Pony Club Visit

Now that a week has passed and the trauma of giving a talk on harness racing, a subject that I am a mere novice on, has finally subsided I think I can look back on last Friday's visit and say it was actually one of my better ideas.

On Friday 31st May, the yard was visited by the local Pony Club. I invited them following a discussion with The Boss and Mrs B over our customary tea and cake. My initial idea, in order to promote Cilmery Races (full post on this topic to follow) and showcase harness racing in general, was to invite the Irfon & Tywi Pony Club (which I myself was a member of some years ago) to the race meeting on Wednesday 19th June. Once there, I planned to demonstrate the harnessing up process, and then invite them to watch the racing and perhaps present one of the winners with the headcollars that we've bought. The Boss pointed out that we would probably be running around like headless chickens trying to get horses ready and onto the track, and would therefore not have time to give them a talk/demonstration on the day, and he suggested that we invite them to the yard instead at a convenient date prior to the meeting and then give out free tickets to those who attended. This suited the PC down to the ground, and it was arranged for them to come over to the yard at 5:30pm on the 31st May. On the evening we had eight PC members and five parents in attendance.

I began the talk by introducing myself, the central cog in the whole machine, then The Boss, the glory-hunter and showman, Mrs B, the unofficial boss and one who tries to keep us on the straight and narrow, and Julie, the second driver and challenger for The Boss' glory. We then moved out of the sun and into the shed to introduce our audience to the team. First up was Melinda, then Sammy, Jingo and Laddie (I had to explain that Laddie isn't a tiny racehorse but a yearling whose mother was trained and raced at the yard a few years back and now he lives with us), then came Big Mac, Maverick (on boxrest) and finally Bongo. We were frank with them, I must admit. The Boss touched on the pitfalls of the current handicap system and how it adversely affects Sammy as a G5 on a circuit with few G5 horses for him to race against, often with him off ten yards behind G4 horses. We had to explain the injury that has caused Maverick to be on boxrest, and our hopes that he would recover enough to race in the future, and The Boss even admitted how difficult it had been to break Bongo. We then answered a few questions, including questions about the optimum size for racehorses, the ages they can race at and the breed as a whole. I touched upon the world record for a mile and also the British record, as well as the action that the horses use (pacing not trotting). Everybody who attended had been harness racing before; most of them had stayed after the showing/gymkhana/jumping at the annual local show, where Wales & Border Counties race in the afternoon.

We then moved back outside and I talked them through a basic set of harness. I was helped by my able assistant Thomas, who held up each piece of harness in turn for me while I gave a brief overview of what the equipment was called and what its purpose is. We discussed additional pieces of tack, as well as different blinkers and overcheck bits on the three bridles we had laid out.

Jingo then made himself very popular by standing to have the harness put on in front of the group (one parent was overheard saying 'oh I could just take him home' - Austin if you're reading and you decide to sell, we'll track that person down!). The jog cart was hitched on and while I dashed to harness Sammy up in private, Julie and The Boss held Jingo steady in the cross ties whilst a number of the PC members had a sit in the cart. The Boss told me there was a queue and a few of them had a go, however they all said 'no' when he jokingly asked if they'd like to take Jingo up the track! Once Sammy was ready we sent The Boss and Julie up to the track and we followed behind on foot, taking in the view and discussing the purpose of the walker which can be seen on the walk up.

Once up on the track we stood in the middle and watched the two horses warming up quietly for a few laps. It was now that I explained the basic training regime for the horses, and how it varied depending on each horse's requirements. I further explained that nearly all tracks in the UK are left handed, however each horse is jogged over an equal distance in both directions in order to keep muscles balanced and equally developed. Both horses pulled in for me to put their overchecks up and then The Boss decided he would show off Sammy's speed by whizzing around the track. The group enjoyed the show, and I described the sorts of speeds these horses can get up to on the racetrack. After a couple of laps of blatant showing off, the horses warmed down and we followed them down to the crossties to watch them being washed. The group all agreed that the horses live quite a good life, as none of their own ponies get a hot shower after they've done any work, which is something our lot are treated to on a daily basis!





Colin & Dark Fox





 

Julie & Woodstone Jingo



Once the horses were back in their stables, we answered a few more questions and everyone had a cup of tea or a glass of squash and a biscuit. On a final tour of the stables I asked the members which horse they liked the best, and the results were mixed. Jingo was naturally the favourite on the evening, due to his impeccable behaviour with the children and his gorgeous face, Sammy and Laddie also had fans but most surprising of all was Big Mac, who acquired a new fan in his fan club! It may well be his first...

Mrs B handed out the complimentary tickets and drummed the race date into the group, and we hope to see as many of them there as possible on Wednesday 19th June. A good time was had by all I have since been assured by the PC organiser, and after they'd all left and the horses were fed I could finally relax!

Fingers crossed now that they make it on the evening, as I think they will be impressed by the spectacle, particularly with the promise of some top quality horses coming to the meeting.



Over and out for now,

Sarah (#1 Groom and Tour Guide)

I have a tan!

Howdy!

Apologies for the lack of blogging over the last fortnight, the first week was a touch quiet and then things kind of went a bit mad this past week! I have however now found the time to settle down and update you with all the goings-on from the yard.

As I said, the first week after that sunny Sunday in Leominster was quiet. When I arrived at the yard on the Monday evening The Boss wasn't there, as him and Wesley had been to take Eryn and Olympic to their summer residence a few miles away. Upon their return they teased me a bit (as per usual) about anything and everything, and then Mrs B brought BJ in so that Wesley could take him home for good. Derek's owners had also been to collect him so the mass exodus has begun! We wish him the best of luck racing with Wales & Border Counties this summer, as he showed a lot of promise at home and was a lovely character to have about the place. Happy pacing The Fuffer Man!

Next came the big move: Bongo was moved down to the bottom foaling pen, next to a box-resting Maverick, which meant that when we moved Melinda down to the bottom shed, all 7 horses were in the same building. Trust me on this, having them all in one place makes my life a lot easier!

