Can you remember your first riding instructors name?

First pony I sat on was a wee grey called Jake, who belonged to my mum's friend.

First instructor.. hmm, can't remember her name! In my defence I was only 4 so that's a reasonable enough excuse. I do remember the pony though, he was black and called Sugar. He lost a shoe in the lesson and I still have it somewhere.
 
My first lesson was when I was 9, the pony was called Topaz and my instructor was Lynn (never knew her surname!)

I too have a photo somewhere, I look rather amusing in a pair or beige jods and a multi coloured early 90's style jumper!

I was amazed to see Topaz recently at another local yard, I had no idea she was still alive! I seem to recall she was middle aged back then and I'm 28 now!

Bless her :)
 
Alyth said:
Hi Enfys!! We used to hack over Sutton Thorn to Colyton for the opening meet of the Axe Vale each year!!! Axe Vale PC started up after we had joined East Devon, probably about 1959/60!! I am trying to remember the names of people I knew involved at that time!! Small world isn't it??!!
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Mrs Sleight? I compare all PC DCs to her and none have ever quite measured up! She rode a little white arab mare, hunted her sidesaddle sometimes, the first arab I had ever seen. I joined AVHPC about '72 when we moved down from Bristol. I will never forget my first camp, I took a highland pony with a long mane, came back with that mane immaculately pulled to about 3" by the 'big girls' I got so told off about that.

East Devon? Were the Rosewells around in your time?
 
Oh yes Meg Stanton at Pinkneys Green Riding stables and then I think Janet Rogers at Etonwick Riding stables in Dorney Common.
I can remember 'Bubbles', 'Farthing', 'Ginko' and 'Snaffles' well.
 
Sue, at Cobham Manor in Kent. Cannot remember her surname, but she was ace!
Freezing cold, under floodlights after school, circa Feb '89. Pony was called Tiffany, a lovely tiddly little grey mare.

After that there was Zip, Boots, Solly, Greg, Dusky, Red, Benny, Toby, Prince, Rio, Winnie, Betsy, Rosie, sooo many riding school ponies, and I loved them all! Then eventually loan ponies, and finally in 2006 bought my own... think my mum was hoping all those years ago that it was just a phase...!
 
Yes her name was Tracey and I loved her to bits, I was 4 at the time and she taught me for about 3 years before being tragically killed in a road accident after which I took a break for about 2 years before starting up again at another school, very sad as I think she was only in her early twenties at the time, tried with another instructor at that time but just wasn't the same.
 
Ah, I love nostalgic threads....

My first riding lessons were at a riding stables at Chandlers Ford in 1960. I was 8 and the first pony I rode was a Welsh Section A called Joker. Lessons consisted of hacking out on a lead rein with Wendy Bland and her horse Loyal. Happy days...........
 
Nope, cannot remember at all. I do remember it was a man, and he was allegedly a Colonel or a Captain or something military, and had been a cavalry officer in the War (dunno which, but I'm sure it would have to have been WWI) and he had a really old horse in a stable that was supposedly his war horse.

He used to use terms that didn't make any sense to me, that I've since found out might be South African in origin. Not sure what war in South Africa he might have been involved in, but then history wasn't never my strong point.
 
Yes. Well, ish..
There were several in roughly the same period of time if I recall correctly, at various places- the only name which springs to mind is Fiona.
 
Yes first was when I was around 5 on a massive horse called Grey star (who turned out to be tiny and owned by a girl I meet at uni only a few ago.) I was taught by Veronica who I still keep in contact with and it was at Kings Ranch in Surrey and then went to Shey Copse :o and got taught by Lorina on a skewbald cob called Marmite and went on to loan a horse there called Flora :)
 
Good grief.. it would have been about 20 years ago now when I was very young. My first 'instructor' would have been my mum as she taught me the general idea, but then my first few lessons were with a lady called Lorraine I think. Very loud, full of life and a damn good huntswoman!
 
Jane Lee at Wooton Northampton - Now Jane Spencer, Richard her husband was a joint master with Pytchley. :)
Lucky to go back to Jane and did some BHS certs with her, riding some of their hunt horses - all good fun! :eek:
 
Enfys said:
Mrs Sleight? I compare all PC DCs to her and none have ever quite measured up! She rode a little white arab mare, hunted her sidesaddle sometimes, the first arab I had ever seen. I joined AVHPC about '72 when we moved down from Bristol. I will never forget my first camp, I took a highland pony with a long mane, came back with that mane immaculately pulled to about 3" by the 'big girls' I got so told off about that.

East Devon? Were the Rosewells around in your time?
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Hi - No the name Rosewell doesn't ring any bells!! The Axe Vale name I was trying to remember was Mrs Carr, or Kerr. She had a daughter who rode as well.....we are going back a long time though!!
 
My Mum, on a pony called Star, she showed me a photo of us, little red wellies sticking out sideways, not quite reaching the end of the tiny saddle flaps. I say it was Mum that taught me, it was Star really, didn't really have proper lessons until I was all grown up.

Does anyone remember Antonia Read? She was lovely.
 
Sue...lovely girl, excellent instructor watched her get married and moved with her as some of the ponies were a wedding gift from her quite posh parents riding school with an indoor school, to a much more basic place but still nice in its own way as she and the girls that worked for her made it what it was. I started off on Nutmeg, a lovely little skewbald, probably not even 12hh, recovered laminitic, cheeky little chap but adored him. I now have a 14.1 coloured cheeky little chap all of my own :)
 
Yes... Been through my fair share of instructors but still with my first instructor and have got another instructor who has been helping me school my baby pony :) Jo and Sarah...both who are the best I have found by far :D
 
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