“Our day started at 4.30am ready to head up to Forfar for the Scottish Smallholders Festival…just over a 100 mile trip. We were part of a display and parade of native horses and ponies with one of our New Forest ponies, 22 year old Jute (Monkshorn Minstrel / Williford Ivy by St. Christopher of Church Place).
We arrived at Forfar Mart at around 8am, about an hour before the public were let in, so we had plenty of time to unload Jute, all our leaflets, display boards and get him groomed and looking tidy. My daughter Enid has been learning New Forest Pony facts for ages and was keen to tell everyone what she knew…we spoke to lots of people about the breed and realised that more people seem to be aware of the breed, compared to 2018 when I last paraded a pony. Back then I found most people I spoke to were completely unaware of the breed or that funny little place in Hampshire called the New Forest!
The morning parade was of individual ponies in the ring with a commentator giving information about the pony and the breed. Enid has also been practicing all summer so she could ride in the parade by herself and although Jute started off quite full of beans, he settled when he realised he was on his own and behaved really well. The afternoon parade was with all the ponies together, which he found very exciting (they might have been going off hunting or something more exciting together!), so I walked alongside Jute and Enid for this one, with Moon the collie who was very good.
Jute went out when we got home and had a good roll, making sure he mashed as much mud into any exposed areas of his gleaming coat!” Tamsin James
