The Pony Club Challenge

I went with my grandchildren to a Pony Club competition. The morning was sunny and bright and Spencer collected his first rosette in the jumping ring. Happiness reigned and it was soon followed by an eagerness to win more and more prizes. Connie was desperate to win in the dressage and we watched with bated breath as she followed an unknown path around and through the arena. She was perfect and this was confirmed when it was announced over the tannoy that she had come first. We jumped into the air with joy. Toby on Billy had never entered a competition before but he had worked hard for this day. He looked every inch a winner as he trotted into the jumping ring. He went round at the fastest time of 30.4 seconds but knocked one fence down, four faults. He still got placed and we whooped for joy again. Meanwhile Spencer was picking up more rossettes, best family vintage pony and the gymkhana was a huge success. The horse and hound race had Toby once more jumping fences before leaping off his pony and snatching Copper, the spaniel off his mum charged around the jumps once again with Copper jumping for joy; they came second. The afternoon rain thinned out the crowd and it was cold and miserable. But Toby was going in for the next jumping class with bigger jumps; he came second with a clear round. Connie nearly swept the board in jumping but the last six all came in with only 3 seconds dividing them. How I love those kids. They are brave, determined and proved that they can compete and grin the whole day long – even in the rain. Back home we wallowed in a deep bath of foaming water and reflected on who did what. The other competitors, the supporting parents and the magnificent Pony Club who do so much to make sure that standards and maintained. A well earned rest today for ponies and riders as we make our way to the coast and pray for a little sunshine.

Fundraising

Whenever I am faced with fundraising thoughts of how to do it differently, how much do I need to raise, who can I ask again to come and part with some money… and the list goes on. I procrastinate about setting a date, I worry about the weather, the venue, the drink, the food … the list goes on. But then a decision is made, action is taken and the wheels are set in motion and before long, hey presto, I am actually looking forward to the event. I decided to put on a fund raising lunch for menstrual kits for the women in Uganda. I made lasagne and a chicken casserole, some salads and bread and cheese were donated by a friend. I sent out some invites and others asked if they could invite people. I got twenty customers on the day. The sun shone but the wind was too cold to sit outside. I charged £5 a head, some people I knew and some people I met for the first time and the enthusiasm to help give women the comfort of sanitary towels every month was reward enough. I received £70 in donations before the day from people who couldn’t come and altogether on the day I raised £185. With money I had raised from With Women In Mind workshops I was able to send £250 to the project. This means that another 50 women in rural south west Uganda will be more comfortable next month. Last month we sent £100 and so we now have 90 women in this area using sanitary protection that we take for granted. When I started I was thinking of contacting the big sanitary companies and asking for their help but it was complicated and then I thought, Just Do It. If you only get enough money for a few women it is better than none. When I was training to be a life coach we were told a story about a woman who was picking up starfish that had been washed up along the seashore. A man came along and as she was about to throw another starfish into the sea he said, ‘it’s useless there are far too many I wouldn’t bother, you won’t make any difference.’ She hurled her starfish into the sea, and said, ‘it’s made a difference to that one.’