Despite this being almost a week ago, I have been so busy this week that I have not yet had a chance to write up a full report. Well, here goes;
I had never been to the Hadleigh before - I had heard a lot of bad press about it, and been warned not to bother going, but I am glad that I did. The carparking was a bit farcical though - with lots of stewards in bowler hats stood on the side of the road, but no one actually helping to park - so we just kept driving and driving until we were almost out the other side of the showground! Then they had the great idea of parking the mares with foals as far away from the rings as possible. This would have been a good idea if the area was quiet - but no, we were parked right next to a rowdy stallion (and its owner). At one point I actually thought they were coming through the wall of the horsebox! Needless to say that Evy was quite wound up by all of this, so when we did arrive at the collecting ring for our class, she was jumpy and on her toes. This was not helped by the stallions being shown in the next ring, and resulted in some rather impressive airs above the ground as they were led past.
However, she behaved herself in the ring, and won her class, which was fantastic. Next stop the Suffolk show - so keep those fingers crossed!
After settling the horses back in the box with hay and water, we had a wander round the show. It strikes me that the Hadleigh is a very good rural event, with lots of stands appealing to those from various walks of life. The countryside ring was used to display things such as birds of prey, ferrets (not at the same time I hasten to add) sheepdog displays and so forth. There was a fabulous display put on by the local poultry club, with numerous pedigree birds on display for people to see and get advice about. I was particularly taken with the booted bantams, but was rapidly told that I was not allowed any - typical.
The livestock classes were very well attended, with some fantastic examples of pedigree breeding. One in particular that stuck in my mind was a rather spectacular longhorn bull (picture on my gallery page). The other half thought it would be hilariously funny to stand me next to a rather portly Charolais and see whose backside was bigger. One was not amused.
All in all (apart from the carparking fiasco, and the dodgey single tracked roads on which the showground was entered and departed via) the show was very well run. Check out the pictures on the gallery pages.
What a superb show! I had never been to the South Suffolk before, but I have to compliment them on the way that it was run. The signposting was excellent - very little chance of getting lost, with big yellow signs lining the roads from 15 miles away, and the lorry park was run very well, with big enough gaps being left between vehicles, and stewards to make sure animals were being properly looked after.
When we arrived we asked the steward to park us as near to the ring as possible, as having a mare and foal, we didn't want to stress them out any more than necessary leading them through the throngs of vehicles and animals. The steward was very helpful, informed us of a ring change, and directed us to a parking spot just three rows back from the ring. A mass panic ensued, trying to get the horses unloaded, brushed off and ready for the ring, as well as changing into showing clobber ourselves. However, the announcements over the loudpseaker informed us how things were running, and we arrived in the collecting ring with plenty of time to spare.
Our class (sporthorse broodmare) was a particularly strong one, with some very nice mares and foals coming forward for the judging. The judging was a little hit and miss, mainly due to it not being a sporthorse judge (the horses were not trotted up properly, and many were turned out incorrectly). She did not seem interested in the horses, she simply said good morning, and then thanks for coming when she presented the rosettes at the end. A little more feedback would have been nice.
However, we managed to come second, which I am very pleased with, especially as Evy did not want to stand still for the judge! It was a brilliant warm up show, and hopefully we will do even better on Saturday at the Hadleigh Show.
The rest of the show was put together well, with a good mixture of stands and displays. It was a little too hot to be walking around for long, and I desperately wished for my sunglasses! The motorbike display team made me come out in goosebumps as they jumped 35ft ramps! They are either very brave or completely crazy - or perhaps both! I have to say, shame on the local YFC as the stand was a little lacklustre, and not awfully inspiring. Perhaps something to entice the younger members would have been better?
We spent some time watching the livestock rings, notably the pig ring (is there a techincal term for this??). We watched as the four female pigs took their owners roung the ring, and for the first time I was glad to be showing horses and not other animals - crikey they looked like hard work! Knowing absolutely nothing about pigs, and judging solely on how they looked against horse criteria (i.e. slope of shoulder, straight back, rounded quaters, etc) I picked out who I would have placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Well, I'd be damed if the judge didn't agree with me - perhaps I should go into judging rather than showing!!
