News

2022 News from Rackwood Fell ponies

The year began rather wet and windy but soon turned very cold with freezing temperatures so it was too icy to ride.  I had four yearlings stabled along with Rose, so feeding and mucking out was time consuming.  Dalewin Victor was in a separate part of the farm yard with access to a small paddock and was allowed some turnout when the weather allowed.  News of the Centenary 100 mile Challenge gave me something to think about and to make plans for when the weather improved.  Towards the end of the month I was unwell with food poisoning.  I felt really unwell and took myself off to the doctors.  There was no magic cure so I just had to take it easy, between feeding ponies and Donald, and wait to recover.  Early in February, as the nights were beginning to get lighter, the snow arrived but fortunately it didn’t stay too long.  Around this time I was contacted by someone looking for a filly, either 3yrs or 4yrs.  I had three 3yr old fillies, so felt I had to offer to sell one of them, so rather reluctantly, I agreed to sell Bonnie Lass.  She was my favourite but I knew I couldn’t give enough time to them all so a good home where she would get handled, was more important.

During March I concentrated on getting Rose out and about.  We began our 100 mile Centenary Challenge by doing a pleasure ride at Estrick Park near Selby which was organised by a member of the North East Support Group.  This was followed by dressage at High Plains Equestrian and a trip to the beach at Seaton Carew with Barbara and Ben.  We then joined a showing clinic at Kirkley Hall with Sarah Emmerson, followed by a Pure Novice Ridden class where we were placed 2nd and Reserve Champion Pure Novice.  Quite an exciting day but my back gave me a lot of pain from all the cantering.  Why do we have to do so much cantering in a novice ridden class when trot is more natural Fell pony pace and much easier for me to ride having a long term spinal injury.

April saw the arrival of some spring grass so the broodmares did not need as much hay.  I had Dynamo and Gambler gelded but kept Eldorado entire.  I had the notion of keeping Eldorado as my next stallion but would need to select my breeding mares very carefully.  A crazy idea really but one I wanted the chance to see through.  Rose and I continued our adventures by attending a TSR Clinic at Houghall College and was Talent Spotted.  I was extremely proud of her and excited by the prospect of further travels.  At the end of April we went to Hairy Pony Camp at Linnel Wood.  Rose was quite a handful during the ride out on the Friday evening.  She got herself excited at being in a group which never happens at home.  She behaved well for the rest of the weekend apart from fiddling with her bit and getting her tongue over it a couple of times.  The Sunday afternoon derby was fun as I found myself riding the ‘fast’ pony in the competition which was just up Rose’s street.  We came home tired and happy to find out that Black Magic had produced a filly that morning, which was baby H, so christened Rackwood Hermione.  

The next task was preparation for the FPS Centenary Stallion Show.  Katie and I between us took Rackwood Eldorado, for the yearling class, Dalewin Victor, for the 3&4yr old class, and Lunesdale Black Ice II, for the 5yrs and over class.  We had several days of practising followed by a full day of bathing and polishing and then a very early start on show day itself.  Eldorado was placed 3rd, Victor was placed 4th and Black Ice II was placed 3rd.  Katie did all of the in-hand showing while I was groom. It was an exhausting day but especially enjoyable being part of such a momentous occasion.  The icing on the cake was coming home to find Maggie May had foaled a colt while we had been away, Baby I which was christened Rackwood Issac.   My 2022 foaling complete!

The North East show season was just beginning so I took Aurora to the Native Pony Festival where she was placed 4th.  Early in June I took Rose to North Eastern Counties Welsh Pony & Cob spring show at West Park Equestrian where she was shown for me by Jane Horn and was placed 1st M&M Large In-hand and M&M Champion.  She then went forward into the Supreme In-hand Championship against all the section champions and she won.  Jane was delighted.  She was then tacked up so I could ride her in the Novice M&M class and was placed 2nd M&M Large Ridden and M&M Reserve Champion Ridden.  A fabulous day for Jane and I which was spoilt when we arrived home to discover that Jed, our beloved Jack Russel terrier, had been killed by a car at our farm entrance.  The car hadn’t even stopped so we ended the day with a very sad and tearful heart.

June is the month when we hope to get away for a few days and go to the Royal Highland Show but we had a North East Summer Picnic to plan and tidy up for before we could pack the caravan.  When you haven’t been away for a while you forget what you need to take but when you have a caravan, you can just take everything.  Dalewin Victor had covered all my mares in-hand during May and early June so was now running out with them and would stay with them until late autumn. 

Earlier in the year I had agreed to sell Dynamo to a lady who lives just below Nottingham so during the second week in July we took a day off to deliver him to his new home. We also fitted in a visit to the lady who owns Rackwood Ruth and somehow offered to sell her Rackwood Autumn Dew, who is Ruth’s full sister.  This was part of my master plan to keep Eldorado as my stallion.  July was a dry, hot, dusty month which turned out perfect for making hay but no moisture to get the grass to grow afterwards.

