#69 MANDY’S FIRST PET PONY CLASS

Mandy is recovering from her very first pet pony class

In the early spring of 1965, five-year-old Mandy was going to ride pony Aloysius in the first horse show of the season. She was entered in the pet pony class for the very first time. Mandy had been practicing at home. She now was ready and seemed to be confidant to ride without being led. She had performed very well showing in lead line classes for the past two years. Nifty had been showing Aloysius during those two years under saddle and in harness. Now it was Mandy’s turn to ride Aloysius in a show ring by herself.

This year Nifty was going up a step. She would be riding her new fancy saddle pony, Yankee Doodle Storm ‘Stormy’. For seven years, Aloysius had been shown very successfully by Mandy’s older brothers and sisters; Stevie, Trip, Peter and Nifty. He was known throughout New England as the perfect pony for a very young child to ride. It was said that Aloysius could be sent into the show ring all alone (without a rider) and go through his paces and still win the class against all his rider-guided competitors. What a great little pony!

Before the class, Mandy was concerned about the many larger ponies, all with older children, waiting with her to enter the ring. I told her, “Don’t worry. Just stay right on the rail. Aloysius will be going much slower because he is lots smaller than the other ponies. When you and Aloysius stay on the rail, the faster ones can pass you on the inside easily. You will be fine. Aloysius knows what to do and he will take care of you.”

Mandy was a trooper and went in the class of twenty-five ponies that were ridden by children who all were older than she.  Both Aloysius and she performed perfectly despite the distraction of faster and sometimes out-of -control ponies.  As she had been trained, Mandy kept her pony tight to the rail. He especially excelled at his very slow gracefully elegant canter. What a sight!  Mandy won the blue ribbon, riding, for the first time, alone in a horse show. As she left the ring the crowd clapped and cheered for the tiny child on the tiny pony. Perfection! This was the occasion that an admiring woman approached us and said, “Your little pony, with his rocking-horse canter, looked just like a magical, wind-up toy!”

A few moments later, I noticed that Mandy’s big blue eyes were filled with tears. I said, “Mandy, what is the matter? You and Aloysius did a great job! You won the class!” Mandy replied in a quavering, little voice, “BUT MUM, THEY WERE ALL CHASING ME!” She soon recovered. Later in the day, Mandy happily won the Pet Pony Championship.