of the Ridgeway for many years, and started to recognise tracks and hills.

We passed by Sedgebury Fort, a small earthwork on the hill above Wantage, as well as farms and homes that have the Ridgeway as part of their front drives! We crossed the two roads that head south out of Wantage and close to the second, we passed the Darby and Joan club (except that they were made up entirely of Joans) out for a ramble. They were wandering happily all over the track, completely unaware that we were there, until we took to the long grass to get around them. Soon after the girls were spooked by a herd of screaming children racing down a field towards us. Across the road above the Lockinge Point to Point course and we met a group of teenagers, some of whom I don’t think had ever actually seen a horse before. When your horse stops to go to the toilet and someone asks you “Is that poo?” you know you could be in trouble. Luckily the teacher told his class to stand still as we went by. He also warned us about another group who we’d meet sitting on the steps of the Monument (a monument to what I don’t know) but they at least didn’t scream and try to catch up with us!

Up until now the weather had been wonderful – warm and sunny with enough breeze to keep the clouds moving over us. What Karen didn’t tell me was that black clouds were building behind us. We stopped for lunch and grazing at the car park above East Hendred.

We’d not been standing under the trees for very long when the rain started. It’s only a shower. It’s still raining. It’s getting heavier. Now I’m getting quite wet. Bee’s head is going lower, showing that she’s not enjoying this either. It’s running down my neck and seeping through the shoulders of my jacket. Finally it’s beginning to ease off. Let’s get back on and just keep going.

We mount up and ride out of the trees – into sunshine! Within about 10 minutes our horses and clothes are dried out and our spirits raised. We ride on to the car park at Bury Down and meet the support crew, who take photos and cheer us along. From up here we looked down onto Alden Farm in Upton where Pattie, Karen’s horse, lives. She got quite excited when she realised where she was (Pattie, not Karen!) and let out a very audible sigh of complaint when she realised that we weren’t heading down the hill to home.

From up here we could also see the rest of today’s route, as it headed right and then left and north east. It seemed like a long way, particularly as I knew that at the furthest point to the north east, we would have to turn south and head to my house – another half hour’s ride – in Compton. But we’d got the hang of trotting wherever we could, so we made good time and soon turned for home. Bee picked up and soon as she realised where we were going and it wasn’t long before we were walking down the lane, able to see my house, stables and paddock across my neighbours land. It was great to be home!

If you decide to ride the Ridgeway and need somewhere to stay around here, do get in touch. I have enough grazing for two and a stable for one (unless its winter when my horse will be in it.) I’m happy to give you a lift to wherever you can find to stay – I think one of the pubs in the next village does B&B.

For now, it was good to be home and over half way through our little adventure.

Sunday 6 July: Sunshine, showers and string for stirrups

We set off from the Wiltshire start of the Ridgeway on Sunday afternoon, with just a nine mile ride ahead of us. We nearly didn’t start, as I realised that I’d left my stirrups at home. Dressage riders and instructors will tell you that riding without stirrups, but nine miles over the Downs on a horse who doesn’t know where she is? Not really my idea of fun, but this little hitch wasn’t going to stop me. I fashioned some ‘stirrups’ out of baler twine – always worth carrying some spare string – and made do with them. It did mean that we had to keep to walk all day – not really safe to trot or canter with string round your feet!

We had beautiful views to both sides of us and wide grassy tracks. A few walkers past us as the black clouds started to catch up behind us and suddenly the heavens opened and we were soaking wet. It was the real wet rain that gets in, but we weren’t the only ones to suffer – quite a few walkers we met didn’t even have coats on.

The rain cleared and Barbary Castle rose above us on the Ridgeway – ancient ramparts built thousands of years ago, from where to watch the valleys below. We rode up through the ramparts – it would have made a lovely canter, if I’d had stirrups!

Soon we seemed to settle into a rhythm, eating sandwiches as we went along. I’m not sure I could have got back on if I got off, anyway. The wind was strong and we soon dried off, before getting wet again in the steady drizzle.

The Ridgeway is clearly marked, so the navigation is easy. Eventually we turned down the hill into the village of Ogbourne St George. With not far to go it was nice to get off and walk for half an hour, after three hours of riding. I think the horses enjoyed hading a stretch too.

We arrived at Fox Lynch, somewhere listed on the Ridegeway website, where we’d booked B&B for us and the horses. There were nice stables and plenty of hay for two tired horses, who seemed pleased to get out of the rain. A rather small and shabby bunk room with rosettes pinned to the ceiling for us. Photos of horses on the wall – obviously a family of riding and training. We put our saddles on the sofa as there wasn’t much room to move. I wonder when the sheets were last changed and I really didn’t like the look of the shower …

The local pub, The Inn with the Well, (where I would stay if I ever need to spend the night around here again) doesn’t do food on Sunday evenings. Luckily, we’d arranged to meet my parents, who took us to a lovely for supper. We got back to our ‘digs’ in time to see Nadal win Wimbledon, before settling down for the night ... or so we thought ...

New Yatt RDA Sponsored Ride - the Dry Run

Fancy a quiet hack on Sunday afternoon?

This is what I said in an email to Karen one Wednesday in April 2008, when I heard about a sponsored ride round Eynsham Park in Oxfordshire, being run in aid of the New Yatt Riding for the Disabled group. It was an eight mile ride around the park and we knew it would be a good dry run for us and the girls - my horse Bee Bee and Karen's horse Pattie. That's them on the left of the photo.

All the worrying we did about how the girls would travel together, how they would behave around other horses, what might set them off ... As it was, they behaved impecably and we needn't have worried about anything.

But it's always good to have a rehearsal for the big event, isn't it?

Let's Ride the Ridegway!

Those fatal words were uttered by both myself and my friend Karen Ambrose. We can't decide who had the idea first and therefore who to blame ... by the time it was said, it was too late.

During the autumn of 2007 we sat in front of the internet and did some planning. The website at www.nationaltrail.co.uk/ridgeway helped us work out how long it might take and how far we might ride each day. It all seemed quite easy back then. 70 miles along an ancient drovers' route; a few hours each day; some nice places to stay overnight ...

We checked our diaries and decided to opt for a week at the beginning of July 2008. The weather was bound to be good then. And then we just forgot about it all for quite a few months and went back to our day jobs - Karen is a chiropractor (www.karenambrose.co.uk) and I run a marketing company called Apple Tree.

Is there any reason you can't do something for a charity while doing your day job?