It was celebrations all round at the Thomas Bell Country Store in Brigg when Husky sled dog expert Pete Jones brought his team to visit.

The celebratory mood was to mark Pete’s recent win at the 29th Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain’s Aviemore Sled Dog Rally.

In the six dog team at the Scottish event Pete headed the class for the third time, claiming a new record as the first ever to achieve this notable success.

Pete, based at Buslingthorpe, near Lincoln is a regular customer at the store, feeding his team on Alpha High Performance to provide them with all the energy and stamina they require for the demanding events.

Said Pete: “It was a wonderful event and to win for the third time was just amazing.  The dogs all look fantastic and the added stamina they have thanks to Alpha High Performance is just what is needed in such competitions.”

Graeme King of Thomas Bell Country Store said: “We were delighted when Pete agreed to being some of the Huskies to the store to help us celebrate his win.  They certainly attracted a lot of attention and were full of life.”

To see more photos from the visit, click through to our facebook page

It has been reported that Britain is about to experience an early winter with temperatures over the next three months plummeting to below average with one long range forecaster predicting snowfalls this month.

Now in store, white de-icing salt which leaves no mess or muddy sludge and is ideal for doorsteps, paths & driveways. The de-icing salt is available in 25kg bag for only £5.95. Also available, shovels and sledges.

Don't slip up this winter, get prepared with a visit to Thomas Bell Country Store.

During our Christmas Spectacular Weekend, any customer who spend £100 or more received a strip of raffle tickets, with a chance to win one of 6 mystery gifts. Here are the winning numbers...

BLUE STRIP - Number 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

GREEN STRIP - Number 21, 22, 23, 24 ,25

ORANGE STRIP - Number 126, 127, 128, 129, 130

BLUE STRIP - Number 46, 47, 48, 49, 50

GREEN STRIP - Number 96, 97, 98, 99, 100

GREEN STRIP - Number 61, 62, 63, 64, 65

To claim your prize, all you need to do is call into our store within the next 7 days and produce your winning raffle tickets to a member of staff.

If the above tickets aren't claimed after the 7 days, then we will re-draw the tickets. So, please keep checking this page as you might still be in with a chance of winning.

Thank you and good luck!

Please come and join the team this weekend for a free festive drink and nibbles; it’s our way of saying thank you for being a valued customer and to wish you a Merry Christmas. We look forward to seeing you this weekend.

We can't believe it's November already and we have so much to offer in store this month.

NORDMAN CHRISTMAS TREES will be arriving in store at the end of the month. They are fantastic Christmas trees, order yours in store today!

NOVEMBER WINTER SPECIALS all of the below offers are available in store now and must end Wednesday 30th November at 5pm.

HORSE RUG OF THE MONTH Rambo Newmarket Exercise Sheet, Hi-tech double bonded fleece which is anti-pill and has excellent thermal and wicking properties. Cutaway around the saddle and Velcro to secure the front. Normally £39.95. Now Only £31.95

It's that time of year again, your guns have been unlocked, cleaned and checked they are ready for action. But, with the colder days on the way have you dusted down your boots, checked for leaks or stocked up on cartridges? Well, now is the time to do it!

We have great range of cartridges available from Gamebore, Hull Cartridge and Eley. Plus, a large range of adjustable, neoprene and everyday wellies from big brands such as Le Chameau, Hunter, Musto, Aigle, Seeland and many more.

Welly and cartridge week at Thomas Bells promotion has now ended. Over two weekends there were demonstrations on our neoprene wellington range, so you could truly see and understand the true benefits from our fantastic wellies.

Make sure you enjoy your time in the field with a trip to Thomas Bells. To find out when our next welly abnd cartridge week is, sign up to our newsletter.

Domestic rats make wonderful pets, but their wild counterparts are often not so welcome.

