Riding the heatwave

Once again, my apologies for the sporadic posting; we are currently in the grip of a heatwave and with one thing and another I haven’t found the time (or patience) to sit down at my laptop and write anything. I didn’t want you thinking that I’d been swept off the pier in Aberystwyth last weekend, never to return and grace the grass tracks of Wales and the borders, so here I am to update you on the past week and a bit.


The two day meeting at Aberystwyth was a roaring success – naturally I let my hair down and enjoyed the two nights stay that I had there with Smarty, his Scottish compatriots and my Irish friends. The weather was fantastic and I was glad I’d packed the shorts for both days! Mrs B stayed at home on the Saturday as she was able to watch some of the races live on Rasus (the Welsh-speaking harness racing programme on S4C), and the only horse that The Boss took was Jingo. Julie drove him in one of the later races on the day, and unfortunately despite being drawn on the gate he lost his footing as the gate pulled away and broke stride. He wasn’t able to regain his position and the race was over for him before it had really started. These things happen, and he wasn’t the only horse to gallop over the two days.


The highlight for me on the Saturday was seeing my friend Emma driving her stable favourite, What About Me (aka Jiggy) for his 100th career run under British Harness rules. To commemorate the day I arranged for a photo and article summarising his career to be printed in the racecard – Emma had no idea about this and I stayed away from the paddock in case she threw something at me! I had a quiet word with Darren Owen and Gareth Topham at the start of the day and asked that they mention it if they remembered. When the horses paraded in front of the crowd before the race, Darren announced to everyone that it was Jiggy’s 100th race, and urged the crowd to get behind him and Emma – I think his words (live on Rasus) were ‘Let’s get jiggy with Jiggy’! I had managed to get close to the rail and as she paraded past me she had a face like thunder! He ran well but was unable to challenge the front runners and finished a respectable fifth. Emma came over to meet me for a drink afterwards and admitted that when she heard Darren Owen’s commentary she nearly burst out laughing, but wanted to look professional in case the cameras were on her! I’m glad that she appreciated the thought, and a few spectators took the time to congratulate her, and in one case even ask if Jiggy was for sale!


The other notable fact that I think some people may appreciate is that the first three horses home in the final on the Saturday were all grey – Blue Incredible in the hands of Jason Podmore crossed the line in front, with Wellfield Ghost second and Shades Of Grey third. Rather than bombard you with results, I’ll point you in the direction of the BHRC website and also Kayleigh Evans’ succinct report on the Ceredrotian website to peruse at your leisure. (http://ceredrotian.com/en/news/story/ceredigion-trotting-club2/); (http://www.bhrc.org.uk/pastresults.php - Ceredigion meetings).


Monday


The following Monday saw me back at the yard; hot, tired and struggling for motivation. The Boss decided that Melinda wouldn’t be going to the track just yet, so it would just be the three from ours (Bongo, Jingo and Big Mac) and Hamish heading to Amman Valley on the Saturday. Allensmore was the day after however we are constantly told to make hay while the sun shines and this is exactly what The Boss planned on doing.


Thursday


When I rocked up again on the Thursday I was met by the clothes-less child Eryn, who was excited about the tent I’d picked up for The Boss and Mrs B. After a cup of tea and cake (it’s still not too hot for that) The Boss, Mrs B, Julie and I attempted to put the four-man tent up. It’s harder than it sounds, especially when you have a child with no clothes on (except a sun hat which I managed to throw on her as she splashed in the paddling pool) dragging a poor dog, in this instance Ted ('come on Teddy, come on Teddy'), in and out of the half-erected tent. We managed to get it set up, and then Eryn didn’t want to leave her ‘house’, so I abandoned ship and went to see to the horses.


Due to the hot weather and the shearing/hay making that The Boss has been busying himself with, the ‘racehorses’ had been jogged early Thursday morning, and Melinda and Pinky had been left until it cooled later on. I harnessed Mellie up before sending her and The Boss up the track; they had only made it across the yard before I was called to walk to the top of the hill to open the gate to the track. Trust me when I say this – it’s a steep hill. The Boss told me not to run, but for some bizarre reason I felt compelled to and I made it all the way to the top without stopping. I don’t know who was more surprised by this: The Boss or me! After he’d disappeared over the brow to the track itself I staggered back to the stables to muck out. I may be fitter than we both thought, but I’m not THAT fit! I think I was still blowing when they came back fifteen minutes later!


Pinky went out next after I’d given Mellie a cold shower, and I called it a day. The agreed plan before I left was that I’d meet The Boss at the track on the Saturday, as I was due to travel down to stay with Emma and her parents so I could see my ex-racehorse Star and take her for a ride. Bongo was entered for his first ever qualifier, and it would be the first time he’d ever been to a racetrack. Considering the difficulty The Boss had had trying to break him in, you wouldn’t blame us for being a bit apprehensive about how he’d react away from home, however both of us were quietly confident that he’d behave himself impeccably. The Boss has described him as ‘the perfect gentleman’ in recent weeks, and I’ve noticed that he’s much happier in his stable and much friendlier towards me. The Boss also said he’s faster than his brother (Hamish) who won at Amman Valley last time out in 2.04.3, so the pressure was on for his qualifier! Jingo and Big Mac were also entered, and Hamish was travelling there separately again.


Saturday


Spending a day with the Langfords makes me want to work with horses all day every day. Hanging around their yard is a lesson in doing as you’re told (if Dai’s about, he likes being the gaffer), getting stuck in (Emma hands you buckets of feed, brushes, tack) and having a laugh as you work (Helen is wasted where she is, she should have been a comedian). Emma also has an apprentice in the form of 11-year-old Katie who stables her ponies at the yard and who invested in her own Standardbred (Brywins Bonnie Lass, a mare who was broken but unraced).

After our brief ride in the morning, due to the already unbearable heat, we packed the lorry up, prepped the horses and set off for the races at half past two (first race was 4.30pm). It was a case of girls on tour, as Dai was meeting us there after work, but we couldn’t be less rock’n’roll as the only drinks we had on board were seven bottles of water! 


