Appleby horse fair

I used to go every year but it isn't the same these days. A lot of the horse people don't even go all the way to Appleby but stay in places on the way. I hate it now - too many drunks and dubious sorts.
 
Never been but my neighbour goes yearly. She says that it has some amazing horses there but there is small minority that does ruin it and gives it a bad name
 
only been once and had heard some real horror stories, on the whole I ended up being pleasantly surprised. yes there were a few things I didn't agree with or like. But that's life!!
 
soulfull said:
only been once and had heard some real horror stories, on the whole I ended up being pleasantly surprised. yes there were a few things I didn't agree with or like. But that's life!!
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Agree

see things that we don't agree with at shows or even sales
 
been every year for35 yrs ,till 2008.Not every ones cup of tea, A lot going on in 3 locations, the village , on fair hill ,and on the closed road showing area .(an are covering 2 sq miles so easy to walk from one to the other .) Saturday or Sunday would be the best days to go .99% coloured horses or driving horses ,lots of second hand driving harness plus small new stalls. If going from the south go and watch Bramham X/C on Sat find B&B then travel up to Appleby early Sunday morning .You will not find overnight B&B within 20 miles of Appleby its been booked since last year ! Plenty of touring caravan places nearby . Goole Appleby Horse Fair, glance at some videos and see if its to your liking .
 
There will always be the few who spoil it, and get the attention for it. It needs to be monitored more by the police, and they need to actually use the law and do something, so that such thugs can't take over.
 
equi said:
There will always be the few who spoil it, and get the attention for it. It needs to be monitored more by the police, and they need to actually use the law and do something, so that such thugs can't take over.
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fully agree
 
I put this on here last year I think, but thi was my experience of Appleby.

I went to Appleby Fair about 15 years ago. I was 18 and newly driving and wanted to take in the whole world, so away I tootled, with a change of clothes, my wellies and my wages from that week.

I had the most amazing weekend ever in my life, even now I look back and smile. I walked round the "market" and watched the horses being tried out by the *man folk* and listened to the banter and sales ... I stood in awe of the lads jumping into the river with the horses, I was on the banks taking it all in when an old guy with a walking stick hobbled over to me and shoved a bottle of fairy liquid into one hand, and a lead rope into the other, on which the other end contained a magnificent (if not a bit bedraggled) 15 hh coloured cob ........ "Git it washed na" he said to me, in a broad irish accent, heaving heavily, like he`d just ran a marathon !!

"No No" I protested heavily ... "i`m just a by-stander" I tried to argue ... "ah get on wi ya lassy" he replied and with a couple of swift jestured hand movements I found myself walking down the concrete ramp and on to the sand banks in the river ........ !!

I walked the horse into the shallows, and though I was a novice at the whole riverbank cleansing ritual, he`d done this many a time before. I stood there knee deep in the water, and used my hands to throw water over him the best I could, when with out warning a strong hand grabbed my leg and I was thrown up into the air and rather unceremoniously onto the horses back .... "Ride him in the water lassy .... go on now ... giit on .. giiit on boy" ..... and into the water we went, into a deep wide river, this brave handsome steed went, not once hesitating, surefootedly carrying me through one of the most amazing experiences of my life EVER ...... I kept hold of his mane, as he swam, as the water lapped over my legs and his back I knew I was safe, I knew he`d look after me, and he did ...... and the feeling when his hooves lifted from the riverbed, those powerful legs were driving us forward and we were gliding effortlessly through the water, it`s about the closest feeling i`ve had to heaven .... like flying !!!!!

Once back on the sand banks I jumped down, and got a good lather going ...... he splashed about in the water with his front hoof completely saturating me .... as I scrubbed his legs he nuzzled and nosed me and splashed me again, I was a grinning giggling mess ... and bless him he stood so well for me.

I was then pegged back up, and allowed that little piece of heaven once more to rinse him clean ..... magical.

I walked him out up the ramp, he was rinsed but I was still covered head to toe in soap suds .... He had a good, thorough shake, and again nosed me gently. I found the old gent not far from where this had all began and handed the lead rein and the fairy liquid back to him .... The stupid smile and glazed over eyes must have been there for all to see The old gent thanked me, and shoved a crisp £20 note into my hand .... "No No" I cried again .... "You don`t need to pay me" ... "Aye lassy, ya did the work, now take it" he said ... again dismissing me with the same hand jesture as he turned and limped away ... "I stood there for a couple of minutes ... truly gobsmacked .... I didn`t need payment, the magical experience was worth more than any financial reward !! Not a few seconds later my gaze was broken by another man ... with a mare and foal, again the lead rein shoved into my hand, he`d seen me do the cob and assumed I was there to work, and work I did for the rest of the afternoon.


I have a number of Romany friends, and 'true' Romanies they are, they have a gift with horses and an understanding and patience that knows no bounds. Sadly in all walks of life you have to take the bad with the good, that will never change. But I shall always look for the best in people of all back grounds.
 
I was there one year watching them run their horses up and down in the vehicles. A standardbred type was trotting at high speed when it overreached and pulled a front shoe off. The shoe flew through the air, went over our heads missing me by inches and went straight through the side of a lorry parked behind us it was going that fast. Fairly put the wind up me.
 
