Pony Driving - End 2 End

Trisha and her horses

Horses have been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember and are in my genes.
My Grandfather had success with a string of Racehorses usually with the prefix “Eastern”. He was great mates with Joss Gifford and Lester Piggott and other greats of his era. My father was a part of all this and knew how to ride and handle horses but had no interest in them. My mother came from the centre of Exeter and had no experience of horses but they adapted well to my two sisters and one brother wanting our own ponies.
The four of us had a good childhood doing Pony Club, Prince Philip Cup, ODE’s, Hunter trials and Hunting and all the other things with ponies that kids do. I can remember going out in the morning with friends and taking a picnic lunch. There was often not enough ponies to go round and so we commandeered bicycles, roller skates or any other form of wheels we could lay our hands on. Ponies were used as pulling power up the hills for those unmounted to free wheel down. Sadly today’s kids would not be allowed the same freedom. All three of my sons lived and breathed ponies as children and from the mid 1970’s to the mid 1990’s weekends and holidays were taken up with them doing Pony club, Tetrathlon, Mounted Games and horse shows. We had a lovely time, very busy and hard work but worth it for the fun we had.

Marcus is now a Farrier, Phillip went on to have a year Point to Pointing but found it very hard to keep the weight off, so after a year of starving himself decided there were better things to do with his time so he and Marcus took up Stage Rallying and were successful at that. My youngest son Tom did some driving, starting at the tender age of 10 with Maxine Ingham’s pony William and won his first event down in the depths of Cornwall at Judy Scrimshaw’s. He followed on with back stepping for Mark and Jo Broadbent and even me on occasions. Unfortunately a shoulder injury then stopped me playing. But now after an operation I feel the need to be out doing again.

So last year ShirleyMay and I took ourselves off to Widecombe in the Moor and bought a pair of ponies each. All 4 were unbroken off the moor and my real joy is producing youngsters. My pair of just about 5 year old bay roan geldings are now being ridden by my granddaughter Jessica and Tom’s fiancée Amy and going nicely, they are driving as a pair and have done 2 competitions. They have been added to with a rising 4 year old gelding who is away being broken to ride and drive.

I live on the edge of Exmoor with my partner of 20 + years Karl Bailey. Karl is a Civil Engineer and International Muzzle Loading Shooter and I am a Radiographer working in the Breast Care Centre based at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, Somerset.

I work with Jane whose son Sam, it is that we are doing this ‘trip’ in his memory and to say thank you to the Teenage Cancer Trust. Kevin and Jane through Jane and Trish working together, we have known Trish and Karl for several years. We have had lots of good times together and like so many of our friends they gave us support throughout Sam’s illness and since. Because Sam is the catalyst behind this adventure we some how feel responsible – which is a big challenge in itself!

PIP’S STORY
Trisha has asked me to write a little bit about me, it won’t take long. My love of all things equine started at a very young age when I lived in a flat over looking Lowestoft promenade, from there I could see the man with the Donkeys, I watched for hours when ever I could. During my childhood I took every opportunity that was possible to either, look touch and hopefully ride a four legged beasty, it really didn’t matter as long as I was able to feel and smell them. I had to wait until a holiday in Devon to confirm two things, one I fell in love with the West Country and two I would one day live there, I was eleven years old, I had to wait a few years until I reached my early twenties to achieve that ambition, I’m still here and have reached the Bus Pass age so I think I can call this home. During my early teens I worked at a riding school but this was a little tame for my adventurous spirit so I found a job in Wales and played around with Point to Pointers for a while. Another holiday in Devon proved fruitful as I was offered a job! Not with horses but Cows and Pigs! I loved it, so I stayed. I had the opportunity to once again play around with ponies and horses so I was happy with my lot so to speak. I got married as one does and my daughter, as so many little girls do, wanted a pony, she got her wish and was lucky enough to have a couple of really great little ponies. The boys didn’t share her interest at all, one was passionate about all sports especially football, the other just ‘Roared’ around on two wheels from the age of two and half! It was because of my Tom and Trisha’s Tom that we met, I have them to thank for that, and all because they liked Motor Bikes! Well done lads, the rest as they say is History!

Kevin and Jane
You have probably read about us in ‘Sam’s Story’. Here’s a little bit more background:

We have lived in Somerset for 26 years, so we are almost ‘locals’. Ross and Sam of course grew up here and loved it. Ross, although he now spends most of his time in London, still enjoys coming home to the space and peace of village life.
We both have rural roots, Kevin from Lancashire on the edge of Blackburn, not far from the moors and the Lake District.
Jane, like Trisha was reared on a farm in Devon. They both went to The School of Radiography in Exeter (at different times) and ended up working together at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton.
It was when Jane was at Exeter and Kevin was at Plymouth Poly that they met on a beach in Cornwall, who said holiday romances don’t last? We lived in the midlands at first, but the south west drew Jane back and we moved to Somerset in 1985.
Kevin has worked in industry and warehousing, but has now taken a new life style in the property line.
We have always taken active roles in local activities, such as cubs and scouts; PTA’s and various committees. Since losing Sam we have done lots of fund raising events for the various charities that helped us and Sam during his illness. Kevin was also the catalyst behind Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) gaining the Home Retail Group as their sponsor for two and a half years until 2013. They aimed to raise £2.5million by then, but have already passed beyond this target. In 2009 we produced a CD with Sam’s friends and family in Sam’s memory for TCT. This raised over £6,500, there are still a few left if you would like one.
We are proud of Ross, for putting his life on hold for his brother and for since then achieving a BA Honours Degree in Illustration.
Trisha and Karl have been good friends now for many years. They, like so many others gave us support during Sam’s illness, if we needed a break they were there.

We are looking forward to helping Trisha achieve her ‘bucket wish list’ dream of driving a pair of ponies from John O’Groats to Land’s End. By doing this we shall hopefully achieve our dream by raising lots of money for the Teenage Cancer Trust South West Appeal.

Trisha’s love for her ponies is obvious to all, especially when she rolls up at work with hay on her clothes! And Karl’s love for engineering and ‘tinkering’ shines when he tells you with great glee how he has adapted the carriage with scaffolding! Together they make the ideal support team for Basil, Felix and Archie. Having taken on such a huge challenge for Teenage Cancer Trust we are going to help them plan the event; raise the funds to actually do it and to support them next spring when it happens.
Kevin & Jane