The Boss arrived at the track not long after we’d got there, so I said my farewells to my surrogate family and set about getting the horses ready. The heat was beyond belief, and both Jingo and Mac had sweated up on the journey over. I washed Jingo to cool him down and we harnessed up Bongo so that he could go out on the track for his first look. He coped very well with the noise and hustle and bustle of Ammanford track, a notoriously noisy location, and stood quietly to be tacked up. The Boss took him out on the track for a spin and I had my first look at him pacing.


It was amazing, breath-taking even. The way that he moves, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen from our horses before. I’ve tried racking my brains to see if I could think of any other horses that move like that but so far I haven’t come up with any. I used to be awe-struck by little Eternal Lobell, whose legs would motor when she was hitting fifth gear; they were moving so fast it was almost a blur. Bongo on the other hand is the total opposite – it’s like he’s pacing in slow motion. His ground clearance must be phenomenal because quite frankly his feet aren’t on the ground very often! He simply floats across the surface; it’s so smooth and graceful. And he makes the job look so easy. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not foot perfect, but this was the first time on the racetrack and he hasn’t had a chance to really extend himself like that before. I’m confident that with a few more runs he’ll gain the confidence and become 100% balanced. 


He came back, was washed down and stood patiently before he headed back out in the second qualifier. The first qualifier had gone 2.14, and the minute I’d unclipped him on the track (I had to walk him the whole way just in case something upset him) I rushed back to get Mac ready for the first race and Jingo half-ready for the second. The Boss somehow managed to snaffle the one hole (there was no draw on the gate, position depended on who managed to get to the gate first) and I stopped harnessing up just to watch. The second time of watching him only confirmed what I’d seen the first time, and I wondered whether the people around me could see the same thing. He floated around the track, at one point was half-challenged by the horse in second but seemed to cover more ground and re-establish the gap without actually moving his legs any faster. He came home 8 or 10 lengths clear of the rest; if it had been a betting race it would have been called an annihilation, a lesson in the art of pacing, and he never looked like he was really trying. When the commentator called the time as 2.09 dead, I think I went into shock. It didn’t look like 2.09, because he didn’t look like he’d tried that hard. To think that Jingo, who a fortnight before had won in 2.02.3 at the same track, had only gone 2.10 on his first outing this season there put it into context. Bongo is younger, needs to fill out more, and needs experience and more speed work like that to bring him on. The Boss may be right – he may well be faster than his brother Hamish.

Buckland Foxtrot (Bongo)

Mac headed out for the first race looking a little bit too laid back. I’d had to shake him a little to wake him up in the back of the lorry, because he’d taken relaxing to a whole new level and actually gone to sleep. He was drawn two off 10 yards, was stuck two wide for 80% of the race, and the remainder he was three wide! The Boss decided that coming wide around the outside was the new tactic, and although he didn’t win the race he came a respectable third with the distances not much between them. I took two positive things from the race – 1. He’d knocked a second off his race time from a fortnight earlier, AND with a ten yard penalty, and 2. when The Boss decided to move up the pack at the bell, the horse absolutely motored. He’s such a big lump of a horse, you’d be forgiven for thinking he was a bit one-paced but after what I saw on Saturday I’m convinced otherwise.


Jingo went out in the second race drawn three on the gate; he took up the running from the start, settled well and was pipped not far from the line by two in-form horses. The race went two minutes flat and again the distances weren’t great, so Jingo had managed to knock a good second off his time too. There were a few comments as The Boss came back to the lorry that he’d have to give the drive back to his daughter, but we were pleased with the run nonetheless!


Hamish, who had been messing about so badly at the box that we’d had to shut him back inside, was the last to run in the sixth race. He never looked comfortable and failed to fire in his race, coming home outside the first four. He’d tied up at home during the week and wasn’t happy at the box after the race but there was nothing wrong enough with him to cause us great concern. He was due a visit from the dentist the start of the following week so perhaps that will make a difference.


By this time I had almost melted, and with the dust and dirt from the track and the horses I looked an absolute mess. To try and cool down I emptied a bottle of water over myself – it’s a good job the cameras from Rasus that were filming the doomed coloured race and the below par Welsh Cup didn’t spot me because it was not a good look, especially with my curly hair that had earlier prompted Helen Langford to ask if I’d had a perm. Nobody would pay to look like this!


Sunday


Just a brief update from Sunday’s racing at Allensmore as we didn’t take any horses and I’m aware that this post is dragging on. I hadn’t planned on going as there tends to be around a thousand races, usually with four horses in, and not of particularly good quality (sorry to the committee, but it’s a widely held opinion), however a horse that my family bred was running in the low grade trot. I found this rather amusing, as he is pacing-bred.


I went to see him at the box, had a chat with his owner and then before the race broke one of my personal harness racing rules and had a small bet (I don’t think trots can be bet on, the horses are too unpredictable and prone to random galloping!). The horse was finishing well having broke early in the race however he galloped wildly coming up the home straight and finished fourth of four. It was bizarre to watch him with his high-stepping square-trotting action, but nice all the same.

Our pacing-bred trotter

Tsunami Sunshine

So now we're looking forward to the Crock of Gold meeting at Tir Prince - a race for the top handicapped horses from the UK and Ireland, followed by a thirteen-race bonanza at Allensmore. Bongo, Mac and Sammy will be running at Allensmore; Jingo is having the week off as is Hamish.

The results for both of the above meetings can be found on the BHRC website (www.bhrc.org.uk)

Over and out,

Sarah (#1 exceptionally hot groom)

All roads lead to Aber!

Apologies if I’m bombarding you with updates, but I am simply too excited not to write something! Tomorrow at 1pm the two day meeting at Aberystwyth (officially Ceredigion) kicks off with the first race of 31 spread over both days.

To say I’m looking forward to it would be a massive understatement. Last year the meeting fell foul of the bad weather and the committee were forced to move to the hard track at Amman Valley. Unfortunately many owners and trainers didn’t support the venue change and the committee had no choice but to cancel. A smaller meeting run by Amman Valley Trotting Club was then arranged at short notice, and was surprisingly well supported (a bit of a kick in the teeth to the organisers of Ceredigion, who work their socks off to put on good quality and competitive racing).