Rats mainly exist in close contact with humans. They generally move to buildings in autumn and winter for shelter and food; they're often found in warehouses, farms and roof spaces of houses. In summer they return to the open countryside to feed on growing vegetation. They also inhabit undisturbed storage areas such as haystacks and tyre heaps or pallets, especially if these areas are close to food.

If food is available all year round, rats will attempt to stay on site permanently.
Outside, their favourite haunts are:

• Under wood piles or lumber that is not being used often
• Under bushes and vines and in tall thick grass
• In appliances and old furniture that has been left outside and is not being used
• In and around rubbish that has been left out
• In holes or gaps under buildings
  
  Once inside, they will happily live:
• Inside the insulation of walls or ceilings
• In or behind cupboards, counters and bathtubs
• Near the boiler
• In basements or attics where things like cardboard and cloth are store
  
  How do you know if you have a rat problem?
  You will know that you've got a rat problem when you find or hear:
• Droppings (typically 12 millimetres long)
• Scratching noises
• Evidence of gnawing
• Burrows or nests
  
  Things you might not know about rats
• Rats are not incontinent, but they do scent-mark pathways and territories.
• A rat's teeth grow continuously, and are worn down by gnawing on hard surfaces and by working them against each other (known as bruxing).
• Rats are crepuscular, meaning that they are most active at twilight (dawn and dusk), although they can sometimes be seen during the day.
• They are active burrowers (although older male rats will generally not burrow), good climbers and reasonably good swimmers (often leading to confusion with water voles).
• They have poor eyesight and are colour blind, but have acute hearing and a good sense of smell and taste.
• Rats are capable of reproducing at six weeks old, and can have up to five litters per year if conditions are suitable. The litter size can range from 6-14 young.
• The average lifespan of a wild rat is less than a year.

We stock all you need to control having 74 rats by Christmas. Call in store today

Fashion Evening is a Huge Success

Thomas Bell Country Store once again hosted their annual Fashion Evening showcasing the new autumn and winter clothing ranges for 2011.

With Champagne and Canapés on arrival, the evening was a huge success and saw a full house as shoppers flocked to the event to watch the fashion shows and pick up a few bargains.

Following the success of last year, this year’s event saw two fashion parades hosted by the team at the store and there were no empty seats! And with 10% off all clothing and footwear it was a great chance to grab a bargain.

Outfits on show from leading country and equestrian brands included Joules, Musto, Caldene, Tottie, Harry Hall, Le Chameau, Dubarry, Hunter, Barbour and newly stocked Alan Paine Tweed.

Hot items included; the Dubarry Galway boots, the Caldene Elder gilet, Barbour Grace Polarquilt Jacket and Tottie knitted hat and mittens.  

With the new autumn and winter stock now in, there is still chance to come and browse through our ranges and pick up some great gifts in time for Christmas, even if you are treating yourself!

To make sure your don't miss out on next years fashion show email the team at enquires@thomasbellcountrystore.co.uk Photo's are now available to view on our facebook page. Click the below link to like our page.

2011 will be the 31st Festival of the Plough and will take place on 18th September. Once again it will take place at High Burnham Farm near Epworth, North Lincs.

The Festival provides a wonderful traditional day out for all the family. The day begins at 10:00 am with the Blessing of the Plough and runs till around 4:00 pm when prize giving takes place and the main raffle is drawn.

All money raised is donated to local charities. £6 per adult including a prize draw ticket. Under 16s free. There is plenty of parking available, with special disabled parking on site. There are facilities for caravans very local to the festival site.

Attractions include:- Horse ploughing, vintage tractor ploughing, steam ploughing, static tractor display, vintage cars, craft tent, poultry exhibition, model display, stationary engines, terrier racing. Further attractions include steam gallopers, music and dancing, pony rides and more. There are trade stands and full onsite catering with fully licensed beer tent courtesy of Carvery and Grill.

For more information please visit www.festivaloftheplough.co.uk

The start of a new shooting season is just around the corner. Your guns have been unlocked, cleaned and checked they are ready for action. But, have you dusted down your boots, checked for leaks or tried on your trousers for size?

