16/05/2026
16/05/26
We set off for eventing before 7 this morning with Lottie, Cassie and Milo (for company). Then promptly broke down on the M4…
So Elsie called every member of her family, to wake them up at around 7.30 on a Saturday! While Lauren called the police, and I phoned Dad (to call equine rescue) and then Lisa.
Within half an hour, Sam was on his way with a trailer for Milo from Chase Farm Milk, and Tori and George from Kingstone Brewery were on the way in their lorry with Ed bringing the car so that we could all continue to our event.
Lauren then called Pontispool Equine Sports Centre to see if we would be able to slot in later. As usual, the team at Pontispool were absolute diamonds and there were no worries there. It’s one of the many reasons we make that trek multiple times a year, it’s genuinely our favourite event, because the team are exceptional and so kind, so the whole place has the best vibes!
Equine Rescue called to say they had dispatched recovery, and were we absolutely sure that we didn’t need the horses recovered too? Honestly, nothing has ever been better value than Equine Rescue services, they will recover the horses as well as the vehicle, even as far as Grantham to Gloucestershire! But just as importantly, the team are unflappable, and you feel like you’re calling your friend to ask for help.
Within half an hour of breaking down, the cavalry arrived to rescue us. The road was closed and then was the task of loading the least experienced horses of the team (one of which had a traumatic accident in a lorry so had a massive loading problem), on the motorway no less. Cassie on faster than a snap of the fingers, Tori, George and Elsie shut her in while we went back for Lottie. Elsie and I literally cuddled her bum from the one lorry to the next, with Lauren at the front end. Lottie looked terrified. “We’ve got you baby.” Was all it took for her to go straight up the ramp of a brand new, side loader on the motorway. Then it was onto the baby of the team. Milo was actually shaking at the top of the ramp of our lorry. We coaxed him down and reminded him that he was the best boy and he went straight on a brand new trailer. The whole thing took under ten minutes. Sam took our little treasure home and Tori and Elsie went on to Pontispool with the girls. Ed and George then stayed with the lorry and leant us their car, and then they were joined by dad and all stayed to wait for the lorry to be recovered.
So we’re on the way to Pontispool and all we can do is talk about how lucky we are for the people in our lives. It will never be lost on us that we got on the phone without hesitation and were immediately answered. We are that privileged in our friends.
People like to roll their eyes at our biblically bad luck, like “it’s always something with them.” (Try living it) but you don’t get a say in the hand you get dealt. But we will drop everything to help our friends in an emergency, we’re ride or die. We won’t often see people for a coffee date, but we’ll be there when you need us. And I like to think that’s reflected in our village. Thank you to the people who always have our backs. Not just today, but all the time!
So yeah, the girls were phenomenal. Lottie did a beautiful dressage, had one unlucky pole in the show jumping and then had a proper slip cross country as she had no back shoes so no studs, which resulted in a 20 penalties. It was an ice rink with the rain we had today, and was absolutely not on little Lottie. So Lauren literally trotted the actual jumps and galloped in between and she did a stunning job of the rest of the course. Cassie stayed in the boards… had a couple of poles show jumping (her 2nd time show jumping) and flew clear around the cross country. They could have won it and I still don’t think we’d be any prouder of how they handled everything today! Yes, they were brilliant, but we had the best horses in the world when they showed unwavering trust in us. We had the best team in the world when they rolled out of bed to rescue us, and then doted on the girls, juggled ponies and a toddler, traipsed from the dressage to the farthest corner of the cross country course, filmed and took pictures, and did it all in the rain with nothing but smiles and support.
Thank you forever.
