HOYS

[Butkin]

We are off to HOYS tomorrow for our 10th wedding anniversary treat - no finer way to spend our special day!

Can't wait to see the Open Sec As/Bs and Mini M&Ms. Such a shame the connemaras are on so early but we will at least be there for the championships.

Would love to see Pinewell Bucks Fizz in the Cuddy on Thursday but can't have 2 days off work at this busy time.

If anybody else is going let me know how you get on and what your highlights are.

lucky you cannot go as work and dd2 birthday on sat, please report back on M+M , friends have one of their children riding in one of the sp classes not sure which . would liek to be able to doa bit of shopping - really need some showing stuff and tiny bit for new pony ( though at moment not sure ever have courage tot ak him and dd2 showing!)

Ooh yes DD and I go on Saturday, have done since they moved it to the NEC. Will have to buy our fill of haynets, feed buckets, name plates and I'm sure there's other stuff we need.

We've decided this year to get there for the Show Cobs (Class starts 7am - urgh) but have a vested interest as we bought a really nice 3yo cob last year and are looking for inspiration!

Happy Anniversary, enjoy your day.

I love HOYS! All the grown ups have gone and the yard belongs to the plebs again

hope you had a good time Butkin, should have asked you to inwardly cheer our lot on

Was pleased to hear that one of 'ours' came 10th in her class today, prob M and M. Don't know how the others got on but it's great just to get there isn't it? Mainly it is nice to have a quieter and more relaxed yard, roll on Olympia!

Had a great day - lovely to spend some quality time without DD!

Saw the A/Bs and picked out the winner from the start - Muskerry Blue Danube - although we were a little suprised that he did win as he seemed to try and strike off into canter when trotting in his show.

Amazingly that Costone Cayti won both LR and FR and I'm sure the picture with both kids after she won the Championship will be in Horse and Hound. We thought she deserved the LR (sensible they came back on LR for championship) but that she looked very mareish in the line up during the FR. Judge obviously loved her though.

Such a shame that the black shetland - Horninglow Derwent - which would have been 1st or 2nd in the FR reared up and unseated (and seemingly injured) the rider when the 3rd placed pony was called out. They should try and encourage the crowd to not go so balistic after every announcement - not fair on the little children.

We also watched the Search for a Star cobs and pleased that our friends were 4th and he went really well.

Did lots of shopping (didn't even go into the main arena) in between showing classes. Got DD a sparkly whip to help with her cantering and one of those headscalf/bandana/balaclava things to go under her riding helmet in the Winter to keep her face/ears warm.

She also got a smart new hat bag and some pony books but to be held back for Christmas.

Nothing for us - although we looked at horseboxes to give us inspiration (although they were 30K too much for us!

Stopped off at a lovely restaurant on the way home and took in catalogue so we could review the day - what a lovely time!

So envious of other people going later in the week - especially to see the cobs. My cob went to HOYS 4 times and I loved riding him - it was at Wembley in those days.

Mooky - let me know what you had there and I'll give you our verdict - we are so opinionated!!

If I was taking one home it would be Brynodorion Tomos - the palomino in the FR.

Our palomino Sec A pony is for sale in H and H today (page 99) so we were delighted that it was already for sale yesterday and the cover price was only a pound!

butkin the Palomino looks beautiful.
Glad you had a lovely day too.

Thanks no1 - some nice people came to see Outlaw (the palomino today) - the third lot that have visited him since we put him on Horsequest - but haven't rung back yet despite him going beautifully. Just have to keep hoping but if we don't sell him we'll do some Winter Champs qualifiers to keep his CV looking good. Where are all the mummies of 4 and 5yo kids?!

Fingers crossed for you. He really does look lovely.
I was drooling admiring him in the supermarket queue today.
Couldn't wait to get it home.

I have had a successful day with pony and both dcs on my own today.