By Thursday we found out that Ammanford had failed to get enough entries to put on a race meeting on Bank Holiday Monday, due to possibly the number of horses from down our way heading up to the two day meeting at Appleby. The Boss and Mrs B therefore decided to make a holiday out of it as well by heading up there so I was asked to feed the horses while they were away - clearly I did such a fantastic job the last time that I was the first choice! (Or it had something to do with both their daughters being unavailable for the weekend...)

Sunday evening and Monday morning I popped over to the yard to give the horses their feed, chuck some hay in for them, check on the dogs and feed the chickens (something I find rather traumatic as I don't like chickens). You'll be pleased to know that I managed to keep them all alive! On Monday I drove down to my friend Emma's to see my girl Star, and we took her and Beama out for a long hack around the countryside and forestry, and much like two kids we spent a lot of time racing each other! We managed to get caught miles from home in horrendous rain and by the time we got back to the yard the only item of clothing I was wearing that wasn't wet was my socks! Thank goodness for Helen's tumble dryer and the wood burner!

When I arrived back at the yard on Thursday evening after work, I couldn't believe how tidy the place was! The local Pony Club were due to come over the following evening for a talk and demonstration that I may or may not have suggested as a good idea. It had resulted in Mrs B telling The Boss he needed to clear up the yard, and to be fair he'd done a cracking job! The place was spotless. To make matters even better, the shavings that he's promised me for the last two months have finally been delivered so all horses are now on shavings instead of the dreaded straw! No dust and soooo much easier to muck out and create a deep litter system. Thursday evening was spent filling Maverick and Bongo's stables with the shavings (as the rest had already been done by The Boss), and generally sweeping up around the stables before I headed off to prepare my talk.

On Friday evening I arrived at the yard completely unprepared and totally nervous. It hit me that I was about to give a talk to some young people on a topic that I am most definitely not an expert! I didn't have long to worry about this as the Pony Club members from the local Irfon & Tywi branch arrived shortly after me. I'm currently awaiting photos that were taken by one of the members, so I'll write a whole separate post on that event rather than include it here. Suffice it to say for now the event was a success and a great time was had by all (including me!).

And that brings us to today, Sunday 2nd June. I am not long home from the third and final meeting at Leominster, which was as sunny and warm as the last time we were there a fortnight ago. Julie couldn't make it today so The Boss took back the drive on Jingo, and I was pretty much flat out until after the second race! Mervyn had brought Hamish (Bucklands Foxy Boy) who was to run in the first maiden, Big Mac was in the first qualifier, Jingo was in race 2 and Sammy was in the last race of the day. Things were a bit manic getting horses out onto the track and then washed when they came back before the next one was ready, but we somehow managed it!

Mac went off like a scalded cat in his qualifier, running lengths clear during the first lap and then getting pipped on the line in the fastest qualifier of the day (2.13.3). The time is well within qualifying time but as he qualified last time out this run was really an attempt to sharpen him up and work him out a bit. Hamish ran in the first race, however he still requires some more fittening work and blew up just before the 7 furlong mark. Jingo then came next and ran a blinder to finish second behind Epynt Sophie, after having been drawn 6 (inside on the second line) and having to come three wide down the back straight and two wide on the last two bends to get round the traffic. There's a few wins in there somewhere!

After Jingo we had a long break where I ran a few errands for different people, and before I knew it Sammy was due out on the track in the ninth and final race. He was drawn 1 off 10 yards, which he hates, but luckily Meadowland Tom was drawn 1 on the gate and set a fast pace from the off, allowing Sammy to follow him through and settle in third for much of the race. Unfortunately he too needs a bit more fast work and he faded towards the end, however we know Sammy knows what he's doing so we're not too disheartened.

So we came home today with just the one blue rosette, but when there's 9 or 10 horses in a race and only one winner, any rosette is very much appreciated!

Full results from Leominster:

Race 1

1st McCoy
2nd Hilltop Control
3rd Evenwood Lipstick
2.09.5 9L & 1L

Race 2

1st Epynt Sophie
2nd Woodstone Jingo
3rd Ynyston Lucky Cam
2.10.9 3L & 1/2L

Race 3

1st Caenwood Dafydd
2nd Blackfield Bling
3rd Hasty Katie
2.13.9 5L & 1L

Race 4

1st Sams Teatime & Lakeside Pan
3rd Rhyds Jigsaw
2.09.7 dead heat & 3 1/2L

Race 5

1st Jango Fett
2nd Daylon Dream
3rd Limelights Frankie
2.09.8 5L & 2L

Race 6

1st Afan Sir Ivor
2nd Brywins Jasper
3rd Lakeside Ideal
2.08.2 2 1/2L & 4 1/2L

Race 7

1st Wellfield Earl
2nd Gingerman
3rd Mewithforsure
2.08.3 3 1/2L & neck

Race 8

1st Ithon Ghost
2nd Rudd Hanover
3rd Llwyns Hall
2.07.9 1L & 1/2L

Race 9

1st Brywinsthatslife
2nd Meadowland Tom
3rd Frisco Havago
2.07.6 1L & 1L

Over and out guys,

Sarah (#1 tanned Groom)

Dark Fox

A horse never runs so fast as when he has other horses to catch up and outpace ~ Ovid

The spirited horse, which will try to win the race of its own accord, will run even faster if encouraged ~ Ovid

If you haven't realised yet how special Dark Fox is, then here's a whole post dedicated to him to demonstrate it!

Dark Fox, or as he's known to all his fans, Sammy, is a bay gelding by Gothic Dream out of a mare called Venture Lady. We started on this journey together back in 2008, when Sammy was a three year old embarking on his racing career, and I was a university student in need of a summer job. I couldn't have asked for a better horse to learn the tricks of the trade on; he has been the consummate gentleman from day one.

