Holme Park Volnay

Holme Park Volnay , Bay gelding by EH Caprimond out of Holme Park Velvet born 1995. Owned and ridden by Claire Gaskin

From: Claire Gaskin
Sent: 06 July 2011 20:37
To: Susan Attew
Subject: Volnay is for sale

Hi Susan,

Hope all is well with you. I have put Volnay (Reg) up for sale, as I want to acquire a good youngster to train on, and I unfortunately cannot afford to have two horses up and running. I have had Reg for 3.5 years, and he is the best horse I’ve ever had – it will be a great wrench to let him go, but I think he can do a very good job for someone else, and teach them to ride at advanced level. He has recently qualified for the Hickstead Masters Small Tour Championships on 25-26 July, which is great, and I will certainly take him if he is still with me. I thought I’d let you know, so that if you know or hear of anyone that may be interested, you could point them in my direction. Please find below some brief details on Reg and my contact numbers.

Best regards,

Claire

• British-bred Trakehner by Caprimond, 16 years old, bright bay gelding, 16.1hh, elegant build, but nice big paces.
• Fighting fit, never runs out of energy, absolutely brilliant temperament – very affectionate, cuddly and friendly, good to handle in all usual ways, and loves his hacking alone or in company.
• Trained to and competing at PSG, working at Inter I at home, still in medium points, and has more scope to progress in his training.
• I have owned him for three years and in that time he has been placed at regionals at medium, adv med and PSG, and
already qualified for medium and advanced medium freestyle regional championships 2012. He is also qualified for this year's Hickstead Masters League Small Tour Championship on 25-26 July.
• He has been on three Senior Inter-Regional teams and one Home International, and was placed in the adv med / PSG individual championship at the Inter-Regional this year.
• I have learnt how to ride and train at advanced level with him – and he could do this job for someone else, or would make a great junior / young rider horse.

Contact Claire on: 01584 781172 / 07757 715457 (Worcs)

From: Claire Gaskin
Sent: 15 April 2011 10:28
To: Susan Attew
Subject: RE: Volnay update

HI susan,

A quick note to let you know that Volnay has been selected for the Senior Inter Regional squad at advanced medium. I was extremely pleased with him at the selection trial, where we managed our highest PSG score so far of 64.5%, so I guess they thought he would be secure at advanced medium in the championships. The championships are at Keysoe over the weekend of 21-22 May, and I’ll let you know how we get on.

Best regards,

Claire

***

From: Claire Gaskin
Sent: 31 March 2011 14:34
To: SusanAttew@holmetrakehners.com
Subject: Volnay update

Hello Susan,

I haven’t written for a while. Reg (Volnay) is really well. We spent the winter at home training and hopefully consolidating the PSG work – we’ll see if it pays off this weekend, when we are forward for selection for the Senior Inter Regional Championships at adv med and PSG. We went to the north-west regionals in Feb at med, adv med and PSG levels, but unfortunately excitement / atmosphere got the better of both of us for mediocre scores (although we did have a fifth place and precious rosette in the PSG). Had a good show at Vale View last week, which is reported in today’s H&H (31/03/11). I gave a good mention to Holme Trakehners and to Reg’s breeding! A friend and I are off to the Verden Elite auction next weekend (just to look!), and I notice that Caprimond features in several of the lines up for sale. After that, I plan to take Reg to a few of the Premier League shows, to get him out in some bigger atmospheres. He continues to be an absolute pleasure to have around, and the harder the work gets, the more he loves it – I love him to bits! Hope all is well with you.

Best regards,

Claire

On 6 Jul 2010, at 16:27, "Gaskin, Claire D wrote:

Hi Susan,

Couldn’t resist just one more quick update, as Reg qualified on Saturday for the PSG Freestyle Regional Championships next February in only his fourth test at this level. Very, very chuffed with him!

