Hay Horse & Pony Show. Country pursuits.

Here is my favourite pony at the Hay Horse & Pony Show last Sunday. I had a chat with the young owner before asking if I could take a photo. He was very proud of himself!

It's a quite informal event, lots of people taking part, and not that many spectators. There's show jumping, in hand showing, working hunter, driving classes and dressage.

Some very smart horses, as well as the magnificently round  and hairy ponies.

My view of the day was through my car windscreen. I was writing for the dressage judge. Here is the view of the rectangular dressage arena. I won't go into the detail, but the judge parks at point C, which you can see. Point A is directly opposite, and that's where the riders enter the arena, trotting up the centre line to C. We can see if they are going in a straight line, or if their line wanders!

Here is our schedule, and the sheets that need filling in for each rider's test. Not everyone rode the same test, depending on skill and how advanced they are. Each section on the sheet represents something the horse and rider have to do, and there's a space for a mark out of 10, and a comment.

The writer needs to concentrate, and also write the judges comments very quickly, and I struggled to write both quickly AND legibly. I think I succeeded!

Here are some of the competitors queuing up to enter various classes at the beginning of the day, some no doubt thinking 'I hope the dressage judge likes me and my horse'

At the end of the day, all riders judged, we had ice cream, which I forgot to photograph before gulping it down. And then I went home feeling marvellously refreshed for having had such a different day, and with only one sunburned shoulder!