In April last year, I went to a show at Addington. Purely for a day out as I missed riding, my old pony friends and general show-ness. I remember it being a fun day – I ended up helping at the gate for the workers, the Mother bought a yummy picnic including pimms, I saw some friends I hadn’t seen for ages and I also saw Jack. Now, I didn’t know his name was Jack at the time, he was just a stunning chestnut beast looking across the showground like he owned the place.
It was like Darcy looking at Elizabeth, it was every romantic movie but one of the principle players was a horse.
I remember it vividly as the feeling I got had happened before – once when I was 15 with a coloured pony in a field and once when I was 18 with a handsome roan with a big white face at Keysoe. Call me a hopeless romantic but sometimes you just know. However, this time I had to just walk away – 4 months pregnant, Physio still working on shoulder issues… Right horse, wrong time.
So, on 1st September, this picture comes up on my Facebook. The horse, at Addington, looking across the showground like he owned the place, for sale!
My messages to the owner read “Hi Loraine, lovely chestnut horse. What kind of money are you after? How big is he? Has he done a worker? But I’m due to have a baby this week so he may be gone by the time I’m back in action!”
Unbeknown to me the Mother’s message read “Hi Loraine, lovely chestnut horse. Daisy is due to have her baby this week so not ideal timing but I have to ask, what kind of money are you after? How big is he? Has he done any workers?”
Then to cut a complicated story short – I had baby, horse was sold, I got sick, new owners changed their mind, I got released from hospital, horse sold again, I was recovering, new owners didn’t come up with the money. It was as if he was waiting for me. I went to see him Wednesday, vetted Friday, picked up Saturday. The Mother didn’t even see him, I only had a very short, gentle ride but he was something special.
Right horse, wrong time, did it anyway!
So, this is Jackpot! Many stories of adventures hopefully to come…
Thank you Loraine Homer for letting us have him and thank you Mother for trusting a hopeless romantic.
2 comments
Fate definitely played its hand when we found Sam. We’d had a miserable couple of years on the competitive treadmill coming home from events analysing everything arguing , judge bashing, then our workbooks went lame and routine op went wrong and he ended up having to retire from riding. I was at the point of giving up as our hobby was no longer enjoyable, A the fun had gone so I thought it might be fun to buy a cob , for happy hacking, beach rides local shows. Hubby not too keen as we’d always had big horses that he rode 16.3 being the smallest, and I was the unpaid groom who hasn’t ridden for years. I started scouring the horse ads and only one caught my eye a chestnut skewbald, 3yr old long lined not broken he’s was only 14.2 but I managed to persuade my husband to ring as he could buy get him going and sell on. Of course the horse had been sold! We went away on holiday came back a week later went up to the yard where we kept out 16.3 field ornament. Guess who was in the stable next door? The owner of the livery yard where we kept our horse was a dealer and the chestnut and white pony had been a swap as he was a bit difficult. 9 years on Sam really is our horse of a lifetime and although initially Dave wouldn’t compete him as he said people would laugh they have done everything from county showing , British dressage, Trec, Sams also a fab jumper and loves cross country (if only his rider was braver!) He’s also got me back into riding. Love this horse to bits……
Thank you Daisy – what a lovely piece. Xx