Remembering Speckles: the ultimate RDA pony
This week, my RDA group lost its best known, longest-serving equine stalwart. Abingdon RDA has been served over its 45 year history by many
wonderful horses and ponies, a number of whom haven't just made our work possible, but have embodied the essence of the organisation's values. Speckles was with us for almost half of this long history, purchased as a five
year old in 2000 (11 years before I showed up), and deserves the title of “irreplaceable” above any other.Speckles’ achievements over two decades of RDA service were, frankly, staggering. We've long lost count of the number of placings, and, indeed,
winning titles, he has earned at regional and national level. Almost exactly a
year ago, at his last ever regional show, he brought in four scores of 70% or
above with four different riders, and went on to win two overall championship
titles at Nationals, one with Natalie in her first year of competition, and one with Ros, an adult rider. Neither had qualified riding him, b…
