2011 SHROPSHIRE COUNTY SHOW

“Our Father, Which Art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name”.
It has to be the first time that competitors working in their ponies had the opportunity to seriously pray for their round and not just give the process lip service!
Ivor, Wendy, Jeff and I thought we’d walked into an episode of Father Ted!
Course ready….Check
Timing equipment……Check
Commentary notes…….Check
Judging sheets ready…….Check
Wendy on stopwatch……..Check
First competitor in the ring ready…..Check
“We are just going to start the Sunday Service now. It will take about 5-10mins”
Off went our lovely commentator with his microphone to ensure the whole showground could join in the service. If only we’d known! Back out went out first competitor (Kim) in good humour to rejoin the competitors in the collecting ring so that she could pray ‘on mass’.

All that happened on Championship morning.
We had thought we were in one of the Wallace & Gromit episodes on the first day as it was definitely a case of “In the Wrong Trousers”.
We had been given the ‘wrong arena’ (too small), the ‘wrong’ horse walk (sheep to the left, pigs to the right, slurry tanker just before), electronic timing non existent (sorted) and the ‘wrong’ amount of rosettes!

But, do you know, I kind of enjoyed that show. The people were lovely, laid back but lovely, and appreciative of our sport when they eventually got to see it in the main arena at full gallop and, how many County shows pay out on the day?

Small class.
Not many competitors were there unfortunately but of the eight small pony pairs Lucy Scott with the amazing Fantastic Fairy and Ollie, aka Beauty & The Beast, plotted an excellent route which was smooth and fast enough to take the top spot. Only Liz Eldridge and Philip Litchfield had just beaten her time but they had both had a ball down but still managed 5th and 4th places. Kim (Yummy, Mummy) Scott deputised for Philippa who was unable to make this show by driving Wallace & Gromit into 2nd place, with a smooth round by Bonnie & Clyde in a good 3rd position for Derek Archer and just getting the 6th place were a very much improved Gower Boys driven by John Marson. Best novice, and only novice here, was Chrissy Legate-Baggs with His & Hers who although having 3 down drove faster than previously and will be dropping in to SpecSavers before The Royal Welsh Smallholders. Phil the commentator did a sterling job having admitted he had never actually seen scurry driving before but armed with copious notes he did well in what was an inappropriate ring.

Large Class.
The old boy did it well in this class. Helped by a number plate which informed the world that he was now nearly an OAP, Philip left his zimmer frame in the collecting ring to drive a smashing round with Thunder & Lightning to win the class. Once again his time had just been beaten by both Lucy and Kim but Lucy had just one down with Tom & Jerry which put her into 2nd place whereas Kim had a couple down with Smokey & The Bandit but still managed to creep into 6th place following what could only be described as a cricket score for Liz and Just and Do It who managed to knock up 65penalties therefore is not just visiting SpecSavers but will be buying the franchise this week. Jenny Bean drove a sensible controlled round with Dun & Dusted to finish 3rd and Judge & Jury finished 4th having been brilliantly driven by Derek who kept them controlled and focused throughout in the small arena. John was 5th with The Swansea Bays who like his small pair are coming along nicely and sensibly.

Championship
In comparison the main arena must be one of the largest in the country and Ivor had to transfer his course from the sublime to the ridiculous. It would have been easy to build a long course which favoured the large ponies only but he was canny in placing a gate at a sharp angle at the end of the slalom which caught many competitors out. The placings came from the early and later draws. When we eventually got started, and can I just add I’ve never judged on the move with my paper on a plastic tray having to hoof it backwards and forwards to my electronic timing man who sat in a tiny office and Wendy who kindly operated the stop watch some distance away on the start and finish lines. The cards on another table to show the leader board with the rosettes on top of them to stop them blowing away all whilst a microphone was stuck under my nose and I was asked questions from the commentator as we progressed through the class!! It was a nightmare!!
Philip who was last to go was actually, by one hundredth of a second, the fastest of the day but he had the bogey gate down with Thunder & Lightning, Lucy and Beauty & The Beast were 5th but she also had a fantastic clear round with Tom & Jerry to lie 2nd. Kim having had the delay at the start in pole position drove like a demon to get Smokey & The Bandit in 3rd place with Derek splitting the pack in 4th place with Judge & Jury who had benefitted from the previous day in the small ring and produced a concentrated round for him, however, Liz Eldridge put her cricket score behind her on the previous day to show that Mix & Match could show a clean pair of heels and register a clear round in a remarkably fast time in such a huge arena to become champions.
Results are on the web site.

LIVING HERITAGE THAME GAME FAIR
HELD AT THAME SHOWGROUND 23-24TH APRIL

What an opener for the 2011 scurry season?
A tricky course, not many clear rounds, new ponies, borrowed ponies and not to mention an unseasonal heatwave to boot all went to make Thame Game Fair an opening show to remember and I haven’t even mentioned the blistering round driven by Philip Litchfield in the championship with G & T when I thought the timing equipment must have broken!!
With new attractions in the main ring too it was refreshing to see new faces as well as the familiar.

