These are my role models, the ponies from my childhood. They always came when they were very young, normally unbroken and very naughty. Over the years they came to know what was expected of them and I like to think they loved their lives with us.
We all started on Pepi, the grey, then progressed to Sandy, the little chestnut in the snow.Then we started branching out to our own. Hari the liver chesnut was my special baby, though it took me a year to jump a fence without getting bucked off the other side.
Our ponies were expected to do everything,all pony club teams, working hunters, fancy dress, hunting. You name it they did it. This cup was my first prize, (working hunter champion at Ickworth park) a proud day for me.
After doing Gosling Cup with Hari and Charmer, the bay, my mum bought me Smurf ( The Aspiranto),the big chesnut. He was three, sat on twice and wouldn't go through water.
Two years later he was doing Calvert Cup and won his section at Area Horse Trials for the Suffolk Hunt PC (Sharon Hunt and Lucy Kemplay were in the same team) to qualify for Weston Park. Smurf took me up to Intermediate level.
Charmer's full sister Trelaske Royal Pardon was to be one of my mother's foundation broodmares.
