A 91-year-old was delighted to be reunited with an event horse she owns and bred – and told his five-star rider off for not cutting the horse’s carrots properly.
Louise Harwood took Blues Cloud to visit Lady Jennifer Evans-Bevan at Kington Court Nursing Home, Herefordshire.
Louise told H&H Lady Jennifer had not seen “Cloudy” since he competed at Chatsworth last year, after which she had suffered a stroke.
“She was very pleased to see him,” she said. “She bred him, and I think bred his grandmother as well as his mother – I rode his mother too – and she bought the original mare he’s descended from at Hereford Market in 1952. It was my mother who had the bright idea, saying ‘Wouldn’t it be lovely to take him to see her’.”
Louise said she had a new small lorry she knew would get on to the site, so she loaded Cloudy up and made the journey.
“They were really welcoming, and thought it was a good idea,” Louise said. “Lady Jennifer had told the kitchen he was to have carrots, and they were to chop them, then we turned up with whole carrots, and she told me off! She was so pleased to see him.”
Louise said the eight-year-old Denounce gelding, whom she has produced and is aiming for the eight- and nine-year-olds’ class at Blenheim this September, was impeccably behaved during the visit.
“He wasn’t scared by anything; he’s like a big dog,” she said. “He loved putting his head in her lap, and it gave her a chance to talk about breeding, and what she loves about horses. She was in her element.”
Louise added that Lady Jennifer, who also bred Welsh ponies, and judged, was “a great person to ride for”.
“I wasn’t going to race Cloudy across country and she completely understood I wasn’t going to rush him,” she said. “She said ‘Do the right thing, dear, take your time’, and he’s turned out a lovely horse.
“The care home was great; they took pictures when he came, laminated them and put them straight up in her room. He loved all the attention, it was lovely.”
Kington Court lifestyle coordinator Natasha Davies thanked Louise for making the reunion happen.
“Jennifer was overjoyed to introduce her four-legged friend to fellow residents,” she said.
“Welcoming animals to the care home has a positive impact on the residents’ lives, creating joy, nostalgia, and a sense of companionship. Seeing Jennifer with her horse certainly highlighted the incredible bond between humans and animals.”
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