Midnight at The Pegasus Centre

Hello! My name is Midnight and I am a Cob. There are a number of Cob breeds that are popular in the UK but my stablemate Jen has told me that 'Cob' stands for:- 
Courageous
Outstanding
Beautiful
I am sure she made this up but I think that all RDA ponies are courageous and do an outstanding job. Some are more beautiful than others but I am keeping my opinions to myself!  

I am a fairly new arrival at the centre and have settled in very well. When it was decided that I would go to Hartpury with Gilly and Domino for the RDA National Championships, Sophie and Emily thought it would be a good idea for me to get in some practice beforehand. We went to Todburn Equestrian Centre in Northumberland and Niamh, who is 4, rode me. As I am over 14 hands high and she is very small and cute, I was very careful with her on my back. A well behaved performance secured my place at Hartpury and a few weeks later I was on my way! 

 

Gilly wrote about Hartpury in the previous post, but I would like to say a few words myself...

Here I am pictured with Domino at Hartpury. He can get very grumpy with me so I try and avoid making eye contact with him. I was also a bit cross that he got to wear the pink rug...

although I got to wear it briefly while sheltering from the rain!

The storm passed and the sun came out for Lloyd, aged 14, to ride me in level 1 show jumping and we came 4th. This was a very good result, especially as it was our first trip together to the RDA National Championships.

We were both back in action this week for an end of summer show at the centre and this time we came second in show jumping!
Please visit the facebook page on our website to see more pictures of me, my friends and all the riders who took part in our competition www.thepegasuscentre.org.uk

Courageous, Outstanding, Beautiful...

Absolutely!

Winning at Hartpury

My name is Gilly and I am a Welsh Mountain Pony. I work at The Pegasus Centre which is where the Riding for the Disabled Morpeth Group in Northumberland are based. 

Some people say I am cheeky... you know who you are!

Last month I went in a really big horsebox all the way down to the RDA National Championships in Hartpury, Gloucestershire.  I was ridden by two very sweet children called Jordan and Kaitlyn, aged 4 and 6. It was very frightening as there was a storm with loud thunder and arenas got flooded with all the rain. However, I was very well behaved when Jordan rode me in combined training and dressage.  We came fifth in both classes which we were both very pleased with. Kaitlyn then rode me in combined training and we came FIRST which was amazing! And we also came third in dressage and fourth in the Countryside Challenge which we both really enjoyed taking part in.

My stable mates Domino and Midnight came with me and they did very well too (although personally I think I was the star!).  Kieran, aged 14, rode Domino and came third in dressage and fifth in both combined training and Countryside Challenge.  Chloe, aged 10, came second in level 2 show jumping on Domino and Lloyd, aged 14, came fourth in level 1 show jumping on Midnight. 

Everyone did really well and I thought our young volunteers who came to help looked very smart and were a huge help to both me and the riders. Thank you girls!

Sophie and Emily, who work at The Pegasus Centre, woke me up very early to make me and the other ponies look our best and I think they did a very good job.  An extra hour snoozing would have been nice though... a pony needs his beauty sleep too!   

Malcolm Haigh, who is Morpeth RDA chairman, drove the horsebox all the way to Hartpury from Northumberland and back. Domino was really naughty during the journey home and RDA instructor Laura had to tell him off for trying to bite me and Midnight... 

and they call ME cheeky!!

Gilly, Zak and Coffee (now retired) relaxing in the sunshine 

www.thepegasuscentre.org.uk