The Smallholder and Gardeners
Show at the Royal Welsh Showground
Well you have to hand it to those Welsh folk. They know where to site
a showground for maximum effect. We were spoilt at this show there's no
denying, what with the indoor stables, bedding, water and muck heap at
the end of each block and horseboxes parked along the roadway just outside
and not forgetting 3 days of sunshine, I wish we were this lucky at every
show ! Stunning scenery all around and a true welcome in the hillside
from the locals !
The sport was excellent too. Dave Palmer the course builder built what
initially looked like a straightforward course but it was deceiving as
the classes testified as the show went on. Only 3 drivers didn't go clear
in the smalls class but 6 out of the 8 drivers in the large class had
faults and even in the championship exactly half of the drivers had balls
down but such was the atmosphere, the speed and agility of the ponies
there, the crowd absolutely loved it and showed their appreciation of
every driver. It was packed around the ring and we could hear the crowd's
applause down in the drop quite a way from the arena where we were asked
to collect.
Small class
Liz Eldridge managed to clinch both 5th & 6th spot with Mix &
Match just heading off her new pairing, Pride & Joy. Sheenagha Lee-Farrah
drove a magical round with Wait & See in only their second show together
to take 4th position and the novice award with Robert Lightwood's Song
& Dance in 3rd. Philip Litchfield from second to go in the class held
on to 2nd spot just 0.19 behind the eventual winner Karen Morris with
Chalk & Cheese. Karen had driven an inspired round to get Wallis anywhere
near to the crowd to negotiate the outer 'gates' on the home run in and
she was as surprised as anyone that she had managed to go clear.
Large class
The only 2 clear rounds in the class went 1st and 2nd. Philip Litchfield
drove the fastest round of the day to go one better in the large class
and clinch it with Thunder & Lightning just ahead of Derek Archer
and the powerful pair of Judge & Jury. Pixie & Dixie for Robert
Lightwood had the fastest fault round to take 3rd with Karen Morris in
4th with her skipping Suited & Booted. Ron Bean with Dun & Dusted
had 2 down but still managed 5th place as did John Marson with his ever
improving Swansea Bays in 6th. Liz Eldridge with her Just & Do It
at this show didn't, unlike the previous week at Newark when winning the
class. Poor Liz had 3 cones down but bettered by Sheenagha Lee-Farah with
Mag & Pie who managed to take no less than 4 cones out when Mag decided
not to co-operate by barging and bucking into Pie for three quarters of
the round.
Championship
Philip Litchfield was truly the maestro for the championship. First to
go and last to go he left the crowd with a lasting impression. G &
T stormed round to hold the lead for the next 11 to try to match. Last
to go with Thunder & Lightning he knew he had it in the bag so threw
caution to the wind and clocked an amazing time of 47.37, nearly 3secs
ahead of his own G&T's time so finished champion and reserve. 3rd
was Dun & Dusted with Ron back to his more confident and smooth driving
skills and 4th and 5th were Robert Lightwood who had his large ponies,
Pixie & Dixie ahead of Song & Dance. Wait & See showed the
crowd a pair of Dartmoor x Shetties could hold their own with the welsh
ponies by giving a delighted, to say the least, Sheenagha, a well deserved
6th place.
Philip was awarded his rosettes before a really appreciative audience
and he gave the President of the show a circuit in the back of his carriage
before being interviewed for Welsh TV. Mission accomplished I feel judging
by the reactions of the committee members we heard from after the show.
I for one wouldn't mind going to this particular show again never mind
the Royal Welsh proper. Can we do them both Ivor and council members ??
(lol).
Carole
Newark & Notts County
Apart from the awful cold and wet weather it was a very busy show with record entries we were told. Scurry entries were strong with 15 in the smalls and 11 in the large class and John Shrives had consented to judge the classes for us with Ivor Williams course building and Dave Palmer assisting along with an arena party made up from the Lincolnshire Musical Display Team.
It was smashing to see new members out, even more so as they were locals to this show so had a large local following with friends and family in the audience cheering them on. All the new novices performed exceptionally well and drove sensibly and with great promise for the future. It was hard luck on Sarah Braybrook when going great guns with her Jekyl & Hyde had the mis-fortune to have the pole snap from the vehicle so she had to retire but it was lovely see her drive at the end of the class, hors-concours, when swapping into another cart she drove a smooth and clear round. She is looking forward to her next show she has informed me and has lost non of her enthusiasm.
Sheenagha Lee-Farrah had a baptism of fire when she had no fewer than 3 pony pairs to drive at this show and it was a sharp lesson she learnt at an early stage when really being in contention with Wait & See she missed gate 9 which lost her loads of time to circle back to complete. It was lovely to hear all the members be so encouraging and leg pulling to both her and Sarah. Jack is going to draw a number 9 so Sheenagha can put it in her car and she won’t forget what it looks like again ! Sheenagha is also fired up ready for her next outing so God help the ponies at home, the piebalds didn’t know what had hit them the following day when she exercised them at the showground !
