New Pony - Pampita

Went down to Yorkshire to pick up the pocket rocket Argentine polo pony Pampita today.  She is a very cute thing and by all accounts a saint that anyone can ride, mind if Mark is to ride her he'll need sticks three inches shorter than normal!  As is tradition if we are on the A66... with a trailer... it will be a white out!

Chamfron Kahlua - 20 Months Old

Scruffy but happy!

Badger Cam - Hotting Up!

Lots of activity on Badger Cam in the last week including for the first time we've had two badgers in the shot.  They then spent a good hour thoroughly cleaning out the set and putting new bedding in.  Badger number one seems to be a bit of an exhibitionist but I'm not sure he's then quite as successful as he would like to be!!

Robins and Reds

Diddling about, bold as brass!

Drowned rats...

Chamfron Toledo at eight months old and Chamfron Morello at nine months old, furry but doing well.  Sadly its just not the weather for photos shoots is it!!

Chamfron Perdita - Nine Months Old

Today she has mostly been jumping puddles, thinking that her brother is the worlds best influence and watching the world go by!

Badger Cam!

The trail camera has been on a badger set for the last week with great success, I'm quite hopeful we have several badgers in the set and that maybe we will get some cubs in the spring.  I had a laugh at the grey tree rat peering in the set and have been intrigued by a bird that showed up right on the edge a few photos.  I'm hoping it is a Jay and that I will get a better snap of it soon (no doubt I'll get a better photo and it will turn out to be a pigeon!)

Chamfron By Dand - Powercross

Owen having his first outing of 2014 at Inchcoonan's Powercross today, aiming for the bigger classes next time but he was obviously a very happy appy to be out and about.  Need to find something similar down this way!

In the Press!

Lovely to see Chamfron By Dand owned by Rebecca Crump in the beautiful 2013 collectors issue of The Arabian Magazine in an article about Endurance rides.  Chamfron owners if you would like to send me a photo of your horse in the papers or a magazine in 2014 I will send you a free 2015 Chamfron Stud calendar, can't say fairer than that!

A Second Fox.

After years with no trouble from the local fox population we are now having to control them.  Before Christmas a vixen was wandering about the yard during daylight and picking off the chickens on the driveway in front of the house.  Today a dog fox chased the guinea fowl past Mark while he was doing morning haylage, he warned it off with a pitchfork and the guineas flew on to the roof.  Then it came back and chased McFlurry straight past Peter who lobbed an empty log basket at it to distract it.  When it came round for the third time, totally unbothered by people and dogs it was dispatched.  They are completely bold and fearless, its not freezing, they are in super condition, wonder whats making them so desperate for my chooks!

An Outing

We went over to Alnwick today to treat Peggy to lunch in the Treehouse restaurant for her Christmas.  Hoping to go back and see the cherry blossom in the spring.