From Shetland To Olympia
Two of our younger PBSA members, Charlotte Cree-Hay and Amanda Slater, recently enjoyed a memorable trip to Olympia.
It was like christmas come early only a week early though!
When we, with mothers in tow (not that they were complaining!) arrived in London to visit Olympia - the London International Horse Show.
We made it through check in at the airport no bother but.. if you want to see a whole team of grumpy security staff end themselves laughing first thing in the morning, try taking off your shoes to reveal a pair of totally mismatched socks! It wouldn't have been so bad if we weren't both odd!!!
Thanks to Amanda's homebred colt foal - Breckenlea Frolic - being selected as the 2009 Shetland Pony Grand National Mascot we were given backstage passes for the two days that we were at Olympia. This enabled us to go behind the scenes, rubbing shoulders with the horsey celebrities in the stable and warm up arena.... and their owners in the competitiors bar!
We visited all the ponies competing in the Shetland Pony Grand National including Clothie Uriebell who was ridden by Arianne Fraser from Whalsay again this year. We also saw them race 4 times while we were there. Frolic also visited the "posh boxes" upstairs after a short journey in a lift (as well as performing for the audiences twice daily in the big ring), where he met royalty along with some of the children from the hospital. The Shetland Pony Grand National raises funds for the Great Ormond Street Hospital where Frolic also goes to visit.
We would like to say a huge thank you Emma Leivers (SPGN coordinator) for getting us backstage passes ........ and to our long suffering mothers for taking us south and putting up with us all weekend!
A happy new year and all the best for 2010 from the Redsand and Breckenlea Studs
Visit the Redsand Stud website here.
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