This year (and I tentatively say this as I don’t want to jinx it), the weather has held up and so far we haven’t lost a meeting due to rain. What’s even better is we are on the brink of what the weather forecasters are calling a ‘heatwave’. I know from experience that if it’s warm at home, it’s even warmer in Aber! The track is located right by the sea (you have to walk past the paddock and over the brow to see the sea) and in the shadow of Constitution Hill, or as my father calls it, ‘Constipation Hill’. As The Boss is only taking one horse – Jingo – I’m not needed around the box, which ties in well with my plans as now I’m going to be clerking for Smarty again. Thankfully he’s already told me I’m entitled to roughly an hour’s break mid-afternoon to go and drink with my friends – what he doesn’t realise is he’s given me permission to therefore be drunk in charge of a computer afterwards!

I’ve been looking forward to this meeting so much that I booked our hotel room roughly six weeks ago, for tonight and tomorrow night. I’m meeting Smarty and his friend Patrick who flew over from Ireland yesterday to see his Thoroughbred race at Perth, and heading over to Aberystwyth after I finish work. Even though the racing doesn’t start until tomorrow, and theoretically Smarty could have travelled the six hours down tomorrow morning, he and his Scottish friends have all decided to travel down today instead and because of the lost meeting last year there’s a real party atmosphere building because people haven’t seen each other for a while. I have Irish friends who are heading over today on the ferry and I can’t wait to see them tonight!

Three years ago tomorrow I went out in Aberystwyth after the races for the first time. I’d been for a meal with The Boss and Mrs B, Cecil & Mary (Mac’s owners) and Mervyn & Isobel (Sammy, Hamish & Bongo’s owners). That year the meeting was spread over three days; we had taken a horse called Loden Scoot on the Friday and travelled back that night. On the Saturday we took Sammy and a horse called Hoparound, but as Hoppy wasn’t racing until the Sunday we dropped him off at the Equine College in Aber (where we were staying) before taking Sammy racing. I left the meal with an old (he won’t like me calling him that) drinking friend, Ashwyn, and we headed off to the Pier. We’d literally walked out of the doors of the Marine when we bumped into an Irish girl and her father – Deirdre and Michael Goggin. We’d never seen each other before, let alone spoken to one another, but Deirdre asked where we were headed and then asked if they could join us. I have been good friends with her and her father ever since :)

That is the beauty of harness racing: it brings people together from all over the UK and Ireland. It doesn’t seem to matter that there may be hundreds of miles between us, and we don’t see each other at all between October and May, when there’s a big meeting on people will travel from their corner of the country to enjoy the racing and enjoy the partying afterwards.

This weekend has races catering for everyone – a trot, 2yo and 3yo races, maidens, novices, handicap heats and finals on both days. William Hill have taken an interest and are currently showing the ante-post prices for the finals on their website (Smarty may have helped somewhat with this *proud*), and Rasus, the Welsh-speaking harness racing programme on S4C are showing live races between 5pm and 7:15pm, as well as pre-recorded races from Aber and some races that were filmed at Cimery (I think). What’s more, this year they’ve added English commentary on the red button, courtesy of Grand National commentator Darren Owen (he called in Neptune Collonges for me last year!), which will cater for the Irish, Scottish, English and non-Welsh speaking Welsh folk that enjoy watching the programme. If only we could get an English language equivalent of the programme I genuinely believe we could tap into the wider public. After all, harness racing offers all the thrills and excitement of Thoroughbred racing, but at a fraction of the cost.

One last thing before I sign off; tomorrow will mark a tremendous milestone for one horse, who is a true ambassador for the sport and a perfect example of the durability and strength of Standardbreds. What About Me (Jiggy), trained by the Langford stables in South Wales and driven by Emma Langford, will race tomorrow for the 100^th time in his career. To celebrate this, I have submitted a small piece including a photo to be incorporated into the racecards over the weekend. Smarty and I also plan to ask the commentators to congratulate the horse and driver over the system tomorrow, as a gesture towards both Emma and Jiggy.

Anyway, this piece hasn’t served its original purpose of reducing my excitement at all, so I’ll leave it at that and go back to staring out the window at the blue sky and wishing it to be 4pm already.

For a really good write up from Kayleigh Evans, take a look at www.ceredrotian.com/en/news/story/all-roads-lead-to-aberystwyth

Over and out,

Sarah (very excited #1 Groom)

You won't believe this!

I think I may be out of a job! Panic not dear readers, I haven't been sacked on capability grounds just yet, however in my absence over the weekend The Boss had one of his most successful days racing and certainly what could be the best day of our 2013 season!

To set the scene, on Saturday morning I travelled up to York Harness Raceway to clerk for Smarty; we had a good day and the racing was brilliant. Rather than give you a blow by blow account of the meeting, I'll just direct you to the full results (otherwise this post will end up being a bit results-happy!). Results from the meeting can be found at http://www.bhrc.org.uk/raceresults.php?Track=York&TrackID=YK&RaceDate=2013-06-29

Anyway, as Smarty and me were already up in Yorkshire we'd decided to stop over in Green Hammerton and travel to a trot in Cullingworth the following day. On Sunday morning before we left the area, we called in to see Mick Welling's horses. Mick is the owner of York Harness Raceway and in the last couple of years has spent a lot of money improving the site and its facilities, as well as importing some very well bred American mares and stallions. We took a good look at his mares who were running with one of his stallions, Pro Bono Best, and whilst there the man himself turned up and insisted on giving us a guided tour of the horses. After deep discussios with Smarty about the mares' pedigrees and offspring left back in the US, he took us to see his yearling colts that are being prepared for the sale that he holds at the track in October.