All in all, it was a fantastic day out, and thoroughly well organised.
What a busy week I've just had! Work is flat out at the moment, and I seem to spend most of the day with my phone glued to my ear! Occasionally I manage to get out of the office and onto farm, and wow - the relief! Today was a major treat for me, as the farm that I was going to visit was none other than.... The Godolphin Estate!! I can hand on heart say that there is more security in that place than there are police working in Newmarket! The whole establishment is tigther than Fort Knox!! And to think that the horses I was watching trot round the warm up ring are worth millions - well, it made me wonder if the Sheik realised just how lucky he really is...
I was glad to be back at work on Tuesday - I'd just about had enough of the endless streams of tourists and campers trawling through the village. I foolishly decided to ride my young horse out on his first hack - he is a bit of a stress head, and natually inclined to worry - forgetting that the bank holiday would guarentee idiots on the road. Having said that, it was fairly uneventful, with just a few BMW X5's and Porsche Cayenne's flying past doing 60 (on a single track road) unaware of the horses trying to kill their riders on the verge. Why is it, that when we do get back to the yard, and I need to drive somewhere, I then get stuck behind the old couple doing 15mph through the "pretty little village" - having to slam my brakes on when they suddenly decide to stop and take some pictures. Don't you just love Bank Holidays.
The other half took some new seasons to market last week, and received top price for his super lights. The others all sold well, some over 200p/kg - things are starting to look up a bit perhaps...? The Ewes are out stuffing themselves with spring grass - the horses have been kicked out and the stable beds swept back, the dairy down the road has kicked all their cows out - dare I say that Summer is around the corner??
Just four days now until the South Suffolk Show - our first show of the season! We had a dress rehersal on Monday - it took just four hours to get the mare ready... Seeing as our class is at 8.30am and we have to leave the yard at 7.30am that would mean a 3am start.... Oh dear....
Its been a hectic few weeks, hence no time for a blog! Have finally found a spare five minutes, but not sure how much sense I will make!
The mobile signal in our village has been non existent since "the big storm" on 13th March. Despite repeated calls to the phone company, they have been worse than useless in getting it fixed. In the pub at the weekend one chap was moaning that lack of signal had cost him £50,000. I found it very difficult to ascertain exactly why, and then I realised what family he belonged to. The chap in question is a farmer, and one of four brothers making a living off of one farm. All I can say is that the wives must have great jobs, as the farm itself is about 400 acres, and in this day and age I can't see how that could support four families (and not the shrewdest sellers at that).
Anyway, I struggled to compute how he had lost £50,000 (and why he is now sueing the phone company for loss of income). He claims that he has a remaining 500t of wheat left to sell (bearing in mind their total wheat acreage is just 150, and that their yields aren't the best, this must mean they have not sold much at all since harvest) and that his trader couldn't get hold of him when the price was high because of his mobile phone not working. He claims that by the time his trader got hold of him, the wheat price had dropped £10/t. Whilst this is extremely possible, I think perhaps his maths needs looking at, as 500t and a drop of £10/t would mean he lost £5000 and NOT £50,000 as he is claiming. Since speaking to this chap, I have also had a word with his trader, and it turns out that he in actual fact has 60t left to sell, not 500t. One wonders if his claim against the mobile phone company will succeed.
The wheat market has been extremely volatile this week, with huge drops that is seeing many concerned faces. What with Diesel now at £1.20/l and predicted to reach £1.50/l by the summer, one wonders if we are in for harder times than seen when wheat was making just £60/t.
Still the odd lamb arriving at home, with the early ones almost ready to go. It seems later than usual, but I guess that is down to having the early Easter.
The horses are all looking very well. We have sold my big lad, which I am very sad about. He is a fantastic horse, and I really wish that I could keep him. He looks so well now, all that food has done the trick and he is doing brilliantly. Still, I am looking forwards to bringing Oliver back into work, and have a summer full of competitions planned for him.
