Heavy Horse Showjumping -
One of the people we have known the longest in the showjumping world is Richard Hill. We first knew Richard as a kid who went for showjumping lessons with Philip Langham. The Langhams live a mile down the road from us and Mr Hill used to drive past our farm with the horsebox to get to their place. Philip Langham had been trained by Steven Hadley and had rode for him as well so he was very well respected. Hence the reason Richard was going there with his ponies at the time. Dad came in from the garden one day muttering that, that bloody kid always waves like hell. Meaning Richard.
As we did Kath Langham favours at times she would repay the compliment by getting Philip to give me riding lessons on my pony Bobby. Then one day during 1978 she asked me if I would ride a pony for them as Philip could school him but he was too big to jump the pony. It was a pony they had had back from someone who had spolit him by letting him get away with running off, standing on the spot and bucking to frighten her and in the end it worked. Philip had got him right and to sell him again they needed to be able to show people him jumping. I went down there riding him under the strict supervision of Philip and after about a month Kath told me I could take him home if I wanted so I could ride him every day and take him to the local shows. I did that wishing we could afford him but they were asking 2 thousand pounds for him which 30 years ago was a lot of money. I knew there was no way we could afford him as Dad only earned £25 per week at the time. Anyway imagine how I felt when on my birthday I went into his stable to let him out before school to find him tied up to the manger with a big ribbon round his neck with Happy Birthday Ann on him. Kath had let Mum & Dad buy him for £500 I found out years later. Kath had found the people another pony which suited them but they made more money out of the deal by having the dearer pony back and selling them a cheaper pony for the same price and the difference was £500.
I had my own problems with him and eventually I got him right by showing him he caouldn't frighten me as it seemed as soon as Philip thought I would be ok with him, he started his games. Mum would tell me to get into that bloody field and stay there until he does as he is told. One day she said it to me and after 3 hours began to wonder where I was. Dad came in from the yard commenting he could hear a thud, thud, at times and wheres Ann? I want her to help me being as she on her summer hoidays. Mum said she hadn't seen me for a while so they both came out into the back field to find me. The thud thud Dad had heard was Brutus, The pony, going full belt around the field. He had gone with me and initially it had frightened me going full speed around the field but he wasn't going to stop so I just hung in there. As Mum came into the field he tried to stop so I made him go on. After he had tried to stop three times Mum Shouted at me to let him walk as he was dripping with sweat and it was a bioling hot day. I walked him for an hour to coll him down properly and then brought him in. He never tried to bolt with me again and the following Saturday at the Nuneaton Riding Club I even did a double clear with him . The fortnight before I had got eliminated with him. Ron Morris was walking by and he congratulated me on doing so well, but you've got a bit to go yet Ann before you will beat my ponies. What you want to do is get two barrels and figure eight him around them so he gets used to going tight around the corners. Then slowly bring the carrels in so they are close enough to put a pole across then figure eight him over that. Two weeks later at Nuneaton I came third, knocking Ron's second pony down to fourth. As he went by he said well done I can see you took my advice and that's the last bit your getting from me, he laughed. For the rest of the year I gave them such a run that I accumulated enough points that I was fifth, but they only gave year trophies to fourth. Anyway Mum insisted we went to the presentation evening as it showed good sportsmanship, as theres always next year she said. Anyway as they presented the trophies for my class they called me up. They announced they had had a committee meeting to decide if I could be given Fifth prize as they thought I had improved so dramatically everyone had commented it was such a shame for me not to get anything. I was really chuffed and the following season I won everything in sight and didn't look back after that.