Showman's Show

Well it was a couple of weeks ago now but Rebecca and I had great fun at the Showman's Show. We set ourselves up a little stand in Peter Johnson's big top tent and covered it with lots of costumes, posters and photos, set up our laptops playing our show reel and website - and then realised the whole thing closely resembled both our bedrooms!

We were very lucky in that our stand was situated between a Terrier racing man who had three gorgeous (if slightly smelly) Jack Russell puppies with him, and Dingle Fingle's fire engine - both of which served as brilliant attractions and allowed us to accost lots of unsuspecting would be passersby!

It was a lovely couple of days - we made lots of new friends, and caught up with some old ones we haven't seen for a while. We even learnt a new skill - riding a penny farthing! This isn't as easy as you might think and we have Felix and Felix (or Kim and Nik - sorry guys!) to thank for letting us persuade them to teach us!

We also met some brilliant balloon modelists who could literally make anything from balloons. My favourite was when they made a little boy into a helicopter - who then spent the whole afternoon 'flying' around the tent! They also made us a really sweet little Jive Pony balloon model!

There were lots of things to see and do at the show, including brilliant tribute acts to Madonna, Amy Winehouse and Kylie on the stage right next to our tent. There was also a spider web tower to try and climb, It's a Knockout with Keith Chegwin, fighting giants, some farm animals and a pink plane piloted by pirates to name a few! Click here to see the photos of everything.

In amongst all this Rebecca and I did manage to schmooze quite a few show organisers - so hopefully we'll be getting some work for next year. Having said that the bookings are already coming in, we've even got a few lined up for 2010!

So even though the shows have finished Becca and I have plenty to keep us busy over the winter. I've just completed a massage course so I'll be spending the next couple of months doing case studies before my exams in January, and Becca is looking to do a personal trainer course, so we're definitely keeping busy!

We'll also be working really hard on all our shows over the winter - we've got lots and lots of new ideas so it's going to be fun trying them all out and finding out what does and doesn't work! I'll keep you posted on our progress!

It just leaves me to say thankyou to everyone who has supported us this season - it's been our best one yet and we couldn't have done it on our own so THANKYOU! And we look forward to seeing everyone again in 2009!

Lots of love

Rosie xx

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

Malvern Autumn Show

We've just had another cracking weekend, this time in Malvern for their Autumn Show. Rebecca, Ronan, Tim, Tinker and I arrived at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern for a two day solo show. Although we know the site well it was set up a bit differently, and our arena was in a completely different place to usual! It was a nice change though, and all our shows went really well, the boys were fantastic, the crowds were brilliant and once again the sun shone for the whole weekend!

We also managed to catch up with some friends we haven't seen for a while including Henry Ray (with Larry the Bedlington terrier, and selected ferrets) and Gus Dermody with his amazing sheepdogs (Tia's my favourite!) and Indian Runner ducks! It's been a bit of a month for sheepdogs and herding, but Gus is exceptional in the way he trains his dogs - they are so responsive and obviously absolutely love their work, they really are a joy to watch!

On Saturday evening we discovered the Harvest Pavilion which was home to the giant vegetable competition. And boy, were they GIANT! In fact, the biggest pumpkin in Europe was the star attraction, weighing in at an immense 1.3 tonnes! We had huge amounts of fun taking lots of pictures with all the veg - so much so that people kept laughing at us! But we didn't care - they made our weekend! There were lots of other things to see and do at the show, we were right next to a huge collection of steam driven engines and vintage tractors. The engines were doing all sorts of different jobs, some were powering light bulbs, some sawing logs, some pumping water, some pressing cider apples and one was even milking a plastic cow! Click here to see all the photos from the weekend...

We've not got any more outdoor shows now this season, but we're off up to Lincolnshire on Friday for a one day show on Saturday. It's an indoor display - so come rain or shine it doesn't matter! I'll tell you all about it next week...

