Avon Riding Centre Autumn Gala

Jive Pony's 2008 season is over! We finished it with a lovely show at the Avon Riding Centre for the Disabled in Bristol. Rebecca, Ronan, Tim and I went down for the day yesterday for a solo show. As it was just the one show we left Tinker at home to have a day off - I think he was just pleased he didn't have to have a bath!

The show went really well - the audience were definitely the most receptive we've had all year! They clapped and cheered and booed in all the right places - I felt really guilty when I had to call them rubbish (it's in the script - I couldn't avoid it!) and they booed me for it!!

They had some other interesting displays throughout the day including a police dog demonstration and a display by the paralympic dressage gold medal winner, both of which were really impressive. However, the highlight of the day was the finale, where everyone involved with the centre took part in a musical ride with 'Grease' for the theme. I counted twenty horses and riders taking part - all dressed up as either a T Bird or a Pink Lady! You can click here to read a full account of the day and here to see some of our photos.

Both Tinker and Ronan are going to have a well earned rest for a while now. They really have both been absolutely amazing this year, Rebecca and I owe absolutely everything to them. They have coped with everything from blistering heat to knee deep mud and flooding, on top of spending endless hours on the lorry being trekked around the country - whilst always being calm, patient and willing, and looking after us as best they could. We really couldn't ask for more. Boys - we love you.

Although the shows with the horses are now over Rebecca and I are spending Wednesday and Thursday at Newbury Showground for the Showman's Show. We're there with our new agent Peter Johnson, and we'll be setting up a little stand and spending the days trying to promote ourselves and sell our shows! I'll let you know how we get on...

Love Rosie xx

New Website!

Look at our lovely new website! The whole website has undergone a complete transformation and is now completely up to date, with loads of information about every aspect of Jive Pony - and lots of photos of course! It's all thanks to the wonderful Scott, who has built the entire site in his spare time after seeing us at a show back in May, and both Rebecca and I are eternally grateful to him! If anyone out there needs any sort of work like this doing I can't recommend him highly enough - just contact us through our website and we'll put you in touch with him. To have a look at the website just click on the link to the right of this post and it'll take you straight there - happy surfing!

Rosie x

Miniature Horse of the Year Show

Last weekend it was giant vegetables and this weekend it was miniature horses - it's like Gulliver's Travels in the Jive Pony camp at the moment! Rebecca, Ronan, Tim, Tinker and I were up at Arena UK, Grantham, for a one day solo show for the Miniature Horse of the Year Show.

The first show at lunchtime went without a hitch, and it was really lovely to be vaulting on a proper surface, it definitely made things a lot easier. I think even Tinker appreciated it after all the different types of ground he's had to deal with this summer! The second show was in the evening and didn't go quite so smoothly to start with. I was busy opening the show when I walked under one of the overhead speakers and got really loud feedback from my microphone. So I hastily ran backwards to try and stop it... only to crash into one of our stands, fall flat on my back, drop the microphone with a really loud thud, knock down two other stands and detach a lot of our ring rope. All in one go. So, so embarrassing! (And now I'm laughing so hard at the memory I can barely type!!) I scrambled back up and tried to carry on commentating, but got completely lost as to where I was, and was also trying not to laugh too much. Unlike Becca, who practically fell off Ronan she was laughing so hard! Anyway...on with the show! Thankfully that was the only mishap and the rest of the show went brilliantly!

The miniature horses themselves were amazing - they were absolutely tiny! You could easily fit one of their hooves into the palm of your hand, and their legs were narrower than my wrist! They varied quite a bit in size but some of them were only knee high - and then there were the foals! The foals were so small, and my favourite was a little irish chap called Ralph. Although he didn't win his class he was definitely the best - he was the fluffiest little thing I've ever seen!

As well as the shows Rebecca, Ronan, Tinker and I had to parade in each class throughout the evening. It was really strange waiting in the collecting arena surrounded by miniature horses - Tinker and Ronan looked like behemoths in comparison! The boys were fascinated by them though, and kept trying to talk to them all! Aside from the showing they had classes for driving and riding, but also a fancy dress class and inhand showjumping! I wouldn't have believed it had I not seen it, but those little horses can jump! I'm not sure Tinker and I would have made it over some of the jumps they were clearing! The fancy dress class was also memorable, with costumes varying from fairies to unicorns, and little red riding hood to snow white and the seven dwarves, but the class was eventually won by a very impressive 101 dalmatians. We did manage to take quite a few photos, just click here to have a look.

We've got this weekend off, but next weekend we're off to Avon Riding Centre in Bristol for another one day solo show - lets hope I can stay on my feet this time!

Rosie xx