On our first day at the races together he was the only horse we'd taken, and to be honest The Boss probably didn't need my help harnessing him up. I was probably more nervous than Sammy about the whole affair. I'd never been to the spring Tregaron meeting, nor had I ever arrived at a race meeting and parked in the paddock. There were so many lorries and horses and I didn't know a soul! Sammy on the other hand took it all in his stride. He ran in a qualifier, and only four weeks later he won his first race, a maiden at Walton.

Sammy is now 8 and is starting this season in Grade 5 in the handicap system (I believe at one point he was a Grade 7 horse). As of today's date, he has so far run 71 times, winning 9 times and being placed on 36 occasions. His owners, Mervyn & Isobel, have been so lucky as Sammy was their first racehorse. They absolutely love watching him race and they are great supporters of the sport. If Sammy runs well, no matter where he finishes, they are happy. It's seldom that Sammy doesn't run well, because he is honest, genuine and focussed on the job entirely.

Sammy is probably the easiest horse to work with that The Boss and I have ever come across. He is a true professional; he doesn’t waste a drop of energy before a race, very often falling asleep whilst tied to the side of the lorry, but when I put the overcheck up and The Boss takes him onto the track he gets down to business! He pretty much pulls The Boss’ arms out; he doesn’t think he can ever be ‘too close’ to the start car (he once even tried to duck underneath it at Tir Prince because it wasn’t going fast enough!) and if he’s in front by the first bend then it’s pretty much game over. There is one thing our Sammy doesn’t like and that is being passed when he’s in front!

The list of his quirks and habits are endless, and even though I have only spent four months out of every twelve with him for the last five years I feel like there’s nothing he could do to surprise me now. For a horse that is so laid-back at home and at the races he’s surprisingly high maintenance – he won’t pee anywhere except his stable (he runs off the lorry when we get home from the races because he’s bursting), he won’t travel on his own, he has to travel at the back of the lorry regardless of how many horses we have on, he won’t eat his breakfast on a race day, he blows his belly out when I do his girth up and he’s really funny about having a bridle put on as he doesn’t like having his ears touched (he suffers from warts in his ears). But other than that, he’s easy peasy!

One of my best memories of Sammy is his win at Cilmery races last summer. Cilmery races is organised in the main by The Boss and Mrs B, with the first meeting held on their son-in-law's field in 2011. I joined the committee in 2012 and last year was another fantastic meeting, with our first final won by Howards Contender. Anyway, this is not an advert for Cilmery races (that could be another post...), this is about Sammy. The Boss hadn't been very well in the few weeks leading up to the meeting but he's not one to give up his drives easily, and he came home in front of the home crowd several lengths clear with Sammy in one of the heats. He said himself that as he was leading down the back straight for the final time he was waiting for them to catch him...and they never came! Like I said, once Sammy's in the lead he doesn't take kindly to being overtaken, and he seems to dig deeper than ever to stay in front. He's got the heart of a lion and I absolutely love the bones of him.

This season he's been trained under saddle by Mervyn and a friend of his, so he's come back to us semi-fit. He helped Julie regain her saddle licence at Leominster and should she decide to compete in the saddle races this summer then he may well be the horse she rides.

Here's some photos of our boy Sammy, just so you can see what all the fuss is about:

Leading Sammy on to the track at Ffos Las in 2010

Winning his heat at Cilmery, June 2012

Settling in to his stable, May 2013

Action shot of the mighty Dark Fox

And so the sun shines...at last!

When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome. ~ Wilma Rudolph


What a difference a week makes! Two of the three meetings at Leominster have passed and they could not have been more different in terms of the weather. Last weekend was cold and grey, and we were all grateful for the early finish which meant we avoided the ominous-looking storm clouds that had gathered around us. Yesterday was simply what harness racing is all about: sun, fun and watching equine athletes at their best. The shorts made their inaugural appearance on the circuit (I did wear shorts at York but I’m a Wales & West girl at my core), much to the delight of some of the spectators (and no Anthony, I am NOT one of the Pontypool front row forwards).

Before I go into detail about yesterday’s racing, and the racing from Saturday night in Tir Prince which I also attended, let me run you through the week that led up to what felt like the proper start to the summer. The Boss and Mrs B went on their holidays at the start of last week (Monday am until Wednesday pm), which meant that on Monday evening when I arrived at the yard I was completely in charge.

The responsibility could have crushed me.

It didn’t.

Derek, Big Mac and Jingo went on the walker to start with, while I mucked out their stables and filled them with straw. Once that was done and they were safely tucked up for the night, I put Bongo in the crossties and his stable had the same treatment (slightly more taxing as he’s a proper piggy). Laddie, Melinda, Maverick (who is currently on a month’s box rest as a scan on one of his forelegs has revealed a problem) and the girls, Eryn and Olympic each had a wheelbarrow load or two of straw chucked in with them. I then went about practicing my free-kicks and kicking the straw around in an attempt to save time and effort instead of shaking it out properly. Unfortunately it would appear that I am incapable of kicking straight and it in fact took me longer than it would have done had I done it properly in the first place (David Beckham I am not).

The Boss had left a bucket of feed outside each stable for all the racehorses (Derek, Bongo, Jingo, Big Mac, Maverick and Melinda, who is now back in training due to Maverick’s injury), so I set about feeding them. Once that was done I threw some hay in for each of them, including the yearlings, and was just putting the empty buckets back in the feed room when I noticed the note Mrs B had left me, asking that I feed Stripey the cat and the lamb.

Oops, nearly forgot about them.

Stripey and the lamb were fed and I left the horses happily munching away until Kevin (The Boss and Mrs B’s son-in-law) returned in the morning to give them their breakfast.