Evy and Emae are doing very well, apart from the fact that Emae keeps deciding to take down the electric fencing! We need a much bigger zapper on it as she has no respect for it at all. We had the vet out to give Evy an MOT – she had her teeth sorted out, and was sedated whilst we trimmed her up ready for the show ring. We also had the vet check over Alma, who is due to foal in about 3 weeks time – he said everything appears to be fine, and foaly is still moving around, so that is fantastic news – soon we will have the patter of tiny hooves (again).
So, it has been a busy few weeks for me, and it is only set to get busier. Everything is picking up speed at work, and at home the jobs are mounting up. We are lunging the show horses every night to help them build muscles in the right places, and teaching the youngsters to trot up in the show ring. The fields have been fertilised, and I am all set with my new toy (Nomix sprayer) to go an spray the weeds. First show in two weeks and it feels like nothing is ready! Finally, summer is approaching!
Well, the final episode of Skins aired last night, and I couldn't help but think how much it reflected my own life. I also wonder how many people all over the country can relate to the characters.
From the start of the very first episode, they could have been writing about my teenage life; my friends. A group of recreational drug users (although I never did indulge) whom are not addicted, just simply having fun. The house parties, the loose morals – the pure, guiltless fun. Nothing to worry about, nothing to care about – just out for a good time.
This final episode shows just how quickly people must go from fun loving youths, to taking hold of their futures. Some are unable to do this, others perhaps overdo it. As my own group of friends dispersed to various universities, it became harder and harder to stay in touch. We all made new friends, and many of us (myself included) moved away altogether, even when University was finished.
The death of 'Chris' also brought back painful memories of losing my own best friend, although this was through accident rather than illness. Life can be seriously cruel – my friend was just 23, his whole life ahead of him. Still, I guess everything happens for a reason, however obscure that might be.
On another line of thought – I currently have a mad addiction to Ginger of all things!! What is going on there? Yesterday I made do with a ginger flavoured yoghurt and some ginger chocolate, but today I went and bought a 200g bag of stem ginger, and have since been sat in the office nibbling away. No, before anyone asks, I am not pregnant – I have no idea why the craving, but its certainly not that! The worrying thing is, here I was thinking I was being really healthy, and I have now found out it is possible to overdose on ginger, with some very nasty side effects! According to google, it causes 'depression, sleepiness, dizziness, stomach ulcers and heart arrhythmias. Oh dear…. I can't believe the size of the lambs now – everyone is posting pictures of tiny babies, and ours look like monsters, although ours are a few months old! Surely they must be ready to go soon… As for everything else – soon be time to start clearing up and preparing for the summer months. The youngsters had their rugs off at the weekend, although why they need rugs when the million-pound horses in Newmarket manage without is beyond me! My other half is the soft one when it comes to rugs, and insists that they need them. Having said that, he did criticise me putting a rug on Emae shortly after she was born (well it was snowing!)
Well, what a busy week this has been! Just days after my foal hit the ground, I had to leave her in the care of my other half, whilst I ran off for a couple of days to another office elsewhere in the country. Not ideal, but it was nice to meet some new people and learn some new skills.
The talk in the office this week has revolved around Cereals, namely exactly who will be going, and how many freebies to give away on the stand. I have not been given full details of offers, but from the mummerings I have heard, the stand will definitely be worth a visit… I will leave it t you to guess which one it is!
The foal is growing quickly, and has been named Emae. She had her first experience with the vet this week, who stuck a big pointy needle in her (anti-tetanus) and made sure heart, lungs etc all sounded ok. Her mum had to withstand a fair bit of poking from the vet, in order that we could ascertain when to send her back to stud.
Not long after Emae arrived, a strapping young bull calf also clambered into the world. I thought my other half would have preferred a heifer, but he corrected me, and said that at least with a bull calf there were no decisions to be made as to whether it would be kept or not – he will eventually end up in the freezer.
Unfortunately there was also some sad news this week, as a horse that my friend has owned for almost 20 years (the horse was approximately in his mid 30s) had a stroke and had to be put to sleep, just hours after the birth of Emae. He had been retired for well over 10 years, and had a nice life. As one life begins, another one ends.
