SSM
Well-Known Member
Photos to follow!
Finally found a moment to give you my in-depth, or mud depth report!
Saturday
Dragged a bedraggled Donkey out of the field, and in the rain she had a lovely warm bath I had brought containers of hot water from home. Rugged her up loaded (first go YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and set off under lovely sunny skies to Coventry. To get to the show you come off the A46 and follow the signs great for the 1st 100 yards and then signs to the equine parking dried up and we kept seeing the same horse boxes as lost as we were driving around Stoneleigh Park perimeter!!! (note to Royal get your signage act together the one pointing off to Coventry Airport was a bit odd). Finally found the entrance and managed to get a bit of grass (please note not mud) where we parked up, unloaded the Donkey, took her up to the stables, at this point it had started to rain hubby outside holding a damp Donkey while I am in with the Foreman of the Horse who could not find my stable booking Hmph, they finally found it and off we went lovely stable around the back and next door to us was the cover of this weeks Horse and Hound (me star struck never!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) also there was the same producers mare and foal (last weeks H&H) I am now so broody!!!!!!!!!!!!! Once the Donks was settled we went back down the hill to our little oasis to set up our tent (When I called the Royal months ago we were told we had to stay on the caravan site at £17 a night, but since everyone else seemed to have set up camp we did just that and pitched our tent on our little green oasis).
Sunday
After a sleepless night Chinese water torture of torrential rain on the roof of the tent ALL night long. Off up to feed and plait the Donkey no competitions but she had to be plaited to go on the breed stand. Poor old Donkey had also had a sleepless night as the horse on the other side of her box had kicked the walls for England. Plaited her up, then replaited her as I did not like my first attempt!!!! She then went and spent the day happily being adored by everyone who was happy to trudge through the mud of the native breed area (she rattled of polos)!! We went off exploring the show, there seemed to be so many space in the equine shopping area and the fact that all I bought were two sets of spurs is a testament to this!!!!!!!!!!! I have never been to such a big show and was blown away by the size of some of the classes, especially in what I would call style and appearance (pretty browbands, red ribbons and navy jackets on a bay pony) how you begin to judge that is beyond me!!
So after a day of confinement in a stable I tacked her up and took her down to the collecting ring for a little blow out she was actually on her toes and looked at everything!!! We then let her have a graze and tucked her up. We then went off for an evening stroll around the site the dairy section was in full swing with parties everywhere we wanted to join them all!!!!!!!!!! Back to the tent, drank our Pimms (I understand this is a show essential), ate our dinner and then yes it rained!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So off to bed forgot to add that our site was on a slight slope so we kept slipping off the lilo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday
I would like to say I awoke to the sound of rain dripping on the roof of the tent, but because I did not sleep all I can say is I lay awake listening to it!!! Finally here a day I have always dreamt of riding at a County show!! My first class was at 9am, so had her plaited by 7am, hubby had not appeared with the promised cup of tea phoned he was still asleep!!! So with Donks nearly ready I changed put weird blue plastic foot protectors over my boots and ploughed up through the mud In the collecting ring I had to wallop Donkey as she started to sag at the knees for a role!!!!!!!!!! Her breeders groom was there showing another horse and immediately recognised her we had a chat, turns out she used to refuse completely to load!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In we went for our first class the In hand mare with or without foal at foot she was mesmerised by the foals, so I have told her she can have one!!!!! I cant explain how exciting it was to be parading her in the main ring, but it rubbed off onto her and she was brilliant!!! First placing we were pulled in 4th out of 5 I knew that had changed when during my individual assessment we were asked to trot up twice her dishing had been spotted! So we went to the bottom of the line, but never mind still get double points on my CB card!!!! Took her back to her stable at the breed stand through what seemed like even more mud! As we left the ring it was lovely to see Laura and Anna and then bump into Mandy as we went off down to the tent to change.
By this point there has been a strange change in my husband, if Donkey did not win based on confirmation then did I not need a better one (have aliens invaded his body???????????????) And would the colour of my saddle let m me down??? He was also really helpful oiling her up before we went into the ring I can only say I was very very very impressed and he helped assemble and man the CB stand!!!!! (I am wondering if this sudden interest in showing is that it is in his words full of top totty???!!!)
