The Family

Rackwood Maggie May (2010)

Dam: Rackwood Maydew Sire: Wellbrow Samson

Maggie is a thick set pony, very much like her father, but with the additional height from her mother and should mature at about 13.2hh – 13.3hh. She has many of the qualities of her mother including her sensible outlook and good movement. She was not handled very much as a foal, yearling or two year old so everything was very new to her in the spring of 2013 when she was taken to her first show. She has made me extremely proud during 2013 winning many awards.

2013: Grass Sickness Show: 1st Prize M&M Large Youngstock
Reserve Champion Youngstock
NECWPCA Spring Show: 1st Prize M&M Large Youngstock
FPS South Cumbria Show: 2nd Prize Fell 2&3 yrs
Lanchester Show: 1st Prize Fell 2&3 yrs
Great Yorkshire Show: 1st Prize Fell 2&3 yrs
Fell Supreme Champion
Hexham Native Show: 1st Prize M&M Large Youngstock
M&M Supreme Champion
Cleveland Show: 1st Prize Fell 2&3 yrs
FPS Breed Show: 2nd Prize 3yr old filly
NPS Area 4 Summer Show:
1st Prize Fell 2&3Yrs
Fell Reserve Champion
Weardale Show: 1st Prize Fell 2&3 yrs
Fell Supreme Champion
NECWPCA Summer Show:
1st Prize M&M Large Youngstock
Wolsingham Show: 1st Prize Fell 2&3 yrs
Eggleston Show: 2nd Prize Fell 2&3 yrs

While Maggie was at home during the summer of 2013, and being prepared for every show, I decided to mouth and back her. She readily accepted being ridden but because she was only 3yrs I kept this to a walk and trot. She will be able to further her ridden education at a later date. When autumn arrived, I felt she deserved a change of scene so took her to Hamsterley to run with my broodmares for the winter (2013-2014).
Maggie stayed at Hamsterley until May 2014 but when I brought her home she had lost all her feather (bog burn) so I decided not to show her until late summer. She went to the FPS Breed Show in August but was rather fat and lazy, followed by the FPS Southern Show in September. I was still doing a lot with Bonnie so I didn’t start riding her regularly until early in November when I started schooling her for a dressage test early in December.

2014: FPS Breed Show: 5th Prize geld mare 4-7 yrs
2nd Prize Mare Progeny Class (Maydew)
FPS Southern Show: 1st Prize geld mare 4-8 yrs
Reserve Champion Mare
1st Prize Pairs In-hand (with Princess)
Dressage Competition: 3rd Intro A 1st Intro B

Maggie was ridden regularly over the winter and took part in Dressage Tests at a local Equestrian Centre as well as at the annual Native Pony Dressage. She took part in the North East FPS Group Jumping Clinic in March and was hacking out on the roads with a friend and was proving to be well behaved in traffic. I took her to Hairy Camp at Linnel Wood early in May where she experienced dressage, show jumping and cross country. I was really enjoying her laid back attitude to life. She had a busy summer attending shows and pleasure rides.

2015: NCPA Summer Show: 1st Prize Fell 4 yrs +
Champion Fell Pony
Cleveland Show: 1st Prize Fell 4 yrs +
Champion Fell Pony
FPS Breed Show: 3rd Prize Geld Mare 4 – 7 yrs
Wolsingham Show: 2nd Prize Fell 4 yrs +
NCPA Northern POYS: 1st Prize Fell 4 yrs +
Champion Fell Pony
Rare Breeds of the Year Show:
1st Prize Mare In-hand
1st Prize Mare Ridden

I was very busy during 2016 concentrating on breaking and schooling Hugo ready to sell and helping arrange the Windsor Event for the FPS so I decided to let Maggie run with my stallion Linnel Riddler in the hope of getting a foal in 2017. She produced her first foal, a colt, early in July 2017 and very quickly became an attentive and caring mother. To my horror, Zodiac was found dead in the field mid August when he was around five weeks old. Maggie was devastated. There was no obvious illness but they had been in the same field as Bonnie who was put to sleep early in August after being diagnosed with grass sickness. I think Zodiac may have contracted something from Bonnie as they were often together. No evidence for this other than my own gut feeling. Maggie was very unhappy and needed a job so I quickly brought her into work and took her to my local agricultural shows a few weeks later. We both needed to end the year on a positive note.

