SCRAPPIT DOES IT AGAIN...AND BUSTER RESERVE!

Great news from the National Side Saddle Championships last weekend 1st 2nd 3rd August 2008 at Addington.

Hot Tip (Scrappit) and myself (smaller liver chestnut to right of pic below) went working hunter champion for the 4th time.

Prince Buster (also owned and bred by me, black horse in pic below) ridden by 16year old Sam Batten went reserve champion!

Sam has only been riding side saddle for 3 months and it was her first working hunter class side saddle.

I taught her to ride side saddle as she had a cartilage problem in her knees preventing her from riding astride. Her knees are better and the doctors say she can ride astride again, but she’s got the bug now and wants to come team chasing with our team Patey Hats Legover Ladies in the autumn!

Both of us hunt with the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale. Now she is a reserve champion she’ll have to come out with me side saddle on Buster!

Also Buster Bond bought the house down with a very funny rendition of the James Bond Theme and Shirley Bassey’s Goldfinger in the Caro Cripps....I’ve always wanted to shoot the judge!!! (see pic)

Love,
Babette

Feb 10 2007

Hello Everyone

Sorry it has been so long since the last newsletter but I have been working very hard. Dr Dog is doing very well on T.V. You can see him everyday on Discovery Kids. He is also on Terrestrial French T.V. at the moment. He is also the favourite T.V. programme in Iceland! Find out more about Dr Dog’s T.V. career at www.moonscoop.com (New Window)

I have just finished the artwork for the new Dr Dog Picture Book "Another Dose of Dr Dog". It is scheduled to be published this autumn 2007. It looks great and is very funny. The Gumboyles have joined Dr Dog on holiday and made themselves ill as usual. With the help of his hero and new friend the long lost herbal scientist, Professor Dash–Hund, Dr Dog heals the Gumboyle’s holiday related complaints using herbal remedies. He also saves them from a very dangerous slimy,child eating plant with hilarious results.

My latest book "That’s Why" has done very well. It was published last autumn and has been translated into several different languages already. It has been very well received because of it’s important message.It is proving popular in multi racial schools.

Last year was Princess Smartypants’ 21st Birthday as I thought her up 21 years ago in 1986. This year 2007, is the 21st Birthday of her publication. You can buy T shirts, Cards, Calendars THE OFFICIAL ROYAL PORTRAIT, and signed books by writing in to this website. Also The Illustration Cupboard will be holding a Princess Smartpants Exhibition next November with Royal Artwork for sale and special readings by me from the books, fancy dress competitions for Prince and Princesses and lots of other goodies. There will be a new Princess Smartypants Picture Book in the pipeline soon.

Last June, Dorset Artsweeks went extremely well. We were incredibly busy and even had to close the show one Sunday as we could not cope with the number of visitors. We sold lots of original illustrations, cards, calendars, T shirts and had a lot of fun. The workshops on writing and illustrating Children’s Picture Books were especially popular.

We had a huge 21st Birthday Party for Princess Smartypants with a smashing band, pig–roast, celebrity appearances, dance competitions, fancy dress competitions, gorgeous cake with fireworks!
Thanks to everyone who helped. It seemed to last for days!

I was invited to Cairo to give lectures and workshops at a very good International School. They looked after me very well and I went for a mad whirl around the pyramids on a speed crazed horse, saw the real "Beatles" and galloped on a camel.

I opened a wing of a hospital in Bournemouth last summer. Now I have my name on a brass plaque for the first time. it was a wonderful day and I am so delighted to have been honoured by the National Health Trust in this way. Dr Dog is very proud of me!

The Christmas Exhibition at the Harbour Gallery in Jersey went very well but it was a shame the Jersey Evening Post did not cover it until the day before it closed!
The last day was a blast!!
We sold lots of stuff and completely sold out of some cards, t–shirts and books. Again thanks to all who helped organise the show and especially to my BEST AND ONLY FRIEND, Sarah Johnson for putting me up and putting up with me for a fortnight!
I met some lovely new friends and had a great time with my old ones.
I fell over a Persian carpet and knocked over a very expensive Christmas tree!
OOPPS, sorry Gaye and Anthony!!!

January this year has been taken up with some very special school visits and lectures and finishing off Dr Dog 2.

I want to have a little time out now to get on with my adult novel "The Man Shortage Company". Also I have plans to do a picture book on "Global Warming" with Random House.

On the horse and dog front, things have been equally hectic.