The small pony class had only 4 clear rounds from the 11 runners. Philippa Scott was the victor with her Wallace and Gromit going in pole position and although four pairs drove the course faster, all faulted to drop themselves below Philippa’s ponies. Another to manage a clear round was John Marson’s very smart bay ponies, The Gower Boys, who belied their experience to drive a smooth clear round to stand second. Philip Litchfield with G&T was the fastest single falter to stand in third position followed very closely by Corrina Bithel and Chaz & Dave who was another who managed to drive a clear round. Corrina drove far more confidently here with this pair but sadly was unable to take home the novice award too as she had forgotten to put her white armband on so Chrissy Legate-Baggs was delighted to take the novice award at her first show. Corinna was sportsmanlike and generous in her agreement of this decision. Janet Sycamore, in her first official scurry show, drove her diminutive little ponies, Sooty & Sweep well in the class and Lucy Scott was delighted with her new pony, Fairy (aka Beauty), when she drove so well it was hard to believe she was new to the sport and not that long broken in to boot ! Karen deserves a mention in that she had, had about 20mins to get her pony Tom accustomed to a borrowed pony from the Scott family for the class. The new look Chalk & Cheese drove very sensibly together apart from one little hiccup at the box which very generously Karen blamed on herself for the way she had asked for the tight turn.

The large class had even more competitors have faults. Of the nine competitors only two had a clear round. Karen Morris with Suited & Booted and Philip Litchfield with Thunder & Lightning and that was their final placing with Lucy Scott’s Tom & Jerry following up as the fastest single falter in third spot. Jenny Bean got an excellent tune out of Dun & Dusted and was unlucky to knock down number 6, one of the easiest on the course, but managed to lie fourth with Liz Eldridge driving a blistering round with Just & Do It in fifth but with two down and Kim Scott and Smokey & The Bandit in sixth position.

Although gates 3 and 8 were the most influential, Ivor Williams managed to build a very trappy course which over the two days saw nearly every cone be knocked yet there was plenty of room in the arena even with the stunt teams 50ft tower at one end. I know I was kept busy in the commentary box marking the competitors over all four classes and I’m sure Ivor was pleased to have the help from Jeff, Wendy, Jack, Chloe, Nigel, Janet, Philip and Craig in the arena over the two days.

The theme continued in the Consolation Championship with 5 out of 8 faulting but last to go, Jenny Bean and Prim & Proper, drove a smooth and clear round to take the class with Liz’s Mix & Match hot on her heels in second spot.
The Championship had only half the entries fault!
The first to run, G&T, blistered around the course. Dave Eager and I could only watch in awe as Philip galloped into the box and exited as though on air then cut across the arena to the slalom, took a tight line to the bogey gate number 8 and then cut from 10 to 11 and through 12 to the finish in a remarkable time that had me questioning the timing equipment! No faults were showing on the box and the clock had started and stopped when he had shot through the start and finish equipment so it became a talking point for Dave to the audience. To see a judge and course builder in disbelief that a pair could have done that was really exciting for the audience and Dave loved every minute. As Philip explained later, everything had just fallen into place and every manoeuvre had come off for the team. Liz Eldridge with Just & Do It were the closest and although her ponies also galloped at a blistering pace she couldn’t quite get the tight cuts and the turns in the box that G&T had managed so I did feel her disappointment at being second when her ponies had performed so brilliantly. That’s scurry driving for you!!
See full results now on the results page.

 

The Scurry Driving Association’s

 

2011 OPEN WEEKEND

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Held once again at the Litchfield Equestrian Centre at Arborfield near Reading by kind permission of Gemma, Philip and Barbara Litchfield. This time participants enjoyed their sessions in the bitter cold but at least dry weather.
Fortified by hot soup, bacon rolls and home made cakes cooked by Ros Cray throughout the day the cold didn’t seem too bad.

Held over the weekend of March 5th and 6th it was a shame that a couple of pony pair owners had to cancel a few days before the event but never the less the drivers and ponies who arrived proved that quality over quantity wins every time.

Philip Litchfield and Ivor Williams explained, lectured, described and demonstrated, in Philip’s case, throughout the day, how to get started, how to choose a suitable carriage, how to walk the course and how to drive the courses that Ivor had set up for them.
It was interesting to hear the driving tips and the do’s and do not’s from the two experienced scurry drivers as the guests drove their ponies around the courses.

Two guests who deserve a special mention were Janet Sycamore who’s husband Nigel had built the most fabulous scurry cart for their Shetland ponies. Attention to detail and built to be in size ratio with their small ponies this cart drew great interest from established scurry drivers who had come along to watch and cheer the visitors on. Striking purple covered seats with ‘go faster’ purple lines finished off the cart to perfection and when the ponies were ‘put to’ and Janet and Nigel seated it looked a really impressive picture. Janet too impressed with the gusto she drove her ponies around the courses. This turnout is sure to capture the hearts of the watching public at the shows this season.
Another guest, Christine Legate-Baggs brought her pair of experienced welsh ponies along with her partner Peter Harman and lifelong friend Lynn. ‘His & Hers’ as they are going to be known (Chrissy owns one and Pete owns the other!) are currently doing the indoor circuit as a tandem but ‘put to’ as a pair here they showed a fleet turn of foot and exceptionally tight turning. All established scurry drivers present were heard to murmur into their chests and admit Chrissy will lay down the challenge from the start!

So our second annual open weekend came to a close after a very long but fruitful day. Once again many thanks to all those who contributed in some small or large way to the event. It was very enjoyable and lovely to hear the comments and thanks from the participants and good to see the membership ranks swell once more.

Carole