When We Woz Posh

I have been searching my photo archives for pictures of the 1906 Spindle Back Gig in action back in the day when we trained and sold Shetland ponies to be driven.

The gig’s first show outing was to The Black Isle Show with my most favourite Shetland pony, Jackson.

He was perfect.  A mini-Friesian just Shetland pony size.

Then off to the Royal Highland Show in 2006.

The gig was also used for a tandem team – Charlie as the leader (front) and Andy, the wheeler (back) in the Multiples Open Private Driving Class at the Royal Highland Show in 2008.

A few days before, these two ponies had been going as a pair but had started racing each other in a very scary way so the day before the show, we made the executive decision to amend our show entry as a tandem rather than a pair. The Gods smiled and they went much better qualifying for the Championship held in the Grand Arena well as The Osborne Refrigerators BDS National Championships.

Charlie also took part in the Best Driven Shetland Class coming second.

Afterwards, we had some dodgy folk following behind the cart with a wedge of money desperate for us to name our price so they could buy Charlie.  They had to be escorted off the Royal Highland Show premises by Security when they started throwing bollards at us because we kept refusing their “offer”.

It was quite scary and we ran away in our lorry hoping we were not being followed!

So that’s the fun we had with this beautiful gig.  It is nice to remember.

7 thoughts on “When We Woz Posh

  1. Cathy

    Such lovely memories, and beautiful pictures. I don’t think I could bear to part with that treasured gig. It is beautiful in its own right, without all the associated memories.

    I do like Charlie, and Jackson is stunning. Don’t you think you might be posh again one day?

    Reply
    1. Frances Post author

      No, those days are long gone. I much prefer rescuing the Dhetland ponies no one wants. It is different but better.

      Reply
  2. Margaret Robinson

    Scary ordeal! However, this is beautiful – both ponies and carts. Who are the ladies? One must be a daughter, but the other isn’t you is it?

    Reply
  3. Terri

    Thank you for posting these photos — very enjoyable. Who needs posh, anyway? Letting go is part of life — we move on. Even if you will no longer own the gig, you will still have the memories. (and photos!)

    Reply

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