KBIS British Equestrian Insurance Scholar Daniel Moseley has spent the month concentrating on his younger horses.

Here we catch up with him in his latest diary.

November 2007

This month has been surprisingly busy as even though I haven’t been competing much, I have been spending a lot of time concentrating on the youngsters for next year’s competition season.

We’ve been competing at Towerlands this month with Lucy May jumping in the big International classes and U2 The First in the 6-year-old classes. Both jumped really well throughout the event, with U2 The First jumping a double clear on the first day and really well in the bigger classes.

For the youngsters, my aim is to keep them ticking them over the winter months so they are almost ready to go in the New Year when the nights become lighter and there will be more local events. It’s important for the younger horses to attend many local shows so they get used to the atmosphere and the surroundings and don’t get excitable when they are older when they are taken to more advanced and bigger shows.

We competed at Hartpury College for their Show jumping Spectacular. It was a great competition to enter before Christmas. This show was run over three days and had a full programme of events including afternoon and spectacular evening gala entertainment. With seating for over 600 spectators in the World Class Indoor Arena, this really was a wonderful show to compete at so close to Christmas.

In the New Year I am intending to get the other horses out and to a competition. I’ve got U2 The First that I will be competing in the seven-year-old classes; after we have had such a successful year in 2007 I have high hopes for him this year. U2 The First is one of the stallions, with Waldo being the other. He really has proven himself this year, with qualifying and competing at HOYS in the KBIS British Equestrian Insurance 6-year-old Championship, I couldn’t ask for any more from him.

At Christmas I'm spending time with my family before I go on holiday to Austria where I will be attempting to snow-board with a few friends. I am going for one week so hopefully I will be able to get the hang of it by day seven. Wish me luck!

Best wishes - Daniel.