THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE ― These Findon Chronicles are created by Valerie Martin and are progressively growing to be the only record of life around Findon, West Sussex, England. Everyday stories about real people..... in fact, a potted history of the village. The topics today, are the history of tomorrow.

Here is Findon's Laddie doing his dressage in the arena at the South Downs Harness Club 2-day event at Liphook in May 2004.   His owner and driver is Findon's Mandy Colbourne and the groom for the occasion is Janine Martin from Nepcote.

With thanks to Derek Colbourne for all of his photographs

A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF LADDIE — 2004

Copyright Valerie Martin 2004

Laddie, with his driver, Mandy Colbourne, is a familiar sight around Findon Village and the local Downs. 
He started the year well.  

The brave little Welsh Cob, came first in his carriage driving class (Open Single Horse) at the South Downs Harness Club 2-day event at Liphook at the beginning of May 2004. 

He is in training again this year for the National Driving Trials competitions, the first of which will be at Stanmer Park in Brighton from 7th-9th May.  Go along and cheer him on his way and watch the dressage (Friday), marathon and hazards (Saturday) and cones (Sunday). 

Mandy was aiming to qualify at a national event this summer to enable her to take Laddie to the end-of-season National Championships at Windsor Park in September.   

Those were happy days.    Laddie from Findon demonstrating the Extended Trot in the Dressage Test  at Liphook with owner, Mandy Colbourne, and groom, Janine Martin. 

11-year-old Laddie went on to be overall winner in his class.   (Open single horse). 

Photograph by Derek Colbourne.

 

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....and concentrating on the Dressage Class.  
 
Photograph by Derek Colbourne.

Much hard work in preparation went on behind the scenes at Stanmer Park in Brighton in May 2004 for the 3-day carriage driving trials......

Photograph by Derek Colbourne.

More happy days to look back and remember.....Findon's Welsh Cob, Laddie with  Mandy and groom Janine Martin.   

Photograph by Derek Colbourne.

9 out of 10 from each of the 3 judges for presentation on the day.

The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, was also competing with his pony team.  

 

 

 

Overall, Laddie and the girls finished eighth.   No disgrace, they did get a pink rosette (below).    Laddie is very game but is only a little horse — and the recent rain had made the ground rather heavy (not like the flinty tracks on the Findon Downs where he trains).... and he found the marathon tiring on the second day.

Photograph by Derek Colbourne.

 

Laddie at Farleigh in Hampshire in June 2004

.   Photograph by Derek Colbourne.

In June, the Findon favourite, Laddie the Welsh Cob, was at Farleigh House Carriage Driving Trials near Basingstoke.

After the dressage, marathon and cones competitions, Laddie was placed 4th, and this means that he has earned a place in the National Carriage Driving Championship in September, which will be held in Windsor Great Park. 

His owner and driver, Mandy Colbourne and groom, Janine Martin, are very proud of this little horse........ and so is the photographer, Derek.

 

12th June 2004

Hi Valerie,

Carriage Driving

Thank you for putting the photos on your site and continued support for our
sport.

We're off to the wonderful royal estate of Sandringham in a couple
of weeks, followed by a further event 3 weeks after that at the equally
splendid Henbury Hall in Cheshire.

3 of our main adversaries will be off toAustria to compete in the World Single Horse Carriage Driving Championships and that leaves the field a little more open for the rest of us!

If anyone reading your site would be interested in joining a local carriage driving club then take a look at www.brockhamharnessclub.co.uk for more info or drop me an e-mail mandy@mandy-colbourne.biz and I'll be only to happy to answer any questions from anyone who would like to take part (even as a spectator) at local club events.

Best Wishes and Kind Regards,
Mandy Colbourne (& Laddie)

Mandy Colbourne, Findon Village, West Sussex.

 

Who did I spy one July evening?.....

Laddie and The Girls heading north from Cissbury Ring.  

I'd recognise Laddie anywhere.   

Bye, Laddie!

Sunny happy days again.   Laddie in his new full collar gives us a knowing look — with Mandy Colbourne and groom, Janine Martin, at Borde Hill in August 2004. 
Photograph by Derek Colbourne.

At the end of August 2004, Laddie, excelled himself over the weekend at the Borde Hill Carriage Driving Trials near Haywards Heath — he took first place in the Open Horse Class. 

Placed first after the Dressage, Laddie continued his winning streak with a double-clear round in the Cones Competition.
The Marathon course went up to and almost under a famous landmark, the Balcombe Viaduct. This huge structure was opened on 12th July 1841 and is one of the wonders of the Southern Railway system and contains some eleven million bricks — although, I doubt whether Mandy had time to stop and count them. She said she was covered in bruises from the Marathon — "really hard ground to cover" — and they were "flung all over the place"
After the marathon, Laddie retained the top position for Mandy and Derek.

Continue if you would like to read about
Then Came Windsor, the Culmination of all the Hard Work of 2004.

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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.

 

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Do let me know of anything you hear about Findon - not too controversial.   Please note that opinions expressed in the Findon Chronicles are not necessarily reflective of my own thoughts.... but just sometimes they might be!