HeresHoping said:
Please write the rest of the story. You had me at 'I went to Appleby Fair...':cool3:
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Sorry if i`m being thick, lol, but I don`t know what you mean by the rest of the story .... I can be a bit dense sometimes, do you mean you want to hear more about the fair? :) x
 
I've got a boxed set of Jack Hargreaves dvd's, he was who I looked up to as a kid and watched him every saturday without fail on the tv in the early 70's. Later I lived on a farm in the late 70's with an old uncle who was just like Jack in his countryman ways (he was an old Wiltshire heavy horse ploughman)and through living with him and watching Jack who were both good horsemen and country gents I wanted to become and became a traditional Saddler. All these years later I still look back and watch these dvd's with affection, one of the dvds has Appleby in the early to mid 70's he's there as a spectator and it is absolutely fascinating, well worth watching if you can.
 
cremedemonthe said:
I've got a boxed set of Jack Hargreaves dvd's, he was who I looked up to as a kid and watched him every saturday without fail on the tv in the early 70's. Later I lived on a farm in the late 70's with an old uncle who was just like Jack in his countryman ways (he was an old Wiltshire heavy horse ploughman)and through living with him and watching Jack who were both good horsemen and country gents I wanted to become and became a traditional Saddler. All these years later I still look back and watch these dvd's with affection, one of the dvds has Appleby in the early to mid 70's he's there as a spectator and it is absolutely fascinating, well worth watching if you can.
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Thanks for reminding me about Jack Hargreaves cremedeomothe. You must be the same age as me :) I too loved Out of Town and it brings back fond memories.

I've just found the his Appleby fair episode on Youtube and I'm going to watch it in my lunch break.
 
DCJACE said:
I put this on here last year I think, but thi was my experience of Appleby.

I went to Appleby Fair about 15 years ago. I was 18 and newly driving and wanted to take in the whole world, so away I tootled, with a change of clothes, my wellies and my wages from that week.

I had the most amazing weekend ever in my life, even now I look back and smile. I walked round the "market" and watched the horses being tried out by the *man folk* and listened to the banter and sales ... I stood in awe of the lads jumping into the river with the horses, I was on the banks taking it all in when an old guy with a walking stick hobbled over to me and shoved a bottle of fairy liquid into one hand, and a lead rope into the other, on which the other end contained a magnificent (if not a bit bedraggled) 15 hh coloured cob ........ "Git it washed na" he said to me, in a broad irish accent, heaving heavily, like he`d just ran a marathon !!

"No No" I protested heavily ... "i`m just a by-stander" I tried to argue ... "ah get on wi ya lassy" he replied and with a couple of swift jestured hand movements I found myself walking down the concrete ramp and on to the sand banks in the river ........ !!

I walked the horse into the shallows, and though I was a novice at the whole riverbank cleansing ritual, he`d done this many a time before. I stood there knee deep in the water, and used my hands to throw water over him the best I could, when with out warning a strong hand grabbed my leg and I was thrown up into the air and rather unceremoniously onto the horses back .... "Ride him in the water lassy .... go on now ... giit on .. giiit on boy" ..... and into the water we went, into a deep wide river, this brave handsome steed went, not once hesitating, surefootedly carrying me through one of the most amazing experiences of my life EVER ...... I kept hold of his mane, as he swam, as the water lapped over my legs and his back I knew I was safe, I knew he`d look after me, and he did ...... and the feeling when his hooves lifted from the riverbed, those powerful legs were driving us forward and we were gliding effortlessly through the water, it`s about the closest feeling i`ve had to heaven .... like flying !!!!!

Once back on the sand banks I jumped down, and got a good lather going ...... he splashed about in the water with his front hoof completely saturating me .... as I scrubbed his legs he nuzzled and nosed me and splashed me again, I was a grinning giggling mess ... and bless him he stood so well for me.

I was then pegged back up, and allowed that little piece of heaven once more to rinse him clean ..... magical.

I walked him out up the ramp, he was rinsed but I was still covered head to toe in soap suds .... He had a good, thorough shake, and again nosed me gently. I found the old gent not far from where this had all began and handed the lead rein and the fairy liquid back to him .... The stupid smile and glazed over eyes must have been there for all to see The old gent thanked me, and shoved a crisp £20 note into my hand .... "No No" I cried again .... "You don`t need to pay me" ... "Aye lassy, ya did the work, now take it" he said ... again dismissing me with the same hand jesture as he turned and limped away ... "I stood there for a couple of minutes ... truly gobsmacked .... I didn`t need payment, the magical experience was worth more than any financial reward !! Not a few seconds later my gaze was broken by another man ... with a mare and foal, again the lead rein shoved into my hand, he`d seen me do the cob and assumed I was there to work, and work I did for the rest of the afternoon.


I have a number of Romany friends, and 'true' Romanies they are, they have a gift with horses and an understanding and patience that knows no bounds. Sadly in all walks of life you have to take the bad with the good, that will never change. But I shall always look for the best in people of all back grounds.
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what a magical experience, thank you for sharing
 
I like driving and I like cobs....pretty much mecca for me! I've been once before and didn't see any abject cruelty or anything. Couldn't wuite squeeze it in this year but next year it's a done deal! (so to speak ;) )
 
LaMooch said:
Lovely story and just shows how people can judge
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soulfull said:
what a magical experience, thank you for sharing
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HeresHoping said:
Your story was wonderful. I was reading it wanting more and more. It would be a terrific opening chapter for a book.
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Suec04 said:
i agree! you have a gift for capturing the imagination. I was right there with you, experiencing it all. more!!! :D
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Aw bless you all .... I`m not a write really, but i`m glad you enjoyed it x
 
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