Renvarg Crusader and Cefncerrig Alfie bring home the ribbons

The three musketeer's in line, patiently awaiting the champions to be announced

 

It was a day of firsts on Sunday the 21st of September, when myself and two of my good friends attended Patrington Mill Show.

Renvarg Crusader's First Show

Show morning arrived, it was half past five and I was sitting at home with a Mocha coffee in hand patiently awaiting the arrival of day light, not being in a hurry to go out in what was turning out to be an exceedingly chilly September morning. 

Given that my horses are shown straight from the field with only a field shelter and no electricity I couldn't exactly go bring them in at 5am to re-wash their socks as I had planned so when dawn finally broke over the field we had but an hour to prepare and load both ponies onto the box, baring in mind that Crusader is not the most co-operative loader in the world (probably, in fact, the least!). I had
doubts about what I would find in the field, visions of mud-encrusted, stained, brown, once-white socks darted through my mind, but I was pleasantly surprised to find on arrival at the field that Crusader had in fact managed to stay clean over night and ended up loading onto the box with no grooming at all, as all of the time was spent on trying to clean the mini man, Cefncerrig Alfie up!

Renvarg Crusader

Luckily my good friend Jemma who I have written about in my blog before when she was exercising Ronnie for me during my pregnancy in 2012, had agreed to come along with me for the day! This worked out great as the boys ended up in two classes together and the championship classes!
My other good friend Kim was also showing her traditional cob colt on the day so we managed to park the boxes together and juggle our three boys who were showing and Kim's adorable shetland who was travel companion to Magners, her colt.

The show was Renvarg Crusader's very first show, he is a six year old chestnut Welsh Section D gelding by Synod Replica and out of Renvarg Perriwinkle. I expected him to be over excited but luckily he was a perfect angel, whom in the ring was complimented on his manners by the judge!

Renvarg Crusader taking Third in his first ever class.

To cut a long story short I will skip right along and tell you that Crusader entered four classes and bagged two firsts, a second and a third. The first class we entered was the "warm up class" that all three boys entered and Crusader earned himself a respectable third. It was all upwards from there and he out did himself in the next three classes, winning a second and two firsts, going on to win the mountain and moorland large breeds in hand class and qualifying for Equifest 2015!

Cefncerrig Alfie

The day also happened to be Cefncerrig Alfie's second show, having entered his first show (Epworth Show) the previous month. Cefncerrig Alfie is my four year old buckskin Welsh Section A pony whom I've only owned a year. He was a good boy throughout the day, loading himself in the box (a relief after spending a long time convincing Crusader to load before we could set off for the show!) Alfie bagged a 6th in the first class and moved on to bag himself two seconds and his first ever First place! He came a well received second in the mountain and moorland small breeds class and also qualified himself for Equifest 2015!

Cefncerrig Alfie trying out the showing game

Bromley's Cask of Magner's (my friend's traditional Cob colt) behaved himself so well for a baby colt at only his second show of the year. He bagged himself a fifth place, two thirds and a first! Also qualifying himself for Equifest 2015 (looks like we're going to Equifest next year girls!).

Bromleys Cask of Magner's Winning First place Part Bred

All in all a great day was had by all and the future is looking bright for all of our ponies, hopefully next season my welsh section C Ronnie will be out to play again once his mane has grown back in (damn sweet itch!)

Left to right - Renvarg Crusader and Cefncerrig Alfie with their ribbons.

Cefncerrig Aflie with his winnings

Crusader returning to the box

 

 

Cuddles for the mini man!

  

 

Cefncerrig Alfie's first show!

Cefncerrig Alfie, 4yo Welsh Section A gelding

Cefncerrig Alfie's First Show

Last month saw the arrival of the annual Epworth Show, and the start of Alfie's showing career. 

The start of a career  

Cefncerrig Alfie

As I have mentioned in previous blog post's, Cefncerrig Alfie is a now four year old Welsh section A gelding whom I'm hoping will become my daughter's lead rein and eventually first ridden pony. So to get him used to the idea of show's I had decided to take him out in hand before trying him under saddle as a lead rein pony next season, this way he shouldn't be as excited or anxious at a show with his little rider on board. 

After a rocky start to the morning being late to the field we set off with an almost presentable Alfie whom had gotten some what dirty in his paddock over night, we did all we could with what tools we had but we just couldn't get him to stand still enough to have his socks well washed so he wasn't as well turned out as we'd have liked yet he looked presentable enough.

Cefncerrig Alfie at Epworth Show 2014

Upon arriving at the show he was a little wound up at being made by the show ground to stay in his box due to air crafts flying over (Alfie being kept right next to a private air field meant that he didn't bat an eyelid at the planes) but once he was out of his box he was as good as gold for a late cut gelding at his first ever show. In the ring he went around nicely in trot and got a little excited by the other ponies but did nothing naughty over than pulling towards the others. However he wouldn't stand up for the judge but overall I was happy with his performance coming in a respectable fourth out of a relatively large M&M small breeds class with some nice and encouraging comments from the judge.