My little stallion Trenawin Lanikai (Mr Lanniman) has had eight bouncing babies with eight wonderful mothers. He now has his own website www.holnestparkstud.co.uk.
He won again at the New Forest Show and one of his sons was third at Royal Cornwall Show. Loot, son of Budget and Lannie, was 2nd at the National Hunter Championships.
Darling (Aidos) had a very good show season eventually beating 27 horses to qualify for the Horse of the Year Show 2006. He was 6th on the day.

Mr Scrappit is still going out and scaring ’em. He won a beautiful points trophy at the 2006 Side Saddle Championships and of course our team Patey Hats Legover Ladies won the Belvoir Team Chase last November.

I have a new Deer Hound Puppy called Jasper. He is a complete twit! Alice is clocking up 15 years this year. She is probably the oldest Deerhound ever!

Zac does not let anyone in carrying a bill! Good Dog!
Wiggle and Wobble are also getting on but still chasing rats.

My great old x champion show cob Flanagan is 37 this year. I have had him since he was 6!
THAT IS LONGER THAN MOST PEOPLE STAY MARRIED!

Plans for this year are to finish typing up "The Man Shortage Company," Do the artwork for my Global Warming book before the end if the summer...qualify Darling for H.O.Y.S , win lots of shows with Loot,do lots more sailing.....Oh and marry Captain Jack Sparrow!

Don’t forget to keep your wonderful letters coming!

Good Luck for 2007,
KICK ON!
Babette

May/June 2005

Hello Everyone,

As you can see I have a bright shiny new look website! There are some great new things on it so do have a look!

There is now a "Babette Cole Shop" where you can buy my original illustrations, limited edition prints and other goodies. You can also book me in person for talks, workshops, dinners and visits.

Click the photo to get a larger version

Me going like hell in the mud!

Well, what have I been up to since the last letter?.....

You will see that I have moved from Lincolnshire to beautiful Dorset (U.K.)

I live in a tumbley downie old farm house with lots of spiders and dusty beams. The horses, however, live in a complete palace with en suit bathroom and indoor school. Even the lorry has his own shed to sleep in!

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I am coping with the kitchen and bathroom from hell!

I love it here. I live near the biggest Giant in the World at Cerne Abbas and the smallest pub in England.

There are deer hopping about in Dunn’s Copse and a pretty river flowing past the house. It does get a bit muddy in the winter. I have made lots of new muddy friends!

Mr Les, the farmer next door is very helpful. He says I will never run out of water here!!!!

There are lots of other artists and writers living in the area which is great fun.

I also have made a good many horsey friends who all seem to be covered in mud half the time especially on Saturdays and Wednesdays!

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I now have a little stallion for my stud farm.

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Lannie

His name is Trenawin Lanikai and he has 6 wives already!

He is only 5 years old but is already a champion and a graded Sports Pony Stallion.

I have two nice ladies to help me with the horses. Lucie is a vet and Marti is a nurse so we all get looked after very well. They live in the farmhouse with me and have a very good sense of humour about it!!!

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The new books have been doing very well.

Everyone was pleased to see Princess Smartypants Back in "Long Live Princess Smartypants". The paper back has just come out and looks great.

"The Sprog Owners Manual" is keeping us all in stitches and has had some cracking reviews. Now we know how they work!!!!

At present, I am working on a new book called "That’s Why". It is a very important book and answers the question we all want to know the answer to. "Why was I born?"

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Picture from That’s Why

Write to me via this website with what you think the answer is. I will send a free, signed, first edition book to the first person with the right answer once it is published. (Spring 2006)

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France Animation are making a T. V. series of Dr Dog. It is scheduled to come out next year but I think it will take a bit longer!

There are some great new characters in it such as Dr Foyle, his evil cat Brutus and the Patel family.

We are all busy working on the scripts and storyboards right now.

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Dr Dog – Film Logo

Sadly, I have not been back to Tortola for a while as I have been too busy building stable yards in Dorset. I miss the lovely hot weather, my adorable friends and the glittering blue sea.

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Oh well...

We are making the best of the Dorset seaside instead!

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Lobelia with me in the sea!

It is nice and easy to get back to my old home in Jersey (Channel Islands) from here. I go on a tiny little plane called "The Rock Hopper". It’s better than Alton Towers!

I have recently been on Breakfast T.V. talking about books and reading.

Books are so important because they are like a door going through to a new world in your very own head. There is no other experience like it.

Being read Picture Books when you are very young opens this door to Wonderland...... like Alice going through the looking glass.

So see you THERE!

Love Babette

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Self portrait of me!