However I am really struggling to get a bridle to fit properly.
Have tried pony, small pony and shetland.
I now have a cottage craft pony and have been trying it today, and it just doesn't sit right . Mainly the brow band bit.
Any ideas/advice.
Sorry I must sound completely clueless.

DD was frustrated today and wanted to get on, but ended up just brushing her and having a little sit on her.

We had the bridle for the Palomino made for him - lots of people do this and it isn't too expensive.

The roan has one from Sabre.

I think Wyvern (www.wyvernep.co.uk) also make them especially for Sec A and Bs. I'd have a look at their site first. We had a look at their stand at HOYS and may get DD some of their thin show reins with rubber grips just on the inside so she has more control in her show without looking messy.

butkin tell me more about your palomino? am selling pony as just too much for us nervy people, goes beautifully for competant 7 yr old butnot good for beginner showers like us

Mummydoc, Sorry to hear that Noddy hasn't worked out for you.

Our palomino is an 11.1 4yo gelding and we bought him in Sept 2008 and broke him ourselves. We sent him away to a professional showing yard for 3 weeks in Feb to get him really going well as our daughter is only 6 and we wanted him taught correctly from the start.

We've had a great year on him. He has only twice been out of the first 2 places and has won some nice shows and was reserve champion of Lavenham show and was 2nd at Rutland County. He qualifed for both PUK Summer Champs and Equifest.

We have just started riding him off the lead and DD has also jumped him over little cross poles both on and off the lead. He also leads well off our connemara.

A good little pony he is on Horsequest and Horse and Hound but if we don't sell him we'll get him qualified for BSPS and PUK Winter Champs. He will still be qualifed as a novice for 2010 as he only won 9 pounds for being 2nd at Rutland.

DD is now riding the roan in FYFR and will be taking him to pony club jumping over the Winter. We may take the palomino as well to see how he takes to jumping a course indoors.

He's for sale as DD is now busy with after school clubs etc and we think that one pony is enough to ride over the Winter as it is difficult now it is getting dark earlier

Once she has mastered FYFR on the roan we may invest in a high class FR schoolmaster (this time next year) for her although we'll try and keep her on the lead for another season as well as, being a 7yo next year, she should be able to outride the competition.

thanks butkin, your palomino is very beautiful but too young for us i think, we really do need a pony that can do his job without getting any specific aids from the rider as dd2 only 5 and just beginning. though she sits well and hasn't come off noddy even he has been dancing sideways at a very fast rate, she really glues herself into the seat but we do need a slightly more docile less fizzy pony to get us going.

can i pick your brains about showing kit as am keeping an eye on ebay , for next year at local to PUK level. do hats have to be navy ? what is wrong with black ? to boots have to be oxblood ? what is wrong with brown ? which are the best/acceptable jodphurs? and could a leader wear a tweed show jacket as opposed to a lead rein jaclet iykwim as long it matched the childs ????

Mummydoc - thanks he is a very good little boy and is going so well off the lead rein now we may keep him anyway. Somebody does want to buy him but they are being so awkward (want him vetted and delivered for the - reasonable - price) we don't think we'll sell him to them anyway.

The Templedruid ponies have had a pretty wild upbringing running in huge herds on the fens and, although you do get very good ones, I'm not suprised what has happened to yours.

As you know we only show M&Ms for DD at the moment. This is what I'd say about gear for that level to look the part:

1. Blue Charles Owen show hat with flesh coloured strap is the norm. Some kids wear brown ones (which are more expensive) but only if the colour of their pony and jacket suit this. I'd avoid black.

1. We use brown jodphur boots - can't remember the brand but they need to be the ones with the thin soles. If you need the brand let me know. Oxblood may be OK but never black.

1. We use stretchy pale yellow jods (canary is more for show ponies) and brown jodphur clips (we go for the ones with stretchy fabric rather the rubbery elastic). We've always gone for ones with elastic tops as easier for DD to get on when little. Again if you need brands I can see what she has at the moment - I'd recommend 2 pairs as hard to keep clean at shows.

