Back to defend his title - the new
'face' of 2011/12, Billyvoddan
Last week I was in the AGA heartland
of Shropshire - only 13 miles from the AGA factory at Ketley, to visit Poplar
Cottage Farm, the home of Phil & Mel Rowley. This is also the home of
Billyvoddan, winner of the AGA Ladies Open Point-to-Point Championship final at
Cheltenham in May, and I wanted to see for myself how preparations were coming
along ahead of his intended comeback at Chaddesley Corbett on 27th December.
On hand to partner Billyvoddan was his
regular pilot, Jane Williams, who is chomping at the bit to be the lady rider
that is in "Total Control" during the new season, and she has her
sights firmly set on winning the inaugural "AGA Total Control Ladies
Championship". If she does win the Championship then she will be the proud
owner of a brand new AGA Total Control Cooker!
I was certainly made to feel very
welcome by Phil and his wife Mel - who is a top class Dressage rider and has
competed to Grand Prix level, and we were accompanied throughout by their
second child Edward (who slept peacefully in his car seat for the majority of
the visit). Phil& Mel arranged for me to have "access all areas"
so I was able to take photos of Billyvoddan in his box, on the horse walker, in
the brook, on the schooling ground and working on the gallops, and as you can
see from the photographs he is well on his way to full fitness.
As well as Billyvoddan I was also able
to observe and photograph many of Phil's other inmates, including some of the
quality youngsters that are being educated at Poplar Cottage Farm before being
returned to their licensed handlers. All of the facilities at the yard have
been authorised by Phil and Mel, who provided their fair share of the labour
involved. They include a five-furlong woodchip gallop, with the route home
giving the horses the opportunity to cool off in a belly-deep water splash, and
a large outdoor arena with plenty of space for the erection of fences.
