Hello there!
I just received the letter through the door to say that the committee had accepted my membership application so I thought I had better introduce myself. Or rather re-introduce myself to long standing members of the Club.
From my username you can see my name is Heather. I am owned by two grey arabians, both 18 years old.
The mare is Atreyu, 15hh, stable name 'The Dreamcatcher'. I've had her since she was 3. We have had many adventures over the years. Two of the most notable were the Scottish Endurance 2day 100mile Race Ride in 2004. She came in 4th at a gallop as she didn't want the horse behind her to pass! I was in floods of tears crossing the line. Attractive - not! LOL 17hrs 47mins riding time over two days in Kelso. The view from the top of Wide Open Hill was amazing! Shore to shore. Sound & happy pony before during & after the Ride.
The second was having a fight with a cattle grid in 2009. Something spooked her and she took off 4 strides away from it. She tried to jump, 3 legs made it over, but one didn't. She landed in it, tore herself out & tried to canter on on 3 legs. I have no idea what freaked her out so much. Tore a part out of her hind cannon bone, and two areas of damage on the fetlock joint, skin hanging below hoof, blood everywhere, in the middle of nowhere with no phone reception. Thankfully other endurance riders came to my rescue, and between them, the Vet at the venue and my crew my horse was on an operation table in Duns in 85 minutes. A long year and a half later it's all past history and we're ready to start playing again.
My gelding is Zante, 14.3hh on his papers but thats pure fiction IMO. He's more 14.1hh on a good day! LOL His show name is 'Danzante Fuego', which is spanish for Dancing Fire as he's a Spanish arabian. The same breed that Napoleon always rode into battle. They are a small, compact but solid breed type with a very gentle nature. More of a workmanlike arabian than the show types which tend to be all legs and necks IMO
I bought Zante when he was 12 as Atreyu had tied up horrifically in Ireland in 2005 and for 6 months we weren't sure if she was going to make it or not. He was supposed to be my sticky plaster pony- short term while she mended or left.
She mended But by then I had fallen in love & Zante stayed. He got his Endurance Gold Thistle Final for doing a 50 mile Race Ride at Forrest of Deer the week before Atreyu's accident.
Atreyu & I have also played at Express Eventing, and the odd dodgy play at Craigie
So that's us. I hope you weren't too bored reading that, and 'hello' to all the people I know from previous years, it will be lovely to see you all again. To the very many new members I've never met I'm the one on the usually dirtyish grey arab in red. Please come and say hello.
Going to retype it in word then paste it up so please stay tuned