Smalls
It was an odd class in that all the fancied and on form drivers and ponies either didn’t perform up to their usual or they had a ball down but non of this should detract from the blinder of a round that novice driver Trevor Fairburn did with Bubble & Squeak to take the class. There is always an element of luck in any sport and Trev had his when Ivor said he moved one of the cones in the box significantly sideways but the ball stayed put. Yes the super glue worked Trev ! Lorna Hullah with Bobby & Dazzler were the only ones near to Trevor’s time and round in second place with Philip Litchfield and G&T in third just starting to come back into form. Song & Dance and Robert Lightwood were a full 3secs behind in 4th. We have all known the greys are a fast pair as Liz Eldridge had so deftly driven them into many placings before Trev but it seems Trevor has got to grips with his ponies now and will be one to watch this season and will give Nigel Olliffe and Corinna Bithell a run in the novice league as well as Sarah and Sheenagha coming from behind. It’s good to see such enthusiasm and numbers in the novice section.
Large
It already seems a season with drivers changing the ponies they are driving. Philippa Scott drove Smokey & The Bandit, Sheenagha driving Mag & Pie but the one who outshone and must be very pleased with himself has got to be Ron Bean driving Dun & Dusted into 4th position. He drove them really smoothly and with great confidence here in the large Newark main ring. Just ahead of him was really lovely to see Derek Archer with Judge & Jury who needed this confidence boost having not quite got back the driving prowess he had before the accident at Hartpury. Well here he showed it was returning and I for one was really chuffed for him. It can be hard after a tip up even when you’re not hurt but after being out of the box seat for a year and not forgetting his age (sorry Derek!) It has been a bit of a slog back into contention. A close second was the flying farrier, Robert with Pixie & Dixie, who had a consistent Newark show but once again Liz Eldridge with her lovely ponies, Just & Do It, did. Always turned out beautifully and often plaited too she showed a clean pair of heals and the fastest time of the day when clocking 50.96 in a large arena over a long course.
Championship
As I was unable to come and watch this all I can say looking at the score sheets is that the times were really fast. Ron Bean with Dun & Dusted clocked the fastest time of the show in 48.32 but sadly had one down which still kept him in 4th position. Jenny may not get these ponies back ! Derek’s Judge & Jury were once again in 3rd position taking 4seconds off their large class time with Philip Litchfield and G&T in a very creditable time of 50.71 in second place just 0.23 of a second behind Lorna Hullah’s Bobby & Dazzler who had made her long journey from Dorset worthwhile by becoming the Newark & Notts Champion.
For full results see results page.
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Well, we’re back on the road again. The season has started! Not many members braved the cold wind and showers but those who came made the classes and especially the championship a very good competition indeed. At such an early show, Thame is getting a reputation for wintery weather but considering the rain that had come down in the previous 2 weeks the ground conditions were very good indeed and well done to the ground staff. The main ring was very good, the best it has ever been in fact and over the weekend the rain stopped and the wind dried the ground surface even more. I shall personally remember this Thame show as the "borrowers weekend". A pony, salt, antiseptic spray, 2 hard hats, 2 carriage poles, a battery, some stall clips, haylage and nets and not forgetting Bling-Diddy who did the rounds to get cuddled and I wasn’t even competing ! Bling-Diddy slept all the way home. He was exhausted poor mite, safe of course in his designer bag and complete with a new wardrobe bought at the show - a blue hoody !! Ivor Williams built a smashing flowing course which was ideal for a first show and new or young ponies of which there were a good few. Lucy Scott must have been pleased with her new Dartmoor pony who apart from showing some exuberance between some of the "gates" and a lack of understanding on some of the tighter turns did to be fair a very good round or two despite it’s lack of experience and time in harness. Nigel and Liz Olliffe were over the moon with their small pair of chestnut/bays. The newer of the two, the mare, really stuck her neck out and flattened her ears back and galloped her socks off. Sweet & Sour will soon be off the mark and here Nigel drove them and as he was the only novice here at Thame so took the opportunity to take both novice class awards. Liz Eldridge had a smart pair of roan chestnuts, Pride & Joy, who were unlucky to have an early cone down otherwise they would have got through to the championship. They were a credit to her and looked really well as did John Marson’s new large pair, Swansea & Bays (The Swansea Bays) who were also a smashing smart pair who also went really well in the arena. Liz told me John had only driven them 3 times so he drove them well but just clipped two cones which put him out of contention. Of the established pairings sadly Philip Litchfield will be forgetting Thame show as nothing went right for him. It just wasn’t his show but he still managed a couple of lower placings. Jenny Bean got a brilliant round out of Dun & Dusted in the large class to win and Karen Morris was consistent with both her pairs, Chalk & Cheese and Suited & Booted but her father Pete had lost none of his new found determination when finishing in the line up in both the small class and the championship with Posh & Becks. Philippa Scott was her usual consistent self when driving her Wallace & Gromit into second place in the smalls but Thame Show was to be the Olliffe’s domain. Liz driving Rock & Roll into top spot in the smalls class in a course which really suited her long legged small ponies who flew round for her and Nigel who drove Credit & Crunch to the championship win in an excellent time and not content with dominating the classes and championships they even won the Top Score when Nigel won with Sweet & Sour. There was only Jenny who had broke their dominance over the weekend. The Top Score was a new idea for LH shows and it seemed popular with the audiences who stayed by the ringside to the end. The teams managed excellently with the new concept and rules whereas I as judge had the most to put up with in the judges box with a power cut, trying to open a stuck window, a megaphone, Dave and a whistle blaring in my right ear all whilst trying to keep counting and marking !! See the results page for the full results. Carole
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