August was a very busy month which began with the FPS Breed Show.  I called in lots of friends to help as I wanted to take four ponies.  Once again it was going to be a special Centenary Breed Show so I entered a mare and foal, a geld mare and a yearling filly.  My broodmare Rackwood Black Magic, shown by Helen, was placed 1st as was her filly foal, Rackwood Hermione.  Rackwood Aurora was not placed in the geld mare class but Rackwood Finale, shown by Jane, was placed 6th in the yearling class.  I then put them forward for the mare progeny class, as they are all out of Rackwood Magic, and we were awarded 1st prize.  I drove home feeling exhausted and extremely happy having won a handful of rosettes and four trophies.

The following week was the FPS Centenary Ball at Kendal.  I was one of the organisers of this event so had lots to do over the next few days.  We were staying with some friends who live in Kendal so this time away from home was extra special for us.  We hadn’t been far during the two pandemic years so were determined to enjoy this party.  Much to my disappointment, I tested positive for Covid a few days later and I shared this with Donald the very next week.  We were not ill but had cold symptoms and felt very tired and weary.

All of our local agricultural shows happen in September so once again I had to seek the help of friends so that I could continue to show my mare and filly foal.  Angela came with me to Wolsingham Show where Black Magic was awarded 1st prize along with her filly foal, Hermione.  Jane came to help me at Bowes Show where my mare and foal were again awarded 1st prize broodmare and foal.  Eggleston Show was a little more difficult to organise as my friends wanted to show their own ponies so Katie’s mother, Jennifer, volunteered to help me.  Black Magic was awarded 1st prize broodmare and Hermione was 1st prize foal followed by Fell pony Reserve Champion.  This made for a fabulous end to my showing season.

As chairman of the North East FPS Support Group I then had to arrange a memorial ride to honour the passing of H M The Queen.  I live on a very busy ‘A’ road so totally unsuitable for riding ponies so with Donald’s help and support we agreed to ride from land he owns at the far side of Crook.  We had a 15 acre field for parking and access to a disused railway line which allowed us to complete a respectful memorial ride in safety.  North East committee members worked together to provide a gazebo with a table for an altar which displayed photos of H M The Queen with her Fell ponies. A local vicar came and gave a service and guided us in prayer.  We offered tea/coffee and cake on returning from the ride and everyone joined in.  This was another truly momentous occasion.  

The following weekend I took Rose to Newton Rigg Equestrian at Penrith to join the North West FPS Support Group pony camp.  It is great to be one of the participants rather than one of the organisers so we had lots of fun and even won a rosette for having the tidiest stable.     

During the summer, when we had both been poorly with Covid, I had made the decision to sell several of my ponies before winter.  Donald’s continued health issues and my age had made me realise that we had to make some changes.  I advertised Melody on the FPS website and she was sold within days to a gentleman in Germany.  Autumn Dew was delivered to her new home below Nottingham.  I reluctantly entered Eldorado and Gambler for the FPS Sale at North West Auctions and was relieved when they both found good homes and Eldorado was going to be kept as a breeding stallion.  Six ponies had been sold during 2022 and all gone by the end of October. 

The weather became very wet and windy early in November when I weaned Hermione and Issac.  This changed to very cold and foggy by the middle of the month so I decided not to do any of the foal shows.  I was content to handle them at home and gain their trust.  I brought Dalewin Victor home and stabled him next to his foals for company.  He had run out with them all summer so was happy to chat to them over the stable door. 

My final challenge of the year was my 70th birthday.  Was I to let it slip by unnoticed or should we have a big party.  We have got out of the way of dancing and late nights but felt it should be celebrated as an achievement.  The family rallied round and suggested an open house afternoon tea so that was what we did.  An afternoon where I sat and talked for hours to many people that have been a major part in my life, especially since I retired from teaching in 2010.  We shared happy memories and eat lots of delicious food which I did not prepare.   

To sum it up:

    1. Feeling very lucky to have a safe and sensible pony in my 7yr old mare Rackwood Rambling Rose.  She is the perfect height for me at 13.3hh and will do anything that I ask of her be it in-hand or ridden.  I hope we can continue to explore the countryside together, for at least another 10 years.
    2. Enjoying and very much appreciating the help of pony friends so that I could show a broodmare and foal throughout the season.  Donald is no longer well enough to help me show ponies but he can take care of the wagon and is very good at making everyone a cuppa.
    3. Celebrating reaching an important age milestone with the help of family and acknowledging that I am in better health now than I was thirty years ago so let us hope it continues.
    4. It has been a very busy and successful year but I have to accept that I cannot continue to keep such a large number of Fell ponies so must change my ways if I am to reduce my workload.  Henry Ford said, ‘If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got’.  I must learn to do things differently. 

2021-22 News From Rackwood Fell Ponies

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