To be perfectly honest I've not got a lot more news this week – I am still trying to sell my big horse; the amount of timewasters out there is phenomenal. One chap came to see him, saw me ride, then asked if he could get on – he trotted him round two laps of the school and got straight off saying "no, I can't sit to his trot – that’s no good". We also had the lady who spent half an hour asking every question under the sun, then turn round and say "well actually we aren't in a position to buy a horse at the moment, but if he is still here in a few months we would be interested" and the other woman who wanted an "advanced dressage horse, capable of possibly doing Premier League shows" – taking into consideration his price (just over 3k) I think perhaps some peoples expectations are rather high. It’s a real shame as he is a wonderful all rounder – superb jumper and hunter, but I just don't have the time to do him justice.
As far as work goes this week, I've barely set foot in the office, but have heard from my colleagues that after big market drops at the beginning of the week, prices have remained fairly constant for the remainder. Rape has climbed up a bit this week, but certainly nowhere near the highs we saw a few weeks ago. Fertiliser sales are now dropping off, with many people having stocked up ready for 2009, fearing even more price hikes.
Spring seems to have arrived here – the paddocks have just been dressed, and the forecast rain this weekend should hopefully kick start some new growth. If someone could have a chat with the weatherman and order sun for the next few weeks, I would be most appreciative!
Just a very quick blog entry - in the early hours of this morning my gorgeous mare Evy gave birth to a VERY healthy and active filly foal. She is a gorgeous light chestnut colour, with one white sock and a white star - breathtakingly stunning! I will upload some pictures tonight!
Keep an eye out for her at agricultural shows throughout the country - including the Royal. Both mum and foal go under my own "Ayemkay" prefix - if you spot us out come and say hello! I am a very proud grandparent! Pictures soon.
So, finally, a weekend when I had nothing planned – a chance to relax and spend some time with the nags… who was I kidding!?!
I had a stressful work week, not helped by yet more timewasters coming to see my horse. I could tell the poor lad was getting as frustrated by it all just as much as me, and eventually I asked the latest lot to sling their hook as I soon realised that they had no intention of buying a horse, they were just out for a free ride! He is, therefore, still sat here, mooching about – he needs to be sold soon as I have another youngster that I am desperate to bring in and work with for the summer season.
No, my mare has still NOT foaled!! Chatted to the vet on Saturday – everyone is scratching their heads rather, as she was due two weeks ago, and is a mare that normally foals early. Still, can't blame her as what with the big storm, and then the snow, things haven't really been ideal. The last few days have been pretty sunny, and her milk has started to thicken (a sign that means normally just 24 hours to foal) so fingers crossed that I might soon have better news, and plenty of cute pictures.
Right, that’s most of the horsey news over with – now to the farming side of things! It's certainly been an interesting week. Wheat prices held pretty firm until the end of the week, and have now nosedived to just over £165/t . The trouble is, with new crop (August) holding firm around the £135 mark, and old crop (July) still sitting at £170, either one will have to rise or the other fall within the coming weeks. My money is on old crop falling, as most mills have now reached their quotas or have full books, but I am sure someone will prove me wrong!
Talking of wheat prices, I had an interesting conversation with a chap in the pub yesterday. He was of the opinion that farmers are the evil of the world, and the reason that he now pays 16p a loaf more for his bread. I pointed out to him that the cost of wheat per loaf is only approximately 12p, and the rest of the price is made up of packaging, labour, tax and so on. He hadn't finished with me there however, and went on to argue that a year ago wheat cost just £80/t whereas now it is £350/t – despite my arguing to the contrary, he would not be placated, so I simply suggested he gave me the number of the buyer whom was paying £350/t as I would have an awful lot of business for him. The conversation soon moved onto pensions and ex-pats, which of course, he also knew everything about.
Rape also fell today, with new crop plummeting almost £12/t and resulting in trade around the £300 mark! Old crop also fell, and has dropped almost £70/t from the highs we saw a couple of weeks ago – the volatility continues! Most farmers I have spoken to are heckling for yields in excess of 5t/ha and whilst I am a reasonable novice in the fertiliser industry, I would seriously suggest taking a look at Oilseed Extra – with prices from just £166/tn and with a proven increase in yield, can farmers afford not to consider it?