Lots of love

Rosie xx

Midland Gamefair

We've just had a super successful weekend - FINALLY!! Rebecca, Ronan, Tim, Tinker and I set off for Weston Park on Friday and arrived on site within two hours without any breakdowns! The ground was lovely and we were able to set up really close to the arena, which always makes everything a little bit easier! We were there for a two day duo show, and although we've still got quite a few shows left this season it was our final duo booking, so we wanted to make it a good one!

Both the shows went really well on Saturday, the audience was brilliant, the boys were fantastic, and the sun shone! In the evening Rebecca and I took the boys for a ride around the site. The show was far bigger than we thought so instead of riding around the park we spent an hour riding around the showground. The show was closed and everyone had gone home so we could canter up and down all the aisles past all the shops, it was loads of fun and the boys were loving it! We were out for longer than we meant to be and it got completely dark - it's a good job horses can see in the dark as Rebecca and I couldn't see a thing!

Sunday was another beautiful day, and both our shows again went very well. We have to thank Phoebe for taking hundreds of fantastic photos - click here to have a look at them - I couldn't choose between them all so there's loads up there! We also managed to watch Cyrill the Squirell and his terrier racing team, which was hilarious and also the Band of the Ghurkas who were very impressive, playing lots of tunes which got stuck in our heads all day long!

The lorry managed to make it home again with no problems, so it was a good weekend from start to finish! We're off to Malvern on Friday for a two day solo show, we know the showground well so all were hoping for is some more good weather! I'll let you know...

Love Rosie xx

World Sheepdog Trials

We've just had a lovely few days in Wales - and the sun shone for the shows! Rebecca, Ronan, Tim, Tinker and I set off for Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire on Wednesday, but no sooner had we stopped at the first services on the M5 than the lorry broke down - AGAIN! So we rang the breakdown people ('we'll be with you in an hour') and sat and waited. The breakdown man diagnosed the problem to be the starter motor, bump started us and told us not to stop or stall for the rest of the five hour drive! So now we had a lorry that wouldn't start, and when it was started wouldn't stop unless it was stalled - brilliant! Everybody at home was really helpful and between us all we managed to arrange for a new started motor to be bought, brought over to us, and for some local mechanics to come out and fit it, and all before we'd even got to Wales - thankyou Andy, Katherin and Chris!

Thankfully we managed to reach the site with no further dramas, but the field was a sea of mud and the rain was incesant - perfect weather for setting up! Luckily this was the only rain we had, and the next four days were lovely and sunny. On Thursday evening Rebecca and I cycled up to the nearby ruined castle for a little bit of exploring, and from the top we could look down at the entire showground - our lorry and tent looked tiny!

On Friday our new started motor arrived with Rebecca's Mum and Dad, and shortly after two lovely mechanics, Anton and Mark, arrived to fit it. We were all in suspense when they'd finished and asked us to try and start the lorry, I turned the key and... CLICK! Nothing! By this point Rebecca and I were really starting to hate the lorry, but Mark and Anton knew what they were doing and managed to fix the problem in a matter of minutes. It turned out it wasn't the starter motor at all but just the terminal on the battery, so the breakdown man could have quite easily fixed it in the first place and saved us a lot of hassle and expense!

After all the stress Rebecca and I took the horses for a ride for a bit more exploring and also took them up to the castle. They really do love going off to different places and seeing different things, and although they're both quite well travelled I think it was the first time either of them had been in a castle!

Over the weekend we watched quite a bit of the trialling. It looks really difficult, and the skill with which the handlers controlled their dogs, who in turn controlled the sheep was really impressive - if only I could get Tinker to be so responsive! The title was eventually won by Aled Owen and Roy, so the home crowd were happy to have a welshman as world champion.

All our shows went really well, and although the ground was quite slippery from all the rain earlier in the week the boys really looked after us and took things steady. We managed to get lots of photos of various different things, click here to have a look at them. We're off to Weston Park on Friday for the Midland Gamefair, a two day duo show. The journey shouldn't be too long this time - providing we don't have any more breakdowns! I'll let you know how we get on...

Love Rosie

xx