After a week of being becalmed by half term, lost shoes, moving and hospital visits, our fabulous team reconvened. It is tough working this time of year, it is cold and muddy, grooming takes a long time and as soon as it is done, it needs doing again as you can guarantee one of the horses will have rolled in the mud at the first opportunity.
Despite the demotivating greyness today we passed yet another milestone in our long term plan. I wish you could have seen Jo and Steve's faces and the pride and joy they emanated. I would have loved to have captured Steve looking round every time the four horses were in step and he couldnt hear Jo driving his second pair behind him.
I havent got enough hands, and in the circumstances it was far more important to focus on what we were doing, Steve and Jenny with Jack and Sultan and the Presentation carriage, followed by Jo and I with Rupert and Obie and the Competition carriage.
You will have to take my word, but it was a magnificent sight to see two pairs driving around the roads of Crow. One to make anyone who is involved with heavy horses proud. For Jo and Steve the challenge is to drive the horses safely on the road, for Jenny and I, the challenge is more in the hitching and unhitching, ensuring the horses behave and for Jenny particularly, with Jack and Sultan, that can be a huge challenge.
Today, everyone played their parts superbly and I was so proud to be part of such an amazing team. Maybe this wont mean anything to anyone else, ever, but for us four it was a fulfillment of a dream. Another brick in the foundation of something we hope will change many people's lives in time to come.