At home the lambs are growing well, and fingers crossed it should not be too long now before some are sent down the road and bring in some much needed revenue. The local market continues to trade well, with no new season currently forward (well it is pretty early) and some farmers now trying to offload some pretty ropey hoggets that refuse to fatten.
It seems that one of the cows will soon produce, which is good news, as they are Red Polls (a rare breed) so fingers are crossed for another heifer. At the moment bets are being taken on whether the cow or the horse will produce first. I think my money would be on the cow!
Well, I have had another busy weekend, although still no sign of the foal – I think he/she has decided it is far too cold to appear! The horses kept me running around this weekend – I spent most of Friday battling the elements to, among other things, sort out a haylage delivery (this isn't as grand as it sounds, as it simply involves the better half (he is reading this so I have to suck up now!) loading a bale of haylage onto a trailer, and driving it half a mile to the stables).
Saturday proved pretty uneventful however, I had some people come to try a horse that I have for sale. Despite telling them on the phone that under no circumstances would I let him go out on trial, they came (over 100 miles) tried him, liked him, but then said they would only have him if they could have a trial! I informed them that they had wasted their own time as well as mine, as due to past experiences I no longer let horses go on trial. I am not against people trying a horse as many times as they like taking them out on the roads, or a hack over fields, riding and jumping in the school or even trailering them to the local cross country course. But after having one horse ruined, and another put permanently out of action while on trials, I would no longer let a horse go on trial. What a complete and utter waste of a Saturday afternoon!
Sunday, however, was more eventful, as close to a foot of snow fell and settled. This meant it was mandatory to build a snowman (big kid) and take plenty of pictures of the horses galloping around the fields. I haven't seen snow like that for many years. Unfortunately by the evening most of it had melted, with several ice-block snowmen still standing guard in the village. The main excitement came in the evening, when, just as we were sitting down to dinner we got a call saying that our horses were running around the village. Images of dead horses on the side of the road filled my head, as I jumped in the car and drove the half mile to the winter fields. I have not been so scared in my life – although the horses all belong to me, one was 'gifted' from a close friend, and I was terrified that something would happen to her, and that my friend would never forgive me. However, when I arrived at the field, it turned out that just one horse had gotten out (how is still a mystery but we have our suspicions) and he had already been caught by a villager. We moved the remaining horses into another field (just in case) and averted disaster this time. However, it does look very suspicious as Ollie's headcollar is missing (without a trace) and the theory is that someone tried to remove him from the field, he slipped his headcollar and run. Anyway, they are now back in 'summer grazing' behind the house, so a bit more secure.
Monday brought a dusting of snow (nothing too major) and another person to try my horse. The lady seemed very interested, and I am currently awaiting her phone call, so fingers crossed. I also managed to get the house blitzed (finally) and I can now get in the front door without tripping over horse rugs and abandoned saddles!
Not an awful lot to report on the farming front this week – I have spent most of last week walking fields, and it seems that generally the crops are growing well, although pigeons have hit the rape quite badly this year. For those entrepreneurs among you, it might be worth looking at the HEAR contracts for 2009 – some pretty amazing offers to consider here. My own tip for rape growers is to take a look at Ovation, a good variety that seems to get left alone by the pigeons. Talking of rape, the markets fell a bit last week, and have continued to fall this week, with futures prices down £30/t on where they were 10 days ago. Old crop has fallen by as much as £70/t over the same time period, making the HEAR contracts look even more rosy.
Wheat prices are fairly firm at the moment, however, although further rises seem unlikely at the moment, as many city traders try to unload commodities. Barley also took a bit of a hit, but is starting to rally again, especially the popular varieties of Optic and Tipple.
The other half is still ticking along; everything has lambed now, bar a few stragglers that seem to be holding out for better weather. The lambs seem to be growing well at the moment, and with hoggets at the local market selling for near £70 a head, the race is on to get them fat and get them down the road. Fingers crossed for an improving year in the livestock sector!
