www.mischiefblue.co.uk

mischiefblue · Site Admin Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 6

Well blow me over just as I start to decide that these forums were a waste of time Vicki from East Sussex drops in and reveals that she is originally from Southport - and went to the same riding school as me, albeit a couple of years before I started riding Rolling Eyes

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vicki · Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 11:54 pm Post subject:

Crikey, that really is a small world. I wonder if any of the same horses/ponies were still there when you went. I remember riding Rupert, Kipper, Blaze - who only had one eye and my favourite, Rajah. I've still got the newspaper cuttings from the Formby Times, with a picture of me on Rajah winning the 10 years and under jumping at the annual show!! Plus a group shot - I'll have to scan it and upload! Razz

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Vicki

mischiefblue · Site Admin Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 6

I used to ride Rupert, touch him behind the saddle and he buck Very Happy

Kipper the chestnut that always went to the loo at the top end of the inside school. I remember Rajah too. Not sure about Blaze but I remember one with only one eye but we also had a racehorse with one eye. Monty, Caspian and the little shetland Arkle were also on the top of my list. Hehe we could go on forever Rolling Eyes

That riding school is still going strong although I'm not sure about Mary.

vicki · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 1:33 pm Post subject: The ponies

I've finally got round to digging out the (very yellow) newspaper clippings. Been trying to remember the ponies and riders names. In the group shot from left is Rupert and ?, Misty and Howard, led by Jackie (I think) Rajah and me, can't remember the shetlands name but I think the boy was Russell, led by Clare (? not sure) and on the end Blaze and Lynne Green.

It's a shame no-one else has discovered your forums as yet.

Thinking about going to the race meeting at Aintree on the 25th so I can visit Red Rum's grave. Tried to go a couple of years back, but they were doing building work so wouldn't let me in.

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Vicki

mischiefblue · Site Admin Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 6

The old articles are really good to look back at. I remember a couple of Shetlands, they used to just roam round the yard without a care in the world.
Toby and Arkle I think. Confused

Probably have to put more topics on here before anybody else joins us. Because I was getting a lot of emails about Red I thought this would be a good idea. Rolling Eyes

Trish · Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 1

Hi im Trish i used to go riding at Mary Bowlers many moons ago im now 31 and started riding when i was about 9, back then it was about £3 an hr as oppose to £17 at the moment. I also used to work there on a sunday for £4.15 a day i think. And if you worked 7 wks on the run you would get a free lesson aswell. I can confirm that Mary is still alive and well, my daughter is 7 and she started riding there about 4 months ago. I used to ride Pip and Molly, i remember Rajah, jayne, dyfin, inky, jet with one eye, mr flynn oooh cant remember anymore, old age and all that! I moved over to Sally Greenwoods when i was about 13 and had Bella and Dusty! I havent rode for a few yrs what with being a mum and having a career but i am debating whether or not to buy my daughter a horse! Do any of you Remember me? Are you both still riding?

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vicki · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 10:26 pm Post subject: Mary Bowlers

Good to hear Mary's still going strong. I was riding there at the age of 9 in 1966, so Mary must be about 70 odd now? Rajah must have been pretty old when you were there (about 1985 ish?) - he was only 4 when I rode him in '66 and was a really fab pony then.
How lucky your daughter will be if you buy her a pony - not being into horses my parents never would, so the first thing I did when I left school and started work was to save up and buy my first horse.
I've never lost my horse addiction - men in my life have always had to play second fiddle to my horses! For a while (when I had a wealthy boyfriend!) I had 6 horses and was showjumping to a reasonable level. Now I work full time and have just 2 horses left (aged 21 and 16), but I'm still pretty obsessed with them. The oldest one, Bing, has been what I can only describe as my "once in a lifetime" horse. It will be one year this coming weekend since he underwent major colic surgery (3 metres of small intestine removed), so I try make the most of every moment with him as I just don't know if/when it might happen again and I'm not sure if I can (a) pay for another £6,000 operation or (b) whether it would be fair to put him through it again. In fact I'm just off to the stables yard up the road in a mo to make my nightly trip to give him his 11pm hay net.

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Vicki