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Hi, Rusty!
Wow, what a brave young woman!
She could easily have got hurt.
It was a good thing to do, though, as presumably the horse could have damaged himself...or even caused injury to another rider?
My experience with horses is limited to pony -trekking on the Isle of Man.......
My pony was called Melissa!
Did you get chance to do your puzzle today?
I am only just doing mine......
I am stuck on three clues, if you can help, please?
8d: Something sending elderly relative to sleep? Answer where nothing's spoken (5,5)
G?A?D?P?R?
Some sort of homophone?
27a: Potential killer in family into mob violence (5,4)
R???E /?H?T
It might be "rifle shot"? but if so, I cannot see why?
and 23d: Killed the wrong way, certainly casually? (5)
D???O
These last two clues cross each other.

Hello, Elle!
Hayley has been around horses all her life.
Her father was a top jockey and her brother Ryan is a champion jockey.
She will have done that before, I think!
Update on Laura.
I just noticed her Tweet came from Santa Monica, California, so I presume she is doing a training block out there?
8d is "grand opera". "gran doper a" (for Answer).
23 is "offed/killed" reversed. "Deffo" slang for "definitely/certainly"
Yes "rifle shot", family is "flesh" inside "riot", meaning mob violence.
Quite a good puzzle today.

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, it does sound as though Laura is in training.
I guess it makes sense for her to concentrate on her running for a period now, having obtained her veterinary degree?
She can afford to put her vet career on hold for a couple of years, whilst going as far as she can with her Athletics.
I am hoping we shall see a lot of her over the Summer.
I like Laura!
I should have been able to parse "rifle shot"...I just didn't see "flesh" (and blood) for "family"!
I don't like "gran doper"!
And I didn't stand a chance with "deffo" - never having heard of either "offed" for "killed" or the word "deffo" meaning "certainly"!
My favourites were 3d: liegemen"; 7d: Whistlers mother ; and 16d: drudgery.
I'm doing the QC now.....

Hello, Elle!
Think Laura's main target is Tokyo Games.
It took me ages to parse "Whistler's Mother".
Then I saw "smother/put out"!
I knew "offed" but not "deffo".
I liked "Li feline" and "earwig".
I think chick 2 is trying to break out!
Exciting stuff!

Hi, Rusty!
Tokyo Games? that'll be another two years....
It sounds like a good game plan for Laura.....plenty of time after that for her vet career to take off.
I've been feverishly studying Lassie and the nest......but cannot make out if anything is happening?
I'm away to my bed.......
Maybe there will be another young chick by morning......
G 'Night!

Update, Elle!
Have a look at this.
https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/f/915/t/196831.aspx?pi2132219858=14

Good morning, Rusty!
A very wet and miserable day here!
I had a poggy dog at the end of my walk!
Those are fantastic pictures you posted..... I just missed them last night.
I must have logged off as you sent them.
I've just looked in on Lassie.....hard to tell if anything further has happened?
She is just sitting there calmly.
I couldn't see the chick?
I am out for lunch later.....this will be the last "Ladies who Lunch" for quite a while.
A Summer recess!
I am being collected at 11 am.
What are you up to today?

Good morning, Elle!
Dull and chilly here.
Fleecy weather!
You should bookmark that link I sent?
They seem to be up all night watching the nest!
I have a couple of things to do today.
And I'll support the "lad from Bury" in the mountains!

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, I have saved the link to My Favourites.
I thought it excellent!
My friend has just texted to say she'll be here in ten minutes.... I think we are going out straightaway.
I have only to put my shoes on......!
I hope you get all your jobs done successfully.
Fingers crossed for Simon!
Talk later.....

Good afternoon, Rusty!
Well, the rain stopped......although the sun never put its hat on!
An enjoyable lunch and an interesting catch up.
I see we now have two osprey chicks!
What a lovely surprise when I just looked in on Lassie!