I thought I would introduce you properly to Diva’s granny! I bought Mabel back in 2004 as an unshown five-year-old, and she is my horse of a lifetime. (Diva, please note: you are a pony!).
I remember the first show I took her to; she was very green, and I chose a ridden novice class for her. She came second, I think, and I still have the lovely photo of her head taken at the show. Later that same season, she qualified for the BSPA class at the Royal International Horse Show. The ride she gave me there was great, and despite being out of the placings, it still rates as one of my best experiences with her despite several more outings at the show.
Other high notes include winning the Royal International Qualifier at the BSPA Winter Championships ahead of my friend Kirsten on her traditional mare, a stable mate to Mabel. There might have been a bit of an unprofessional squeal from me when Kirsten got pulled in second! I also won at the Royal Norfolk Show, having travelled there alone and borrowed a friend’s boyfriend to groom for me. She was also fourth in the Novice Working Cob class at Lincolnshire County Show.
We have galloped up beaches and stubble fields like kids and then put our best bib and tucker on and competed at some of the best shows in the country. My only regret is that I never took her to the Great Yorkshire Show, which was the show I went to watch as a child.
After retiring her from the show ring due to injury, I decided to put her in foal and was delighted that the 30-year-old elite graded stallion Amadeus was still covering a select few. Mabel got in foal easily, and she safely delivered a beautiful piebald filly foal,Florence, on my birthday no less, in 2013.
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January is one of those months that can certainly seem twice as long as it really is, and the recent weather hasn’t done anything to dispel these feelings. However, for anyone involved in the county showing season, it is a month where the first plans for the campaign are made.
As with many other hobbies and disciplines, the equine world is full of jargon that may be confusing to someone who has recently got into horse riding.
After the worst winter I can remember and first winter with the horses at home, with no facilities, i had to give up, keep the horses in most of the time and abandon riding for 6 weeks.
2020 hasn't quite got off to the start anyone would want. All Christmas I have been battling a really bad case of Uveitis with Beanie and unfortunately he never recovered.