March started off with a very exciting trip to Hamilton to pickup our new float from JC Trailers! Unfortunately it was also the same weekend that the crazy weather bomb hit the country, so we had to wait until the winds eased in the afternoon until we made the trip over the Kaimais. I was like a big kid, so excited and wishing the morning would pass faster so we could get on over there and see the float for the first time!

Well the wait was definitely worth it... I was so excited when we arrived at the factory to see my shiny new float all ready to go! John and the team have done such an awesome job and it's so easy for me to use with the custom handles, step and mounting system, as well as their 'standard' features like the fully sealed rubber floor and walls, good height tie-up points and storage system in the front. It really is totally accessible for me which gives me a real feeling of empowerment. Such a small thing such as being able to get in and out of the float on my own, without having to wait or ask for help to lift me in and out makes such an amazing difference to my independence. Thank you so much once again to Eleos Trust and JC Trailers for making this possible.

A few days later we were packing up the cars and float for our trip to Hastings. After a very smooth trip down and pitching our Equip Outdoors tent and setting up our temporary home, the first weekend was the Para Equestrian National Championships where we rode three tests over three days. Tech was an absolute star, so relaxed and attentive! Becky (my groom/warm up rider) was unfortunately out of action after a fall from a horse she was schooling the week before, which meant I needed to find a last-minute rider to be my warm up ride before my tests. Huge thanks to Chelsea for stepping up to the challenge and doing such a great job (after meeting and riding Tech for the first time only one day before the competition started!). We achieved some really good scores over the weekend, and ended with a bang with a new personal best of 70% for our freestyle. So proud of my boy!

After a few days R&R in the Napier RDA paddock (thanks guys!), we took Tech back to the Hawkes Bay showgrounds for Horse of the Year. The atmosphere was huge but Tech took it all in his stride as usual. After a Savvy Touch treatment to soothe any aches and pains he had from traveling and competing the weekend before, we rode another three para tests over the busy HOY week. We scored over 65% in all of our tests, and Tech was once again a little star! We had some really positive comments from the judges and after a year of very hard work, we've made huge progress and I'm very excited about our future prospects together. Look out world! :o)

So that marks the end of our season, and the end of mine and Tech's first year together. We've both come so far and have achieved so much in a relatively short space of time. I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has made this year possible for Tech and I: my family, support team, sponsors, supporters and everyone else who has helped us along the way. We couldn't do it without you and I feel very lucky to have you all on board as part of my team.

Now it's time for a well-earned break (well, a week off in the paddock for Tech anyway!) before we get underway with our autumn/winter training so we can start next season with a bang!