Wee fat polo ponies....

Some fatter than others!  The polo ponies are back in work...

Sunday - The Rough and Ready Match!

Flags flying over the arena - please note the distance between the English and Argentine flag, somebody had told Sebastian that the host flag had to go on top and he wanted his own Argentine flag as far away as possible due to a "small disagreement 25 years ago."  We were just missing Andrew's Australian flag which was sadly left in Wales!

Then the hangovers were shrugged off and the match started.  Santiago and Mark in Orange and Sebastian and Andrew in Red.

The match was fairly violent and just to show I am a impartial photographer (!!) here is a nice shot of Mark rather illegally using his elbow in Sebastian's kidneys!

I think the final score was 13 - 9 to the orange team?

Click here for more photos! 

We quickly ran Santiago to the airport to catch his flight back to Argentina then after another lovely meal we headed back up the road, ready to plan the June re-match for Mark's birthday...

Saturday - Ladies polo.....

Busy weekend down in Nantwich for the inaugural "Sebastian's Birthday Arena Polo Championships" - ladies match on the Saturday, which was resoundingly won by the orange team of Sam and Layla.  I had the superstar grey pony Nacho - I like this photo as it looks like I almost know what I'm doing!!

You can see just how fast and furious the match was.....

Oh OK perhaps not so fast and furious, and you probably don't want to see the photos of us all trying to dig the ball out of the one small mud patch (strangely the mens match did not have this problem!) for a good five minutes of every chukka!  

Then Sebastian and Santiago fired up the BBQ and there were a few more hangovers for Sunday's match

Friday the 13th - Not lucky for some....

Sadly Eggburt was found dead in the chicken shed this morning, we have only had him a year (almost to the day) but I'm not sure how old he was when he arrived or if he was a cockerel cut down in his prime.

Tresaison Odin

Lindsey emailed me this photo of Lizzie of Larchmonts last foal (2007 model!) by Dances with Wolves at around 16 months and looking very well.

Now the question is - do we get an encore from Liz?!!!!  

Winter weather...

Well I have to say this winter has really been glorious here - we have never had two really horrible days in a row.  Every wet or snowy day has been followed by blue skies and sunshine so that the horses have been able to kick back, relax and eat to their hearts content.

And spring is just round the corner.... (notice I'm practicing my "glass half full" attitude this month!!)

What to do in a blizzard?

Go Beagling!

Warning...

Never let it be said we are not health and safety conscious!!!!

From Arrayan.....

Eet would appear that Nanook of the North thinks he ees een St Moritz.  Eee ees not, eee ees een Dumfriesshire - eet ees cold and wet....

Look ee think ee look like Gaucho - Ee look like Eskimo....

Apparently my bum look big een thees?

Eet 24 degrees and bright sun een Uruguay - Swines!!!!  Eee need Husky, no Criollo!!

Snow Angels!!!

Making snow angels...

and snow dogs...

Mark's were better...

How spooky is this....

Pitufa - Braves the cold without any hair!

Grubby spot....

Grubby pony bounces....

.....then flops!!!

Polo pony goggles in pink.....

Does Pitufa need a pair of these?!!!!

Designed to stop eye injuries caused by polo balls, Mark is tempted by a pair... in plain brown leather, not pink though - spoil sport.  See the website for more photos of them on ponies  - "googles for polo ponies"

Snow again....

Well looking at the rest of the country we are pretty light on snow here (so far?!!) Still we have enough to make it scenic so a few photos....

Firstly we have "head in charge of pasture management" - the sheepies.  They are tidying up the house field having done the side field already.

Mule trekked valiantly through great snow drifts to meet me....

This made me laugh - Liz is standing in her own private blizzard!  It wasn't snowing in the field but she was stood directly under the snow blowing off the roof muttering "its going in my ears" - clearly age has not bought wisdom!

Here we have Cherry trying to "liberate" Liz's rug!

Mule "we need to have a discussion about haylage"

Back field, barely even talking to me!  They do have a nice sheltered valley - they like to stand on the hill top and look miserable instead!