Meet the Jones's of Tynybryn

To day started with sunshine and the expectation of a hot and dry day, but this is Wales and so things changed. Our ride to day was to be shorter and no bad thing as the horses had had two very demanding days. My companions would probably say they had too. We cheated slightly with a deft hand by moving by lorry up to Carno in Powis.

It was here that we met Jean Jones (see photo left)and her family. They farm at Tynybryn, cows and sheep and the full team was at Carno to guide us the 12 miles to their farm. There was John, Jean's husband, Tim and Dan her sons, and Dan's wife from South Africa, Janine who was brilliant at opening gates, actually so was Tim! Jean had organised a great picnic for us which was most welcome. The small problem of a thrown shoe delayed but soon we were off up to the hills sadly now in cloud.
By now the party had swelled to 25 or so including Barry a past Master of the Wynnstay and Neville from the David Davies's Hounds the local pack. We had a lovely ride up to the top of the mountain and there was ample opportunity to canter and enjoy the centuries old turf. By 4.30 pm we had reached Tynybryn and by now it was sunshine once more.

Jean spoiled us with a wonderful tea and we put the horses in stables for the first time. there we met Terry Boundy (see picture of him with Jean) who had been an Army vet in Burma in 1943 and recalled how he had to slit the vocal cords of mules to stop them braying. We the riders then haired off to Plas Dinam for another event for the Charity and Richard spoke once more about 1485. Lord and Lady Davies were incredibly kind to have us all for the night, quite an invasion! The interesting thing is that the talk not only gets better each time but each one is different, at least that keeps Arthur awake, well almost!

We are lucky to have two young gunners from the King's Troop to help with the driving of the lorry and traller, Rebecca (see photo) and Emma are a real help. But the stars of the show are the horses who have not let us down at all.





Thatch is the most famous, being a TV personality, appearing on about a dozen occasions to my certain knowledge. His owner was the attraction , of course! Bought by Richard Holmes before he and I rode from Mons to the Marne in in 1993, he also hunts with the HH. He is probably about 15 years old. Ancestry is uncertain but the Percheron is evident. His owner was asked by an uncertain admirer " is he lonely without his plough?"


Richard has discovered a new ointment for Thatch's sores which is so good he is using it himself on his own!! Here is cleaning the old tack which is the most boring of task at the end of the day, almost as boring as doing this blog!!

Penny (real name Hallmark) was a rescue horse being abandoned by gypsies in 2002 and found herself in the ILPH sanctuary in Blackpoool. Luckily for her the manager there was a ex Sgt in the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, who thought she was ideal shape and colour fas a wheeller (ie the brakes on a gun team) C Sub Section. And so she is lent indefinitely by the ILPH to the Troop. She has large ears, invariably miserable looking ( particularly when you mention the "mule" word) ( oops! I have just done so! )and will certainly never win a dressage competition, but she does a grand job in front of a gun and raising money for the Army Benevolent Fund.

To morrow is another 25 miler to Shrewsbury and God help our seats! The weather is ........ 'uncertain' a rather over used word on this trip!