Happy New Year! We had yet another successful year in 2006, and I would like to thank our many loyal customers and our new customers, all of whom we look forward to seeing again this year. The first three months of the year are ‘mine’, in that I am at home seven days a week rather than on the show circuit, which allows time and thoughts for new designs. This is breathing space before our first outing at the Cheltenham Festival. This year I’ve been asked by an artist friend Nancy Murgatroyd in our village to produce some bronze sculptures for her recently opened private gallery. Nancy produces rich and exotic paintings of flowers and fruits – see for yourself on her website (www.nancymurgatroyd.com). I have been so busy with Sculpture to Wear ‘the jewellery business’ over the past few years that I have not allowed any time to actually sculpt larger pieces – I’d forgotten how much I enjoy creating horses to be cast in bronze. Though there is not enough time before Nancy’s Open Day on Good Friday for a whole exhibition I am able to produce some work for her this year, and who knows, a one man Rosemary Hetherington bronze exhibition may be in the offing! My horses do take up a fair amount of the winter days. My favourite mare Clover Pushover, by Clover Hill, is in great form. She is 18 this time but certainly doesn’t look a teenager. I bought her in Ireland, rising 5. I thought she was a ‘handy’ little mare to sell on. On getting her home she soon became much loved as she had such an exceptional temperament and great agility. She has served me well – not only is she the best ‘happy hacker’, with her forward going attitude, but she is also a wonderful hunter and has successfully competed in affiliated dressage and show-jumping. Furthermore she has never had a cough, cold or any unsoundness – so she was a rare find! Along the way I’ve had two foals from Clover, both are by Java Tiger – now deceased but a renowned sire of event and dressage horses. ‘I’m A Tiger’, known as Lily at home, is a small grey mare, very athletic with a big jump. She has been doing Working Hunter Pony classes and show-jumping with Jennifer and Mandy Cowan, who are from Hartlepool. Lily is at home resting with me at the moment, but will soon be coming back into work. ‘Clover’s Little Tiger’ is a deep, well built bay gelding, now five years old. He has so much limb it’s hard to believe that he is three-quarter bred! He is also a lovely mover and has natural balance. Jennifer won the area dressage award on him, winning his first four outings and then third and fourth – so we are really pleased with this baby. Along with this in his one and only Sports Horse class at the Scottish Horse Show he finished third. Corky as we call him at home is going on to Victoria Thirlby, an event rider from Warwickshire who spotted him at the BSPS Championships. She wanted to buy him and was very disappointed when I said that he was not for sale. However, Victoria did have a sit on him and an immediate partnership evolved – Corky went beautifully for her and she fell in love with him! After receiving several phone calls from her I relented and said that she could ride the horse this season, so he will run in the Sculpture to Wear colours, pink jacket with dark green diamonds. Watch this space! I have lived in the heart of Wensleydale for 40 years. It is wonderful. In the winter-time our lanes and off-road tracks are really quiet – the local farmers vehicles and the odd pheasant emerging from the undergrowth are our only hazards, apart from the weather of course. Gale force winds, rain and ice so far! Nevertheless the views are breathtaking and horses love the hill work – they get fit in two thirds of the time it would take if we lived in a flatter area. Come the Spring and our now deserted tracks resemble an ‘off road M1’ with bikes and 4x4s, walkers and many varieties of dogs – it is good that people can come and enjoy the countryside but I do wish that they’d show a bit more sense where horses are concerned! The roads can be lethal in summer too – very few tourists know what to do when they meet horses. One gives a clear signal to slow down which most of them totally ignore – there is room for all of us if drivers would just show a little more tolerance and a lot more patience. By March my job with the horses will be done. Fit and well, both horses will go to their respective riders to further their education. Clover is kept on at my friends’ farm, from where we can enjoy the pleasure of the dales whenever time allows. My life in the Spring and Summer months is fairly hectic, with many judging commitments in the calendar and horse trials, agricultural shows and race meetings booked for the trade stand. CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL (13th – 16th March 2007) is the first outing with the trade stand. I like our little spot on Stand No. 55, Champions Drive, which is situated directly behind the Guinness village. In recent years it has not been the easiest place to find due to a burger van being placed at the entrance of Champions Drive, with a never-ending queue cutting us off from the general throng of shoppers. After a recent chat with Peter McNeill, the trade stand Manager at Cheltenham, I requested that the burger van be moved to the opposite side so that the queue would form in a different direction. He did say that he would look at this, so lets hope he is not ‘all talk’. The current situation is unacceptable not only for ourselves but for Dents Pictures, Lockes the hatters and others on our row. So come on Peter, do something! Other than this we have no complaints about the Cheltenham organisation. The staff are always helpful and courteous and a race card is supplied every day – that’s a bonus! The whole atmosphere is unique – a combination of National Hunt racing at its very best and a non-stop party atmosphere. Fortunes are made or lost, and for many an Irishman it is their one and only holiday where the business of betting is taken very seriously. MIDDLEHAM ART EXHIBITION, Good Friday 6th April PUNCHESTOWN FESTIVAL (24th-27th April) follows (To be confirmed). Excellent racing but over the years, regardless of the good job that Janet Williamson