The long journey from Tongland, outside Kirkcudbright, in the south-west of Scotland to Vilamoura, Portugal, for the ‘Atlantic Tour’ has proven to be more than worth it for James Smith who, with a truck load of horses, was hardly out the winnings for the past four weeks.

Most of the horses on board have been given to James to ride while their current rider, owner and breeder, Laura Renwick, was just getting back into the saddle after being sidelined a good part of 2022. Laura and husband John’s Arkuga, a son of Laura’s great winner Beluga and by Arko, had already won three classes on this trip including two world ranking classes.

Having five young horses all bred at the Renwick’s New Farm Stud, in Essex, James has been kept busy but the results are good. NFS Corluga(Cornet Obolensky/Heartbreaker). NFS Angelina (Arko/Couleur Rubin) and Michelbob (Tangelo/Orlando) have all collected red tickets whilst stablemates Dame Diamant and NFS Twister have been in the placings,

James’ own Good Friends and Madison Jamieson’s Holly have also been there or thereabouts for the past few weeks in the 1.3/1.4m classes, Meanwhile, Ciara Miller has been partnering another Beluga son, NFS Belago with good results in the five-year-old sections.

Charlotte Geddes opted to travel to Vejer De La Frontera, Spain, to compete with her HOYS finalist, Kent HX and Lesley McCulloch’s Bacardi Z. Charlotte keeps busy at home riding for Douglas Duffin as well as proving to be very popular as a coach running plenty of clinics in around her Ayrshire base.

Enjoying a trip to the sunshine she had already been placed in a 1* Grand Prix as well as returning clears in the five-year-old classes.

At home it’s Pony Premier time as the juniors travel the country in search of the winter and second round qualifiers.

Renfrewshire’s Lucy Capper is best known for her partnership with Rathcoona James, on which she was part of the Scottish 138cm team last year but has now gained a new partner in the shape of the former Tabitha Kyle and Tilly Bamford ride, Playboy Van De Zoetewei. Having only been together since after HOYS, they look a force to be reckoned with.

Travelling with trainer, Douglas Duffin, to Aintree their tactics paid off when an immaculate treble clear saw them win the first of the year’s second rounds on offer collecting their Hickstead ticket. On to Morris' premier and two perfect clears saw them sit at the head of the line up again then they travelled to South View to further cement their relationship with yet another treble clear and a win.

Standing third in this class and collecting their qualifying ticket was Fife’s Lucy Black on Its Bob On. They’ve had the occasional pole on the floor in the second rounds at Morris and Aintree but it all came together at South View when they recorded a super treble clear.

Millie Lawson waved goodbye to her 148cm Yolo who went back to his Irish owners but she has Karan Hutchison’s Maifield Another Sunrise jumping well and just unlucky to roll a pole in each of the Winer JA qualifiers so far.

Laura and Phil Lane’s Dutch-bred Orchids Femke, by the well-known pony stallion, Kanshebber, made sure Millie will have a trip to Hickstead when this lovely chestnut mare was foot-perfect and quick round the third round of the Winter JC to pick up their ticket.

Young Owen Leitch returned to his Lasswade base with two outright wins to his name from the Southview Small Pony Premier thanks to Wishfields Piggy Bank in the 128/138cm Handicaps but was also seen jumping double clears with Bronheulog Ruby and Barracurra Jelly Baby.

Eleanor Archibald has also just been unfortunate to have a pole here and there as she gets to know her sister’s LS Peachy Beachy but its early days in their partnership. Big sister, Madelaine, has been seen out in senior classes at Northcote and looks to have found a very handy mount in the shape of ESI Baltimore, a nine-year-old Irish bred gelding by Toulon out of the well-known mare Echo Beach.

Logan Creighton has a smart team of horses at the moment including the useful stallion Le Faut and plenty of homebred youngsters but it was the Calido-sired mare Calini II who started 2023 off well for him with a convincing win in a strong 1.3m Open at Aintree International EC.

Jumping a good double clear in the 1.35m was Annaliese Aitken on her own Frau Antje. Having spent time recovering from long covid Annaliese is looking forward to a more normal year with a trip abroad to the Met tour already booked from February to April.

Tillyoch EC managed to dodge the winter weather and run outside where Charley Hamilton dominated the final senior class of the day, the 1.25m Open. She rode Horatio Van Ter Hulst into first, new ride, Ameila Milne’s Kung Fu Vant Heike into second and Loretta Blue MFS into fourth only split by Alistair Gatherum on Haiti SB.

Charley started her year with a trip to Northcote’s Winter Classic where she was in the money frequently on all her horses including the evergreen Faluna who headed two classes but also gaining her Blue Chip qualification with Loretta Blue MFS who finished runner up in a strong Dynamic Grade C.

She looks as though she’s going to have an exciting year with several more promising youngsters from the Moray Firth Stud joining her more experienced team.

Following on from his London International appearance Sandy McLean’s Gino F had a short holiday before he returned to the ring in February,looking fresh and ready to go when they won the 1.4m at Morris. Sandy never seems to lose form and is never short of horse power winning plenty of classes at Morris and Blue Ridge and should be ready to collect his Highland show tickets when they start next month.

At Muirmill EC, trainer Nadine Warwick watched her pupils doing well with placings throughout, including Michelle Hair back jumping BS after a long break, with her own Barley Fields runner-up in a British Novice; Keira Rankin winning a Newcomers and a 1.05m with Spring Collection; and Isla Stewart also winning a 1.05m on her super Clyntara before heading to Morris for another win this time in a 1.1m.

Tori Lillington steered her own, home-bred mare Hollrocks Lolanna D’Kannan, by Kannan out of a Burggraaf mare, to beat seven other double clears in the Joshua Jones Discovery at SNEC.

Equine dentist, David Brown’s lovely chestnut mare Nancypina WFS has only been jumping for a year now but this five-year-old by J Peroni WFS collected a first and a second at Blue Ridge and will be one to keep an eye on as she matures.

Fergal Holohan has been in the money north and south of the Border with the eight-year-old Karima, who joined him at the end of last summer now coming into her own picking up prize money in the 1.3m Opens at Aintree, then Morris.

Busy mother of two Roslyn Fyfe is having loads of fun with her German-bred Cordess Nena. This little mare was runner up twice in 1.1m opens on a recent trip to Aintree, then jumped a lovely double clear in a Foxhunter at Morris setting them up for the RHS qualifiers which are about to start.