Powys Carriage Driving Group

Wild weather added to the atmosphere as the club stalwarts had a fun filled day at Llwynon indoor school. The day started off with Freestyle Dressage to Music, judged by Anthea Birch, everyone choosing Halloween tracks and putting on a great show in their full fancy dress regalia! Winners Janice and Peter Sidebottom looking truly ghastly as Halloween Bride and Groom jinxed the music machine on three occasions with power cutting out during their stylish act to Thriller! Junior Winner was Emily Curnock looking very devilish with demon pony Dollar and dad as the Prince of Darkness! Fancy dress was judged by Christine Pitt who also picked these two out as her winners overall.

After the presentation for the morning’s classes the course was set up for cones and obstacles which everyone had much fun decorating . The group was again split into adults in one class and the juniors in another. Rosettes awarded were made in Halloween colours by Big Penguin Designs and sponsored by Sally Lloyd on behalf of Dyffryn Tywi Equine Clinic who have been very helpful with getting her Shetland Spotty back into competing.

Between phases there was an impromptu group enacting of Thriller on the arena – the photos look Ok but we would have been in better synch with Michael Jackson leading the moves!

The scariness of the obstacle decoration did put some ponies off and Spotty definitely decided that glittery pieces of tinsel on the sand were venomous scorpions about to attack him ! Much fun was had by all in spite of the weather and some very competitive driving meant results were close in both the cones and obstacle classes. There was only one driver to go round the cones courses twice without knocking off a single ball and that was 10 year old Jack Kedward! Jack is now driving a competition four wheeler and is definitely one to watch ! Emily Curnock ,another junior, was however quicker and in round two also went clear with the best round all the competitors over the day. A special well done to Wendy Williams at her first HDT with her two young sons loving every minute on board with delightful pony Basil who Wendy broke to drive herself.

At the end of the day though it was win win win win for Peter Sidebottom in the adults and Emily Curnock in the Juniors both going home draped in first place rosettes!

Results for the day : Fancy Dress Winners : Adult Champion : Peter & Janice Sidebottom

Junior Champion: Emily Curnock

Dressage to Music :

Adults : 1st: Peter Sidebottom , 2nd : Alison Dascombe, 3rd : Wendy Williams. 4th : Paul Curnock

Juniors : 1st Emily Curnock , 2nd Jack Kedward

Cones : (Scored one pen per second on the course and 5 pens per ball down. Scores averaged over the two rounds)

Adults: 1st : Peter Sidebottom (48.1), 2nd Paul Curnock ( 50), 3rd : Alison Dascombe ( 51.5)

4th : Vicky Kedward ( 54.7) , 5th : Christine Evans with Pops ( 55.9) , 6th ; Sally Lloyd ( 60.2)

7th : Christine Evans with Smartie ( 64.1) , 8th : Wendy Williams ( 68.2)

Juniors : 1st : Emily Curnock ( 52.9) , 2nd : Jack Kedward ( 60.47)

Competitors with no balls down : Jack Kedward ( Junior) !

Obstacles :

Adults: 1st : Peter Sidebottom (109) , 2nd : Paul Curnock : (119), 3rd : Christine Evans ( Smartie) (122),

4th: Alison Dascombe ( 125), 5th : Vicky Kedward ( 149). 6th : Christine Evans ( Pops) ( 152),

7th : Sally Lloyd ( 167), 8th : Wendy Williams ( 205)

Juniors : 1st : Emily Curnock ( 129), 2nd ; Jack Kedward ( 160)

The next Fancy Dress Fun Day HDT is the Christmas one on Saturday December 14th at Llwynon Saddlery.