Last October, on sale day, my friend Emma and me went to see Mick's mares and foals at the end of the day. Whilst there I came across a lovely colt who, unlike the other foals, didn't seem remotely scared of us. When every other foal darted to its mother's side to hide from the 'monsters' that were Emma and myself, this fellow wandered boldly over to me and stood to let me handle him. By the time we left, Emma was picking all four of his feet up while I stroked him. We wandered around the field and he stuck to me like glue, following me around patiently so that he could be stroked whenever we stood still. I fell in love that day, as not only was he blessed with a wonderful temperament, but he was the most eye-catching foal in the field. I named him Frankel, and here we are on that day:

As I work for STAGBI, I knew when the mark ups came in with the registrations that I would find out how he was bred, and what Mick had called him. I had notions that if I saved my pennies (that are supposed to be for a house deposit), that maybe I could buy him as a yearling at the sale and train him with Smarty. That idea dissipated rather quickly when I found out that he was by Cambest out of the Artsplace mare Lola, and had come into the UK inside his mother's belly from the USA. A full Yank! There is no way I can ever afford him, but the one upside is that I clearly have an eye for a good horse! His official name is Alexander Camden, but to me he is still Frankel. On Sunday I had the pleasure to see him again, and he is just as charming now as he was then, despite living with seven other colts, all of whom appear to have caught up with him in size.

Unfortunately Smarty wasn't allowed to stand as a bookie at Cullingworth (the powers that be don't believe in giving the next generation a chance), so we enjoyed the day by watching the racing together and having our own tipster competition. I had been texting the York results the day before to Heulwen Bulman in order for the Ceredigion (Aberystwyth) card to be completed with new prize money ready for next weekend, and was doing the same at Cullingworth, as well as getting results from Anthony Fettah from Ammanford to forward on as well. When the first text came through from Ammanford I went into minor shock: McKelvie had won. Big Mac had won a race. My Macca, the great big giant lump of horse who seems to get himself cast every other day and always looks a bit hard done by (he really isn't), had won his maiden race at Ammanford, just a week after throwing away a race at Allensmore. I did a little victory dance at Cullingworth, safe in the knowledge that few people knew me, but also a little disappointed that I'd missed seeing it in person.


McKelvie winning his qualifier (a test run to see whether he galloped)



McKelvie winning the first race by a short head, having travelled two wide the whole race

Half an hour later the results from race two came through. Hamish, or Bucklands Foxy Boy, had won race two. A double for The Boss! Cue victory dance number two! Little Hamish, the poor fella who'd been scratched the week before following a bout of colic, had won his maiden! 'That's it', I thought, I can never go racing again. I'm a bad luck charm.

Bucklands Foxy Boy winning the second race - a double for The Boss!

No sooner had I decided that my racing days were over when the results of race three came through. This is when I had to find a chair to sit down on, because I couldn't cope; Jingo had won the third race, his novice race, in the hands of Julie. So impressed was Anthony with him that he'd send the fractions (quarter, half, three quarter and mile times). Jingo had completed the half in 59 seconds, and had pulled up in 2.02.3, eight lengths clear of the second placed horse. The first three races had been dominated by our yard! It was only Sammy left to run for us then, but unfortunately he couldn't make it the dream day and he was unplaced.

Woodstone Jingo winning race three with Julie

I rang Mrs B once we were on the road back to mid Wales again, just because I was so pleased and excited. Days like Sunday make up for days like last weekend; when things are going wrong you begin to lose heart, especially when you know the horses are capable of better things. There's been years in the past where we've known that some of the horses in the stables aren't going to cut the mustard, but this year I can honestly say that I've looked at every one of them and thought 'yes, you can win a race at least', and that includes the two we haven't had out in qualifiers yet. It's nice to have that belief rewarded, particularly I must admit with Big Mac who isn't your typical sort of racehorse.



Big Mac and Jingo, winners together



I went over to the yard yesterday following an appointment with my osteopath. Due to her being a ninja who likes to hurt me, I wasn't able to do any mucking out in case I upset the work she'd done on my back and neck but I was desperate just to see the boys. Hamish had gone home with Mervyn but Jingo and Mac were stood down in the foaling pens making faces at each other. I suspect Jingo was taunting Mac by telling him he'd run faster the day before! The Boss assured me that despite not being placed, Sammy had run much better and with the same gusto as last season. He was drawn three off ten yards so The Boss had pulled him to the back and then let him go to finish, just to make sure he was capable of doing it. This is encouraging to hear and hopefully the old boy is back on form!



The only other news to report from the yard is Laddie and his injuries. The Boss continues to treat the damage on his lower leg (which I have now seen) and the smaller flesh wounds at the tops of his legs. Laddie stands like an angel to be treated, and then immediately reverts to being the world's biggest horse (in his head) the minute The Boss leads him back to his stable. He seems pretty upbeat and happy within himself, all things considered. It's going to be a long road, but when horses like Foolaround and Infinatey suffered similar (and probably worse) leg injuries as youngsters, we know there is hope for the little guy yet. And now that I've seen his sire (Pro Bono Best), I completely understand where his diminuitive stature originates from!

In my final news, it was another victory for a previous member of the team. The Fuffer Man won a nursery race again on Saturday, when Wales & Border Counties visited Ammanford hard track. He really is getting to grips with this racing malarkey. One more picture followed by the full results from Sunday's meeting:

The Fuffer Man, aka Derek, driven by owner Mark Evans

Full results from Ammanford (30th June):

Race 1

1st McKelvie
2nd Brywins Velvet
3rd Ontop Dragon Blood
2.05.5 sh head & 2 1/2L

Race 2

1st Bucklands Foxy Boy
2nd Peterstone Senator
3rd Ithon Kiwi
2.04.4 1 & 3/4L

Race 3

1st Woodstone Jingo
2nd Wellfield Elvira
3rd Giggs
2.02.3 8 & 2 1/2L

Race 4

1st Ystwyth DT
2nd Wellfield Alfie
3rd Ynyston Seelster
2.03.7 10L & 1/2L

Race 5

1st Rusharound
2nd McCoy
3rd Vyrnwy Terror
2.01.7 3 & 1 1/2L

Race 6

1st Blue Incredible
2nd Rhyds Panache
3rd Wellfield Ghost
2.00.8 1 & 1/2L

Race 7

1st Any Dream Will Do
2nd Luck Matters
3rd Rudd Hanover
2.01.8 neck & 1/2L

Race 8

1st Talavary Activator
2nd Hilltop West Art
3rd Lyons Stallone
1.59.8 1/2 & 4L

Over and out

From a slightly in pain but VERY chuffed Sarah (#1 Groom)

Horses are not machines...

