18 February 2009CumbriaHorse
Show DiaryShow Diary
FEBRUARY
Sat 14 � Greenlands: Wyndham
Pony Club team showjumping.
Contact Maureen White on
01900 817666
Sat 14 � CFHS Inglewood Winter
Rally
Sun 15 � Blackdyke: Equine
Products UK unaffiliated horse
winter show jumping
Sun 15 � Greenlands: carriage
driving with Amanda Saville
Sun 15 � Kingwater: Trailblazers
qualifiers tests; P10 (non-
qualifier, P14 (qualifier), N27
(non-qualifier), N28
(qualifier), E44 (qualifier), novice
test 2004.
Mon 16 � Greenlands:
Cumberland Foxhounds rally.
Contact 07754 660447
Mon 16 � Langwathby Village
Hall: CFHS dismounted rally
Tues 17 � Greenlands: CFHS
branch Pony Club, Christian
Hilton
Wed 18 � Greenlands: Suzie
Gibson Lessons. Contact
Heather Metcalf on 016974
76786
Thurs 19 � Greenlands: CFHN
branch Pony Club rally. Contact
Jane Ward on 01228 576637
Fri 20 � Greenlands: Cumberland
Foxhounds Pony Club rally.
Contact 07754 660447
Sat 21 � Greenlands: BSJA
senior showjumping (cb Neil
Foster)
Sat 21 � CFHS Inglewood Winter
Rally
Sat 21 � Newton Rigg: CFHS
senior dressage rally
Sun 22 � Blackdyke: Senior BSJA
Show
Sun 22 � Kingwater: affiliated
dressage
Sun 22 � Greenlands: BSPS
Winter Show. Contact Gillian
Wright on 01697 742951
Sun 22 � Northern Counties
Pony Association Cumbria
branch Hairy Pony Show at
Dearham. Contact Sue Brunskill
on 01228 670555
Mon 23 � Greenlands: CFHN
evening showjumping with
S Bowman. Places limited to
groups of four. Cost �15 for one-
hour instruction
Mon 23 � Newton Rigg: CFHS
evening rally
Fri 27 � Greenlands: Suzie
Gibson Lessons. Email Fiona
Veitch at the following address �
FionaVeitch@Cumbria.ac.uk
Fri 27 � Newton Rigg: CFHS
Evening rally
Fri 27-Sun March 1� British
Dressage Winter/Music
Regional Finals at Rowallan
Sat 28 � Greenlands: BSJA junior
showjumping (cb Keith McVittie)
Sat 28 � CFHS winter rally at
Inglewood
MARCH
Sun 1 � Greenlands: Unaffiliated
horses showjumping winter
points
Sun 1 � Kingwater: Points series.
Tests: walk and trot A & B, .P.14,
P18, N28, N26, E41, E.50
Wed 4 � Greenlands: Suzie
Gibson lessons. Contact Heather
Metcalf 016974 76786
Thurs 5 � Carlisle Races: Thursday
Afternoon Jumps Racing
Sat 7 � Greenlands: Carriage-
driving with Amanda Saville
Sat 7 � Blackdyke: John Peel
Riding Club dressage workshop
evening
Sun 8 � Greenlands: Unaffiliated
ponies showjumping winter
points
Sun 8 � Kingwater: Showing show
Wed 11 and Thurs 12 �
Inglewood: David Wadge lesson
(contact Ellan Jones on 017684
83511 / 07787 570736)
Sat 14 � Greenlands: NCPA
working hunter show, Trina Lang
07821 613292
Sun 15 � Greenlands: CFHN
Branch Pony Club's hairy pony
show. Contact Jane Ward on
01228 576637
Sun 15 � Kingwater: Trailblazers
qualifiers. Tests: P10 (non-
qualifier); P18 (qualifier); N27
(non-qualifier); N26 (qualifier);
E42 (qualifier): E44 qualifier.
Sun 15 � Carlisle Races: Sunday
Sporting Champions Day
Wed 18 � Greenlands: Suzie
Gibson lessons. Contact Heather
Metcalf on 016974 76786
Sat 21 � Greenlands: BSJA senior
showjumping (cb Keith McVittie)
Sun 22 � Blackdyke: Senior BSJA
show
Sun 22 � Greenlands:
Unaffiliated showjumping,
ponies 9.30am, horses 2pm
Sun 22 � Kingwater showing show
Tues 24 � Blackdyke: Looking at
the new tests for 2009 with Jo
Graham, List 1 judge
Thurs 26 � Carlisle Races:
Thursday Afternoon Jumps
Racing
Sat 28 � Greenlands: BSJA junior
showjumping (cb Neil Foster)
Sun 29 � Greenlands:
Unaffiliated showjumping, mixed
Sun 29 � Kingwater: Affiliated
and unaffiliated dressage
Sun 29 � Inglewood:
Unaffiliated showjumping
(ponies, 11am start)
Sun 29 � Blackdyke: John Peel
Riding Club, instruction with
Marianne Watts
I waited 15 years for my
horsebox, but I couldn't
wait 'til morning to see it
W
hen my Mum decides
she wants a thing � be
it a new breadmaker
or whatever � then
that thing gets got... preferably
yesterday. Me, on the other hand
� I'm pretty good at waiting.
