Top of the Morning to ya and a Happy New Year!
December seemed to fly past with a few ups and downs on the way. A rather weird, bearded character in a red suit made several appearances in the barn trying to bribe me into helping him by offering me a carrot! I am not that easily bought and require at least a huge bucketful of Fibre-Beet before I will even consider leaving the stable. This fellow then decided he would take up residence in our garage, turning the place into a Grotto. Flashing lights, hot chocolate, mince pies and selection boxes…whatever next? Well hordes of leprechauns that’s what, mounted on tinsel festooned ponies in search of Santa. Pocket Rocket thought it was enormous fun to gallop round the country side assisting and had the cheek to call the Young Master and I Scrooge and Grinch when we didn’t share her enthusiasm.
The Matriarch, who never likes to be upstaged, even by Father Christmas, decided to take matters into her own hands and do a disappearing act. Her unsuspecting rider let go briefly, due to numb hands from the freezing wind, and Matriarch trotted off, said a magic spell and vanished. Chaos followed while the useless humans tried to find her. Pocket Rocket, pretending she was in some replay of Black Beauty, galloped off in search of the missing pony. The Young Master and his friend leapt in their car and shot off down the lane to see if she had headed off to the next door farm. Phone calls were being made and even the Old Girl, who is pretty laid back by anyone’s standards, strode off to try and locate her.
The Legend and I smirked to ourselves because of course we knew exactly where she had gone but NO ONE asked US. It was a small Leprechaun who gave the game away and spotted her, hiding at the back of the barn behind a tractor. “It’s the missing pony,” he piped up through chattering teeth. Bored with the game now, The Matriarch shot out of the barn and galloped, literally, back into her stable.
One child was overheard saying she knew Santa had his helpers on days like this and the man dressed up in the Grotto was none other than Rowan Atkinson. That gave us all a good chuckle.
The Young Master and I had a couple of successful outings to Bishop Burton Arena show jumping, the prize money coming in handy for Christmas shopping, before enjoying a break. It’s nice to take it easy, watch a few Diehard movies and let your mane get a bit unkempt before the New Year arrives. My legs won’t stay hairy for long as the Old Girl will be wielding the clippers in readiness for the month ahead.
So keep eating the Fibre-Beet, my friends. Digested in the hind gut it not only gives you slow release energy but creates warmth which is just what you need when the weather gets nippy.
Good luck all for 2018!
Billy Bank
Top of the Morning to ya and a Happy New Year!
December seemed to fly past with a few ups and downs on the way. A rather weird, bearded character in a red suit made several appearances in the barn trying to bribe me into helping him by offering me a carrot! I am not that easily bought and require at least a huge bucketful of Fibre-Beet before I will even consider leaving the stable. This fellow then decided he would take up residence in our garage, turning the place into a Grotto. Flashing lights, hot chocolate, mince pies and selection boxes…whatever next? Well hordes of leprechauns that’s what, mounted on tinsel festooned ponies in search of Santa. Pocket Rocket thought it was enormous fun to gallop round the country side assisting and had the cheek to call the Young Master and I Scrooge and Grinch when we didn’t share her enthusiasm.
The Matriarch, who never likes to be upstaged, even by Father Christmas, decided to take matters into her own hands and do a disappearing act. Her unsuspecting rider let go briefly, due to numb hands from the freezing wind, and Matriarch trotted off, said a magic spell and vanished. Chaos followed while the useless humans tried to find her. Pocket Rocket, pretending she was in some replay of Black Beauty, galloped off in search of the missing pony. The Young Master and his friend leapt in their car and shot off down the lane to see if she had headed off to the next door farm. Phone calls were being made and even the Old Girl, who is pretty laid back by anyone’s standards, strode off to try and locate her.
The Legend and I smirked to ourselves because of course we knew exactly where she had gone but NO ONE asked US. It was a small Leprechaun who gave the game away and spotted her, hiding at the back of the barn behind a tractor. “It’s the missing pony,” he piped up through chattering teeth. Bored with the game now, The Matriarch shot out of the barn and galloped, literally, back into her stable.
One child was overheard saying she knew Santa had his helpers on days like this and the man dressed up in the Grotto was none other than Rowan Atkinson. That gave us all a good chuckle.
The Young Master and I had a couple of successful outings to Bishop Burton Arena show jumping, the prize money coming in handy for Christmas shopping, before enjoying a break. It’s nice to take it easy, watch a few Diehard movies and let your mane get a bit unkempt before the New Year arrives. My legs won’t stay hairy for long as the Old Girl will be wielding the clippers in readiness for the month ahead.
So keep eating the Fibre-Beet, my friends. Digested in the hind gut it not only gives you slow release energy but creates warmth which is just what you need when the weather gets nippy.
Good luck all for 2018!
Billy Bank
