I took time out from ponies over the bank holiday to go to Radio One’s Big Weekend in Exeter (pictured top). This was a great outing. The sun shone all day.
We set up our ‘base camp’ on a slope above the main stage, and just sat and soaked up the live music. When it came to the headline act, Mumford and Sons, it was just getting dark.
Various members of our party had left our camp to get closer to the stage, leaving just me and one other mum. Brilliant, I thought, there’s nobody around that I know, nobody I can embarrass — the perfect time for a spot of bad mum dancing. So I was jigging around quite happily when suddenly between songs, Marcus Mumford said “and to all those people dancing like crazy up at the back, we can see you! And we love you!” Oops.
Talking of “oops” moments, on to Sunday, and our annual school team jumping competition.
Among all the child competitors we had a team of more mature riders down from Gloucestershire, who called themselves ‘The Tena Ladies’. Not only did they bring the best team name, they brought the best attitude.
Absolutely determined to have a great day out whatever the outcome, they proceeded to cheer and shout each other round the course in an entirely unembarrassed way. It was an object lesson in how to compete as a team. They brought a smile to everyone’s face, and even picked up a rosette for sixth place. Good for you girls! We loved it. You had us mums thinking that we should give it a go ourselves next time, although I think we would probably only aim for the first class of the day. By the way, Horse & Hound, they were happy to have their photo published but they did ask if you could Photoshop them all to a size 10).
The Tena Ladies
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
Incidentally, while we soaked up the sun on Saturday, just an hour’s drive away at home we had the worst thunderstorm ever to hit our house. When we got home from our blissfully sunny day out, my other half told us he had risked his life to bring the terrified ponies in from the field while the storm raged around them, and while at first we thought he was exaggerating just to stack up some brownie points, we have since had third party confirmation that it really was a life-threatening moment!
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Every time he got near one of them with a headcollar, another massive thunderclap or lightning flash would come along and they would hightail it back up the field. His view was that he knows his place in the pecking order at home and it’s not at the top, so the ponies had to come first.
One silver lining is that the storm has taken out the TV signal, so I am hoping that until it is fixed, our tack will be cleaner than it has been in a while and our ponies better groomed.
JG
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Aka Pony Mad Mum, Julie is a mother to three horse-mad daughters. As their unpaid groom, equine chauffeur, psycho-therapist and source of cash, she has been a ring-side participant of most equestrian disciplines, from mounted games to eventing.
