Know what you mean about the cold on Friday! SWPA was down at the Equine Event at Devon County Showground and Julie and I were setting up on Friday night and we froze. I was going to be sleeping in the car for the night as Maxine had had a tooth taken out in the afternoon and was suffering - so my caravan bed was not available till Saturday. [I was quite disappointed as Max's hubby Chris had been advised to wear his PJ's for the weekend as I was to be sleeping in the caravan too - and his reply was "Not for anyone" - whew!
] As Julie and I left the building and saw the frost I accepted her offer of a bed by a wonderful log fire!
Early Saturday morning I woke to look out over the Devon countryside coated in white. My car was having heater problems and even trying to scrape the ice off created the Himalaya mountain range on the rest of the screen so I abandoned my car and Julie and I set off for the show.
Saturday was busy and we worried that we had not bought enough leaflets with us for two days. Mary King and Graham Fletcher were doing master classes for eventing and show jumping, and there was some excellent stallions on parade. The day went quickly and soon Max and family were retiring to their warm caravan for a night of quizzes and spaghetti, and Julie and I returned home with KFC.
Sunday was a much better day and we had our display due to start at 10 am. Ponies started arriving and our judge - Gwyneth Edgar - stunned us all with her beautiful outfit. The usual three things went wrong
1. Justin broke down 6 miles away at 9.30 with a blown engine and Chris had to tow him ontot he showground.
2. There is always one little gate man who messes up the system of ensuring everyone gets into the display area and yes - I shouted at him loudly as her refused
my own little rider entry
3. There was only one set of rosettes for two classes.
The display went well and Emma Devey came up from Cornwall with her Dartmoor stallion to win the inhand class and the lead rein class went to our own Bryony Hodge and Chantelle riding one of David Hodges and Julian Waters coloured Shetlands [Sorry guys I never got her full name - I was expecting Amber - perhaps you would post it on for me!
] Everyone was leading other people's ponies and I did get a little muddled with names as there was a large proportion of woolly grey sections A's and B's, and they were all being led by the wrong people with different riders on board!
Sunday was busier still and we were working right up till the event closed at 5 pm. We saw many old and new members and caught up on some sucess stories along the way from 2007. Young Danielle Balsdon and her brother George were part of the Silverton Hunt Horse and Hound relay team that came fourth and we were all there to cheer them on.
Hopefully we will have promoted the association to some new members and shows - but it was lovely to get home and soak in a warm bath and see my dogs again. It was good to get to meet so many forum members in the flesh too and put a face to a name!
[glow=red,2,300]HUGE[/glow] thanks to everyone who came and helped us out. I had been worried that we would not have enough ponies or enough variety, but on the day we had a good turnout, and Gweneth was wonderful and spent a lot of time on our stand talking to people about judging and showing.