We have been reminded of this quite harshly this week. I hear quite often people berating those involved in any form of animal racing for the lack of compassion shown to the animals that race, whether they be dogs, horses, pigeons or anything else. We use our animals, we abuse them, for our own selfish gains. I believe that those who judge us have actually had no direct involvement with racing. If they had, they would know first hand the love and devotion we give to the animals; the hours of hard work and dedication required to even getting them to the level of fitness required to compete, and the heartache when something goes wrong.


Unfortunately this week things haven’t been so good. A couple of days before Cilmery I arrived at the yard to find Wesley’s vehicle parked up and nobody at home. I let myself in the house, got changed and started about my work. It was only as I was mucking out Sammy that Mrs B came home from work and explained The Boss’ absence. The week before, as you may remember me mentioning, Laddie went down to Gloucestershire to live with a couple of Wesley’s horses. Everyone thought he had settled fine, but unfortunately over the weekend an altercation appears to have happened between him and another horse, and he managed to get himself caught up in a fence and barbed wire. He was taken to the vet and patched back up, and on Monday The Boss went to collect him.


I must admit, he made a pretty sorry sight when he came off the box. Laddie is such a spirited little chap normally, but he was obviously feeling very sorry for himself when he came home because he walked quietly into his stable and stood with his head over the door to be stroked by myself, The Boss and Mrs B who came out to see him. The main wounds looked quite nasty, although it was what was under the bandage on his near foreleg that was most concerning. The Boss is on strict instructions to change the dressing daily and keep an eye on it, and to be honest I can’t think of many other people I’d happily leave a poorly horse with.


Laddie is in good hands now for his recovery period, and you’ll be pleased to know that when I visited the yard a week after his return he was back to his usual self. He’s clearly still sore but the superficial wounds appear to be healing well and his attitude has returned. He’s back to thinking he’s the world’s biggest horse and nothing is more important to him than feeding time!


Unfortunately things with Mac didn’t go too well at Allensmore either. Allensmore is one of my favourite places to race; I love the layout between the lorries and the track – you can watch the racing while you work, and if you have time to wander across to the track it’s a 30 second walk. The quality of the races held isn’t what it used to be (economic crisis has impacted racing perhaps?) but nonetheless, it is still one of my favourite tracks to visit. Anyway, I digress; Mac let himself and us down at Cilmery but The Boss had had new back shoes delivered and had put them on a couple of days before. He warmed up without a glitch and went out for the last race of the day drawn 2 (of 2) on the gate in the ‘Mature Mile’ (or the over-50’s race). The horse drawn 1 failed to get up to the gate by the start and Mac flew out and was on target to be tucked in on the rail in front by the first bend when BAM! Legs went everywhere and he was galloping with the same ferocity as he had at Cilmery. For one awful moment I had visions of him hitting the deck but somehow The Boss managed to get him settled somewhat sooner than at Cilmery and by the second bend he was still on the rail but tucked in third place and pacing again. He travelled down the back straight smoothly and then disaster struck again on the top bend – he was back galloping again and this time The Boss struggled to get him to settle and he was tailed off at the back of the pack when he finally came back to the required gait. It later transpired that another driver had completely cut poor Mac up on the far corner and he was lucky to come back without a scratch on him.


I headed back to the lorry before the race was over because I was bitterly disappointed. I’ve had a quiet belief in Big Mac from the beginning, or rather a hope that he’s better than everybody thinks. I like an underdog after all. Something is wrong though, I’m convinced of that. When I visited the yard the following evening to muck out I suggested to The Boss that maybe something is hurting him. He has a habit of getting himself cast in his stable and following a discussion I had with my osteopath about the problems of having a long back (I’m a touch on the tall side), I thought perhaps the same principles applied to a horse with a long back. The Boss said he’d look into that, because Mac isn’t knocking himself anywhere and there doesn’t appear to be any problems with his legs. Getting to the root of the problem, if it’s pain-related, is paramount, and we both believe it is pain-related because Mac has been pacing comfortably for weeks and at race-speed (in qualifiers at Leominster and racing at Walton).


Jingo and Sammy also let us down a bit on Sunday. Sammy was drawn 1 off 10 yards and shot up the inside to start, landing comfortably in third on the inside rail. He made his move down the back straight on the first lap and took up the lead for three furlongs. When challenged down the back straight on the second lap he looked to be lacking his normal fire and he finished in the latter half of the field. Jingo was also running off 10 yards and he was caught up behind a galloping maiden on the first two bends which hampered him. He never seemed to recover and again he came home in the latter half of the field, not as impressively as he had finished at Walton after making a mistake. Hamish didn't come to Allensmore with Mervyn as he had suffered a bout of colic the day after Cilmery, so all in all not a good week.


Sammy had bloods taken by the vet on Monday because The Boss said he doesn’t feel like he has in the past, however the results came back yesterday and everything seems to be ok. Perhaps it’s just taking time to get him to full racing fitness, or perhaps (more worryingly) age and the number of races he has run have caught up with him. At the moment we don’t know, but I do know that Sammy’s wellbeing is the main concern of us all at the yard, and of his owners Mervyn and Isobel and their family. 


On a slightly more positive note, Meg (the PC member who helped me at Cilmery) came with us to Allensmore on Sunday. She really threw herself into helping, by walking the horses, helping harness up, washing down and loading and unloading the horses on and off the lorry. It was a long day with 16 races but I think she enjoyed herself. Her help was much appreciated when I couldn’t decide which photo to buy of my family’s 2yo filly Fresh Ayr (Daisy) who ran in the first qualifier of the day, and I think she’s taken quite a shine to Daisy’s trainer! Also, word from over the 'other side', Wales & Border Counties, said The Fuffer Man (aka Derek, Deckers, Derek The Dog) won his nursery race last weekend (similar to a qualifier). He has at last been able to show the ability on the track that he showed at home when he was being broken! Here he is doing his thing in style:

I won’t be going to Ammanford races this coming weekend with the team, nor will I be helping at Aberystwyth the following week as I’m away with Smarty (York and Cullingworth) and then helping him at Aber. I will of course keep you up to date with the efforts of the horses, and will continue to post full results with each blog.