Grouse                                                      Aug 12th - Dec 10th
Ptarmigan                                                 Aug 12th - Dec 10th
Black Game                                              Aug 20th - Dec 10th
Common Snipe                                       Aug 12th - Jan 31st
Partridge                                                  Sep 1st to Feb 1st
Pheasant                                                 Oct 1st to Feb 1st
Woodcock (England and Wales)         Oct 1st - Jan 31st
Woodcock (Scotland)                             Sept 1st - Jan 31st
Duck and Goose (inland)                      Sept 1st - Jan 31st
Duck and Goose (foreshore)                Sept 1st - Feb 20th
Coot/Moorhen/Golden Plover               Sept 1st - Jan 1st

Visit Thomas Bell Country store to stock up on your essentials. Don't forget you will need your certificate if you are purchasing cartridges.

Join our loyalty scheme today
It is free to join and it is a great way to get something back.

How it works...

• Your points will be allocated for each transaction. You get 1 point for every pound you spend, this maybe subject to change throughout the year.
• All you need to do is hand over your card at the till everytime you shop and you will be rewarded with points on anything you buy.
• Points can be redeemed against any transactions at the till at any time you wish.
• Throughout the year Thomas Bell will offer you exclusive special offers and money off opportunities.

Shopping at Thomas Bell Country Store has never been so rewarding.

Click here to apply today.

Pet Day at Thomas Bell Country Store saw pet owners take advantage of 10% off all pet food. Specialist reps were on hand to offer support, advice and free samples. We also had a fantastic ''Dog Portrait Company'' in store taking pictures of pets, which were then entered into a free competition.

A framed portrait for the winning pet, made the weekend even more special for owner Mrs Silvia Le Quang and her two dogs, poppy and moka. Silvia couldn’t believe it when she was contacted to let her know her dogs had won.

Said Silvia: “I can't believe my dogs have won, there were so many beautiful dogs there on the day.”

The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners can be viewed here

If you missed out on this fantastic event, sign up to receive our newsletter and we'll keep you updated.

We are open 7 days a week and stock a huge amount of pet food and supplies; most of which is not available at your local supermarket. Big brands include Beta, Alpha, Burgess, Pedigree, Whiskas and many more. Healthy pets are always happy pets at Thomas Bell Country Store.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

We know how busy life can get and it is easy to let the weeks slip by. We now offer a personalised reminder service that will tell you when it is time to worm your horse. Worming advice is freely available for you and it is a very important part of our service.

Please call Lisa or Graeme on 01652 600690 to discuss how it works.

This year's Grand National Sweepstake was a huge success. All shoppers who spent £100 or more had the opportunity to back a horse in the great race. The shopper who chose the winning horse received all the money they had spent back!  And the lucky winner was Karin Idema who picked out - Ballabriggs - ridden by the Jason Maguire.

Karin is pictured receiving the £178.98 back that she won. Well done Karin.

Our ever popular Double Points weekends are back where our loyalty card customers can collect 2 points for every £1 spent.

To find out when our next Double Points event is, sign up to our newsletter today.

If you want to sign up for a loyalty card, click here to fill in the online application form. Shopping at Thomas Bell Country Store has never been so rewarding.

Well known for stocking a wide range of quality horse feeds, Thomas Bell Country Store were delighted to hold this informative weekend to help customers old and new in choosing the correct feeding regime for their horses in the run up to the winter months.

Over this weekend customer brought along their horses and discover their weight courtesy of Spillers. They were also be able to discuss dietary requirements and received professional advice on how to put together that all important diet. Also, our loyalty card customers took advantage of Double points!!

Horse and Advice weekend took place in store on 22nd and 23rd October.

If you would like to keep up to date on our forthcoming events, please sign up for our monthly newsletter

Pictures from this fantastic event are now available to view via our Facebook page. Please feel free to tag yourself and share with friends.

