Sam, age three, eleven years after the story below, showing Aloysius at the Manchester Riding Club, in the same ring with the same single rail.
In 1957, with four-year-old Stevie as the rider on Aloysius, the first horse show for our family ever entered, was held at the exclusive Manchester Riding Club, about four miles from our house. We had no trailer. Trusting Aloysius was loaded into the back seat of our family car, an old Oldsmobile. He jumped into the car with no hesitation.
There was not enough room for the pony to stand on all four feet so, on his right side, he folded both of his right legs, front and hind, and rested them on the back seat. He braced himself, balancing on his two left legs. Stevie sat close to him holding his halter. Comfortably settled there, this good pony traveled contentedly toward the horse show. Excited with anticipation, I drove slowly down the road. I didn’t know it at that time, but this would be the start of all eight of our children competing on Aloysius in horse shows for the next twenty years.
In the Pet Pony class, our first class ever, only four ponies were competing. They first walked, trotted and cantered around the ring. Stevie and Aloysius did just fine.
Then, the judge told the riders to REVERSE! Correctly, Stevie asked Aloysius to turn toward the rail. When he had only had gone half way around, he hesitated. Stevie urged him to continue but there must have been a misunderstanding. It seemed that Aloysius thought he was supposed to walk straight ahead. The single rail of the ring was high enough for Aloysius to go under it. And he did!
There was just enough room below the rail for tiny Aloysius to go under but not enough room for his little rider. Stevie was pushed off by the rail, back over Aloysius’ rump. She was left sitting in the dusty ring with Aloysius standing quietly on the outside of the ring, looking at her. I was so proud of what a good sport she was, eager for me to put her back on her pony to finish the class. Of course, she came in last. Nevertheless, she was smiling, very proud of her fourth place ribbon.
At the end of the show, Stevie and Aloysius once again were loaded, in the same way, in the back seat of our Oldsmobile. With Stevie affectionately patting her beloved pony’s head, I happily drove home and Aloysius made the trip without any problem.
Our first horse show had been an outstanding success!
I’ve fallen in love with Aloysius!
Our family’s show pony was a Welsh-Hackney mare named Jingles. Jingles understood that being called out first for ribbons meant she had won. When another pony was called first, Jingles objected by rearing. Except for that, she was a great first mount for all my cousins and me; she lived to the age of 38 years old.