My ridden class was at 2pm and the heavens opened as were getting her ready lots of lookers on as she was quarter marked etc out on the green in front of the stand I then changed, last thing to put on were my new spurs disaster they had sold me mens straps that were hanging off me So if you saw a mad woman with blue plastic bags on her feet running like a lunatic to the tack stand, yes that was me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Off we went to the ring (where it was fantastic to see Wizzy and Siobhan) I do not warm up as I will loose that initial outburst of energy that might be there!! There were 9 in the class, a mixture of pure and part breds and Donkey was on her toes!!!!!!! YAY only she refused to lead off on the correct canter leg on the right rein (COWBAG) but then we were asked to gallop and I am sorry but I had to restrain myself from screaming with joy she actually galloped!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know I was grinning from ear to ear the steward commented on it!!!! I was pulled in 8th out 9, I know I am not the strongest rider (basically sh*te) but I was here at the Royal!!!!!!!!!!!!! Judge rode her Donkey was donkey! I was then pulled down to 9th place we were all awarded rosettes I was puzzled by reserve on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes I was Reserve reserve pure bred champion (there were only 3 pure breds in the class!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At this point the heavens opened and drenched is not the word I arrived back at the stable smelling like a wet sheep wearing a ten tonne lead jacket. So that was my day I wish it was happening again today!!!!!
From there on it was heavy heavy showers my friend who came to groom had to be towed out backwards!!! And where there had been a little mud was now quagmires Donkeys stable flooded we rescued her from 2 of water.
Anyone else riding during these downpours you have my sympathy I think we got away lightly the later downpours were dreadful!!! We managed a break to pull the tent down and throw everything in our car With Donkey and I literally behind the car hubby managed to drive off the grass and down to the main equine arrival entrance I had a lot of comments about had I far to go or had I forgotten my lorry or was the lorry bogged down in mud!!!!!!!!!!
I never in a million years thought she was going to go into the trailer with lorries and tractors rattling past her but she did on the 3rd attempt I think she was eager to go home!!!
So that was our two days not HOYS material, but we had the most fantastic time, hubby seems to have the showing bug and Donkey may not be perfect to anyone but me but she was an ambassadress for the breed and they have asked her back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are still damp and soggy but heres to next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Finally found a moment to give you my in-depth, or mud depth report!
Saturday
Dragged a bedraggled Donkey out of the field, and in the rain she had a lovely warm bath I had brought containers of hot water from home. Rugged her up loaded (first go YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and set off under lovely sunny skies to Coventry. To get to the show you come off the A46 and follow the signs great for the 1st 100 yards and then signs to the equine parking dried up and we kept seeing the same horse boxes as lost as we were driving around Stoneleigh Park perimeter!!! (note to Royal get your signage act together the one pointing off to Coventry Airport was a bit odd). Finally found the entrance and managed to get a bit of grass (please note not mud) where we parked up, unloaded the Donkey, took her up to the stables, at this point it had started to rain hubby outside holding a damp Donkey while I am in with the Foreman of the Horse who could not find my stable booking Hmph, they finally found it and off we went lovely stable around the back and next door to us was the cover of this weeks Horse and Hound (me star struck never!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) also there was the same producers mare and foal (last weeks H&H) I am now so broody!!!!!!!!!!!!! Once the Donks was settled we went back down the hill to our little oasis to set up our tent (When I called the Royal months ago we were told we had to stay on the caravan site at £17 a night, but since everyone else seemed to have set up camp we did just that and pitched our tent on our little green oasis).
Sunday
After a sleepless night Chinese water torture of torrential rain on the roof of the tent ALL night long. Off up to feed and plait the Donkey no competitions but she had to be plaited to go on the breed stand. Poor old Donkey had also had a sleepless night as the horse on the other side of her box had kicked the walls for England. Plaited her up, then replaited her as I did not like my first attempt!!!! She then went and spent the day happily being adored by everyone who was happy to trudge through the mud of the native breed area (she rattled of polos)!! We went off exploring the show, there seemed to be so many space in the equine shopping area and the fact that all I bought were two sets of spurs is a testament to this!!!!!!!!!!! I have never been to such a big show and was blown away by the size of some of the classes, especially in what I would call style and appearance (pretty browbands, red ribbons and navy jackets on a bay pony) how you begin to judge that is beyond me!!
