We’re just back from a great weekend at home for the David Foster Injured Riders’ Fund Ball. It’s always a good excuse to come home and this year once again did not disappoint.

While Simon and I were very much looking forward to a fun night and catching up with friends, I have to say we were also very excited about the prospect of a lie in on the Sunday – they are very rare to come by and it seems we have to fly home for any chance of one.

However, I think going to bed at five in the morning slightly cancels out the benefits… And I’m told that was a sensible hour compared to some – certainly the sign of a great night. A huge thanks to Sneezy and Jessie, and all the Foster family, for doing such a brilliant job in organising it.

I was honoured to receive the international rider of the year award, especially as there were so many impressive results across the board last year. Although we are all now focussed on 2014, it was also a welcome opportunity to look back on what was a great 2013, and try and set goals for the year ahead.

Preparations continue to gather force with a very encouraging jumping session at Ginny Elliot’s last Friday. It was the first time she had seen Ellie (Fenyas Elegance) and Biscuit (Fernhill Adventure) since their holidays, and it was their first jump away from home since coming back into work – so there were a few aero-acrobatics to keep her amused.

Both jumped brilliantly and got some of the beans out of their systems. They were both a little keen to their fences, but as they’ve not jumped much since coming back into work, this was to be expected.

As I was still working on straightness and rhythm, if they got a little over exuberant I would bring them back to a walk to have a little think about it before going again. I don’t expect them to relax totally on their first proper jump, as they are entitled to be excited, and will come out much more settled next time.

I also took Paddy (Master Crusoe) and Jimmy (Vaguely North) along, and both went fantastic. Paddy was his usual self – jumped a course beautifully so we stopped without anything to say! He’s not always such an angel at home, but he likes showing off in front of people. And Ginny was delighted with how well Jimmy was using himself.

As a thoroughbred he would have a tendency to quicken on the last stride, and on the approach to the fence he would like to flatten his canter with his hind legs left out behind him, rather than power up off them. I have been doing a lot of work on his changes lately – so much so that he can now do his two-times (helpful when out hunting…) and it has really given him a lift in his canter, which in turn has been a huge help to the take-off stride. He has an unorthodox technique, but is very careful and has really grown in confidence now that his canter has improved.

I usually arrive at Ginny’s in a bit of a fluster, as the road up to her is not at all suitable for HGVs never mind my 18-tonner trying to dodge the school run. This time was no different, but the reason for my panic attack was to have found Archie (Wasting Light) and myself on the cover of Eventing magazine after they had come down to do a fitness feature a fortnight before.

SUPERSTITIOUS

Ginny had previously told me that it was okay to have an article written about you, but very bad luck to make the cover. The fact that I have a very logical, rational, mathematical brain and the fact that I am ridiculously superstitious never seems to make any more sense.

Panic had set in, thinking all the lessons were a waste of time because everything was going to fall apart anyway, only to be told Eventing was fine, Horse & Hound was not! I still don’t quite believe her, but what did make it quite fun was to have Polly (Stockton, sister-in-law) in the Baileys advert on the back cover. Simon got very excited about the Clark takeover of the magazine.

Once I had got over the fact that I was on the cover and that it was not bad luck, I opened it to find a very interesting piece of news from the Blenheim organising team.

Mandy Hervieu, event director, had announced that they are starting an initiative whereby any rider or trainer who was to bring in a major sponsor to the event would stand to earn commission from the sponsorship deal. This could be a great way to put riders in an active role to help our sport, and to increase an event’s network into potential sponsors.

Having lost Fidelity as their main backer, the organisers at Blenheim are very much on the look-out for new sponsors. It is also something that could help other events improve the sponsorship packages they currently have, and help the campaign to increase prize money and awareness in our sport – certainly for riders and trainers it could be a good way to increase earnings.

How well it works remains to be seen, but it is great to see an event taking the initiative and doing something innovative, and I hope the response is positive.

Aoife Clark is an Olympic event rider from Co Kildare based in England