[drivingpairs] Re: An early Mother's Day present
- From: Peter & Rachel Eldred <preldred@xxxxxxx>
- To: drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 08 May 2006 11:38:00 -0700
I am so jealous of all the beautiful places you have to drive. And lovely
ponies too. And a pretty hat to top it all off!
What a great story. Thanks!
Rachel
_____
From: drivingpairs-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:drivingpairs-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Flora Hillman
Sent: Monday, May 08, 2006 10:46 AM
To: drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [drivingpairs] An early Mother's Day present
I got my Happy Mother's Day present early yesterday. My Perfect Ponies --
Welsh Section B ponies "Findeln American Flag" and "Benlea Liberty" -- are
now my Perfect Pony Pair!!!! I am beside myself with glee and delight and
happiness -- I waited 6 years for my princess to grow up.. and now she's in
harness with her 1/2 brother (the handsome prince), and a more beautiful
pair of ponies you will never find elsewhere.
Story:
Thursday evening - I am having two delightful ladies come spend a long
weekend at our farm -- they are bringing their horses and camping out in
absolute luxury in the one lady's newly outfitted LQ horse trailer in our
big front field while their horses are turned loose to graze to their hearts
content. I get things ready -- move the two ponies in the front field to a
alternate pasture, mow the grass and open the gates. The farm is
picture-perfect -- all the trees and shrubs in bloom, flowers around the
stable are colorful and inviting. My one Welsh "Flag" is already shod, but
his mate "Andy" isn't. Just in case they want to go for a drive, I put
Andy's shoes on. Everything is set.
Friday - They arrive in the afternoon. We set up, then decide the best way
to start the weekend (since Saturday will be a full riding day) is to drive
with the "old" pair (Flag and Andy). We get ready the exquisite 3/4 sized
(pony size repro) Brewster Coleman phaeton --my one friend packed wine and
cheese and fruit and smoke oysters which we ate enroute as I waxed poetic on
the full historical Civil War recounting of the 1800's gravel roads and
countryside dotted with stunningly beautiful estates. We drive down the
driveway and roundabout of Welbourne estate (1830's and former home of Col.
Richard Dulaney of the CSA Virginia cavalry who started the now famous
Upperville Horse Show). Our arrival was greeted with delight by the guests
in residence. The guests and we all raised our glasses of wine to each other
as several of the old Coon hounds announced our elegant passage arriving and
departing. The ponies were a good as gold, and the weather was breathtaking
delightful. A lovely, lovely 9 mile drive through the countryside. We all
had a blast! What fun!
Saturday - we ate breakfast, packed lunches in the pocket-pads and tacked up
our horses to be heading out at 9AM for a ride over the Blue Ridge Mountain
to the Shenandoah River -- about 24 miles round trip from my farm. It was an
*incredible* experience for them both -- especially standing at the top of
the mountain overlooking the vista of Northern Virginia with the mountains
of Maryland and West Virginia visible in the distance. Always a
holding-the-breath experience to view. I am riding my Welsh/Arab endurance
pony -- a former tandem leader who now has 1,000 endurance miles on his
record, and working towards the next 2,000. The trails and paths and old
gravel roads on both sides of the mountain were exceptionally lovely --
everything was so brilliantly green with wildflowers blooming in all colors
and hues. By the time we reached the river (around 12:15) all traces of
trail weariness vanished and they had such fun taking lots of photos at the
water's edge, or out in the river itself being "brave" enough to wade out as
far as possible before it got too deep for feet and saddles to stay dry.
With less rain the river was quiet and lazy, and quite agreeable to our
antics. Then it was time to dismount, relax, let the horses graze, and chow
down a yummy packed lunch. We left the river at 1PM, and rode back up and
over the mountain, making better time. Got back to the farm about 3:30,
bathed the horses, and... then they collapsed. We all enjoyed some more wine
and cheese, and I went to an opera with hubby while they did dinner and
sacked out.
