What a wonderful event the Indoor Championships is! It’s such a great opportunity to catch up with friends and drivers from all over the country, and the facilities at Arena UK are superb. Taking part this year was truly special for me and Alfie as we didn’t expect to be able to go and we both love taking part. I owe so much to two driving friends and am so very grateful.

In particular, my Welsh Cob Alfie was incredible because he hadn’t competed since the World Para Champs last September and I didn’t dare dared hope he would do so well, but then he is an exceptional pony – a true legend.

I had high hopes for a busy winter season competing Alfie at all the events in the Wales and Gloucester region.  Our entries were in when disaster struck the week before the first event in October and my father was taken ill. He spent much of the winter in Prince Charles hospital so I was unable to do any driving or training because our focus was on helping Dad, and keeping home and horse care ticking over properly. Thankfully he came home in time for Christmas which was wonderful, but there’s a long road ahead to a limited recovery. Kind words from our friends in the driving community have been so appreciated and Dad has been touched by everyone’s concern and good wishes.

Obviously, Dad cannot be my main driving support crew anymore and I have been so lucky to have him with me since my first interest in driving 25 years ago.  He has been my constant companion on all my driving adventures as driver, mechanic, long-suffering stable groom whether we’re at camps, training days or competitions. He deserves a medal as he isn’t a horsey person and is much more confident around motorbikes.

Without Dad’s input, and with no one locally who could fulfil any of his key roles, it seemed in January that the dream had died of qualifying for and competing at the indoor finals.  But never underestimate the generosity and kindness of driving friends. At my parent’s urging, (but not feeling that hopeful) I placed a request on Facebook asking if anyone could let me have a drive at the next qualifying event.  Jane Hendy responded straight away and offered me her special pony Peri, plus the equipment, and she would be my backstepper and support crew.

The first time I drove Peri was in the warmup ring just before our dressage. What a sweet pony he was with a very different temperament to big bouncy Alfie. I had turned up just hoping to get round without elimination, but with Peri suddenly we could shine. He did a lovely dressage test, and we were thrilled to get the best score of the day of 17.

We went clear in cones too, although we had some time penalties, and he was very responsive around the obstacles to come a very creditable third in Open Pony – just one percent behind second place and secure a very decent percentage score. Jane and I had such fun too enjoying each other’s company and bursting with pride at Peri’s achievement with an unfamiliar driver.

Jane immediately offered Peri again at the next event at the beginning of February. The weather was dreadful with stair rods of rain, but we had another blast and made the most of a great day of driving. I knew what to expect from Peri this time and he produced another super dressage, matching the 17 from the first event. We went clear again in the cones with some time faults and enjoyed good obstacles. This time, speedy Amy Koster was in the class driving little Baz, who I used to own. She and Nicola Blandin were uncatchable through obstacles, so we were very pleased to hold our respectable third place.

There was no qualifying event at Cricklands in March, and there wasn’t an option to go elsewhere. However, because we had won the 2025 Drivers with Disabilities class, I had a ticket to enter this year’s championships. But there was the dilemma of being qualified and keen to enter but not having a pony to drive because Jane was unable to go. I considered asking any friends who were going if they could let their pony go twice which was a huge ask for a championship event.

I was chatting to Esther Rawlinson, who kindly backstepped for me last season, including at Lähden last September. She said she was going to go to the finals and help out and, hearing my predicament, immediately offered to take Alfie and all our kit to Arena UK in her lorry. Plans were made so that we would set off early on the Thursday and have an exercise session ready for dressage and cones on Friday morning, with obstacles bright and early on Saturday morning. We would then pack up and come home to give Esther a day to sort things ahead of starting a new job on the Monday.

Then early in the week poor Esther got a nasty lurgy, and the plans seemed to be a lost cause. She said to prepare ourselves anyway, as she aimed to still take us. So the equipment was sorted, Alfie’s legs clipped and everything scrubbed. I worked Alfie on long lines so everything stayed as clean as possible and with Dad out of action, there was no one to stand on the backstep of the carriage, so I couldn’t drive.

By the Wednesday, Esther was still feeling rough but was determined not to disappoint us so it was green to go.  Alfie loaded beautifully into her lorry and we were excited to fly the flag for Wales with my handsome Welsh Cob in Esther’s Tristar lorry. Tristar have kindly helped me with entry costs for events where Wales needs representing, such as the indoor finals and the Certius Championships.