1. You should wear a tweed jacket with M&Ms -ideally to match your daughters but not a necessity as long as they look good together. If mis-matched try at least matching the buttons - we've gone this with some fox head ones off Ebay in the past.

Keep in touch and have fun!

thankyou - as will be kitting out 2 children the charles owen hats are dauntingly expensive and had seen one or 2 on ebay but they were black, my very posh showing friend had said had to be blue but as she buys new from showing selection a different outfit for each child for each pony ( = 12 outfits !) i sometimes like to check her showing advice !!!! will keep up the ebay watching over the winter me thinks, the problem with the leaders jackets from places like pretty ponies are not just the cost but the styles are deeply unflattering to very buxom ladies like me , so i wanted to get a matching jacket form their showing range . will ponder this one for the winter. am goign to see a new pony next week, if doesn't work out may well come back to you to see if you might change your mind about your palomino - he is lovely !

No worries - Pretty Ponies are horrendously priced. When we first started we had matching Shires tweed show jackets and the pair of them only cost less that 90 pounds new (from a shop via Ebay).

Not sure where you live but we've found the second-hand range at Designer Browbands to be very good and wellpriced.

If you want to see videos of our Pali look on Youtube and our name on there is "Adrian62" so you should find them all.

Oooh wish we could have him, if he was just a few hh higher . . . lovely videos.

Nobody else was placed from our yard, but Thistle and Shilstone Rocks River Ripple both competed in M&M (Dartmoor, Exmoor, Shetland). Were they memorable?

ohhh just watched videos ...gorgeous pony, and what a super little rider your daughter is.

wathced videos again as bored waiitng for end of surgery , trying to tell myself ..need older pony, need older pony...

Thanks all - the jods we use are Harry Hall Atlanta and they are childrens pull-ons which are more comfortable. Canary in this brand aren't as vivid as in some other brands. Equestrianclearance.com are great for cheap show jods.

Our jod boots are Loveson Malvern jod boots and fab for showing.

Sorry didn't see either of your ponies Mooky. We only watched the open As and Bs at HOYS and didn't go to Royal Norfolk where River Ripple qualified. The Harrison Show Team have had a good write-up in Showing World October/November 2009 in case you've not seen it.

I must be careful when I complain about the yard now that I've outed it

People have pulled out of buying Palomino today saying they cannot sell their current pony for the price they paid for him (not suprising as it has been a nightmare!).

Therefore we're taking him to pony club next week and will enjoy riding him on and off the lead rein over the winter - maybe he'll be sell quickly as a proven 5yo in the Spring.

for you over palamino sale, he looked so fantastic, though think that your dd clearly can ride him very well. i guess it is tricky ( rather like a house sale chain) luckily though not rolling in dosh am able to fund buying another pony while we still try to see noddy. i think you have him amazingly priced, my friend just paid £2500 for a poorer quality sec a , who was priced high because of his fab quiet nature ( he is 4 btw) and though quiet is still very babyish. you never know someone will probably come along now you don't want to sell him and offer yoou cash !!!

Mummydoc - thanks for all that. Ironically this afternoon another lady has called us to say that she'll buy him for the asking price as long as we can keep him for another couple of weeks (they are off on holiday) which is fine by us. She saw him a week ago and not rung back so it was lucky for her that the original people backed out before her call.

I think this person is much more suitable - she had kids of 6 and 2 so the right ages for him to have a long time there and they all seem very keen on him (the other people seemed to be looking to find fault in him).

For 2,500 pounds I'd expect something pretty decent these days if only a LR. I wouldn't buy any pony for a child unless it had a fab nature, regardless of price. You do pay that price for a FR though if safe.

For our next pony we'll probably pay up to 5,000 but it will need to be a country proven FR(not just speculation) with an easy canter.

In the meantime the roan is off to be professionally schooled during half term to work on that blessed canter transition!