Full results from Allensmore:

Race 1 - Santana Lad Memorial

1st Tuco
2nd Summers Dream
3rd Kruger
2.12.9 neck & 2L

Race 2 - Maiden

1st Ynyston Seelster
2nd Epynt Flying Pan
3rd Talavary Zac
2.14.4 1L & neck

Race 3 - Grade 2

1st Vally Jasper
2nd Luck Matters
3rd Jango Fett
2.09.9 1/2L & 1/2L

Race 4 - Grade 1

1st Limelights Frankie
2nd Lakeside Dragon
3rd Mill Road
2.11.5 head & 1/2L

Race 5 - Grade 3

1st Colonel Mustard
2nd Any Dream Will Do
3rd Vyrnwy Shark
2.09.6 2 & 1/2L

Race 6 - Grade 4

1st Duggans Pride
2nd Saorlas Glory
3rd What About Me
2.09.2 2 1/2 & 3L

Race 7 - Novice & Grade 1

1st Caenwood Dafydd
2nd The Govenor
3rd Frisco Mick
2.18.1 2 & 3L

Race 8 - Grade 1

1st Rhyds Panache
2nd Ayr Union
3rd Forest Gump
2.11.7 1 & 1L

Race 9 - Grads 5 to 7

1st Meadowbranch Josh
2nd Joleen
3rd Blue Bop A Loola
2.07 5 & 2L

Race 10 - Members Pace

1st Kruger
2nd Hilltop Control
3rd Evenwood Lipstick
2.16.2 1 & 3/4L

Race 11 - Members Pace

1st Johnny Thompson
2nd Hilltop West Art
3rd Jaja Binks
2.10 1/2 & 5L

Race 12 - Maiden

1st Wellfield Chloe
2nd Duggans Law
3rd Brywins Jewel
2.14.5 1/2L & distance

Race 13 - C Class Drivers

1st Sunnyside Iris
2nd Duggans Panache
3rd Symlog Dart
Time & Distance not recorded

Race 14 - C Class Drivers

1st Merrington Missile
2nd Another Toto
3rd Tantalizing
2.11.7 5 & 6L

Race 15 - Maiden & Novice

1st Runaway Girl
2nd Wellfield Alfie
3rd Rhyds Jigsaw
2.13.6 neck & 6L

Race 16 - Mature Mile

1st Tuco
2nd Talavary Activator
3rd Young Will
2.13.4 1/2 & 5L

Here's a link to the write up from Ceredrotian's press officer, Kayleigh Evans, who describes the highlights of a very looooong day at Allensmore:

http://ceredrotian.com/en/news/story/allensmore-23-june/

Over and out,

Sarah (#1 Groom)

Cilmery Races 2013

Finishing races is important, but racing is more important. Dale Earnhardt 

The person that said winning isn't everything, never won anything. Mia Hamm 


It’s over for another year! The third running of our local race meeting couldn’t have been blessed with better weather, and as I looked out across the track from our temporary stables at all the cars lined across the bank and the huge crowd stood in the sun between the bar and bookies, I couldn’t help but feel that we were finally seeing the fruits of our labours. For this is the meeting that The Boss, Mrs B and myself help to organise (for our sins). I’ve made reference to it throughout my posts for some time, always holding off explaining our involvement fully in case the weather decided to interfere and we were forced to abandon (a constant threat for all grass track race committees). Thankfully, mercifully, last night probably couldn’t have gone much better (naturally there were a few kinks that will hopefully be ironed out for next year, but we really are trying our best). Now, the day after, I can look back at it and say that I did actually enjoy myself on the night!



Background: The Boss was getting fed up of having to travel an hour/an hour and a half every week just to race (excluding Boughrood which is roughly half an hour away), and had identified a field on his son-in-law’s farm that he felt would be suitable to run a meeting on. Somehow he managed to convince Kevin that this was a good idea, and the committee was formed. The first meeting was run in June 2011, and I helped as much as possible on the day. As far as turnout was concerned, we had a bumper crowd and the racing was a great spectacle, however several issues were identified and certain things were changed for the following year.


I was invited to join the committee in December 2011, and one of the first things we did as a committee was agree to run heats and a final at the second meeting in 2012. Last summer we were very lucky to get a dry evening for the racing, however due to the terrible weather in the days leading up to the meeting we lost out on some local spectators as there was shearing that needed to be done! The track also suffered slightly and we just managed to get the racing finished before the heavens opened again. As I said, we were very lucky as the grass meetings both the weekend before and after were both cancelled due to the inclement weather. Last year we ran handicap heats and an open preferred handicap final, which the BHRC were not in agreement with (although they advertised it on their website for three weeks before ringing Mrs B two days before the meeting to say we couldn't run the races in this format). It turned out that there was no rule against this format and it went ahead, with Howards Contender getting up from the 10 hole to beat Another Toto (drawn 9) in a very close finish. Despite the competitive racing and good finishes, there was some talk after the meeting that Grade 2 horses (those drawn 1/2 on the gate) could never beat a Grade 9 or 10 horse (drawn 9/10 on the gate), although if the people who criticised it had been at the meeting and seen the job that Howards Contender had on his hands to actually win, perhaps they wouldn't have been so quick to slate it.

Fast forward to this year - due to the workload it was decided to ask a couple more people to join the committee. Stephen, a local lad whose parents run the pub in Cilmery and who is interested in harness racing as a spectator/punter, and Geannette, the driver Jamie Davies' sister, were both asked to join and both accepted. The overall format was agreed to be the same as last year, however the heats would be for Grade 1+ horses, and the top ten handicapped horses that entered would be removed from the heats and run in their own £1000 preferred FFA. This was on top of the £1000 open preferred handicap final.

