Oh look this is our old pony!

It was the nicest surprise to sit at my desk and be immediately reconnected with our family pony through iSpyHorses Weekend Winners.  I work here so of course I saw Pizza’s post when he won first place in the Pony Grand Prix Super Series recently at Woodhill.

We bought Pizza as a 3 year old, such a baby and he’d done nothing much.   He was named by his previous owner who worked at a pizza shop.  She loved him, but had other horses and not enough time, and my family was your typical ‘new at horsing’ family.  Even though my sister and I had had a few lessons, Pizza was a whole new chapter for us.  The old saying, ‘never buy an inexperienced green pony for a beginner’ had not reached us, thankfully, because if it had we would never have purchased, Pizza.  And I’m happy to report this saying couldn’t have been more wrong in our situation. 

Emily, my sister, and Pizza, just clicked.  They took baby steps together and for the most part focused on pony club, then ribbon days, ODE’s etc.  Pizza became a much loved member of our family and the pony club community and as he got a little older Emily began to focus on his jumping. It didn't take long for everybody to realise that Pizza was really talented and a pony that would jump anything he was pointed at.  He LOVED to jump and show off in the jumping ring.  Once, Emily was disqualified from cross country because Pizza decided he didn’t want to do the assigned pre-training jump, but rather the way more difficult training fence alongside.  We always knew that Pizza was a special pony, and over the course of the 7 years that we owned him, he brought home heaps of champion ribbons and first place rosettes. Unfortunately, the time came and Emily’s University study meant that she was moving away from Auckland. It seemed unfair to keep him wasting in the paddock, and so our family made the hard decision to let him go, sure that he would take another rider far. Of course, we were not surprised to hear later on that Pizza was competing successfully and had even taken his new rider to win at the Horse of the Year Show.  It then became hard to keep track of where he was and what he was doing.  We were content in the knowledge that he was such a lovely pony and very easy to do anything with, that he’d have to be much loved and well looked after wherever he was.    

But it was neat to actually see him and his rider, and know where he is now, 6 years later.  I went running to everyone in the office, excitedly telling them about how this used to be our old pony and look at how well he is doing!  I showed, Emily and my family, and they also were excited to see how well he is doing, and how he not only won 1 but all 4 of his classes.  Keep up the great work, Pizza and Keeva McCambridge!   I’ll be looking out for you in the Weekend Winners to come!

Sophie (iSpyHorses)

Pizza (3 y/o) and Emily at Pony Club 2009

Pizza and Keeva McCambridge winning the Pony Grand Prix Super Series at the Woodhill SJ Show earlier this month.