WELL DONE TO ABIGAIL DORSET FOR A SUCCESSFUL YEAR

At the recent Performance Awards Day of the British Connemara Pony Society, BCPS , 11 year old Abigail Dorset from Takeley, had a very rewarding time. Apart from being the youngest rider there, she and her two ponies, Martinside  Laurel and Dark Aurora, won four cups and numerous rosettes. Each award is decided by points accumulated in recognised competitions and equine events held between the 1st October and the 30th September of the following year. Any rider owning a Registered pure or part bred Connemara pony can apply to the BCPS for a points card. At any event the card must be signed by the event organiser, certifying the result. The overall places are limited to members of the BCPS.

After the AGM in the morning , the members listened to an amusing and instructive address by Mary King the 2011 HSBC Leading Event Rider of the Year as well as winner of the HSBC FEI Classic. It was an insight into her progress from a very non-horsey start in life to the top of Eventing World with a chance to add to her Bronze and Silver Olympic medals next year. Her life has been full of incident including losing all her tack and Olympic memorabilia in a house fire two days before Christmas 2001, breaking her neck and coming within an inch of quadriplegia, and agonising when her daughter was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (ME). Being Mary, she didn’t accept the medical advice and as a result of her efforts the Health Service is now using an alternative medical approach to treat the patient. By her own admission 2011 has been her most successful year to date and she’s just celebrated her 50th birthday. Beyond 2012 ? – with a twinkle in her eye, she suggested that having mother and daughter in the same Olympic team has never been done. Don’t bet against her and Emily being in Brazil in 2016!!

Abigail got to meet Mary during a book signing, and again a lot of times during the prize giving.  Mary even posed afterwards with Abigail holding some of her trophies. We all got to appreciate how dedicated Mary is as well as how friendly and encouraging!!

For the Record:-

Dark Aurora was

2nd - Millfields Commodore Trophy for Part-Breds

Part Bred Specials for

Show Jumping

Cross Country

Versatility

Martinside Laurel was                  

1st - Donadea Shaun Trophy

1st - Lucinda Trophy – Best Mare

1st - Frost Trophy – Cross Country

Reserve- Chiltern Lara Trophy – Oldest Pony

2nd - Hellings Trophy – Show Jumping

4th - Easter Kitty Trophy –Not exceeding 138cm

5th - MacDunn Cup – Versatility – 5th

6th - Sparklette Trophy – Family/Utility

Special - Riders 12 years and under

CHAMPIONSHIPS OF GREAT BRITAIN 2011 by Louisa Kenney

On Friday 26th August I loaded my pony, Suzi, onto the lorry and we drove to Shaftsbury Farm to collect Charlotte Pegrum and her pony Smartie. Her mum, Diane towed their very luxurious caravan!! Then we set off for a 3 hour drive to the David Broome Event Centre, Wales were we were staying for the weekend to compete in the Championships of Great Britain. When we arrived it was wet and muddy. We found the ponies stables and put them in them. Then we went back to the caravan for some dinner of chicken fajitas. The Pegrums always have that on the first night of being in the caravan! That night Charlotte, mum and I all slept in the lorry. Diane, Amelia (Charlotte's sister) and Rory (my brother) all slept in the caravan. 

At six am I woke up freezing and there was condensation on the roof! We got up and went to feed the ponies. Then I went to declare for the 12 and under 2ft6 and the open 2ft3 and Charlotte declared for the 12 and under 2ft6 and the 11 and under 2ft3. We then had breakfast. Diane then took us down to walk the 12 and under 2ft6 course in the sand arena. We went back and got our tack and we were grooming our ponies and charlotte said to me " Do you want to go and see how many people there are to jump before us?" I went to see the board and there were 8 to go before Charlotte!  I dashed back and told Diane who put the tack on Smartie only as I finished saying it! I then got on Suzi and went down to the warm up. I had a quick warm up and jumped a jump and then I watched Charlotte do her round, which was a beautiful clear and then it was my turn. Suzi went really nicely and did a lovely clear. I then had to dash to my next arena just to miss the course walk so I had to ask a lady who's son told me. It was on a grass arena and it was a tricky course to remember. I did another lovely clear on Suzi at a good time too. I came 9th out of 77 and got a rosette as they went down to 10th place. Charlotte meanwhile had done another nice clear on Smartie. We went back and untacked our ponies and then went to watch the team jumping. 

The next day was Sunday and it was the semi finals. We were more organized that day and it also helped as we were jumping in the afternoon. I did a lovely clear in the 2ft 3 and did a nice clear in the first round of 2ft6 but then had a refusal in the jump off. Charlotte went clear in 2ft3 and had an unlucky pole down in 2ft6. On Monday we did the warm up classes. I went clear in 2ft3 and had unlucky refusal in 2ft6 due to me not using my left leg! Charlotte had a stop in 2ft6 and a pole down in 2ft 3. We then both did the 2ft6 final and I went clear but poor charlotte went to slow and had a refusal and then she sped up and had a pole down. After that we then packed everything up and went home. Charlotte and I would like to thank Diane and mum for taking, supporting and cooking for us. And thank you to my brother and Amelia for hanging around and watching us. But I’d just like to say an extra thank you, which goes to my pony. Because she has worked so hard for me all summer. She is now having a holiday in the field!!

Thank you to Louisa Kenney for her fabulous report and well done to Louisa and Charlotte.