2017: Wolsingham Show: 1st Prize Fell 4 yrs+
Reserve Champion Fell
Eggleston Show: 1st Prize Fell 3 yrs +
Fell Champion

During 2018 Maggie was my main riding pony and we regularly competed in British Dressage and In-hand showing as well as hacking out with friends. We competed as part of a Fell pony team in Quest Club and individually in My Quest. We did reasonably well in both competitions and narrowly missed qualifying for the regional finals in My Quest. This was a great training opportunity for both of us. I took Maggie to Hairy Pony Camp at Linnel Wood early in May where she took part in lots of lessons including flat lessons, cross country and show jumping. Maggie loved every minute of it so this made me decide to enter the North West Camp at Newton Rigg in July. This was a completely different type of camp but again included flat work, jumping and le trec. We both had a real fun weekend where Maggie was awarded a rosette for being the Best Mannered Pony. Proud mammy moment!

2018: South Cumbria FPS Show: 1st Prize Mare 4 yrs +
In-hand Champion
Supreme Show Champion
FPS Breed Show 2nd Prize Mare 8 yrs+
NECW&PC Summer Show: 1st Prize M&M
Rare Breeds of the Year Show:: 1st Prize Mares In-hand
Reserve Champion In-hand

At the beginning of 2019 I planned to do some M&M ridden classes but my confidence was wavering at the thought of lots of ponies racing around an arena. I felt fine doing dressage even though the warm up arena can be challenging but you are the only person in the arena when it matters. I was not sure if I could cope with more than ten ponies cantering around when told to do so, especially as Maggie was inclined to throw in a very large buck occasionally. I feel that there is too much emphasis on canter in the modern ridden class whereas in the 70s and 80s a good walk and trot was all that was required. I’m too old to bounce so decided to quit while I was still in one piece and continue with the dressage and in-hand showing.

We continued to be part of the BD Dressage team and compete in Team Quest and My Quest. I was lacking enthusiasm this time as I was ready to try something new. Maggie and I attended the Hairy Pony Camp at Linnel Wood and the North West Camp at Newton Rigg and had lots of fun and made many new friends. Our in-hand showing was reasonably successful and included a trip to the Royal Highland Show but I was hankering on trying something new and exploring more of our countryside and bridleways. My friend Barbara was keen to do the same so we started to plan longer outings outside our area for 2020.

2019: Native Pony Festival: 1st Prize Fell 4yrs+
Durham County Show: 1st Prize Fell 4yrs +
Champion Fell
Royal Highland Show: 6th Prize M&M 4yrs+
Great Yorkshire Show: 2nd Prize Fell Mare
FPS Breed Show: 1st Prize Mare 8yrs+
NECWP&CA Summer Show:
2nd Prize M&M 4yrs+
Wolsingham Show: 1st Prize Fell 4yrs+
Reserve Champion Fell

Maggie and I ended 2019 with a very wet and windy ride at Druridge Bay mid October. One of my friends had this endurance ride on her bucket list so I agreed to go with her but the weather was absolutely dreadful so we couldn’t see the sea or the other horses and ponies on the beach for most of the time. It was exhilarating but we were totally soaked from head to foot so agreed we would do it again on our own when the weather was more favourable. I think this may be an outing for 2020.

Needless to say my plans for 2020 have all been shattered by the Covid-19 pandemic. A ten week lockdown until early June and being advised not to ride to protect the NHS was very difficult to understand during late March and April but as the weeks have passed and a great number of people have died, I want to stay at home and have no wish to do many of the things I had planned. All the large shows began to cancel during April and then all the smaller autumn agricultural shows have done the same. When Maggie came into season mid May there was no doubt in my mind that she should be allowed to have another foal. I have said it was time for a change so Covid-19 may have forced my hand.

Maggie May’s family:

Rackwood Zodiac 2017, Colt, Died August 2017

 

 

 

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