Best regards,

Claire
***

From: Gaskin, Claire D
Sent: 28 June 2010 11:33
To: Susan Attew
Subject: Volnay update and PSG pic

Hi Susan,

Hope everything went well yesterday – a hot day for all your babies to be strutting their stuff!

This is just a quick note to say that Reg and I took part in the charity dressage extravaganza at Hartpury over the weekend, and we contested the PSG and advanced medium freestyles yesterday. It was the first time of using new music and new choreography for both tests, and only our third ever PSG test (the second one having been the day before!). All tests were judged as if for a regional final, with three judges each, so it was great experience. Reg tried his heart out, as ever, and we came 11^th in the PSG with 61.5%, and 9^th in the advanced medium with 64%. We have to keep pushing on with improving our technical scores (and my ring craft!) in the PSG, but we had great fun, and Peter Storr, who was a judge for both tests, gave us an overall PSG score of 64.5%.

I have attached a picture of us taken after the PSG test – we both look a bit wilted in the heat, but I thought you’d like to see it. Please feel free to post this on the web site.

Best wishes,

Claire

Email From: Gaskin, Claire D
Sent: 12 March 2010 16:25
To: Susan Attew
Subject: Holme Park Volnay update

Hi Susan,

Hope all is well with you.

I am going to send you some photos of Reg under separate cover, as I have just tried to send them all at once and they bounced back to me – files too big I think! One was taken at home last May, and the other three were taken at the recent BD Winter Regional Championships at Kingston Maurward, where we had a lovely time and turned in a decent Medium freestyle for 65+% and 14^th place in a large, hot class of 28.

Reg is generally going really well – scored 65% in our second competitive advanced class last Sunday, which came a close second and now makes us eligible for Prix St Georges. Plan is to be ready to contest area festivals at PSG later this year, and also to put together a PSG freestyle with the aim of qualifying for next winter regionals. Meanwhile, we are preparing to contest the medium open Area Festival final at the BD Winter Championships on 8^th April, and are forward for selection at advanced medium to the Senior Inter-regional squad for championships in May at Keysoe. Things are quite busy, but we’re having a lovely time!

Best regards,

Claire

e-mail received 29 September 2009

I thought I would drop you a brief message about Holme Park Volnay (14-yr-old bay gelding by Caprimond, out of HP Velvet). I have owned “Reg” for about 18 months now (I bought him as a dressage schoolmaster from Shona Blinn), and we train with Kate Attlee here in Worcestershire. I have never had experience of Trakehners before, and I have to say that Reg is the kindest and one of the most charming, willing horses I have ever come across. He is more like a large dog on the yard, and I am sure that if he could, he would muck himself out and drive the trailer to competitions!

Reg absolutely adores his work, and is 100% in all situations, whether he is out for a canter or at a busy show. Shona had nicknamed him “Duracell bunny”, as he has never-ending energy, and that nickname has stuck since he has been with me! To start with, I found him quite difficult to ride – to keep him together in collection without tension, and it is true to say that he does not have the most comfortable action to sit on. However, he has taught me a huge amount, and 18 months down the line, we are talking to each other much more effectively! I had never ridden an advanced medium test before I had Reg, but we were placed 4^th and 7^th respectively in the medium and advanced medium freestyle championships at the winter regionals in February, represented the north-west region at advanced medium at the senior inter-regional championships at The College in May, and have been selected for the north-west team at advanced medium for the senior home international championships at Rowallan in October. We have recently tried a couple of HC advanced tests, and on Sunday qualified for the Pet Plan Area Festival National Finals (medium level) to be held at the Winter National Championships at Hartpury next April.

When I am out, many people recognize Reg as a Holme Trakehner – on Sunday a lady approached me at the Pencoed area festival, and it turns out that she has a half sister to Reg (out of the same dam, and by a son of Caprimond). Her experience is pretty much the same as mine – her mare had qualified for the Pet Plan finals in two classes the day before), and needless to say, we were both singing the praises of the Holme operation!