Meet the Stars
This is where you can meet the stars of the club- the horses and ponies that give us so much pleasure - and bring us down to earth - when we need it....
if you know of a horse or pony who ought to be here - please send us a photo if possible and his or her's bio!
Rhona
Rhona is a Red Roan Welsh cob x Arab and was born at Kingshouse in Harray. She stands at 14.2h. Bought her on 22nd of Aug 1990 and broke her in to ride with the help of my mum. We've tried our hand at show jumping and cross country but didn't like it. We also tried polo, which Rhona got quite in to, but I couldn't hit the back side of a barn, so didn't do it again. These days we just like to hack around with our western saddle, pretending we can do all the western moves!!
Was introduced to carriage driving when a friend couldn't get out because she had no groom. I soon discovered how much fun it could be and within 3 months I had bought my own harness and carriage and after some intensive work we had Rhona going in just a matter of months. Being 17 she seemed to pick it up very quickly and we've never looked back.
Our biggest fun is to take the carriage to the local shop and have our photo taken while we stop for an apple break. Rhona is now retired due to athritis in her hips but still managing the odd hack out.
Bobbie
Bobbie is an 18 year old little black cob. He has been with us since he was 9 and he puts his hoof to anything driven but draws the line at riders on his back! He has been driven single, pair, team, unicorn and one attempt at tandem but his very very favourite job is driving single with a load of kids on the back taking it in turn to drive him with dual reins and belting round a cones course. He can also be seen in Kirkwall in the summer taking cruise liner passengers round town.
Jethro
Jethro is 14 and is a Fell. He has no mane so doesn’t quite look the part but he was hogged before he came to Orkney and it is easier not to grow his mane back and have to train it over. He drives  in a pair with Bobbie and prefers country driving so helps Bobbie out with drives from home. He is also happy to drive as a single but doesn’t have the patience for children to drive him. He loves to do a cones course. He is a bit grumpy sometimes but all he really wants is for someone to fuss him. He is a nice riding pony too.
Candy
Also shown in the photo above is Candy...
Candy was born February 2009 and is a miniature poodle. She comes out driving with us most day and trots along behind the carriage - so all she needs is some spots to turn her into a proper carriage dog. I think she might have to become the club mascot as she has recently lost her friend and is not coping on her own at all.
Update: Candy is a lucky dog and now has a new friend Toffee - bio to follow!
Heidi
Heidi is a 16 year old Norwegian Fjord. She is rather small at only 13hh but very strong and drives in a pair with either Bobbie or Jethro t hough she is a bit too energetic for Jethro and tends to have to do too much work. She is great for teaching riders to drive but is not forgiving enough for total beginners. She is not very good at cones as she tends to prefer to go over the top of them! In her previous home she was offered as a ride for lots of people from all over the country so she is very well known and she also did endurance riding. We have even had a visitor from south come up to us in Kirkwall and ask if that is Heidi so she is famous! She's on the left of this picture and is woprking with another club favuorite Fin.
Apache Pandemonuim
I was born in a byre at Breckan, Deerness 11.45pm, 30th April, 1998, and I'm piebald like my dam:.
I went to the Eastmainland show with my dam and practiced bouncing in the ring, then county show and did the same: running into the horse box and running out again at the other end. I learnt to "walkon" and "whoostand" and hundreds of other little things - when I wanted too that is! Then mum took me along to the carriage club and I played with cones and barrels and lots of things and people and sights.
When I was two mum bought me a gig and harness and I learned to trot with two tyres following me: then I was allowed to take mum to the Gloup carpark in the gig before resting for the winter - mum was soooo proud!!! and i enjoyed going out and about and seeing interesting things...
A couple of years later we goto all the club events, and have been having fun there ever since.
The best thing is splashing through the sea on a hot day - but mum says I'm not to roll in the sea with a gig anymore as it cost so much to repair the shafts and grooms apparently don't like getting that wet!