We had over 100 entries, which were split into two qualifiers, three maiden races, one novice race, five heats, a PFFA and a final. Yesterday Smarty and me got to the track at 10am, pottered about for the morning down the track and in the house (Julie, Geannette and me were on sandwich duty for the sponsors tent), had lunch in the garden and then I sorted numbercloths before sitting on the gate for an hour to catch the lorries arriving. As always, Trefor Morgans was the first one in; 1:45pm he arrived, with the first qualifier due to go off at 5pm! Mervyn (Sammy, Bongo and Hamish's owner) and Geraint (Julie's husband) took over once The Boss and Julie came back from the yard with the horses, and we set up camp in Kevin's block of stables just above the track.

Mac was in the first race drawn 3; the two horses inside him started badly and getting to the first corner he was clear to take the inside rail...and then he galloped. Not just a skip, or a stumble, but full on galloping. I could see The Boss trying to get him back but he was fighting it and I am genuinely surprised he didn't snap his hobbles. In the space of an eighth of a mile he'd gone from first to last. He half-rallied but the same thing happened again on the second lap and that was his race truly over. The Boss came back up 'the chute' (our own private roped off walkway back to the stables) and said something didn't feel right; Mac hasn't done anything like that on the track before so I knew too that something was up. I washed him down with the help of my apprentice, Meg* and set about quietly harnessing up Sammy and Jingo ready for races six and seven.

*Meg came on the visit with the Pony Club and took a real interest in the horses and racing. Instead of coming to the races and just watching she was keen to help me with the horses, and I won't turn down an extra pair of hands on a busy evening! She's also coming to Allensmore on Sunday with us, so she must have enjoyed herself!

The Boss was out with Sammy in race 6, drawn two on the gate. He couldn't get to the front like last year, but sat patiently in second for the biggest part of the race before trying to challenge down the back straight on the second lap. He was unable to pass the leader and was pipped on the line by a head to not qualify for the final (first two horses from each heat qualified). Still, a good run and still a few weeks from 100%, plus a rosette meant that we were relatively pleased. Sammy doesn't run badly, it's not something he knows how to do, and he didn't let us down at all. It was all systems go then to get Julie out for race 7 with Jingo. He was drawn three on the gate but as I was busy washing Sammy and walking him up and down the lane I missed the biggest part of the race. The commentator wasn't overly loud or enthusiastic so I couldn't hear where Jingo was placed, but as they headed down the back straight away from us for the second time I could see the back horses through the trees and Jingo wasn't one of them! That's when I heard Ray Jenkins say Woodstone Jingo was in the lead - I threw a sponge at Meg and pelted it up the lane and into the field. The track came into sight just as Julie and Jingo crossed the line in front of Stevie Lees, and I may have whooped and cheered and shouted Jingo's name at the top of my voice, and done a little dance on my own! I ran to let them back up the chute and saw some more of the Pony Clubber's who'd visited, and they were all so excited to see that Jingo had won (after having sat in the sulky behind him on the yard).

Woodstone Jingo winning his maiden - photos courtesy of Graham Rees

I didn't have much time to celebrate with Julie as Hamish was straight out with The Boss in race 8. He was also drawn three, and although he ran well for the first lap and a half he faded coming up the home straight to finish. The Boss said he had little steering as Hamish has started clamping down on the one rein again, so it's back to the drawing board with him. A shame really, as he ran so well at Walton last week.

Once all my boys were washed, dried, walked and had had a drink, I headed straight to the bar :) figured I deserved a drink too, after running around like a headless chicken all day in the sweltering heat. Smarty was working away bookmaking and I found my friend Emma so we could watch the PFFA and final together. Alan Haythornthwaite drove a calm race to win the first £1000 prize, and then Sarah Allen and Huw Thomas fought it out with Elysium Lightning and Wellfield Earl in the final, but Huw had more horse coming up the slight incline and took the £1000 for Roy Sheedy with Early Wurly. You may recall one of my posts where I went to stay with Rachel, and I rode Earl for about three hours (and subsequently couldn't walk properly!). I'd like to say that ride had some impact on his performance, but it didn't and I'm just content to say I've ridden the Cilmery heat and final winner!

Full results:

Race 1 - Maiden
1st Blackfield Bling
2nd Hilltop Skipper
3rd Blue Bear
2.17.4  2 1/2 & 1L

Race 2 - Heat 1 Grade 1
1st Elysium Lightning
2nd Ontop Girlcharmer
3rd Billy Elliot
2.12.5 neck & 1L

Race 3 - Heat 2 Grade 1
1st Sams Teatime
2nd Ontop Wye Preach
3rd Hurricane Howard
2.13.9 head & nose
All three trained by Stevie Lees - winner driven by Stevie, second driven by Chris Nicol & third driven by Stevie's son, James

Race 4 - Heat 3 Grade 2 & 3
1st Wellfield Earl
2nd Caenwood Slipaway
3rd Gingerman
2.11.7 1 & 2 1/2L

Race 5 - Heat 4 Grade 3 & 4
1st Ladyford Desire
2nd Brywins Unicorn
3rd What About Me
2.12.4 head & neck

Race 6 - Heat 5 Grade 5 & 6
1st Krakatoa
2nd Ffynnon
3rd Dark Fox
2.09.8 4L & head

Race 7 - Maiden
1st Woodstone Jingo
2nd John Dillinger
3rd Wellfield Willy
2.11.3 3 1/2 & 4L

Race 8 - Maiden
1st Stuttgart
2nd Brywins Jewel
3rd Ynyston Lucky Cam
2.15.6 5 & 3/4L

Race 9 - Novice & Grade 1
1st Hanna Montana
2nd Caenwood Dafydd
3rd Rhyds Jigsaw
2.14.6 head & head

Race 10 - Preferred FFA
1st Brywinsmagicpotion
2nd Camden Casanova
3rd Rhyds Fivestar
2.06.7 3 1/2 & 1/2L

Race 11 - OPH Final
1st Wellfield Earl
2nd Elysium Lightning
3rd Ladyford Desire
2.10.7 3/4 & 1L


A quote for Wellfield Earl - Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character. John Wooden 

Well done to connections of all winning horses, and thank you to all those who helped and contributed to make Cilmery Races such a success! See you all there next year!

