WITH PASSION FOR  HORSES

Amanda & Rafael have got plenty of experience with horses after a number of years working at different world top eventing teams for many seasons. They´ve both evented up to Advanced level...

R & A Equestrian is based on the rolling hills of Wiltshire, at Sir Mark Todd´s beautiful farm, Badgerstown. They take on horses for breaking, schooling, training, competing and selling. Apart from this they both also do freelance riding and teaching. If you´re looking for a professional team to help you with your horse - please get in touch! 

05-03-2020, 6:30 pm

A day too wet for a single picture.

A very early start this morning to go to the first event of the year. We brought Leo, Bruno and Hugo (Harbour Town, Nocentini Van´t Verahof, Hugo Cruze) to Tweseldown. The rain arrived perfectly in time with us - and stayed until we left. So it was another very wet start of an eventing season in early March. 

Anyhow, the three boys lighted up our day with their brilliant behavior. 

- Bruno did a lovely dressage of a 28,8 followed by a double clear in the jumping phases, to finish 4th in his section. 

- Leo was a bit excited to be back out, we all were waiting for that buck to burst, but he kept it well together and scored a 31,8 and also he nailed a double clear. He finished 6th in his section. 

- Hugo was the last one to go, in the now very muddy dressage arena. He presented a really nice test too on the same score as Leo, 31,8. Also he jumped a lovely double clear and finished 8th in his section.

To fit three horses into a morning class with one groom is always a mission, today was no different. We must give a shoutout to our top owner Sue Benson (Leo´s owner) and thank her for all her brilliant help to get through the day! 

Unfortunately the power of the weather has abandoned the rest of the weekend, so unfortunately no runs for the other horses for a little loger...

Over & out! 

/Raf & Amanda 

03-03-2020, 8:00 pm

2019, what a fantastic year!

2019 was the year we started our own yard together at beautiful Badgerstown, on the rolling hills of Wiltshire. We met a lot of new clients with lovely horses, spent many long days at competitions, at home training and working. The first highlight of the year was definitely the Pan-ams in Lima, Peru, where Rafael was a part of winning team-silver and qualifying team Brazil for the olympic games. The second one was our last minute Italy trip in October. We packed Dori (the horse box) and went to the Rome-tour which consisted of Montelibretti CCI4*-S and Pratoni CCI4*-L to try to claim the individual qualification for the games. With a 4th place at Montelibretti and a double clear at Pratoni the qualification was set and the long journey home went very easily with big smiles on our faces.

We have all wintered well. All horses have had well deserved holidays in the fields and we have had a couple of relaxing weeks in Brazil.

2020 has started with a bang! We´ve been really busy these first couple of months of the new year. The horses have all got back into work and trained to get ready for the season, plus a lot of racehorses and other jobs on the side. The stables are full and again - with some new, very exciting clients and horses. The winter has flown by (literally in all the storms we´ve had...) and we´re more than ready for the spring to arrive and some nicer weather.

One sign for spring is definitely here: The season starts this week! We've got six horses entered to go to Tweseldown do dust of some cobweb this weekend. Updates to come!

Bring on 2020!!

/Rafa & Amanda

03-08-2019, 7:30 am

It's Saturday morning here in Lima, Peru, and its time for cross country to start in a few hours.

You can follow the cross country today by following this link: https://online.equipe.com/sv/class_sections/436801 

Start times for the Brazilian riders: 

Ruy Fonseca: 11:15 local time, 17:15 uk time.

Rafa Losano: 12:10 local time, 18:10 uk time.

Marcelo Tosi: 13:05 local time, 19:05 uk time.

Carlos Parro: 14:00 local time, 20:00 uk time. 

Let us show you some of the cross country jumps that are awaiting the riders today.

Lima, Peru -  26-07-2019:

Falula traveled well to Peru and arrived on Sunday in a good shape after the long journey. She´s had a couple of quiet days to settle in and acclimatize. Today Rafa and Falula had a lesson with a Brazilian dressage rider and she was showing great form. She´s ready for the Games to begin next week!

This afternoon it is time for all riders to go to the opening ceremoni - it´s happening!!