But mostly mum and I just love to play and groom each other, mum tickles my stifle so well (I taught her to do it - it took her ages to learn!) and do tricks like bowing: mum says I'm the best horse ever - and I am!!!
Update: on the 14th july 2010 apache had a little a baby girl - who turned out to be a boy (mum is never good at that sort of thing). He's been named Navajo Birdsong, Navajo after his mum Apache and Birdsong after his daddy, Jerry (posh name Gerret van der Voglenzunger - excuse spelling).
Tiddle-Pom
Official name: Feshie Forray.Previously called : Hazel(by Anne Tidmarsh)Now called :Tiddle Pom/ 'Pom
Date of Birth: May 1984
Her mum( a coloured pony) owned by travelling folk inGlen Feshie,was spotted by Jane Wilkinson(of carriage driving fame) when the travellers wanted to aquire one of Jane's carts. A deal was struck...'Pom's mum for the cart....but Jane later found they had left 'Pom and not the mum in exchange for the cart! The mum was the size for Jane but 'Pom clearly was going to be too small. However she brought 'Pom on as a driving pony and sold her to Anne Tidmarsh from the Black Isle who did lots of driving/shows/events with 'Pom and won lots of prizes too.
 Ann was bringing on a Morgan to ride and as 'Pom had done all the things to do driving-wise in Scotland Anne didn't want her to be sold on to pony clubbers and just passed on & on...she was looking for a permanent home. Katie Coward spotted the ad. in Farmer's Weekly & told me to chase her up. She's still going strong and when we get the weather, we're hacking and doing the odd lesson.
Am presently riding her in a natural headcollar.
Pom sadly passed away 13th Sept 2011.
Sabastian
My name’s Sabastian – and I’m a 3 1/2 year old donkey. My coat is brown and white and I look cool. I’m quite tall – about 12.2hh.
I like bucking and cantering round with my head down. I live with apache and she’s like a mum to me, sometimes she plays and sometimes she tells me off and she won’t let me be rude. Sometimes I have to argue a bit with her – so I put my ears back and bite her shoulder, but she doesn’t seem to notice much.
Mum takes me for walks down the track and stuff – she’s saving for a wee gig and harness – I hope she buys a brown set, ‘cos I’m brown not grey. I go to carriage club now and do lots of long reining and have even borrowed Juno's gig and pulled it - but i still have a bit or to learn before i can pull a gig properly!
Aethereal Antaios
Hi, my name is Aethereal Antaios I was born in May 2007 at Flaws in Marwick, my mum is a reg solid black spotted pony Broomells Plum Petal she came all the way from Devon from the famous Mary Bassett who's daughter Karen Bassett drove a team of four British Spotted  Ponies, my grandmothers sire was in the driving team and competed for Great Britain both home and abroad, my dad is Aethereal Amassis who was also born at Flaws and my Granny was Broomells Shimmer who also came to Orkney from Devon. I was sold last year as a stallion to a big spotted pony stud and moved south to my new owner, unfortunately she turned out to be somebody who did not know how to keep a stallion and Toni found me advertised on the internet again in October last year, I was skin and bone and in a terrible state so Toni bought me back she had to collect me off a pub car park in England and I came home to Orkney. It has taken me a long time to trust people again, I have now been gelded and Toni has helped me to learn how to be a proper horse again. I really enjoy working and have learned a lot, I can now go around in circles with a saddle and bridle on and jump over low jumps it is great fun, I have been for long walks around Marwick in my driving harness pulling a tyre, although I may be worried at times if I get a chance to have a wee look I then walk on fine and i can take mum for short trips in a gig now and really enjoying it. I am now looking for a new home as my Dad has decided that one boy around the place is enough and he will try and bite me if he gets chance. I am looking for someone to take care of me and who likes to drive as that is what I really enjoy doing. I like dogs, children and will run straight into the horse box.
Oh! and I have a pig who lives in the next stable called Grumpy, she does smell but I am sooo cool that it does not bother me!! If you think you're cool enough to give me a home please follow this link for detail!
more to come - please come back to read more!
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