"Parading Past The Queen"

In the fall of 1998 my mother went to Canada and came back with eight miniature donkeys to join the one she had bought in the UK. This was the start of Boothby Miniature Donkeys. Nearly four years on we now have 16 donkeys, with two more foals due this year. Our minis have been real stars and we have fun showing them. The showing scene over here is pretty primitive for minis, with only three shows with miniature classes, although we are allowed to compete against standards, which are well catered for. We have mixed results – some judges put you straight to the bottom of the line and don’t look at you again and others judge them more fairly and wins against standards are fairly rare but not unheard of. I am running the first ever miniature donkey show over here on 15^th September. Driving is really unusual over here. I only know of three people driving including me, and I am currently the only person driving competitively. We had a very exciting weekend driving recently, and I enclose the article published about it in our miniature magazine, The MMDA Newsletter.

Saturday saw Ross and Gay (my husband and my mother), Circle C Copyright, our herdsire and a cart set off for Berkshire. Five and a half hours later we got to our B&B, where we took the trap out and bedded the trailer down, so Circle C Copyright could have a comfortable ‘stable’ for the night. Up bright and early the next morning with a serious case of butterflies, we set off for the British Driving Society show in Windsor Great Park. This is the highlight of the British Driving calendar year. The show has four rings catering for almost every sort of light carriage horse combinations you can imagine, and for the first time donkeys and mules.

We were entered in the Pleasure driving class for ponies 13.2hh and under and the donkey and mule class. First was the pleasure driving class, which consisted of seven ponies, two mules and Circle C Copyright. After a good performance we were delighted to be awarded third place. To set this in perspective we were only beaten by two immaculately turned out ponies driven to traditional vehicles with experienced whips. Next was the donkey class. We were all feeling a little more relaxed and I think Circle C Copyright went the best he ever has done in the ring to finish 3^rd of seven (five donkeys and two mules). A beautiful white donkey and an amazingly trained tandem, whose performance was inspirational, beat us. The afternoon was spent watching hackneys, unicorns (3 horse teams) and a medium goal polo final and spending our prize money in the trade stands.

At 4pm around one hundred and fifty turnouts assembled for the grand parade. We paraded on the Guards polo ground, which is the most amazing turf, doing a circuit, which took us past the Royal box containing The Queen of England and Prince Phillip. Circle C Copyright was last of all in the parade and got the biggest cheer of the day when he went past, neatly jumping over the white rope outside the box. It was a very proud moment to end a wonderful day. Circle C Copyright behaved immaculately (most of the time – he is a donkey!) and our new little turnout was admired by many. Several people said it was their favourite of the whole show. My nicest comment was "what an elegant turnout" and my least favourite "She looks like Queen Victoria"! To be placed so highly by two enormously experienced and well respected judges and to beat so many far more experienced showmen was a wonderful feeling.

For more pictures and news, please view our website. www.boothbyminiaturedonkeys.co.uk