On Thursday I arrived to find Mervyn (Bongo’s owner) parked on the yard with the horsebox in tow. I knew this could only mean one thing: Sammy and/or Hamish were back in training. I believe I’ve mentioned Sammy and Hamish in passing before on my blog, but I’ve held off introducing them properly in the hope that they would come back for the summer and I could introduce them then. It would seem that my hopes were at least half-fulfilled, as Sammy is officially back in training for 2013. Hamish had travelled over as well, partly because he needed to have new shoes put on (which is what him, Mervyn and Colin got up to whilst I mucked out), and partly because Sammy won’t travel alone. Both horses have been ridden for the last few months at home in order to get them semi-fit and Sammy is obviously further ahead with his fitness, hence him returning sooner than Hamish.

Due to how much I love ol’ Sammy, and the time I could spend banging on about how amazing he is, I’ll dedicate a whole post to telling you about him. Otherwise this post would go on and on and on and on! Just suffice it to say here that I am OVER THE MOON to have him back in the team for one more year!

Sammy - aka Dark Fox

After a cup of tea and a cake, I set about mucking out as per usual. The Boss had been up to his old tricks of moving horses around without telling Mrs B and me what was going on, so I found Derek in half of Melinda’s stable (the dividing doors had been closed), Bongo in Maverick’s stable, Maverick in the empty foaling pen and Sammy in Bongo’s stable. I mucked out and strawed them all, in the process hurting my back (oops) and then headed home because I was thoroughly worn out!

************************

On Saturday I travelled up to Wrexham to meet Smarty, and together we travelled across to Towyn, North Wales, for the first meeting of the season at Tir Prince which will also hold the Breeders Crown and Crock of Gold meetings in 2013. The atmosphere was brilliant and there was a great turnout of both horses and punters, and I spent the evening as a bookie’s clerk. Tir Prince is one of two hard tracks in Wales (the other being Tai’r Gwaith, Amman Valley), and has by far the best facilities of all the hard tracks on the mainland. I can’t quite decide if it’s my favourite or if I still love York the best!

My friend Rachel had travelled up with her boss, Roy, as two of their horses, Wellfield Alfie and Wellfield Ghost, were running. Both horses put in great performances to come second in their respective races. Interestingly, Ghost was one of four greys in a race of 11, and the following race featured two greys in a field of seven. They say grey Standardbreds aren’t very common, but they seemed to be everywhere on Saturday night!

Full results are as follows:

Race 1
1st Mochart
2nd Vyrnwy Terror
3rd Heart Of Steel
2.02.7 8L & 2L

Race 2
1st No Regrets
2nd Gosip Girl
3rd The Governor
2.06.9 3L & 1L

Race 3
1st Mill Road
2nd Wellfield Alfie
3rd Frisco Minx
2.07 2L & 2 1/2L

Race 4
1st Blue Incredible
2nd Wellfield Ghost
3rd Porterstown Road
2.04.2 1L & 1/2L

Race 5 (TROT)
1st Mitt Popcorn
2nd Nolhagens Viking
3rd Quick Right
2.41.2 6L & nose

Race 6
1st Ladyford Indiana
2nd Alice Springs
3rd Oakview George
2.03.7 1/2L & neck

Race 7
1st Best Of The Fleet
2nd Whosurbaby
3rd Southsideaffection
2.02.4 3L & 2L

Race 8
1st Ayr Mission
2nd Infinatey
3rd American Gigolo
2.01.3 head & 4L

Race 9
1st Forafewdollarsmore
2nd Rhyds Fivestar
3rd Home Habana
2.00 2L & 5L

*************************

Yesterday morning I drove down to Leominster from Wrexham, and Smarty headed back to Scotland. I arrived just after 12pm and was thankful I’d worn the shorts – the sun was shining, the sky was a wonderful shade of blue and it was so warm! I parked in the paddock next to the lorry and immediately set about helping. The Boss was out on the track giving Hamish a workout (Mervyn had brought him in the horsebox), and Julie was preparing to take Jingo out to warm him up. Sammy was also tacked up ready for Julie to sit her saddle test along with three other riders, and Big Mac was snoozing in the shade waiting to be warmed up by The Boss. To make matters even more stressful, The Boss’ friend Henry was parked next to the lorry with a three year old filly that was running in the qualifiers, and of course The Boss drives Henry’s horses for him. So we had five horses, one working out before the qualifiers, one doing the saddle test before the qualifiers, and then one in each of the three qualifiers! There were bridles, inner bridles, bluffs, lead reins and the one sulky flying everywhere in our corner of the paddock!

Julie sat her test on Sammy just before they ran the qualifiers, along with my friend Emma who sat her test on What About Me (Jiggy). They, and the other two riders Sarah Price and Keith Young, all passed their tests, and then it was a mad dash to get Julie out on Jingo for the first qualifier. The Boss gave her strict instructions to ‘make him go’ this week, which she duly did. Jingo was drawn 1 on the gate and went at a tidy clip the full mile, pulling clear down the back straight when challenged and again down the home straight, finishing in a time of 2.13.3, 4 lengths clear of the second horse. The Boss drove Mahogany Dreamaway for Henry in the second qualifier, then jumped straight on Big Mac to take him out for the third. Mac didn't disappoint and qualified in a time of 2.16, half a length behind the 'winning' horse. And before race one had even started, my day was over! I don't mind being busy but I prefer it to be a little bit more spaced out than that! Nonetheless, we were a happy team yesterday :)

Here's the girls before their saddle test:

  

And finally the results from a sunny Leominster:

Race 1

1st Sams Teatime

2nd Hurricane Howard

3rd Epynt Sophie

2.09.7 1L & 3L

Race 2

1st Tsunami

2nd Ynyston Seelster

3rd Mary Joe

2.14.7 2 1/2L & 1 1/2L

Race 3

1st Hilltop Nansboy

2nd Ontop Wye Preach

3rd Ystwyth D T

2.08.5 4L & 6L

Race 4

1st Beretta Bourgeois

2nd Limelights Frankie

3rd Young Buck

2.07.7 10L & neck

Race 5

1st Ontop Girlcharmer

2nd Wellfield Earl

3rd Billy Elliot

2.07 5L & 5L

Race 6

1st Stamp Hill

2nd Ithon Ghost

3rd Luck Matters

2.06.4 4L & head

Race 7

1st Camden Casanova

2nd Lyons Stallone

3rd Meadowland Tom

2.04.9 3L & 5L

So that's another week over, it's all systems go for Ammanford next weekend (provided there's enough entries, as there's a big trot up in Appleby on Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday). I will of course keep you updated!

