Winning Post

Back on pony club duty

The pony racing and point to point season is over – what are we all supposed to do with our weekends now? Both Ted and Storm are now out in the field and Ted needs to swop his six pack for a bit of belly fat ready to do a bit of showing at the local agricultural shows during the summer. We are still on cloud nine after him winning the pony racing finals at Umberleigh but by Tuesday night he was back on duty at a pony club rally. Strange to see a pony that can gallop so fast, stood in a field with a group of others, resting a leg as he waits his turn to go jumping, but I supposed he is used to multi tasking!

 Pippa is definately looking big on him now she is riding with normal length stirrups again and sadly we will sell him and look for a 148 pony for next season. And when I say sadly, I mean it as he has been just a fantastic pony to have.

 It will be nice to catch up with all out other friends now though – all the ones who say 'can you come up and stay – oh your pointing tomorrow? We’ll do it another time!' First job though was to go to Oliver Carter’s thanksgiving service last Thursday. Love him or hate him, he has played a huge part in many people’s lives and I for one would never have got involved in the sport if it weren’t for him – or rather for Polly Curling and Sonia Geering who drank in the pub I worked in when on holiday from college and persuaded me to go and ride out.
Riding out and expressing wonder that anyone should want to launch themselves over a fence at speed, turned into wanting to do it myself. I  had no racing connections, or even any horsey members of my family, but OJC did give me my first few rides before I got my own horses and there aren’t many people who would put up a complete novice like that.

 I rode out when home from college, worked for him for two seasons – the first of which he was top trainer in the D and C area with 22 wins – and carried on riding out for many years, even after I had started work at the Herald. In fact I once had to give up a ladies' race ride on Roodle Doodle when a Stibb Cross point to point, fogged off at the weekend was rearranged for midweek, and I wasn’t brave enough to throw a sickie. I wonder if I would have got away with it? It was doubly annoying as the horse won. Anyway, I hope Oliver's grandchildren Paul, Anne and Andrew continue the family tradition.