We travelled well to Grantham and arrived late afternoon to settle Alfie into his stable and organise our paperwork. Alfie was happy to stretch his legs and loved rolling in his stable bed with contented grunting and showers of shavings.

A full day’s driving a 7.5 ton lorry took its toll and poor Esther was feeling too unwell to exercise Alfie. It was a chance for me to take stock of surroundings and ‘walk’ the dressage and cones. This is where I missed not having my mini quad because there hadn’t been room for it, so I had Mum’s little mobility scooter which came apart to fit under the carriage. It managed the hardstanding quite well but faltered badly on the sand surfaces and died halfway round the cones. So I was back to wobbling round the course on crutches and trying to get a feel for the dressage arena and movements in a very slow, unbalanced way.

That evening there was the chance to chat with fellow drivers in the canteen and enjoy much appreciated pizza as refuelling, before going back to the stables and an hour or so of horse care.  The lorry and my camp bed were very welcome after all the walking and concentration. There was an early start ahead to fuel Alfie and remake his bed, plait and groom. To my delight I discovered he was the cover boy of the indoor schedule, so I fell asleep very happy.

Friday was a BIG day for Alfie….his first competition for six months. Would I remember the dressage? I hadn’t driven this Open test at all. Would my excitable bouncy boy settle, especially in the charged atmosphere of a busy indoor event? Ideally, I should have gone round the cones again but without having wheels, I had to make do with just a couple of times. Would I get lost? How well would I gauge the time?

Alfie was an absolute pro on day one, although the same can’t be said for his driver.  Unfortunately, my brain went on holiday mid dressage test…but who needed that second collected trot circle anyway? It was a costly penalty and embarrassing moment followed by an existential crisis wondering if in fact I knew any of the movements – or even how to drive at all! Alfie was really sweet and attentive, despite being fresh and he managed to contain his excitement, was relaxed in his walks and maintained his halts.

We couldn’t wallow for too long, because Alfie went round the cones course with his usual gusto. We had just one ball down – which serves me right for still lamenting my faux pas and not focussing enough on the phase at hand.  But we only had one time penalty.

We were last in the dressage, but the cones brought us up to third and less than half a second behind Gemma, with Tracey close behind. Jen Longley had driven brilliantly all day winning both the dressage and cones, and deservedly won the trophy for the best dressage of Friday’s classes.  After two phases, she was way out in front on 27 pens while we had a lot to catch up on 45. Jen and Pops are very nimble and fast in obstacles, so seemed assured of victory.

I had to walk the round the obstacles on my crutches and needed to find quick but flowing routes for Alfie. He is long with big paces and although well balanced and collected, I wanted him to feel he was flowing forwards. Cones and obstacles are Alfie’s favourite phases and although he is now 25 years old, he still has that magic oomph in his acceleration and power.

We came to the championships to have fun, and it was my hope that Alfie would dazzle in the obstacles. But finding ourselves 18 penalties in arrears against a driver of Jen’s calibre, catching up seemed insurmountable.  Yet with an experienced pony like Alfie, who has exhilarating acceleration and enjoys the obstacles, we had a chance. Even the commentator observed, ‘Well we certainly know Alfie loves this phase!’

I am very grateful to David and James Broome for entrusting me with him all those years ago. I wonder if they expected him to keep up with the best as an old gent in his mid-twenties?

It was so exciting to race through the start into championship obstacles and Alfie was foot perfect. We did tap two balls during our first run which gave us a further 10 to add, so I really didn’t think we had made up the deficit on Pops. We still didn’t know the result when we were parading in the arena awaiting confirmation of the final scores, and I couldn’t believe it when we were announced as the winners!

A huge thank you to Esther for holding the carriage down as my trusty backstepper. Alfie and I had a fabulous time and are so appreciative of Ester’s invaluable help and for being our hero transporter, not forgetting all Jane’s support. It was great to compete against such wonderful paras and catch up with them again. The indoor finals were thoroughly enjoyable and of course only made possible by the crew who judge, organise, steward and sponsor it.

Having thought it was time to retire Alfie from competitions, after the champs success we may have other ideas.  It would be great to take part in club and national events, but I cannot get Alfie and our kit to the events.  So, if anyone can kindly help me with the transport and logistics, or perhaps has a horse or pony I could drive at events, particularly the BC para classes, I would be so grateful.