Sunday - I prance out and ask "Anyone up for another ride today?" I got the
wide-eyed "you have to be kidding!" look from the younger (the older was an
endurance rider like me -- so we had a good laugh at the younger walking
around like an 80 year old, stiff and achy from a mere 25 mile ride --
limited distance, not even "real" endurance!) After I finish laughing I ask
"how about a drive with the "new" pair?" That got a rousing "YES! from both.
So they got Libby and Flag, brushed them all down (how lovely to have two
horse-savvy grooms happy to do anything!!), then they had fun putting
Libby's harness on -- trying to remember their "harnessing lesson" from
Friday while I coached them from down the aisle as I was putting Flag's
harness on. Out loud they were discussing the "proper" way to put the neck
collar on correctly, remembering to "turn the collar" in the direction on
the mane. They were having a wonderful time, discussing which bits of
leather went where, and constantly cooing and ahhing over these two lovely
Welsh ponies who were standing like little statues -- so patient and so
gentle! With the picnic lunch in the carriage, along with treats, feed, and
water for the ponies all stuffed under the back seat, we waved goodbye to
hubby (who was working on new wheels for one of our antiques) and away we
went on a 12 mile round trip drive to the Llangollen estate -- a magnificent
18th century Virginia manor house set up on the slope of the Blue Ridge
Mountains in Upperville, VA.
How can I say I had the best time ever -- all three of us in sheer delight
with the glorious day, the peaceful scenery, and having the two prettiest,
most beautiful ponies pulling our carriage. It was like driving mirror
images -- Flag and Libby are exactly the same build, same stride, same
personality. I'd been working her as a single, getting a good education on
her and getting her tree pollen allergy issues under 100% control before
putting her back in harness with her brother. It all paid off like gold!! We
drove through 4 magnificent estates, beginning with Llangollen with it's
mile long driveway where the great Coaching Event at Upperville (2005 -- 49
4-in-hands put to coaches -- biggest event since 1890!!!!) met for lunch,
driving up the mile long driveway towards the massive manor house -- the
same driveway where they filmed Ashley homecoming scene for Gone with the
Wind, following the circular drive around the back of the house to get a
full view of the house, gardens, famous horse-shoe stables, ancient
graveyard -- and the breathtaking vistas of the countryside below. Then a
quick stop at the bottom of the drive to give the ponies water and some
lunch and enjoy our own repast, then off again to head down the long tree
lined driveway of the old Virginia estate, Corotoman, which dates back to
the 1700's and Lord Fairfax's day, past ponds and fields full of frisky
Thoroughbreds, then next through the beautiful Foxlease where we took the
1800's road down the back way, through a wide, shallow stream (both ponies
were magnificent -- walked right through as if it were nothing!) and thence
to Old Welbourne, an 1840's manor house, driving up and past the beautiful
old brick Federal home which is being refurbished for it's newest owner.
Then, only a mile from home, we detoured to enjoy some of the "golf-course
mowed" carriage paths one of our wonderful neighbors keeps groomed for
riders and carriages through his 800 acres -- the paths beautifully
maintained nice and wide, just for our driving pleasure (I adore these
landowners -- they are WONDERFUL), and then the final 1/4 mile home.
My pair hadn't even broken a sweat!!!! Such fit little ponies! But they both
got a nice bath, a big dinner, and my companions began to pack for their
trip home. I printed out a photo of each taken at the river as a surprise,
and with big hugs, multiple hugs, LOTS of hugs all around, they left with
wonderful memories, and firm promises to definitely do another weekend
again!!!! The younger had announced she was determined to have her own pair
of driving ponies, and the older (my endurance buddy) will be back to drive
with me again.
But the best part was -- I got to drive my "new" pair, and they were beyond
brilliant. They were the Perfect Pony Pair. I'm still in heaven.
(You can see some of the photos on my website -- HYPERLINK
"http://aurigafarm.com/Libby/Libbypg4.html";
\nhttp://aurigafarm.com/Libby/Libbypg4.html ) More to come as my friends get
their camera shots back to me.
Flora
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