What a day.

Woke up to summer. Not only in date but in weather. A peach of a day was awaiting us. Like a shot we were out the door as Dave was keen to challenge my lead in the walking stakes. This time it was over near where I ride, Stanton, and as I had a jump lesson there later in the day, it worked in well.

Yvonne - 1
Dave -1

Yes, he made it round without getting us lost. The only thing I will say is that it would have been very hard to get lost as the path was well worn. But rules are rules so he gets the score.

He also wins the award of the "eagle eye". Not far into our walk he spotted a rustle in the bushes and seconds later out popped a stoat with a rabbit, considerably larger than it, in it's jaws. As luck would have it we were downwind of it so were able to follow it up the track. To our great surprise and joy she hopped into a small patch of nettles and 3 baby stoats came out. We were no more than a metre away and spent a little time watching the babies run around and play before they headed in for their rabbit lunch.

What a treat. Someone was feeling very smug in himself. The picture doesn't do it justice sadly.

5 miles later, Dave timed his arrival into The Mount Inn in Stanton, two minutes before afternoon closing, with military precision. Like a man possessed, he had left me sometime earlier, trailing behind looking at horseys, and had taken off with only one thing on his mind. Cider.

Luckily I had a fair idea where he was off to. Not much comes between that man and his pint.

You can imagine the smirk on his face when I eventually arrived and he was sipping an ice cold cider on a hot sunny day. First the stoats and then the success on the drinks front. Christ........

And that was only halfway through the day. Jump lesson went well and then off we raced to the Olympicks. The excitement levels were high.

Sadly our digital camera ran out of juice at the start of the games so we have very few pictures. All I can say is that if you ever get the chance to come and see the Olympick Games in Chipping Campden you should do it. The sound of bone on bone in the Shin Kicking is incredible. Yet again Dave was in tears.

The whole thing ended with a bonfire, the best fireworks display I've seen for years and a torch lit procession by all the punters from the Games at Dover Hill down the roads into the Campden village. Incredible sight and feeling walking along the roads with thousands of people in the dark and only the torches to light the way.

A great day. So good in fact that neither of us can pick our favourite thing for the day. All in all a good week for Dave before he headed off again today down the wiggly road to London.