Over and out,

Sarah (#1 Groom)

A grey day at Leominster

On Sunday I was dropped off at the yard by my old man, along with my ex-racehorse Big Ears (her name is Shes Some Deal, or Star, whom The Boss broke in as a 2yo and trained/raced as a 3yo). Big Ears came with us to Leominster to meet my friend Emma [Langford], who will be schooling her during the summer, focussing on getting her to work in an outline, tidying up her canter and starting her over jumps. We already had her as an extra passenger, and then The Boss’ daughter Julie arrived with Thomas and Freckle the Dalmatian in tow – Thomas decided to stay at home with Mrs B who was packing for hers and The Boss’ few days away this week, whilst Julie and Freckle came to Leominster with Jingo, Big Mac, Star, The Boss and myself.

Jingo and Big Mac were both entered in the qualifiers (Jingo to get up to race fitness, and Big Mac to actually qualify). Due to the BHRC not publishing a list of runners for the qualifiers, we had absolutely no idea whether the qualifiers would be split or run as one, although thankfully as Julie also holds a driving licence if the worst came to the worst we’d be able to field two horses in the same race (although we only had one sulky with us). When we arrived we found out that Jingo was to run in the first qualifier, and Big Mac in the second. Julie went to declare them and I set about harnessing up Mac whilst The Boss harnessed Jingo. The Boss then took Mac out to warm him up, and when he returned Julie took Jingo out to do the same as she was driving him in his qualifier.


Both horses were drawn 6 (on the inside rail, second line) in their respective qualifying races, and after establishing which horse Julie would be following out of the gate (the horse drawn 1 which would be directly in front of her), I advised that the driver had a tendency to ‘chase’ horses out of the gate to establish an early lead, which unfortunately often resulted in young horses breaking with them going into the first bend. This meant that Julie was aware that the horse in front could break stride and potentially hamper her, although knowing in advance meant she would be somewhat prepared. As they crossed the start line and the starting car pulled away, the horse drawn 1 rushed into the first corner and, surprise surprise, broke stride. Somehow – The Boss and me are still not sure how – Julie and Jingo managed to dart up the inside and keep their position on the rail, while Tudor Jones and his mare Grannell Ebony Eyes sped around the outside of the group (having been drawn 4 on the gate) to take the lead. Julie & Jingo settled into second place on the rail and bowled along comfortably behind the front horse for the first six furlongs. At the three quarter pole the front horse began to fade rapidly and Julie took the chance to slip around the outside and take the lead. From there on it was all wrapped up; Jingo quickened nicely to come home 16 lengths in front of his nearest competitor in a time of 2.17.1 (within the standard grass-track qualifying time of 2.18) and without Julie having to ask him to, or tiring himself out. He came back to the lorry looking as though he’d simply been for an afternoon stroll!

As soon as they returned to the lorry I unhitched the sulky and set about getting The Boss and Big Mac ready. Julie and I managed to get Jingo washed, scraped and rugged before the second qualifier started (only just), and then we ran across to the track to watch Big Mac. There was an older horse in this qualifier who had previously raced, but as it had missed a season racing it was required to re-qualify (same conditions as for those horses who are qualifying for the first time). Naturally, said horse led the qualifier from start to finish, but the real action was going on behind. Mac settled into third position on the rail for the first half a mile behind another qualifier, driven by David Bevan. At the bell The Boss pulled out and attempted to challenge David down the back straight, but the problem with sitting two wide means that the outside horse has to cover more ground, and despite his best efforts Mac couldn’t quite get himself past the inside horse. He finished the qualifier strongly though, in an approximate time of 2.16 (so faster than Jingo, who hadn’t been pushed), as the winner went 2.14.2 and finished a length clear of the second placed horse, who in turn finished a length ahead of Big Mac.

I was very pleased with both Mac and Jingo’s performances. Even though Mac had done the qualifying time, The Boss chose not to qualify him this time, so they’re both entered to run in qualifiers again next weekend at Leominster. After Mac had been washed down and they’d both had a drink and a walk, they were put back on the lorry and I watched the rest of the racing with my friend Emma and her parents. Star boarded their lorry at the end of the day to head to South Wales for her summer of training, and I headed home with Smarty at 3.30pm. Now, considering the first race went off at 2pm, and there were 7 races, I think you’ll agree that that’s quite an impressive speed at which to run a race meeting! It makes Mrs B’s 11 races in three hours at Cilmery races look awfully dragged out now!


Here’s the list of results from today’s racing:

Race 1
1st Ontop Girlcharmer
2nd McCoy
3rd Vyrnwy Terror
2.10.0 2L & neck

Race 2
1st Coalford Vision
2nd Epynt Sophie
3rd Evenwood Lipstick
2.12.3 3L & head

Race 3
1st Beretta Bourgeois
2nd Ontop Wye Preach
3rd Frisco Mick
2.06.8 4L & 8L

Race 4
1st Billy Elliot
2nd Wellfield Ernest
3rd Limelights Frankie
2.12.8 1/2L & 2 1/2L

Race 5
1st Rhyds Panache
2nd Wellfield Earl
3rd Ynyston JJ
2.10.0 1L & 10L

Race 6
1st She Tells All
2nd Ithon Ghost
3rd Luck Matters
2.08.0 1/2L & 4L

Race 7
1st Meadowbranch Josh
2nd Rhyds Ponder
3rd Meadowland Tom
2.05.8 4L & 7L


And finally some token photos of Star, at the track and having settled in at Emma’s yard:

 Over and out,

Sarah (#1 Groom)

New arrival (and something in the oats?)