has done, though the quality of the trade stands is excellent the shopping village has really declined. This has happened since the stands were moved away from the area near the paddock – in those days every day was successful, with a hub of people enjoying themselves around the paddock. Then we were moved under the archway. The first year was good despite the fact that three of the six stands were jewellers! Then came the introduction of the Hospitality Hall, which in theory should have worked in our favour, but once people became ensconced in there they did not re-emerge until it was time to go home, and usually the worse for the drink! Last year there was a huge amount of extra hospitality units but sadly the occupants only seemed to be there for the beer and not the shopping. Perhaps it is now a different sort of race-goer than years ago? On the positive side we do see lots of customers, both Irish and English, who we only ever see at this meeting. For this reason alone we are considering the possibility of being at Punchestown this year. BADMINTON (3rd –6th May) Rural Crafts Great to see our many friends and customers again. Glorious weather encouraged huge crowds and business was particularly buoyant at the weekend. There were disappointments with regard to the cross country event. William Fox-Pitt, I believe, pulled out in advance of the start of Badminton, whilst Zara Phillips, lying in 5th after the dressage phase, decided not to risk Toytown on the desperately hard going. Many other riders withdrew and several had falls. On the Friday, only the day before the cross country, officials tried to rescue the situation by bringing in a sandy surface to put on the take off and landing sides of huge fences. Alas this was not enough! The ground was extremely hard and one would have had to start preparations at least a month or two in advance to offer the good ground expected at this calibre of event. ROYAL WINDSOR (10th-13th May) I love this show, it has real style. Set in the grounds of Windsor Castle it is visited by Her Majesty the Queen who, with her entourage, takes a tour of the trade-stands and personally visits several of the stands. As yet we have not been honoured by her presence. We arrived on the Wednesday to reasonably good weather. We had been told that there had been rain for three days previously though the ground was still rock hard, but over the show period the weather became increasingly worse. As I sit here on Sunday afternoon the rain is torrential and the thought of packing up the trade-stand and loading the lorry is somewhat daunting. However, there seem to have been good crowds each day, with Saturday being a packed house. The main arena is an all weather surface laid by Martin Collins. It has been in constant use from 7.30am to 10.30pm every day of the show and in these extreme adverse weather conditions it has been really fantastic, allowing all events in the main arena to continue without delays. When Simon Brooks-Ward's company, Horse Power, took over the Royal Windsor Horse Show there were definitely teething problems. The trade-stands were badly arranged and facilities were poor. The show was then moved on to new ground inside Windsor Castle's private grounds. The first year there must have been a nightmare for Horse Power. Whilst installing the new Martin Collins surface in the main ring was a great innovation, the other rings were newly seeded, very stony and riding very badly. The trade-stand layout was unimaginative and catering and toilet facilities were extremely poor. Then Cara Haywood arrived. A very approachable girl who listened to the complaints of all of us, and together with her team acted upon them. Each year the show has improved, with very well set out shopping areas and high standards of trade exhibitors, The rings have just needed time to settle down, and though they were quite firm, despite having been watered, the general going is good with plenty of working in space and large rings. The loos and shower facilities are now very good. Clean loos and hot showers – bliss! Well done Cara for sorting out this big problem. Sadly we hear Cara is leaving Horse Power to join Lane-Fox, the estate agent. Why doesn't Simon Brooks-Ward offer her mega bucks to stay? We will miss her and would like to send our best wishes for her new career. The show jumping and commentators were absolutely top class. The main event on Saturday evening was the St. George of England Puissance, which has not been run here since the eighties. The feature red wall looked imposing in the floodlit arena. The grandstands were packed with everyone holding their breath as John Whitaker riding Lactic II and son Robert on Finbarr V jumped a fourth round at a height exceeding 7 feet. The riders made it look so easy. It was quite an emotional moment as both horses gave their utmost to finish joint first. The show is also host to International Driving competitions and it is wonderful to see the many teams from abroad parading in the main arena. The excitement of the Shetland Grand National and Pony Club games along with the King's Troop Musical Drive all take place in the main ring. Added attractions this year were a display by Lusitanos and, for the men and boys, the White Helmet's motorbike team. The other arenas held some very strong ridden showing classes, many of which are qualifiers for the Royal International Horse Show. The showing Championships were then held in the main arena. So despite the rain, the entertainment was really good every day – a must for your diary next year! BRAMHAM (7th-9th June) Rural Crafts ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW, EDINBURGH (21st-24th June) ROYAL SHOW (1st-4th July) Rural Crafts GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOW (10th-12th July) ROYAL INTERNATIONAL (25th-29th July) CLA GAME FAIR, HAREWOOD HOUSE (27th-29th July) Rural Crafts DUBLIN HORSE SHOW (8th-12th August) BSPS CHAMPIONSHIPS, PETERBOROUGH (22nd-25th August) BURGHLEY (30th August – 2nd September) HORSE OF THE YEAR SHOW (3rd-7th October) DABBS EQUESTRIAN CENTRE SHOWJUMPING (12th -14th October)
Featuring the Sculpture to Wear 'Diamonds to Die For' final CHELTENHAM (16th-18th November) |