Over and out,

Sarah (#1 [tired] Groom)

We have rosettes!

It's all change again at the yard.

Just when I think things are settled (we have name plates outside each stable, that to me means horses are here to stay), I turn up at the yard to find that Laddie has gone to spend the summer in Gloucestershire, and in his place is a filly of Wesley's who may be with us a week, a month or the whole summer (nobody knows!).

So it is with great pleasure that I introduce you to Lily The Pink, or Pinky:

Pinky is a three year old filly by Immortalized (same sire as Maverick and Olympic) out of the Splurge Hanover mare Talavary Splash. As you may have noted from the photos, Wesley likes to take off his horses forelocks, which now makes sense as to why he was so keen for me to get rid of Big Mac's! I wondered why he was egging me on the whole time...

Anyway, all I've noticed about her so far of any note is that she has a terrible habit of scraping the floor by her door whenever she's not getting any attention/it's feeding time. It reminded me why I prefer working with geldings (although Melinda is the exception, as she's turned into a lovely young lady). 

In other news, the shavings are working a treat; mucking out is now a breeze. This has resulted in two drawbacks though - firstly, I'm not getting enough physical exercise (therefore I must eat less cake) and secondly I'm not at the yard for as long. You may think this is a good thing as I have more free time, however as I'm paid by the hour it means I'm diddling myself out of money! There MUST be a way to drag the job out for longer...

On Wednesday I met The Boss and Julie at Walton racetrack, in Evenjob. I had to work during the day but as the first race was at 5.30pm I was able to get there before the draw had taken place and the qualifiers had been run. They had brought Jingo, Big Mac and Sammy, and Mervyn had brought Hamish in his box. Due to the number of runners the maidens were split into two divisions, so we were lucky that Julie could make it and they'd remembered the second sulky, as Jingo and Big Mac were in the same race. They were to run in the first, Hamish was in the second and Sammy was in the eighth and final race.

Cue the first race - I sent Julie out on Jingo first and then The Boss out on Big Mac. Mac was drawn three on the gate, and Jingo tucked in on the rail drawn six. The rain had poured down about an hour and a half before the racing started, and the track had become very slippery. As a result, The Boss chose not to go out of the gate too fast, although Mac challenged the inside horse for the lead into the first bend and subsequently for the rest of the race, stuck two wide the whole way. Jingo remained on the rail throughout however coming into the last bend on the first lap his legs almost slipped from under him and he lost a lot of ground. Sensibly Julie sat quietly and let him find his feet and then paced along quietly at the back of the field. Mac refused to give in and fought the leader the full race, but unfortunately the extra ground covered by travelling on the outside cost him and he managed a respectable second place. Julie let Jingo go coming up the home straight to finish and passed a number of horses, catching the eye of my other half and pleasing Julie at the same time. He came back to the lorry full of beans as he hadn't had the chance to tire himself out fully.

The Boss returned triumphantly and claimed that he'd always told Julie he was on the better horse! It was then that I heard the announcement over the tannoy that McKelvie is for sale :( after his impressive (and surprising) run, I really hope he isn't sold because I think we could really have some fun with him, especially as it's Cilmery coming up next week. Obviously the run hadn't taken enough out of him either as he proceeded to spend the rest of the evening bucking and kicking by the side of the lorry. All he needs to do now is unleash this fire on the racetrack next Wednesday :)

It was all systems go in the second then as I sent The Boss out on Hamish. His last run was below par considering his impressive runs last summer, however as I washed Mac down I could hear the commentator saying he was sat in second place and running on well. When The Boss came back with another blue rosette I couldn't have been happier! Hamish had raced and raced well, and we were all very pleased with him especially considering the track wasn't suited to his low-action.

There was a long gap to Sammy's race, so I took a few entries for Cilmery races and passed them on to Mrs B who was camped out by the secretary's box. Time flew by and before I knew it the eighth race was upon us. Sammy was drawn one off ten yards behind a horse known for flying out of the gate, however he couldn't quite manage the almost impossible task of catching the gate horses and he finished in fifth, not fading but not going forwards either. Hopefully he'll be off the gate next week for the first time this season and we'll be treated to his usual tenacious attitude!

I then hit the road to Scotland with Smarty to attend a funeral the following day, so I wasn't returning to the yard for the remainder of the week. 

Whilst up in Scotland I attended another race meeting at Haugh Field, a lovely grass track in Stirlingshire. I clerked for Smarty and the partnership worked like a treat again :) the racing was good but I must admit, I think our grass track racing down in Wales/English borders is better! It helps that I know the horses down here anyway...

Full results from Walton (12th June):

Race 1

1st Blue Streak
2nd M C Kelvie
3rd Ithon Kiwi
2.13.8 2 1/2 & 3 1/2L

Race 2

1st Vyrnwy Terror
2nd Bucklands Foxy Boy
3rd Blackfield Bling
2.14.3 3 & neck

Race 3

1st Mill Road
2nd Wellfield Elvira
3rd Frisco Mick
2.12.3 4 & 1/2L

Race 4

1st Hurricane Howard
2nd Ystwyth DT
3rd Wellfield Alfie
2.12.4 1 1/4 & 1 1/2L

Race 5

1st Afan Sir Ivor
2nd Wellfield Wally
3rd Rhyds Panache
2.12.5 1 1/2 & 3 1/2L

Race 6

1st Wellfield Ghost
2nd Ithon Ghost
3rd Wellfield Rocky
2.08.9 3 1/2 & 5L

Race 7

1st Wellfield Ernest
2nd Meet N Greet
3rd Young Will
2.11.9 1 1/4 & 1 1/2L

Race 8
1st Meadowland Tom
2nd Brywinsthatslife
3rd Rhyd N Write
2.10.5 3/4L & 1L

So there we have it, less than a week until Cilmery races and what is, for us at least, one of the most important meetings of the season. All systems go to get the track up, racecards printed and food for the sponsors tent prepared!

Over and out until after Wednesday,

Sarah (#1 Groom and Clerk extraordinaire)

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)