May 19, 2012

the jubilee pageant, sort of

Posted by Jennifer under RWHS, Windsor | Tags: |
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On our final evening in Windsor, I and about half of our huge CAA group watched the spectacular pageant in celebration of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (the rest of our group had already seen the pageant on Saturday). We were magnificently entertained by musicians, singers, riders, drivers, tent-peggers, acrobats on horseback, and native dancers from all over the world.

I must admit that the only photos I took during the pageant itself are these three:

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one section of grandstands is starting to fill up for the evening’s performance; the pink section on the right is the royal box

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the huge stage (facing the royal box) was designed to look like Buckingham Palace

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the first pageant performers in the arena were the Household Cavalry and some of the King’s Troop (the horses in harness in the foreground); here, everyone was awaiting the The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, who arrived in a horse-drawn Landau

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I was lucky enough to see some of the U.S. contingent “backstage” on Saturday evening (here, if you haven’t already seen it).

During the week, I (and everyone else at the show) enjoyed seeing many of the pageant participants during the horse show itself. Some of the groups (bands and horse groups, especially) performed during the day in the various horse-show rings; some of the native dance groups performed at various times in a large tent on the showgrounds; and many of them, like the rest of us, enjoyed walking around the show, seeing the sights, watching the horses, and visiting the trade fair … usually wearing some variation of their native / performance outfits. I’ve shared photos of some of these in previous posts, and here are a few more:

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dancers from the Cook Islands

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one …

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… and two of the representatives of four different Kenyan tribes at the show

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the Oman hospitality tent

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… and a close-up of an example of some of the beautiful silver tack worn by the hundreds of horses in the Royal Cavalry of Oman

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the New Zealand Army Band provided fun marching-band music, some rugby, and a good dose of comedy

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May 18, 2012

the coaching run in pictures

Posted by Jennifer under coaching, horses & driving | Tags: |
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Earlier this week, I posted Jill’s report from the CAA group’s first day at John Parker & Susan Townsend’s Swingletree, when everyone went on a coaching run through the Norfolk countryside.

Today, we received photos from Susan, which she took during the group’s two-day visit:

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the group enjoyed lunch in the meeting room at Swingletree

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Bev Marley enjoyed a lesson with Shadow and Phillipa Kemp Welch

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Bruce Hausser also enjoyed a lesson with Shadow

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Jim Spangler took a lesson in driving a unicorn

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May 17, 2012

a beautiful day for a beautiful drive

Posted by Jennifer under RWHS, Windsor | Tags: |
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Last Sunday at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, members of the British Driving Society gathered for a drive through Windsor Home Park and a Concours d’Elegance competition. Following with the tradition of this annual drive, the group was led by HRH Prince Phillip, driving HM The Queen’s team of Fell ponies.

After all the rain and mud of the previous few days, and the unfortunate cancellation of Friday’s coaching marathon, the participants in the BDS drive couldn’t have asked for a prettier day.

I was able to get photos of several of the turnouts while they were lined up on the road after their drive; driving down the road; in a collecting arena; and (the winner of the first-place ribbon) in the main arena.

Enjoy!

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the winning Hackney Pony

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May 16, 2012

friends in the trade fair

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We, and crowds of other people, spent lots of time during the Royal Windsor Horse Show exploring and shopping in the many, many booths and tents in the trade fair.

I enjoyed seeing (and was able to introduce A.J. to) some friends from Spain, when we discovered the Dorantes Saddlery booth. During last year’s CAA trip to Spain, the group had visited with the folks at Dorantes, and with their compatriots at Alba Carriages. At Windsor, we talked about England, Spain, food, and, of course, the beautiful items on display in their trade-fair booth.

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detail of the blinkers on a beautiful russet bridle

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a spares kit

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a rosette and leather hat box

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a lovely variety of browbands …

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… and more browbands

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also on display: gorgeous storage boxes, which can be painted in the owner’s colors

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… the same box, opened

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… the red one shown above is in the background here, accompanied by a beautiful blue storage box in a different shape and size

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… the blue box, as displayed, had drawers for storing bits; it can be configured to store any number of items

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detail of yet another beautiful set of harness

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May 15, 2012

a coaching run in Norfolk

Posted by Jennifer under coaching, horses & driving | Tags: |
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Most of us who were on the CAA trip to Windsor have now returned home, but a small group stayed in England and traveled this morning up to Norfolk to spend a few days.

Jill sent this report from the group’s first day in Norfolk:

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Yesterday, fifteen of the original ninety-five CAA participants boarded our own private mini-coach for a three-hour drive up to Norfolk (northeast of London). We arrived around 12:30 p.m. — in time to enjoy a great ploughman’s lunch prepared especially for us at Swingletree Farm in the village of Wingfield. John Parker then showed us around the carriage collection and stables, spending lots of time with each horse or pony. It is clear that he is very fond of them all!

Then it was off to the Cornwallis Hotel nearby to check in, rest, and meet for drinks at 7:00 p.m. in the hotel bar. We were joined by John and Susan, plus three of the girls who work at Swingletree, plus Jimmy & Harriet Lawes, who also live nearby and own a large private carriage collection and one of the largest collections of Gypsy Wagons anywhere. We spent a lively evening enjoying some good food and wine, and each other’s company.

In the morning, two of the group left early to go to the farm for their private driving lesson, then the rest of us came along at 10:00 a.m. Promptly at 11:00 a.m. the Mail Coach and was pulled out, and the four white coach horses were put to. We divided the group in two, then drew lots as to who got to sit where. Lucky Bruce Hauser drew #1 for the first leg of the coach run, and he got to sit on the box seat next to John. Off they went for a coach run through the Norfolk countryside and after about an hour, the balance of the group met up with them just outside a private home built in 1077 (that’s right, 1077!). The groups switched off and this time Bev Marley was lucky enough to draw #1 and she choose to sit on the box seat.

Once back, the horses were tended to by the great girls of Swingletree and then we sat down to a special “coaching lunch” of game pie, steak and kidney pie, mounds of new potatoes, carrots, and peas, all washed down by some local beer or wine. Wonderful. Jenny then presented a selection of fabulous desserts.

More private driving lessons, a visit to the harness room, and we are all back at the hotel for a rest after a fantastic day. Yes, it rained at times and even hailed, but we did not care.

 

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