"What is it about horses that makes you forgive, forget and fall in love again?
As you will have noticed in my last couple of blogs, I have had a new leader horse here for the last few months. He really was something special, we 'baked our cake properly' - visiting every small show in the south east and west of England, winning exercise cart classes, making sure he knew the job inside out, travelling, loading, plaiting, bandaging, bumpy showgrounds, busy showgrounds, standing in line, standing alone; he was exposed to everything that was necessary, he went in the lead of the tandem, infront of our established show horse here, and was exemplary. I even organised a drive and show here at my own yard, to prove that it was no fluke; I even enjoyed showing off a little, they were perfect. Everything at last had come together. God was in his heaven, the tandem were in a straightline, some of the competitors were pissed off they were going so well, and I was thrilled. Thats until Royal Bloody Windsor.
The day started much like any other. Those of you that know Royal Windsor Show, and have been there for the last thirteen hundred years like myself, know to arrive early so you can park somewhere near the show entrance rather than having to walk from Datchett, Slough or Eton. The best carriage was polished, the silk hats had been back to Pateys for a touch up, I was thin, the horses were fat.
It was decided to take Dreamer the 'leader' as a single horse, and just let him see a busy showground in a show carriage on his own. Royal Windsor doesn't have private driving classes anymore, so its just the meet of the BDS on Sunday afternoon. Nothing could be finer, or so I thought. We put to at the back of the lorry, and made our way up to the Copper horse collecting ring. He was a little tense but not too worried. I gently trotted around the collecting ring twice and he just felt a little more tense, I asked my groom to jump up and half way around the third circuit, up went his head and he took off. As he cornered at gallop, I was flung from the vehicle and hit the ground with all the grace and agility of a bull elephant. Wayne also ejected himself from the vehicle, somehow got to the horse's head and with the help of one or two friends things ground to a halt, with no injury to any other person or animal. I was out for the count and apparently going blue (albiet in a handmade suit, Hermes tie, and Geoffrey West shoes), this was not the launch I had prepared! The next thing I remember (I think) was waking up in Wexham Park Hospital, being asked if I spoke English. Once I had explained in perfect English that I could speak English, they went and got an interpreter, as all the staff there that afternoon were Indian!
There is some truth in the fact that man makes plans and God laughs, although there wasn't much laughing done, two broken ribs and severe concusion later saw to that.
Sadly Dreamer tried it again at home, and took off in the school for no apparent reason. There is something in his past or maybe in his brain that has simply flipped, so he is now being ridden with the hope that somebody will take him on in another discipline. I am too old to be thrown out of carriages and and too unfit to be able to get up and chase after the horse!
Now that was all a little while ago, the season has stumbled on but this accident has taken a toll on our ability to show horses since. Carriages take a long time to repair, and my ego is quite firmly in my pocket at the moment, but nethertheless we are here, upright and ready for whatever is next, and thats the real thing isn't it. We never know what's round the corner, no matter how we plan, arrange, dream and promise, ten fateful minutes make all the difference."
.JPG "William Kennedy")