Well, it's been a busy week! I have spent the majority of it sleeping in my horsebox, waking every hour to check on my in-foal mare. Needless to say, she has still not given birth! This has led to me "running" on a mixture of Dr Pepper and chocolate brownies – very healthy – in order to stay awake for both the night, and for work the next day!
Add to this the lousy cold that I have picked up, and you can imagine the will power needed to not give up, and continue camping out night after fruitless night. I haven't had a cold this bad for years – it started with the normal sore throat and stuffy nose, and just as I thought I was getting rid of it, along comes a lovely cough as well! My stocks of Halls Menthol and Covonia are dwindling (trip to shops later I think).
In the spirit of St Patricks Day, I have started to feed one of the horses a tin of Guinness every day! According to his previous owners, it helps him to put weight on, and he certainly needs something as he is looking like a hat rack at the moment, despite huge bowls (you know those massive rubber trug things) full of feed three times a day, and an endless supply of haylage! I think he is just one of those horses with a horrendously fast metabolism! (Yes he has been wormed, vaccinated, vet checked etc)
The weekend did bring some fun though – my little star in the making (another Irish horse that I have recently purchased) flew over some 5ft fences like they weren't even there! I can't wait to take him out and do some dressage – he is such a quick learner!
As for the farm – well, things are ticking over. I haven't set foot in the yard this weekend – far too busy! Spent most of last week on farm (not my other half's) listening to an agronomist advising people on T0 sprays. What are people's opinion on T0 generally? It seems a lot of farms in the past have not bothered with them, and by doing so this year, people will be wiping out the extra profit they could be making on the inflated grain price. From an amateur point of view, it seems to me that farmers are not going to be any better off now than when the grain price was £60 a tonne, simply because although the wheat price might have tripled, so have the fertiliser, chemical and machinery costs. In fact, those farmers with mixed or livestock units are going to be in an even worse situation. With farmers talking of hope for a 5t/acre harvest, they are spending phenomenal amounts of money in an attempt to get it – have they even realised that perhaps it is a false economy?
My key thought for the week – keep an eye on finances, don't get distracted by offers of almost £200/t without looking at the rising input prices – things aren't as rosy as people think they are!
Wow – what a hectic week! After a slow(ish) start, things really picked up the pace! Wednesday saw me hurtling up to Manchester for the rest of the week, leaving the horses under the care of a close friend. I have to say that a night out in Manchester is the most BORING night out that I have ever experienced (no offence to those who live there). We spent one night going from pub to club, failing to find a single busy night spot. Eventually we gave up, and journeyed back to the hotel early (pre midnight) and tucked ourselves in for an early night. Some of our group stayed out, however, and an interesting story involving the police, a dog unit, and a random house has been circulating…
I got back late Friday night, grabbing a Chinese on my way home (far too late to cook!) settled in front of the TV, and watched "Ice Road Truckers" before going on a cleaning spree of the house.
Saturday was the usual chaos – the here, there and everywhere routine. The landlady from the village pub was off to Crufts, so I was called in to work the bar for both the lunch and evening shift. Combine this with having to ride my new show jumping superstar (a fantastic Irish horse that just skips over a 5ft fence) and arranging for another horse to be collected, I had a lot to fit in. I was meant to be teaching (riding) as well, but decided to postpone the lesson to Sunday (which I then regretted as I spent all of Sunday rushing around as well!)
Sunday started off busy, and got worse. Up at 6.30am to feed and muck out before a morning of moving horses. I had to take some down to the winter pasture to be "turned away" and bring in the broodmare that is (meant to be) weeks away from popping. Just about had some time for lunch, then rushed off to teach before the first of the rain set in. By the time the lesson had ended, and I had arrived back at the yard, we managed to muck out, tidy the yard and assemble some electric fencing before the light ran out. The final check on my broodmare left me panicking that she was about to foal any minute, so I spent the entire night on foal watch!