Hi everyone, since last month I am pleased to announce training is progressing well as I have continued to have some very productive lessons and outings.

Recently, we have had a trip to Hill House, near Market Rasen in order to take part in a jump-cross event which involved jumping round a course consisting of both show jumps and cross country jumps. Charlie jumped lovely clears in both his rounds so I couldn’t ask for more really.

I am also jumping this weekend as it is the Brocklesby Pony Club annual show jumping event incorporating the Dengie qualifier. This should be a fun event and hopefully another successful one so I am looking forward to it.

Another big excitement is the arrival of my new show jumping saddle that I have been saving up and waiting for, for a long time!

I decided to opt for the Albion K2 and in comparison to my old saddle, it is luxury not just for me but Charlie as well who I am sure will find it much more comfortable when travelling around a cross country course!

Coming up this month, I am representing my school, Caistor Grammar, in a regional schools show jumping event as part of a team at Bishop Burton and following that I have my first event of the season which is the Brocklesby One-Day-Event on March 4.

Catch up with me next month when I will have more information and results to share regarding this weekend, the school competition and plans for the upcoming eventingseason!
 
Take Care,

Tiff x

Hi everyone, as you may have seen from my last blog, Charlie took part in a photo-shoot for Temperly London last year and I also had the chance to have a few professional photos took with him.

Well... I have seen the photos and they are fab-hopefully by my next blog I will have my favourites to share with you! 

Pre-season training is progressing with regular lessons and outings to our local venue at Hill House for a spot of jumping and again to keep us on track ready for Spring competitions!

Everything was going to plan when we woke up one morning to find Charlie with a half-closed swollen eye, which resulted in a trip to the vets.

Expecting just to be administered some drops for the problem, in the end it turned out he had to stay there for a few days in order to get a second opinion to make sure there wasn’t a foreign body in his eye and to make sure he responded to the treatment okay.

After his little holiday to the vets, we picked him up on New Year’s day along with some drops to put in for a few days and a mask for him to wear in the field for a few days.

It's fair to say he was extremely happy to come home as he ran up the ramp of the lorry and was very enthusiastic about rolling in the field; attracting every possible bit of dirt!

I have ridden Charlie since and he is absolutely fine and full of running and ready to get back working!

As for plans for 2012, I hope to start the season with my own Pony Club's One-Day-Event in March and I will enter the open class to kick start the list of events and prepare us for the first BE event of the new season which we are planning on being Oasby.
 
Blog soon

Tiff x

Charlie has recently had a change of career and has taken up modelling! We did a small photo shoot for our blog and Charlie has also starred in a London designer’s fashion shoot as a model.

It was really exciting! He was really well behaved and enjoyed his day posing in front of the camera. However, the shoot has not yet been published so unable to release full details but watch this space!

As far as training goes, we are just keeping Charlie ticking over with lessons and a few outings to Hill House at Osgodby to gain a bit of winter show jumping practice ready for next season.

Two weeks ago, we went to Hill House and returned with two second rosettes in the last two classes. Charlie was pleased to be out and jumped really well so let’s hope these regular outings will stand us in good stead for next year!

Charlie has also had another clip this week due to his coat growing back very quickly and also becoming very woolly due to the cold weather. So that calls for more rugs to wrap him up and keep him warm!

Catch up next month after Christmas to see what Charlie gets in his Christmas stocking and hopefully we can reveal some of the shots from the London designer’s fashion shoot.

Slowing Down for the Winter

Well the eventing season has now finished and as you may know from my last blog we are slowly winding down.

The U18 Final that was to be held at Hutton in the Forest did not run so it was rescheduled for Bishop Burton two weeks later.

Charlie did a respectable dressage test for his first at novice level. We were satisfied with his performance although we still have lots to be working on through the winter ready for next year.

The show jumping proved to be causing lots of problems for other riders and there were very few clears. Charlie was very focused and jumped exceptionally well, finishing clear. All we needed then was a clear cross-country round.

