Well I had a pretty easy week last week with no Sandy to ride. I could have taken the opportunity to ride Francis (pictured right) everyday instead, but I took the lazier option of staying in bed for an extra hour and half — although I did manage to ride one morning before work and once after.
After watching a miserable football match with my friends on the Friday night, I headed to bed ready for my early morning start. After choosing the every penny counts route to showing, I sat, as I often do, in a petrol station at 4:30am waiting for my lift to pick me up on the way to Ipswich for NPS Area 15 show.
My first ride of the day was on Julia Kerslake’s New Forest Wotton Monarch. Monarch is an incredibly straightforward pony to ride and it was great to be getting on at 8:15am for an 8:30am class — bliss!
After being pulled in any order in a big Connemara and New Forest class (although there was only one other neffie), Monarch did a good show and to my astonishment we finished 3rd. I was really pleased as I often think the New Forests have a harder time against the Connemaras and all the ponies had gone really well in their individual shows.
Next I jumped straight onto Major to do the ‘hairy’ class. Unfortunately Major was not in the most energetic of moods and our show was a bit lack lustre. We didn’t get placed, but looking at the marks and line up of the class, they went for a very different type to Major so I wasn’t too disappointed.
I was done dusted by about 10:30am but as I had decided to grab a lift up there, I then had to hang around until 4pm when I could grab a lift home. Luckily for me there were a lot of people also waiting around for classes at the end of the day so there wasn’t a dull moment.
Sunday was Sandy’s first ever show. He was a very good boy waiting on the lorry while I rode Toby in his two classes. We decided to take Toby out as he hasn’t been to many shows this year and he still needs the practice and education. Keyley has been working hard with him over poles and on the lunge after some very good judge’s advice the other week and the hard work paid off in his performance. He won the part-bred Arab and the NPS riding pony class.
After riding Toby, I got Sandy off for a ride round. With his leg still recovering from the cut, we just wandered around the show ground to see the sights. After his initial nervousness at having the ponies coming up behind him, he soon settled down and seemed quite relaxed stood at the side of the ring.
Fingers crossed we might make it out this weekend — although I am not holding my breath!
Til next time
Chloe