Monday has arrived, and I was left with the big "do I, don't I" in regards to coming to work today. From 4am I was sat poised over a monitor, sat in the shelter of a spare stable, warm in a sleeping bag reading Horse and Hound. When I finally decided nothing was going to happen, and dragged myself away to make morning feeds and fill haynets, my mare became extremely restless, licking and chewing her lips, and refusing her breakfast. I stayed with her for another two hours, but she eventually started munching her haynet and looking as relaxed as normal. Leaving phone number for the vet, three work numbers for myself, and strict instructions that any change should result in a hasty call, I hurriedly got dressed and raced off to work… Now sat here on tenterhooks, wondering if I have done the right thing…
So, perhaps tomorrow will bring news of a new arrival – I really don't think it will be long… Exciting times!! One thing is for sure – if the foal arrives today, it will have to be named "Storm".
I've got a very expensive trip to the post office this evening – an enormous parcel to send to my darling mother, as well as a thick package full of equine passports to be sent off to relevant authorities for stamping.
Having been at university for four years, and not being able to see my mum for Mothering Sunday, I began a tradition of making up a goodie box to send to her. This year it is heavier than preceding years, and I have left it until later to send, resulting in no option other than first class. Still, she is worth every penny, and many more, so I have no regrets.
I am waiting for the show schedules to come pouring in – I have already written out the entry forms for some of the shows – still eagerly awaiting my schedule for Royal Windsor. I keep having nightmares of being late into the ring, or missing class's altogether. I expect these will get worse and worse as the showing season approaches.
We are also left with a dilemma of what to do with our lorry – put it through an MOT or swap it onto a new chassis. I know what I would prefer, but unfortunately the bank man might have a few words to say about that… Watch this space…
It's been an interesting week as far as the day job is concerned – I watched as markets shot through the roof on Monday, calling all my chaps and letting them know. Unfortunately most came out with the, now common, line "I'll wait until it hits £200". Well, Tuesday saw it peak at £200 for just 14 minutes, after which it crashed £15, and has since been trading around the £185 mark. That just goes to show the volatility everyone is currently facing. In fact the market has been so volatile that in America the market limits have been removed, allowing movements of over £80 a day – wow!
Fertiliser is another sore point at the moment, with many farms facing bills of far over £300/mt. This is only going to rise, as the fertiliser companies realise that people are able (if not willing) to pay higher prices. One trader, when asked why fertiliser had increased so suddenly, stated "pure greed – this is the fert companies harvest".
So, another volatile week – lambing is nearly over at home (thankfully) and my other half smells more like a muck heap than a human. I can't remember when he last had a shower, but the drain rods are on standby – his "stubble" alone will probably clog the ancient farmhouse pipe work. If terrorists want a biological weapon, it's here in Suffolk!
As Friday afternoon draws to a close, I am trying to decide whether to persuade my chaps to sell their grain, or whether to wait until after the weekend. They say a farmer never sells on a Friday, but with the prices up a bit from yesterday, perhaps they should…
This week has been a mad rush of meetings, phone calls and hours spent behind a desk. In the small amount of spare time that I've had, I have worked hard with the horses to get them all in top shape, ready for the show season that looms ahead. Taylor has been with us a short while now, and so far has been a pleasure to have around. In fact, I already have three people interested in buying him – perhaps I should give up the day job and work with horses instead!
I spent several evenings this week trying to get my website up and running, and finally, it is finished! If anyone wants to see pictures of the herd (horses that is, not cattle) you can see them at www.ayemkaystud.co.uk
The show schedules arrived for South of England and the Suffolk Agricultural shows this week. I'm not sure what is going on with the SoE, but they seem to have fewer and fewer classes for equines each year! In fact, there is only one class that we would enter, and that hardly justifies the two days, £35 overnight stabling fee, 260 mile roundtrip and all the other hassle that goes with it, so this year, we will most likely not be attending.
As for the Suffolk – well, there are six classes, all one after the other, that we would like to enter, but as that would present a bill of well over £100, as well as tire out us and the horse's, we need to narrow it down. We were also concerned over the fact that, despite having mares and foals, and therefore needing at least 4 people to safely handle and show them, we will only be allowed 3 exhibitors passes. This seems to be non negotiable – if we need extra passes we have to purchase them. Then there is the slight problem of the closing date for entries – this seems to get earlier and earlier every year. This year they want all entries in by the 20th March – seeing as our mares aren't due (at the earliest) until the 21st March, this leaves us with the impossible task of trying to enter foals, that have not yet been born. When you are expected to enter details such as sex, name and registration number, I am left scratching my head… Surely I am not the only breeder in this predicament – after all, our foals are earlier this year than they ever have been before!