Despite the undulating course and very hot weather, Charlie completed the course clear and finished full of running, actually gaining a couple of time faults for going too fast! However, I saw this as a sign showing he is ready for the next step up!

We finished sixth overall which was a really good result. The next event on the calendar was Oasby, where again we finished sixth with a pleasing performance!

The last event of the season was Norton Disney, where unfortunately I didn’t have one of my best days! Although I felt my dressage went quite well, as Charlie was relaxed and focused on what I wanted him to do, the score was quite disappointing.

The cross-country course asked a lot of questions which we jumped with no problems until we reached the fourth from last where I stupidly cut in giving Charlie no chance to set himself up, resulting in a silly stop that we shouldn’t have had!

However, that's eventing and that’s what we all sign up for when doing the sport. I wouldn’t change the result of the last event for the great season I have had with the highlights of Badminton, Hickstead, Lincolnshire Show and the Pony Club Championships!

Charlie is now going to have a well deserved rest to recharge before next season where we hope to give the Novice classes a shot! I'd just like to say a big thank you to everyone at Thomas Bell  Country Store for their continuous support this season, I'm very grateful!

Will Blog soon

Tiff x

The Quiet Before the Storm

Hi everyone!

As you may have known from my last blog, we were all prepared for the u18 final last week but unfortunately it was cancelled due to bad weather and a waterlogged course!

Therefore, it has been a case of cracking on with the training, ready for the re-run of the final this weekend at Bishop Burton!  - At least it's much closer to home.

I have continued to have regular lessons with my instructor and have been Showing jumping at Horse World, Osgodby where I was the only one to turn up for the 1m10 class!

Charlie jumped a lovely clear round, which will hopefully stand us in good stead for Bishop Burton!

Although not much to report this time, I have a busy October with an event every weekend so watch this space for further updates or you can keep updated through the Thomas Bell Country Store facebook page.

Tiffany

In our new blog we catch up with Thomas Bell Country Store sponsored rider Tiffany Barnard...

A Successful Season!

Hi everyone and welcome to my blog!

I have been very busy lately so I have ALOT to write about! What a season I have had so far, so let’s start from the beginning!

My first event of the year was the Brocklesby Pony Club (my local pc branch) annual one day event. Unfortunately I finished just out of the rosettes in seventh place. I had a competitive dressage score and jumped a double clear which put me in a good frame for Oasby the following week. At Oasby I took part in the BE100 under 18 class. Charlie came out full of beans and we came home with fourth place in a very competitive section.

My next event on the calendar was Lincolnshire, our most local event, where I gained a lot of experience!  The cross-country course was the most testing one I had completed at this stage with lots of technical combinations and turns. I had a slight mishap between two angled brushes, realising how fast you have to think in those situations if you are to change your mind and jump the long route!

Despite this, Charlie came home full of running and completed the course inside the time. After Lincoln, we put a lot of time and effort into training ready for Badminton for Grassroots Championship in April. I had several lessons with my instructor, Caroline, who is very good to me and very supportive. She even travelled down to Badminton to help me on the day of the competition!

I rode my dressage test on the Wednesday and was very pleased with how Charlie reacted to the big atmosphere. He did a consistent and obedient test to gain a score of 38 penalties which I was slightly disappointed with but it was a national competition with some very experienced horses and riders in it!

On the second day, I jumped a double clear to finish on my dressage score of 38 penalties. I was so happy to have gone round the cross-country course clear as although it was only a BE90 course, the jumps were definitely up to height, technical and rather spooky! Going round the course was such fun and it felt like I was riding in the prestigious Badminton 4* event because of the electric atmosphere and big crowds!

To think that three years ago when we bought Charlie he had done nothing and I have worked so hard to make him what he is and get him there makes me quite proud! There will always be lots to improve on but he has come on in leaps and bounds and is always willing to give it a go!