Even when something comes
along that I really, really want,
I'll probably still be wanting it a
year later � maybe even five or
10 years later.
Take horses as the perfect exam-
ple. My longing for a pony of my
own probably began the very first
time I ever laid eyes on one � I'd
have been about five or six at the
time.
But it took more than 20 years
for me to actually get one � which
certainly proves that not only do I
remain loyal to my dreams, but
that I can be very, very patient in
achieving them.
You could say the same thing
happened when I got married �
friends and family had long since
given up on any hopes of seeing
me traipse down the aisle in a bil-
lowy white frock and I just wish I
could have been there to see the
looks of astonishment on their
faces when the invitations finally
plopped onto their doormats. But I
simply waited till the time was
right � and the man, come to think
of it.
The habit continued even after I
got wed � when I moved into Mal-
colm's home, I wasn't very keen on
the carpet in the living room.
Every day I grew to dislike it a bit
more � until I literally detested it
with a passion. It annoyed me
every time I walked into the room.
But it took me six years to get shot
of the perishing thing.
So what exactly is all this lead-
ing up to? Well, when I was still
living in Newcastleton and run-
ning a little trekking centre along-
side the television day job, I devel-
oped a bit of a hankering for a
horsebox. Not just any old horse-
box though � I wanted one of those
converted van jobs, one that would
take a couple of horses, and most
important of all � one that I could
drive.
The most common example at
the time was based on the Renault
Master � and I coveted every RM I
saw, picturing them in my mind's
eye transformed into a neat little
box with my horse inside and me
at the wheel, driving to some event
or other.
The dream remained a dream �
for about 15 years. For the past five
of those years we've had a perfectly
nice big box, capable of taking
three horses, and I've travelled
many miles in it. But Malcolm
drove every one of those miles,
because I was too much of a wuss
even to consider getting behind the
wheel.
I know that's ridiculous � women
drive big lorries and horseboxes
quite routinely � but I just didn't
have it in me to be one of them. I'd
have been nervous with every turn
of the tyres, and, given that going
to shows makes me a bit fluttery
anyway, heaven knows what kind
of a wreck I'd have been by the
time we arrived.
Then, just a few days ago, we
found it. A neat and compact, two-
stall, perfectly driveable, in good
condition, horsebox. Not a Renault
Master as it happens, but who
cares � I may be loyal to my
dreams, but I'm prepared to be
flexible. Only one teensy, weensy
little snag � it was in Hertford-
shire.
Mal worked it all out.
"I'll take the train to Birming-
ham, then get a connection to Wat-
ford Junction and I should be there
by lunchtime. Then I can just drive
home."
Well, you know what they say
about mice, men and plans � and if
you factor in our beloved railway
service, the chances of things going
agley (that's pear-shaped for those
who don't know their Burns) are
multiplied massively.
So � predictably � the first train
was running slow. Apparently it
lost its tilt or something. So he
missed his connection at Birming-
ham. The one he eventually got
stopped at every blade of grass on
the way to Watford Junction. His
voice, when he phoned at 3.30 to
tell me he still hadn't got there was
positively plaintive.
Thank heavens when he did
finally arrive and saw the horse-
box, it was spot on. Just what I'd
dreamed of all those years ago.
And now it was coming home to
live at my house.
Suddenly, I became my Mother's
daughter � and couldn't wait for it
to arrive. But I had to. An HGV
managed to spill something chem-
ical on the motorway and caused
massive traffic delays � this time
the phone call at midnight from a
service station was downright fed-
up.
"I've only done three miles in the
past hour!"
All of which might explain to
any bemused neighbours who
chanced to glance through their
windows some time in the wee
small hours, why I was dressed in
a peculiar combination of clothes
clearly thrown on any old-how on
top of my jammies, gazing in rap-
turous delight at a little silver
horsebox. I might have waited 15
years to get it � but I certainly
couldn't wait for morning to see it!
GILLY FRASER
Speed and
grace: A
young rider
demonstrates
her skills at a
Pony Club
show
`Rapturous delight': Gilly finally behind the wheel of her new horsebox
`I coveted every Renault Master
I saw, picturing them in my
mind's eye transformed into a
neat little box with my horse
inside and me at the wheel,
driving to some event or other'

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