On Sunday (5th May) Mama decided to finally evict her tenant of nearly twelve months – on the day of the first race meeting of the season, very appropriately – a colt foal by Mahogany Import (owned by The Boss and Mrs B’s good friends, Henry & Heulwen Bulman, Mahogany Stables). The little fella is currently called Joey, but his registered name will be ‘Meadowland (something)’, depending on who wins the debate between The Boss and his grandchildren, Thomas & Eryn. The Boss is just lucky Joey wasn’t a filly, because it’s about time I had a horse named after me, and Meadowland Sarah has quite a nice ring to it. Oh well, we can live in hope…

Naturally, the first thing I did upon my arrival at the yard (well, after a cup of tea and a cake, obviously) was go out and take photos of the new arrival, both for this blog and for the STAGBI Facebook page. I’m currently doing a feature that will run until the autumn on 2013 Standardbred foals; after all, everyone loves looking at foals and who knows, maybe there’s a Little Welsh Dragon/Dragoness winner amongst them, or a future Musselburgh champion! So here he is, the newest member of the Meadowland clan:

I wonder what the future has in store for him?

In other news, somebody appears to have either swapped our usually docile bunch of donks, or spiked their feed. I missed Monday night’s duties as I was in York trotting races with Smarty, honing my clerking skills ready for the big meetings this summer. However, when I arrived on Thursday The Boss told me that following Big Mac’s antics after my short ride the previous weekend, he’s been a different horse all week. Mac appears to have gone from having a very laid back, nothing-bothers-me attitude, to a buckaroo in the blink of an eye! Apparently The Boss has been jogging him up and down the lane (before heading up the track), and Big Mac has been so full of beans that he’s been bucking in the cart as they go (NOT something he’s done before I hasten to add!). All I could say on the matter was that I hoped he’d put as much effort in on the racetrack at Leominster, where him and Jingo were running for their first time this season on the grass (both in qualifiers).

Things then took another turn for the unexpected when I put the horses on the walker. I’ve been working with these horses since February – they are calm, quiet and very well-behaved. The only time any of them gets remotely excited about anything is at feeding time. But this is how I like them to be. Save it for the racetrack and all that.

So Derek goes on the walker first – lovely. Big Mac goes on second; I shut the gate and turn it on – cue Derek thinking he’s a rodeo pony, and Big Mac deciding the walker isn’t going fast enough, so beginning to tush the paddle in front of him around with his big head! I figured they’d burn the excess energy off while I mucked out, so had a chuckle at their antics and wandered off to find my barrow.

Jingo went on the walker about fifteen minutes later (if he goes on the same time as the others he has a habit of pulling back on the rope and stopping the whole walker – of course the other horses being so laid back all just stand there), as did Bongo, and the first two seemed to have settled by then. The Boss and I finished mucking out and bedding down the four empty stables and then went to fetch them back in. The Boss brought Jingo off first and I fetched Big Mac; as I walked back through the area where we cross tie them and out onto the yard, I heard (and then saw) Jingo shoot forward into the bottom shed, with The Boss hanging on to the end of the lead rope. The noise, and the sight, of Jingo darting into the shed so quickly caused Big Mac to have some sort of mental breakdown and he too decided we were going to bomb off down the yard. The only obstacle was the lorry, which I was headed for as he was looking to dart around the back of it and leave me behind. I made the decision to hang on to his headcollar rather than let him go, because I didn’t know where The Boss was in the bottom shed (i.e. whether or not he’d still got hold of Jingo, whether Jingo was loose, or whether The Boss was stood in Big Mac’s potential firing line). So I had a bit of a fight with Mac (not advisable, he is both big AND strong) and managed to only be partially dragged down the yard and into the shed, where The Boss and Jingo were wrestling in Bongo’s stable (we’d left all four stable doors open). Jingo had moved that fast as he shot into the shed that there was a smell of burning – he’d scraped his shoes so quickly that they must have heated! The minute I let Mac go in his stable he reverted to bucking, squealing and jumping around like a fool. Of course Laddie (the yearling), whose stable is between Mac’s and Jingo’s, decided this was all too exciting for him and could he join in please, so there was him dancing around on his hind legs in the middle like a dancing bear. Chaos!

Thankfully Derek was much calmer than the first two idiots and only spooked at EVERYTHING on the yard, which he has seen hundreds of times before, and surprisingly Bongo was the most sensible of them all to lead in. The Boss then decided to tell me it was the increased oats ration he was feeding them, clearly having its desired effect. I didn’t think oats literally turned horses loopy, but I stand corrected!

After sorting out the rest of the mob, and making sure everyone was fed and watered, I headed off with strict instructions to be back at the yard Sunday morning around half 9, or ten, or half ten (The Boss is not one for specifics). I opted for the earliest time as there was a possibility of a cup of tea before the off then!

And they're off and pacing...

And so, after goodness knows how many weeks of banging on about it, the first meeting of the season has come and gone. On the morning of Sunday, 5th May, all roads for the harness racing fraternity led to Tregaron.

The day before I went to the yard to get the trailer ready, as The Boss decided there was no need to take the lorry for one horse. While I was there I sat on Big Mac for the first time. Let's say he was uncharacteristically lively! I managed a short walk down the lane with The Boss walking on foot, then back, and that was it for the day. I think next time I'll get on him after he's been jogged around the track a few times! We put him back in his stable and he bucked, squealed and jumped around for a good five minutes, which is VERY unlike him. But, now that we know he can do it, we'll be making sure he transfers this energy to the racetrack!

So on Sunday I headed to Tregaron with my significant other, whom we shall call Smarty, as not only is he a hardcore harness racing follower, he's also a bookmaker. I wasn't on-duty as a groom, but I did clerk for Smarty (basically pressing buttons on a computer, something I have tonnes of experience doing!). It's a job that helps time between races pass quickly, and then allows me to give the racing my full attention (although with a slightly warped view of what I want to win!).

