EstherYoung
Well-Known Member
We weren't due to go to Silk Willoughby but a friend of ours had lost her transport for the weekend so we said we'd take her horse for her and crew them.
Her horse, Charlie, had never been in a backwards facing lorry with a window in the back before, and he got a bit worried and stompy going over the Humber Bridge, but then he settled and he was a very good boy. We were driving in convoy with some other friends of ours, and after a couple of hours we arrived at the venue where we met the fourth of our charges for the day.
Taaqib was up first, he was doing the longest 66km class and vetted fine. He is a little straight Egyptian boy, who was bred by the lady who bred our Spud and Felix, so he has a very proud granny cheering on his every move. Ally's husband was crewing Ally and Taaqib, but we had to keep an eye out on the route for them too as it was turning out to be a very hot day.
Our three then went off to vet. We had Charlie, a welsh x TB who was doing the 40km, Venus, a welsh x arab who was doing the 40km, and Monkey, a little Spanish dude who was doing the 30km.
Venus trotted up first. She's a youngster, and this was her first 40km. She was seriously injured as a 2yo so the fact that she is sound at all is a miracle:
The Charlie trotted up. He's a funny boy.
Monkey was also passed fit to start and we headed out to the first crew point. After squinting and squinting we saw them coming over the hill:
After crewing them, we headed off to our next point. The route was a mixture of bridleways, farm tracks, and roads with big wide Lincolnshire verges:
As Monkey was doing the shorter loop, he wasn't doing the top loop so it was just Charlie and Venus this time:
A quick crew stop and they were on their way again:
On to the next crew point and we say Monkey again:
A drink and a slosh for Monkey and they headed for home
(to be continued....)
Her horse, Charlie, had never been in a backwards facing lorry with a window in the back before, and he got a bit worried and stompy going over the Humber Bridge, but then he settled and he was a very good boy. We were driving in convoy with some other friends of ours, and after a couple of hours we arrived at the venue where we met the fourth of our charges for the day.
Taaqib was up first, he was doing the longest 66km class and vetted fine. He is a little straight Egyptian boy, who was bred by the lady who bred our Spud and Felix, so he has a very proud granny cheering on his every move. Ally's husband was crewing Ally and Taaqib, but we had to keep an eye out on the route for them too as it was turning out to be a very hot day.
Our three then went off to vet. We had Charlie, a welsh x TB who was doing the 40km, Venus, a welsh x arab who was doing the 40km, and Monkey, a little Spanish dude who was doing the 30km.
Venus trotted up first. She's a youngster, and this was her first 40km. She was seriously injured as a 2yo so the fact that she is sound at all is a miracle:
The Charlie trotted up. He's a funny boy.
Monkey was also passed fit to start and we headed out to the first crew point. After squinting and squinting we saw them coming over the hill:
After crewing them, we headed off to our next point. The route was a mixture of bridleways, farm tracks, and roads with big wide Lincolnshire verges:
As Monkey was doing the shorter loop, he wasn't doing the top loop so it was just Charlie and Venus this time:
A quick crew stop and they were on their way again:
On to the next crew point and we say Monkey again:
A drink and a slosh for Monkey and they headed for home
(to be continued....)