Baydale
Well-Known Member
Quick quick, call the RSPCA, that Kermit McBaydale has been squishing ponies again! 
You all know what the Blue and White bit is - the lovely Ralph, all 15hh of him - strutting his stuff at Shelford PN, I mean BE100, yesterday.
The Black and Blue bit is what he did to his lovely owner last week.
Having left my place after a lesson - much sitting and waiting for the fence to come to you, rather than hooning at breakneck speed towards it - Claire was leading him through the gap between her trailer and the stable when bang, the next thing she knew she was on the floor with her head split open, a sore leg and an arm she couldn't move. Something had spooked him and, whilst we know he can jump 5ft, 5ft 1in was beyond him 
, so he caught her on the way over. She dislocated her shoulder, has a haematoma the size of a rugby ball on her leg and her split head is glued together. However, plucky sort that she is
, she was determined he would get to Shelford albeit not via the Cottesmore PC ODE last Wednesday, as planned.
Our merry throng of PC mum (driver/nurse), PC daughter (groom and fence-putter-upper), C (owner/Director of Operations) and I (rider and stud-putter-inner) arrived and blitzed the B&W with attention in readiness for his first BE dressage test. It's fair to say he's not the biggest mover, in fact the only big thing about him is his personality and ego, as he truly believes he is a Burghley horse (Burghley PC maybe...
). His usual thug-like tendencies weren't evident, and he did the sweetest, softest little test, with no major mistakes other than one trip (my fault probably for over-loading him with my bulk ). Team B&W were all happy and smiley, and I didn't get bo***cked for riding like a numpty anywhere - our trainer/rider relationship is a reciprocal one, depending on whose turn it is to squish the pony - and in my defence, I haven't sat on him since the Buckminster PC ODE in early July.
Groom/f-p-u and I then went and walked the course while the B&W one straightened his back out and had a snooze. I had to have some caramel shortbread in readiness for the showjumping (Princess Baydale, what she wants, she must have
), and I was then feeling the pressure somewhat of having done a 29.5 dressage, best so far with half a dozen more marks to go up. Ralph is a fab jumper but it still took some getting my eye in after my huge steeds, so a few comedy moments warming up ensued, lots of funny looks from other competitors and my tummy doing cartwheels. Never mind the *qual-ity-can-ter* mantra to the rhythm, mine was more of a *don't-stuff-up*... Thankfully the dude pony delivered a lovely clear and there was ear-to-ear grinning (me) and heavy breathing (him).
The Bit of Green was me changing into my Kermit Superhero attire, and also the colour of my face probably, quaking at the pressure of being in with a shout.
We had a loooong discussion about whether the straight route into the water was a good idea - yeah, no, yeah, no, more *don't-stuff-up* chanting - and off we set, looking like something from a Thelwell cartoon. I was convinced my threatening behaviour would work to go straight off the step into the water, so a well-timed growl and he launched about half way across, much to the delight of Thistle and her cheering gang. Ralph had worked out that my kick on landing meant Warp Factor 8 was required, so he just kept galloping and jumping, feeling like they could have been skinnier, wider, bigger, whatever, and he still would have jumped them. As TarrSteps put it so succinctly when she saw him, he really is a freak, as he has this huge jump that really shouldn't come from something that looks like - and I mean this with no disrespect - nothing more than a very smart PC pony. Admittedly on the home strait he did pop a pony stride in to the second last, probably just so he could catch his breath and also to check that I was still concentrating, but he finished well, to more broad grins and patting and polos and chattering from Team B&W. I was sure he had gone quick enough but you just never know on the vertically-challenged ones, do you, as everything seems to be whistling past so quickly regardless of what speed you're doing - it must be because you're so close to the ground or something?
Finally, the Red part of the story: we only bloomin won, didn't we? Woo hoo, a damn good effort for his first BE and very well-timed it was too, not just to cheer up his battered and bruised "mum", but his soon to be chemically-battered "step-mum", as I had some bad news this week when I found out I've got breast cancer. Thank God for ponies eh, guaranteed to cheer you up one way or another. So, join me in the remains of the rose from last night (or I will when I get back from work), some cashews and let's drink to good friends and happy times.
This about sums it up for me:
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w255/NickyMcD/Ralph/RalphShelford.jpg
I'll post the link to the photos when they're up.