Here's my round up of the inaugural meeting of 2013:

Race 1

GDS STING
RUNAWAY GIRL
HILLTOP NANSBOY
VYRNWY TERROR
TALAVARY PRINCE
SAMS TEATIME
PETERSTONE SENATOR

The first race was a maiden (for horses that have never won a race), and featured horses that had travelled from Scotland, County Durham as well as Wales. The favourite was an imported horse, Sams Teatime trained and driven by the recently-returned Steve Lees. Unfortunately the horse showed his greenness and ran wide at the first bend, which turned a bit messy for some of the other horses (GD's Sting broke stride and galloped, as did Peterstone Senator). Vyrnwy Terror ran consistently throughout the race, however it turned into a two horse finish between the favourite and the winner, Hilltop Nansboy, driven by last season's champion driver William 'Rocker' Laidler (1st Hilltop Nansboy 2nd Sams Teatime 3rd Vyrnwy Terror 2.16.2, 3/4L & 7L).

Race 2

EPYNT SOPHIE
IMMALCULATE
EVENWOOD ACHILLES
GOSIP GIRL
TALAVARY SPLURGE
THE GOVERNOR
LAKESIDE PAN

The second race was another maiden, with the favourite being Immalculate, an unraced 3yo by Immortalized. Gosip Girl broke at the first bend despite a quick start, and Lakeside Pan took the opportunity to take the lead. Immalculate and Epynt Sophie both tried to challenge the leader down the back straight on the second lap but Jamie Davies held on with Ronnie John's 4yo TheOne-Night Pan gelding to win impressively in the quickest of the three maiden divisions (1st Lakeside Pan 2nd Immalculate 3rd Epynt Sophie 2.15.6, 8L & 5L).

Race 3

ONTOP GIRLCHARMER
EVENWOOD LIPSTICK
HILLTOP SKIPPER
RED ROMANCE
RHYDS PREMIER
SAUNDERS PARIS
WELLFIELD ALFIE

The third and final maiden division was won by the favourite, Ontop Girlcharmer driven by Steve Lees. Together they challenged the race leader Wellfield Alfie who had made his move to the front at the bell (half way mark). Hilltop Skipper with the young Irish driver Michael O'Mahony made a late move coming off the last bend but he couldn't quite get past Stevie who held on to win (1st Ontop Girlcharmer 2nd Hilltop Skipper 3rd Wellfield Alfie 2.15.7, head & 1L).

Race 4

WHAT ABOUT ME
GD'S TWIST
WHOSURBABY
MEADOWLAND TOM
HAWTHORNS MAGGIE
(10 YARDS)
RHYDS PONDER
MEADOWBRANCH JOSH
VALHALLA

In the first heat of three the long time leader and favourite Whosurbaby slowed the pace in the second quarter, allowing second favourite Rhyds Ponder to challenge towards the end of the race, but the favourite held on to win comfortably. The first three horses qualified for the final (1st Whosurbaby 2nd Rhyds Ponder 3rd Meadowbranch Josh 2.15.6, 2 1/2L & 1/2L).

Race 5

ANOTHER MAN
RHYD N WRITE
HARRY CAPPER
TALAVARY ACTIVATOR
AYR HERO
(10 YARDS)
SOUTHSIDEAFFECTION
LYONS STALLONE

The second heat started explosively with Rhyd N Write and driver Lee Vaughan hurtling to the lead at the first bend; they held that lead until the bell and as the field passed in front of the crowd at the start of the second lap the horses were five wide across the track vying for the front spot. Ayr Hero took it up and looked to be clear, and with the favourite stuck at the back heading down the back straight for the final time the race looked to be concluded. However, the mare Southsideaffection found her fifth gear, and some space, and mowed Ayr Hero down coming down the home straight with an impressive blast of speed to finish ahead of her competitors and providing Rocker with his second win (1st Southsideaffection 2nd Ayr Hero 3rd Rhyd N Write 2.14.4, 1L & 4L).

Race 6

INFINATEY
AMERICAN GIGOLO
(10 YARDS)
LADYFORD LAD
FRISCO HAVAGO
RHYDS HEARTBEAT
PURPLE RAIN

The third and final heat saw a fight for the lead at the start of the race, as the drivers of the two gate horses tussled down the back straight for the front. Mark Jones, driving Infinatey, abandoned his early attempt to take the lead and tucked in behind the leader American Gigolo with Rhys Evans. The pace slackened off after the early burst of speed, which allowed the remainder of the field to catch up. Infinatey made another challenge in the same place on the second lap, this time speeding past American Gigolo, and although Steve Lees and last year's Senior Welsh Dragon winner Frisco Havago tried to chase after them they were unable to catch the Welsh duo who sped over the line in the eventual fastest time of the day (1st Infinatey 2nd Frisco Havago 3rd American Gigolo 2.11.2, 12L & 1L).

Race 7

MIAMI SEELSTER
CAMDEN KINKI
BERETTA BOUGEOIS
ONTOP WYE PREACH
BILLY BONG
WELLFIELD GHOST
INSTANT COFFEE
DAKTAR
BLACKFIELD BILLIE

Rocker Laidler partnered the favourite here, Beretta Bourgeois, in the novice race (for horses who have won one race), however it broke stride on the last bend in pursuit of the leader Wellfield Ghost, who had taken up the position at the half way stage. Instant Coffee had been the early leader however was unable to maintain her early speed and faded as the race progressed (1st Wellfield Ghost 2nd Ontop Wye Preach 3rd Instant Coffee 2.15.5, 1/2L & 6L).

