Too Hot To Trot

Well, here it is ... or more to the point there it goes. Goodbye to 2010. What a year it has been, with plenty of thrills, spills, laughter and tears! We've seen them all throughout the equestrian scene.

The year brought to Bahrain the most awful equestrian disease possible - glanders, which has put every horse owner and lover through the most difficult of times imaginable.

Apart from glanders, what did 2010 hold for the horse community? Loads! The year started off with show jumping and dressage events by all stables and the Breef.

February bought us the Kings Cup Equestrian Festival. Winnie Bruil came to offer her expertise, working from Shakhoora Riding Stables, Saar, and Ian Wright made the first of his appearances this year at Twin Palms Riding Centre.

March saw a cowboy show by the Ahmed Haider Stable, with Sahara Riding Stables hosting one of dressage events. Show jumping judge Mohammed Dadulla offered us his invaluable knowledge with a course on walking clinic. It also saw the inception of the junior show jumping committee and the Bahrain Horse Society.

April changed everything, with an announcement from Breef that its show jumping event was cancelled due to a mysterious equine illness.

It turned out to be glanders, though at the time no-one was aware of the impact the disease would have.

Stables were closed and everyone was advised not to mix their horses with others and not to travel between stables. A huge task was undertaken to obtain blood samples from every horse, pony and donkey for testing.

June brought the saddest moment to me and many others, as we witnessed the seemingly wanton destruction of eight ponies due to glanders. They, albeit showing no symptoms, had tested positive as carriers.

Stables tried to carry on. The season came not so quietly to a close with the Dilmun hosting a quiz night for stables with seven teams, and arranging an indoor hack - complete with carrot stall!

During the year I introduced you to, amongst others, equine sports massage expert Serina Rolph and equine artists Leanda Thackray and Ciara Stolwyk, all local to Bahrain. You also met Carina Abdulrahman taking her exams at the Talland Equestrian Centre in the UK, plus news of lucky Florence Finzi and her summer present, pony Winter!

As everyone returned to the island, thoughts turned again to the season's equestrian events but the situation remained the same, with only in-house shows taking place.

Stables again rallied round and have produced amazing events - quiz and curry nights, show jumping, Dressage events, and Working Equitation for children and adults.

There have also been Dressage to Music, Fun Pony Games and Gymkhanas, Hunter Show Jumping, Mounted Showing taking place since the summer.

Wright came back to Bahrain and show jumping clinics were run. Throughout any holidays there have been pony camps and Own A Pony Days proving that whilst officially (as announced by the Breef earlier this month that the show jumping season 2010-2011 has been cancelled) individual stables will continue to provide their events until officially the island can return to some sort of equine normality.

Other highlights include the five lucky ladies who travelled to Jordan on what has to be the most incredible riding trip of a lifetime.

Twin Palms put together a team for the Bahrain Marathon Relay after training with horses and came a very respectful 35th.

There have been wonderful surprises too such as finding pony Candy on a September morning with her newborn Peanut, proving that miracles can happen. In December, the Bahrain Animal Production Show was held and we all saw one of the most amazing performances by the Lipizzaner Stallions 'dancing' to music. Wonderful!

I asked for memorable moments of 2010 - here are some the comments:

Lydia - coming second in dressage on her new horse Woody.

Valerie - the day the official vet team came to microchip her horse.

Ellie - competing in her first dressage event on her beloved horse Simsam and being placed.

Zain - when Ian Wright came to the island.

Lisa - shows that had pony games and pairs 'n' pizza, all so much fun.

My wish for 2011 is that we can very, very soon report that every single horse, pony and donkey on the island is officially 'glanders-free'.

Diary date: Dilmun Riding Centre will be running an in-house show jumping league in 2011. The first show is on January 14.