While I’ve been here at Phillip and Evie Dutton’s True Prospect Farm with my daughter for the Eventing Academy, the only thing that’s distracted me from becoming the ultimate Pony Club mother has been watching Matt Flynn come out each day on a seemingly endless supply of quality young horses. We’ve been here six days now, and although my daughter is barely talking to me, I did manage to persuade Matt to chat and tell me more about his business.
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Matt and I have caught up a few times since then during the week, and I’m incredibly jealous of all his horses – like him, there isn’t one I wouldn’t want to own – and also of his lifestyle; he has great stories about sourcing horses all over the world. Meanwhile I watch my daughter each day, grimacing at her, trying to attract her attention with frantic sign language – “Slow down, Go Faster, Keep him Straight, Use your leg, Get him Round…” I know that I’m doing it and driving her mad, I hate myself as I do it, and yet I can’t stop…! I blame the poor, borrowed pony for most things, reassure myself that it will be super for her riding and meanwhile fantasize that one day Lily and I will both be properly mounted, a la Matt Flynn, and competing together – my dream come true, Lily’s worst nightmare!
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Many thanks to Matt for chatting, also an enormous debt of gratitude to Evie and Phillip who have been endlessly patient with both Lily and I, and to Karen Rubin for all her exceptional organisational skills which have kept everything running like clockwork this week. Go Pony Club mothers, Go Eventing Camp and Go Matt Flynn Sport Horses! Go Eventing!