Race 8

ONTOP FUGATIVE
BRYWINS JASPER
RHYDS SOLUTION
MEWITH FORSURE
CONWAYS QUEST
MERRINGTON MISSILE
SHELWICK HERO
RHYDS PANACHE

The favourite in the Grade 1 handicap was again Rocker with his homebred horse Merrington Missile. Ontop Fugative was left behind and looked outclassed on the day. Rhyds Panache, with local (to me) driver David Bevan took the lead at the halfway point and managed to just hold on from the favourite, although both horses were pushed to the line by their drivers. Rhyds Solution ran well, bearing in mind he is only 3, and finished strongly in third (1st Rhyds Panache 2nd Merrington Missile 3rd Rhyds Solution 2.15.6, neck & 2L).

Race 9

SHE TELLS ALL
LAKESIDE IDEAL
KIPLYN
YOUNG BUCK (N/R)
DAYLON DREAM
BILLY ELLIOT
AYR UNION
(10 YARDS)
RHYDS TRICKSTER

In this Grade 1 & 2 (Grade 2 horse starting off 10 yards) race yet again Rocker went off favourite with She Tells All. This time there were no flies in the ointment and he managed to notch up his hat-trick of wins on the day, after Rhyds Trickster was pulled up with a broken hopple and Ayr Union broke, although recovered. Lakeside Ideal also broke at the start which put an end to Ronnie John's hopes of a double with his homebred duo (1st She Tells All 2nd Billy Elliot 3rd Lakeside Ideal 2.16.4, 1L & 6L).

Race 10

BRYWINS JOLENE
RUDD HANOVER
GINGER MAN
(10 YARDS)
RHYDS PAN AM
PAGE BANK MAGGIE
WHISPUR
CAMDEN CASANOVA

Rudd Hanover in the hands of Jason Podmore was chased early to the front to overtake initial leader Brywins Jolene, although the burst of speed caused him to falter as the race went on. David Bevan made a big move at the bell to take it up with Camden Casanova and was never caught, storming home in a very impressive fashion with the rest of the field fighting it out for the placings (1st Camden Casanova 2nd Whispur 3rd Rhyds Pan Am 2.14.0, 11L & nose).
Race 11

HOWARDS CONTENDER
HOME HABANA
MATADOR HALL
RHYDS DESTINY

Although there were only four runners in the Open Preferred Handicap (for high grade horses, with the horse with the lowest earnings drawn 1, and the horse with the highest earnings drawn (in this case) on the outside in 4 - in racecard order, as above), this race proved to be as exciting as it possibly could be. Howards Contender failed to get up onto the gate quickly enough at the start of the race and actually went off 10 yards behind the other three, which in this company is not advisable! Home Habana was the winner of the Appleby Final last summer, Rhyds Destiny a winner of over £31,000 with a lifetime best of 1.56.9 and Matador Hall, winner of 15 races and consistently placed at the highest level. The Cilmery Final winner recovered and made a move at the quarter pole, taking the lead from early front runner Home Habana who made full use of the empty space on his inside at the start. The highlight of the race was the finish, however. All four horses crossed the finishing line together with a photo finish called, after Andrew Cairns struggled to get out from the back coming off the final turn with Rhyds Destiny and Howards Contender rallying to challenge Home Habana. Top level racing provided a top level finish, and these horses proved the old adage 'quality, not quantity'! (1st Home Habana 2nd Rhyds Destiny 3rd Howards Contender 2.16.7, neck & nose).

Race 12

AYR PANDEMIC
FRISCO MICK
OAKVIEW GEORGE
BABY ROSA
CLOUD BURST

The feature race of the day, and the only race not to be run as penalty free (where the prize money isn't added to the horse's lifetime earnings, thus not affecting its handicap mark), was the Senior Welsh Dragon, for 4yo colts/geldings and fillies that have usually raced at 2 and 3 in the Welsh Dragon series (or at least have to have been paid in since foals). The colts and fillies race together at this age and Baby Rosa was the strongest candidate of the two fillies (the other being Ayr Pandemic who never figured in the race) to try and overthrow the power of the colts. She raced out of the gate in the hands of Tregaron-based Rhys Evans to take an early lead, and the rest was history. Mick Lord with her strongest challenger Oakview George found himself boxed in by Andrew Cairns and Cloud Burst coming off the last bend, and by the time he found his escape route the damage had been done. He chased Baby Rosa to the line but never managed to pass her, and Rhys Evans celebrated two wins in a row, this time with the family-owned filly (1st Baby Rosa 2nd Oakview George 3rd Cloud Burst 2.15.8, 1/2L & 1 1/2L)

Race 13

RHYD N WRITE
AYR HERO
WHOSURBABY
(10 YARDS)
SOUTHSIDEAFFECTION
MEADOWBRANCH JOSH
RHYDS PONDER
(20 YARDS)
INFINATEY
AMERICAN GIGOLO
(30 YARDS)
FRISCO HAVAGO

And to the last race of the day, the Tregaron Spring Handicap Final. Infinatey went off a short favourite due to his scorching time in the heats. Rhyd N Write again led out of the gate, as he did in his heat, and maintained his position until Whosurbaby took up the mantle at the quarter. Meadowbranch Josh came to challenge at the halfway mark, and Ayr Hero found himself boxed in. Infinatey, biding his time, decided to make progress at the third quarter, and came off the bend chased by late finisher Southsideaffection and Whosurbaby who stayed on well. However on this occasion it wasn't enough to stop the homebred 5yo holding on, to add yet another trophy to the cabinet following his impressive victory last year in the S4C sponsored Welsh Cup (1st Infinatey 2nd Southsideaffection 3rd Whosurbaby 2.13.5, 1 1/2L & 2L).

So there we have it. Phew, that was a long post! Don't expect every week to be the same, I was particularly hyped up about the start of the season and perhaps paying more attention than usual as my friends Emma and Rachel were otherwise engaged (Emma had two drives and Rachel was in the beer tent!).

Roll on Leominster!

Over and out,

Sarah (#1 Groom, or clerk in this case!)