What a weekend – poor Koen (I’ll not say poor Harvey) was
tested to the limit at the Trec Lincolnshire weekend. People and horses came
from all over the country and then there were Pam Fromm and me. Saturday was
orienteering day – local knowledge was a big help so the compass wasn’t needed
(not that either of us know how to use one) and we were told to be aware that
we would be going through a field full of cows! Harvey and Koen were up to
speed in the first mile – going past the piggery no problem then came the
carrot field!! The farmer had kindly turned off the irrigation. Only thing was
we had to get the horses over the pipeline. Harvey watched Koen with morbid
fascination as I tried to get him over the pipeline and I swear if Harvey had
had a nail file he’d have filed his hooves watching Koen hyper ventilating. We
finally got over the pipeline followed by Harvey who just stepped over it and
walked passed Koen and then did an emergency stop because there was water in
the ruts and he couldn’t possibly go through it! He waited patiently for Koen
to lead him through it who by this time was on the verge of a meltdown – he
doesn’t do water but overcame his fear and did it. If there was ever a time I
wanted to shoot a horse (Harvey just to clarify) that was it!! We then had to
go up a very steep hill – Koen set off trotting, I think in the hope Harvey
would have a cardiac arrest. Harvey wasn’t bothered he was the one with his fly
sheet on. Every insect in Christendom descended on Koen – being black doesn’t
help and neither did the heat. When we finally got to the top the views were
breathtaking – the next worry was “where was this field with the
cows?”. All I can say is that Pam and I are now experts in cow pats – old
and new!!! Imagine our relief when we encountered no cows. Pam made up for the
shortcomings of Harvey – literally speaking. As Harvey is somewhat shorter than
Koen and so closer to the ground any difficult gates Pam dismounted and got us
through and then was able to find somewhere to get back on. Pam obviously got
bored getting on and off Harvey and found a novel way of dismounting. I’ve
never seen anyone dismount sliding down the horse’s neck. Unfortunately after
this new approach to dismounting she couldn’t find anywhere to remount and so
we finished the course with Pam on foot followed by her faithless steed and, of
course, St Koen and me.
Day 2 at Lincolnshire Trec weekend – surprisingly after our
exploits on Saturday we were 3rd going into the obstacle course. Really pleased
with Koen who was only really let down by me and my inexperience at some of the
obstacles in that you have to remain in the same gait not do a mixture though
we did have a hairy moment at the water. I thought Koen was actually going
through it but as soon as he dipped his foot in the water he launched himself
up the bank like an Exocet missile – all I could hear was the gasps from the
judges! Harvey redeemed himself so is off the hit list. We dropped from 3rd to
5th but at least we got a rosette and survived.
Report kindly provided by Ruth Gregory
