November

Jay continued to compete at Allens Hill on Sundays, and Clyde continued to perform brilliantly. For example, on three successive weekends, he won second places in three different competitions for dressage, show jumping and cross country. His points total was beginning to look promising. The show-jumping, in particular, was very well attended, there being no local shows at this time of year, but Clyde nevertheless was placed in all three of his classes. What a good pony. Jay calculated afterwards that he had cleared 39 consecutive jumps without faults that afternoon, and many of them under time pressure in the jump-offs.

On Friday 25 we went to Allens Hill for the presentation of awards for the past season of competition. Juliet was in the running in three categories. As no results had been posted for a few weeks, we were crossing our fingers. Mostly on Clyde’s account as Jay desperately wanted him to win Best Pony.

The event was held at the Coach and Horses, Pinvin (near Pershore), and, as we waited with our drinks for the buffet supper, we became more and more nervous. The food was laid out but not served, and a full hour passed before we started supper. (We found out later the delay was to give some people who had broken down time to arrive.) Meanwhile the sponsors spread the prizes tantalisingly on the platform at the end of the room.

Eventually the proceedings were under way, and the winners were called up in what was generally reverse order. Juliet won the prize for best Cross Country performance – a new fleece presented by the sponsors Cool Forage. Did this mean she was not going to get the more prestigious overall award? The tension rose.

At last, the prizes for best pony, and the winner was … Darkest Braveheart (or Clyde to you and me, that’s his show name). He won an extremely smart rug presented by HFN Landscapes, and embroidered with ‘Allens Hill Best Pony 2005’.

Finally, Jay won Best Junior Rider 2005, and with it the framed portrait of herself on Clyde you see in the picture below, which now hangs prominently in the hall. It was presented by Action Shots, the official photographers and sponsors, and had been posed some weeks earlier on the pretext that it was for a new publicity brochure. Jay had won comfortably in the end, thanks to Clyde’s amazing ability to pick up points in all three types of competition – dressage, show jumping and cross country. Well done the pair of them. Teresa must share the glory for coping with the driving and for all the support she provides on these cold, muddy, winter weekends.

Jay with the organisers and her award for Jay with Clyde and his rug for Best

Best Junior Rider 2005 Pony 2005

Allens Hill Awards 2005

Roger’s indoor bowling continued at Malvern and at Littleton, where he was also offered a regular place in a mid-week game. The Overbury club held another Quiz Night on Wednesday 23, and, in our usual team, we managed to defend our title successfully. Roger missed the AGM the following evening in order to hear about university entrance procedures at Jay’s school.

Academically, belated good news for Jay: one of the GCSE examining boards has re-marked their centre papers, and her English Language mark has gone up from A to A* (in line with all her other papers).

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Diary 2005