My next event was Richmond, which was the Under-18 qualifier for my region (Northern). This was one I hoped to do well in, in order to qualify for the final at Hutton in the Forest coming up this weekend!

He did a nice test scoring 33 penalties to leave us in the top five after the dressage phase and then jumped a double clear to pull us up into the lead! It was very nerve racking waiting for the final results. Charlie flew around the cross-country course hitting every jump on the correct stride and the experience from being at Badminton obviously helped him! My parents were sure I would have time faults for going too fast but I came home clear to win the class!

Just before I sat my GCSE exams, I competed at Skipton Horse Trials in the hope to qualify for a regional final, where I could then qualify again for Badminton next year, this time in the BE100 championships!

I came fourth in this section which was enough to qualify me for the regional which I plan to take part in at Norton Disney at the end of the season. During the exam period I just kept Charlie ticking over, and then after my exams I took part in the Pony Club relay team at Lincolnshire Show. It was a really great day and it is always very exciting! We won against some stiff competition and great riding including last year’s winners who we came up against in the final!

At the end of July, I took part in the Pony Club Area Competition for eventing where I came fourth individually and the team won. This qualified the team for the National Championships at Draycott House in August.  We were then placed eighth out of the 30 or so teams that were at the Championship! This was a great achievement for the whole team and a reward to some excellent riding.

In August, we went to the National Schools Showjumping event at Hickstead as part of the selected team. After the mammoth journey of six hours Charlie was definitely ready to see his stable! Although the weather wasn’t very good, Charlie jumped very well considering the bad ground conditions to come away with one of the few clears. As it was a team event we missed out on a placing this time but everyone rode superbly and the experience of riding at such a prestigious event was phenomenal!

Recently I have been to British Eventing Camp which both me and Charlie thoroughly enjoyed and learnt a lot from! The cross-country technique session was my favourite activity and I think it was Charlie’s too! After a full two-and-a-half days at Vale View, on the way home we stopped off at Brooksby College for me to do my Pony Club B test. It was a very intense course needing lots of revision but thankfullyI I am pleased to say I passed and what a great end to a brilliant few days at camp!

Charlie was awesome for the whole week but was tired out by the time he got home. Bless him! He has had a nice little break over the summer holidays but now it’s back to normal with the Under-18 Area Final this weekend and a Regional Final at the end of the season. Fingers crossed they will be as successful as the rest of my season!

Finally, I'd like to say a big thank you to all at Thomas Bell Country Store for the sponsorship and kind support they have given me this year! I am very grateful!

Speak to you all soon, hopefully with some good results to report!

Tiff.

Meet Tiffany Barnard (16), our local sponsored rider, and her eight-year-old, 14.2hh pony Hunkey, also known as Charlie at home.

Tiffany has been riding for 11 years and has owned Charlie three years. They have trained hard together and Tiffany has taught Charlie everything he knows.

Tiffany and Charlie are members of the Brocklesby Hunt Pony Club and have represented the club on many occasions at eventing and show jumping events. The pair have also represented their Pony Club at the Mounted Games Championships twice.

This year Tiffany has affiliated Charlie in the world of eventing and they have already had much success qualifying for the Mitsubishi Motors Grassroots Championships of the BE90 competition at Badminton Horse Trials.

About Tiffany...

Hobbies and interests: Riding, school sports including hockey, athletics and football. I used to play in the South Humberside girls football league.

Pets: I have a dog called Fizz and a guinea pig called Fifi.

Siblings: I have a younger brother, Daniel.

Favourite Food: Spaghetti Bolognese

Favourite Quote: “The difference between winning and losing is the amount you’re prepared to suffer”

Favourite Film: Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part 2

Favourite Music: Anything current, Lady Gaga, Kaiser Chiefs

Favourite Colour: Blue and yellow – These are my cross-country colours!

Favourite Horse Event: I have been lucky enough to be able to compete at two major events Badminton and Hickstead. They are really great events and the atmosphere is really buzzing around you.