So after a day of confinement in a stable I tacked her up and took her down to the collecting ring for a little blow out she was actually on her toes and looked at everything!!! We then let her have a graze and tucked her up. We then went off for an evening stroll around the site the dairy section was in full swing with parties everywhere we wanted to join them all!!!!!!!!!! Back to the tent, drank our Pimms (I understand this is a show essential), ate our dinner and then yes it rained!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So off to bed forgot to add that our site was on a slight slope so we kept slipping off the lilo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday
I would like to say I awoke to the sound of rain dripping on the roof of the tent, but because I did not sleep all I can say is I lay awake listening to it!!! Finally here a day I have always dreamt of riding at a County show!! My first class was at 9am, so had her plaited by 7am, hubby had not appeared with the promised cup of tea phoned he was still asleep!!! So with Donks nearly ready I changed put weird blue plastic foot protectors over my boots and ploughed up through the mud In the collecting ring I had to wallop Donkey as she started to sag at the knees for a role!!!!!!!!!! Her breeders groom was there showing another horse and immediately recognised her we had a chat, turns out she used to refuse completely to load!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In we went for our first class the In hand mare with or without foal at foot she was mesmerised by the foals, so I have told her she can have one!!!!! I cant explain how exciting it was to be parading her in the main ring, but it rubbed off onto her and she was brilliant!!! First placing we were pulled in 4th out of 5 I knew that had changed when during my individual assessment we were asked to trot up twice her dishing had been spotted! So we went to the bottom of the line, but never mind still get double points on my CB card!!!! Took her back to her stable at the breed stand through what seemed like even more mud! As we left the ring it was lovely to see Laura and Anna and then bump into Mandy as we went off down to the tent to change.
By this point there has been a strange change in my husband, if Donkey did not win based on confirmation then did I not need a better one (have aliens invaded his body???????????????) And would the colour of my saddle let m me down??? He was also really helpful oiling her up before we went into the ring I can only say I was very very very impressed and he helped assemble and man the CB stand!!!!! (I am wondering if this sudden interest in showing is that it is in his words full of top totty???!!!)
My ridden class was at 2pm and the heavens opened as were getting her ready lots of lookers on as she was quarter marked etc out on the green in front of the stand I then changed, last thing to put on were my new spurs disaster they had sold me mens straps that were hanging off me So if you saw a mad woman with blue plastic bags on her feet running like a lunatic to the tack stand, yes that was me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Off we went to the ring (where it was fantastic to see Wizzy and Siobhan) I do not warm up as I will loose that initial outburst of energy that might be there!! There were 9 in the class, a mixture of pure and part breds and Donkey was on her toes!!!!!!! YAY only she refused to lead off on the correct canter leg on the right rein (COWBAG) but then we were asked to gallop and I am sorry but I had to restrain myself from screaming with joy she actually galloped!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know I was grinning from ear to ear the steward commented on it!!!! I was pulled in 8th out 9, I know I am not the strongest rider (basically sh*te) but I was here at the Royal!!!!!!!!!!!!! Judge rode her Donkey was donkey! I was then pulled down to 9th place we were all awarded rosettes I was puzzled by reserve on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes I was Reserve reserve pure bred champion (there were only 3 pure breds in the class!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At this point the heavens opened and drenched is not the word I arrived back at the stable smelling like a wet sheep wearing a ten tonne lead jacket. So that was my day I wish it was happening again today!!!!!
From there on it was heavy heavy showers my friend who came to groom had to be towed out backwards!!! And where there had been a little mud was now quagmires Donkeys stable flooded we rescued her from 2 of water.
Anyone else riding during these downpours you have my sympathy I think we got away lightly the later downpours were dreadful!!! We managed a break to pull the tent down and throw everything in our car With Donkey and I literally behind the car hubby managed to drive off the grass and down to the main equine arrival entrance I had a lot of comments about had I far to go or had I forgotten my lorry or was the lorry bogged down in mud!!!!!!!!!!
I never in a million years thought she was going to go into the trailer with lorries and tractors rattling past her but she did on the 3rd attempt I think she was eager to go home!!!
So that was our two days not HOYS material, but we had the most fantastic time, hubby seems to have the showing bug and Donkey may not be perfect to anyone but me but she was an ambassadress for the breed and they have asked her back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are still damp and soggy but heres to next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