When I finally get home and kick off my boots, I have become addicted to the goings-on in Hollyoaks this week. Is it just me, or was the whole Darren being shot thing a little unbelievable? At the end of one episode he is dying in his fathers arms having been shot, the beginning of the next episode sees him fit and well, dishing out insults despite just coming round from a life saving operation. A few 'hours' (so minutes in telly time) later, he is at home, brash as ever and dolling out threats and ultimatums. I swear this soap just goes from bad to worse!
The weekend looms, and it looks to be a busy one from the diary. Endless running about – we have a pony returning from her loan home, as well as endless lessons scheduled, for which I have to travel all over Suffolk and Norfolk. Still, I might get a chance to tidy the house…. Possibly….
Another weekend has passed in a complete blur! Thankfully lambing is now over halfway through, but the hard frosts of the past few days, has meant 3am starts on the cultivator instead! Of course, you roll back into the yard by 7am to start the morning routine, to find all the water is frozen solid, the taps not working, and the feed bins frozen shut. Perfect.
I had booked Friday off (from the day job) as holiday, in order to go and see some prospective new horses. Around 3pm my other half received a phone call saying "bring the trailer over, I have just bought a new horse"!! Where would I be without him! For those of you that know horses, Taylor is a 17.1hh ISH that has been in hunt service with the master for 2 years. I have only ridden him twice since we got him home, but so far he seems to be a super chap. I look forward to competing him in the not so distant future.
The weekend was also a very sad one, as we waved goodbye to a much loved horse. We purchased the Suffolk Punch cross last summer, primarily for my other half to ride. However, with harvest and lambing, he has not had much time, so I took over the ride. After half a season hunting, we decided the best thing for her was to find a new home where she would get more attention than we could give her. An advert in Farmers Guide resulted in her sale, and on Sunday we dropped her off at her new home. We couldn't have wished for a better place – a lovely local farmer, with lots of horse knowledge and hundreds of acres to ride over. She is going to be very well looked after, and we left knowing we had made the right decision.
Back to the day job now – a meeting with the bank manager in my lunch hour (uh-oh) and a horse to exercise this evening. If I am lucky I might get home in time to watch Hollyoaks on E4+1 (yes I know its sad, but I am unfortunately addicted – its an illness) and The Palace on ITV. Monday night TV has certainly improved in recent weeks!
With wheat prices down almost £20 mt on lasts week's prices, one wonders when this market volatility will end, and what the actual value of wheat is. It seems that the city boys are playing with wheat stocks on the London and Chicago markets, causing erratic highs and lows on a daily basis. One hopes that they might soon come unstuck, and end up with a silo of physical wheat on their books!
The fog is so thick this morning; I am struggling to see the stores from our office window – daunting as they are only a hundred yards away! Still, these hard frosts, and tranquil afternoons have seen a huge increase in the number of tractors on the road of late. Last night on my drive home, I passed at least 4 lads on the road, and countless others still in the fields (blinding the passing motorists with their array of hi-tech spotlights). Suddenly it's full steam ahead, and let's look towards harvest!
The nights are noticeably starting to draw out – I actually managed to see my horses as I went to retrieve them from the fields last night. Now we just have to wait for the grass to start growing! We are thanking our lucky stars that we purchased our 20-10-10 pre Christmas, at a price over £100 less than they want for it today! Just goes to show that forward thinking sometimes pays off! Now comes the heady task of deciding on stallions to send the broodies to this year, then trying to hide the stud invoice from my other half! "Fools breed horses for rich men to buy".
Just since I've written this short entry, the price of wheat has fallen by £4 and then climbed back up £3 – I guess if you still have wheat to sell, the timing of the call to your local trader could make all the difference!
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