Thursday 15 May 2008

Graduation - I did it!

This week I graduated with my Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching (Secondary) and this time around, unlike when I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts, I was capped in a Graduation Ceremony. It was great! I didn't really know anyone as I did my studies online but amazingly the one single online student aside from me graduating in the May ceremony was number 288 to go and I was number 290!

Anyway, it was a great day, nerve wracking but also very emotional. Even though I did not know anyone, I am really pleased that I did it! Woolf Photography was there and they got a photo of me shaking the Chancellor's hand on the stage and the obligatory photo with THE document - We'll be ordering copies of those but for now, below are some of the pix that my parents took during the parade and after the evening ceremony.





Saffron - A Further Update

Made the trip out to Ohariu Valley to meet Saffron in the flesh on our way to my parents for Graduation week. So, here are a selection of the pix I took. She's a dear little girl with plenty of attitude!





Sunday 11 May 2008

Lagan's return to the competition arena

A couple of weeks ago a good friend sent me an SOS message regarding one of her pupils, a young girl whose TB gelding was suffering from an undiagnosed lameness (Massey tests pending). Aimee was getting pretty down over her horse being out of action and was desperate to ride. Would I consider lending her Lagan? Lagan, hairy yetti beast who was growing fatter and fatter in the paddock whilst I focussed my riding attention on Reilly. I thought it sounded like a fabulous idea so agreed and a little over a week ago they drove down and collected him.

Today they had their first outing together at the Kinross PC Dressage/SJ day. Aimee had elected to do the 60cm class when she first entered and after riding Lagan for a few days had decided she would really prefer to enter the 80cm class but, by the time they got to the event, it was too late to change classes so they did the easier class.

Dressage went very well with a score of 73.33% and third place and SJ was clear leaving them in third place overall (in a class of thirty six competitors) - Great effort Aimee and good boy Lagan. Check out the SJ pic - don't think he wanted to touch those poles! LOL!