Bubbles is about 18 years old. She is a miniature horse we purchased many years ago as a retired broodmare. The old girl loves people and children but her true love has always been food. We were so delighted with her that a couple of years later we purchased her daughter from the same stud. Her name is Champers (get it? Bubbles and Champers?).
When the children would take Bubbles for a walk and/or run she was so well behaved. If they stumbled and fell she always stopped and checked on them. Until they discovered this little trick and would fall on purpose. She no longer believes them.
As you can see from this old photo she will try anything to get to either food or people. Her daughter Champers still lives with us but I sold her to a teenage friend to help pay for the Piece of Poop (Waler mare) at the time.
About three years ago we packed up both horses and the dogs and took them to a small village agricultural show. The kids were entering the dogs in the pet show and my Dynamic Daughter was also entering Bubbles in the miniature horse show. Champers' owner was doing the same. Our minis enjoyed the day immensely and were beautifully behaved. This particular show was big on horses, especially miniatures and there were quite a few shaved and groomed to-within-an-inch-of-their-lives horses there. And then there was our little fat and woolly mammoths. Yes they had been groomed, Champers even had a bath. Bubbles' only fear is of bathing so she went with that dusty just-pulled-in-from-the-paddock look. The show horses were so fine and small and young. They were excited and frisky. Our woolly mammoths behaved like seasoned professionals (they were just older and calmer actually).
Champers' owner had been practicing jumping her and worked with her for a couple weeks before hand. The Dynamic Daughter sporadically had a go but Bubbles did not co-operate with the whole jumping thing. Why jump when you can walk around? It did not look good for her show prospects. The Dynamic Daughter was stressed and worried to the point where I threatened to pull them out of the comp. We were just doing this for fun afterall.
When our two little fatties got through the first round of jumps we were all thrilled. How lovely. As the jumps were raised and the horses dropped away we thought "any time now" and we would be out. When the jump was put to the highest we all knew that Bubbles would not make it. We were barely watching the Dynamic Daughter and Bubbles with any enthusiasm when that little horse sucked in her gut and sailed over that jump to come first in the open event. Holy Cow! Champers came third and we were all so excited. What a shock. This shaggy old horse from the paddock had some guts - in more ways then one.
Bubbles came third in the led event and so came home with two ribbons and a trophy for the handler for her efforts.
At the show our Cyclone-on-Legs (Staffordshire bull terrier) also had a win. He won ugliest pet at the show! He and the Young Negotiator (our son) won a show bag with lots of goodies in it for kid and dog. My father was so insulted by that when we told him later but we thought it very funny. Our sedative-on-legs (greyhound) won nothing but quite a few hearts. Some people asked about her, (she was wearing a promotional vest to encourage people to adopt greyhounds) and her behaviour was exemplary.
All in all it was a bloody great day. Beautiful country side, steak sandwiches were excellent and the animals enjoyed themselves immensely.
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