You all know what the Blue and White bit is - the lovely Ralph, all 15hh of him - strutting his stuff at Shelford PN, I mean BE100, yesterday.
The Black and Blue bit is what he did to his lovely owner last week.
Having left my place after a lesson - much sitting and waiting for the fence to come to you, rather than hooning at breakneck speed towards it - Claire was leading him through the gap between her trailer and the stable when bang, the next thing she knew she was on the floor with her head split open, a sore leg and an arm she couldn't move. Something had spooked him and, whilst we know he can jump 5ft, 5ft 1in was beyond him , so he caught her on the way over. She dislocated her shoulder, has a haematoma the size of a rugby ball on her leg and her split head is glued together. However, plucky sort that she is, she was determined he would get to Shelford albeit not via the Cottesmore PC ODE last Wednesday, as planned.Our merry throng of PC mum (driver/nurse), PC daughter (groom and fence-putter-upper), C (owner/Director of Operations) and I (rider and stud-putter-inner) arrived and blitzed the B&W with attention in readiness for his first BE dressage test. It's fair to say he's not the biggest mover, in fact the only big thing about him is his personality and ego, as he truly believes he is a Burghley horse (Burghley PC maybe...
). His usual thug-like tendencies weren't evident, and he did the sweetest, softest little test, with no major mistakes other than one trip (my fault probably for over-loading him with my bulk ). Team B&W were all happy and smiley, and I didn't get bo***cked for riding like a numpty anywhere - our trainer/rider relationship is a reciprocal one, depending on whose turn it is to squish the pony - and in my defence, I haven't sat on him since the Buckminster PC ODE in early July.Groom/f-p-u and I then went and walked the course while the B&W one straightened his back out and had a snooze. I had to have some caramel shortbread in readiness for the showjumping (Princess Baydale, what she wants, she must have
), and I was then feeling the pressure somewhat of having done a 29.5 dressage, best so far with half a dozen more marks to go up. Ralph is a fab jumper but it still took some getting my eye in after my huge steeds, so a few comedy moments warming up ensued, lots of funny looks from other competitors and my tummy doing cartwheels. Never mind the *qual-ity-can-ter* mantra to the rhythm, mine was more of a *don't-stuff-up*... Thankfully the dude pony delivered a lovely clear and there was ear-to-ear grinning (me) and heavy breathing (him).The Bit of Green was me changing into my Kermit Superhero attire, and also the colour of my face probably, quaking at the pressure of being in with a shout.
We had a loooong discussion about whether the straight route into the water was a good idea - yeah, no, yeah, no, more *don't-stuff-up* chanting - and off we set, looking like something from a Thelwell cartoon. I was convinced my threatening behaviour would work to go straight off the step into the water, so a well-timed growl and he launched about half way across, much to the delight of Thistle and her cheering gang. Ralph had worked out that my kick on landing meant Warp Factor 8 was required, so he just kept galloping and jumping, feeling like they could have been skinnier, wider, bigger, whatever, and he still would have jumped them. As TarrSteps put it so succinctly when she saw him, he really is a freak, as he has this huge jump that really shouldn't come from something that looks like - and I mean this with no disrespect - nothing more than a very smart PC pony. Admittedly on the home strait he did pop a pony stride in to the second last, probably just so he could catch his breath and also to check that I was still concentrating, but he finished well, to more broad grins and patting and polos and chattering from Team B&W. I was sure he had gone quick enough but you just never know on the vertically-challenged ones, do you, as everything seems to be whistling past so quickly regardless of what speed you're doing - it must be because you're so close to the ground or something?Finally, the Red part of the story: we only bloomin won, didn't we?
Woo hoo, a damn good effort for his first BE and very well-timed it was too, not just to cheer up his battered and bruised "mum", but his soon to be chemically-battered "step-mum", as I had some bad news this week when I found out I've got breast cancer. Thank God for ponies eh, guaranteed to cheer you up one way or another. So, join me in the remains of the rose from last night (or I will when I get back from work), some cashews and let's drink to good friends and happy times.This about sums it up for me:
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w255/NickyMcD/Ralph/RalphShelford.jpg
I'll post the link to the photos when they're up.
, like everyone else has said GO KICK ASS & show it whose boss, the very best of luck with you treatment,