This page has the daily update of the event starting Sunday 25th July

Sunday(25th)- Danny & I have done 27 miles today and we`re both knac.......very very tired!! We are now in lovely stables at Rowley Manor near Little Weighton. Everyone here has been very friendly and helpful and we`ve raised an additional £91 in our "bucket" today!! Thanks again to all who have contributed.

We arrived 20 minutes late for our break at North Ferriby RDA where we had lunch. I`ve never enjoyed a hay net as much!

Despite the hot weather we still averaged almost 5mph today. Not bad for 2 RDA "plodders" eh?!!

Speak to you all again tomorrow from Lelley (near Burton Constable).  Cheers, Cookie.

Monday(26th)- If this blogg ends suddenly, then I`ve fallen asleep!! You have been warned. I`m speaking to you from Burstwick, 4 miles further than Lelley, so Danny and I have done a staggering 31 miles today( and we both staggered through the last 5 miles!!)

Moira and crew  at Hull & Holderness RDA were there to greet us and me and Danny are now in a nice field with a huge hay trough! Thanks Moira for the "digs" and the very very warm welcome you gave us.

Let`s hope for some cooler weather tomorrow, night night , Cookie.

Tuesday (26th)- Day 3.

My wishes came true!! The weather was cooler, and the rain which was forecast  did`nt appear!  We left Burstwick at 9.10 am with me pulling the carriage and Danny being ridden. Our first break was at the luxurious setting of Burton Constable after about 6.5 miles. We stopped for a long lunch at 12.05pm just short of Catwick where a nice "Rise Farm Estates Manager" let us munch on his luscious grass. The country roads were a traffic free joy to be on and we made good progress to our overnight location at Driffield, arriving at 4.40pm. Another 27 miles under our belts, this time in 5 hours 35 mins. About 4.8 MPH average. Not bad eh?!  85 miles down....we`re halfway there!!! ...or are we?? Angela and Eddie seem to have under-estimated our daily totals so Danny and I don`t trust the estimates anymore!! At this rate our 170 mile trip will turn out to be 200 miles !!!!     Once again I`d like to thank our B& B hosts. Thanks Sandra at Chesney Farm, for two comfortable connecting stables.( Danny doesn`t sleep well unless he knows I`m there to hold his hand.)  Night night, Cookie.

Wednesday 27th

We had a great send off from Chesney Farm this morning,a lady from The Driffield Times newspaper came and took our pictures!!

We had 16 miles to go before lunch at Speeton but we made good time and arrived at 1.30 .There were a lot of people on an R D A holiday there to welcome us (lots more pictures!!) then we had a good rest after our dinner. At 3 O'clock we set off for Foxholes, and we are now up to our knees in grass (more grass than Danny and I have seen all year)  "Thank you " to Ian Scruton for our B and B tonight. Off to sleep now, we are both a bit tired, speak to you again tomorrow.  Cookie

Note: Be sure to read the "OUT-TAKES" section after my Diary entry for Saturday 31st July, as ALAN is compiling the "Out-takes" and he`s not bothered who he embarrasses, so he`ll be mentioning things that happened during the ride that I was too nice to include.

THURSDAY 29th July (Day 5)

After yesterdays torrential rain which I forgot to mention (sorry Catherine !!), we  were back to warm weather again at 21 degrees celsius. Too hot for both Danny and me ! We set off full of vim, but no-one told us of the "mountain"  we were about to climb!! Going up was bad enough, but the 1 in 6 downward descent was well nigh impossible. Who planned this route??!!

I was brilliant  pulling the carriage(if I say so myself) and Danny showed his intelligence by zig-zagging his way down the hill without Angela having to tell him.

We had a nice lunchbreak at Snainton, where Emma(the Snainton RDA Group`s Riding Instructor) made cups of coffee and tea for my helpers, and Danny and me munched on her grass verges. Thanks Emma.

Me and Danny coped well with the main A170 traffic but I dont think they liked us much, especially at rush hour!! We stopped in pretty Thornton-le-Dale where we all had ice cream cornets and raised some more cash from the thronging tourists. (they DID like us).

After a gruelling 27 miles we arrived at Sinnington RDA Group (Friars Hill Riding Stables) where Sandra welcomed us and showed us to our beds for the night. Thanks Sandra, sleep well everyone, Cookie. xx

Remember to read the "OUT-TAKES" after the Day 7 entries!

FRIDAY 30th July (Day 6)

We left Friars Hill at 9.05am and arrived at Welburn Hall School (Welburn Hall RDA Group) at 10am where we were greeted by another Horse & Carriage and a spectacular setting. Gail had brought her posh camera and was acting as David Bailey for the day. There were loads of action shots  and she seemed to be round every corner we turned, all day!!

After a short break in the pretty village of Slingsby(where the helpers treated us to carrotts!), we went on to Castle Howard for lunch, untethered in a field full of luscious grass, whilst our helpers ate chocolate cake and strawberries courtesy of our special visitor Pamela Lady Hewitt. Nice one Pam!!

We then struggled up the long climb out of Castle Howard & on to Flaxton where we are now staying overnight thanks to Jane Corner`s hospitality at Draft Farm( and another field of grass!)

23 miles today, 164 in total so far. An estimated 21 to go, so we are definitely going to exceed Eddie & Angela`s estimate of 170. Do we get more carrotts ??!! Hope to see you all tomorrow when we get home. Cookie.

SATURDAY 31st July

Today is our last day and an easy one at last! "! ( 20 miles and no hills ) We left Flaxton at 8.50 heading for Stamford Bridge. We had a tricky crossing on the A64 but me and Dan are pro's now and it was no problem.Stamford Bridge was a bit busy so we couldnt stop to do any fundraising, bit of a shame, (but its the last day and it meant I got my dinner early !! ). We stopped on Allerthorpe Common for lunch and an hours rest before starting out on the "home stretch".  For once Angela had got the mileage correct and we could take it easy. At 3pm we arrived home to a wonderfull welcome.(not too keen on balloons !!  but it was nice for so many of you to make the effort to be there.) Danny and I have had a great adventure, but its nice to be back home with all my friends.  Cookie

Hey,Danny what do you think about Coast to Coast next year??

(Danny`s reply:  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

ALAN here, "OUT-TAKES" will follow, but I feel it`s only right to give thanks and a mention to all involved with this event.

Most importantly, thanks must go to Angela who`s idea this was in the first place, and who has put in so much effort to make it work. Well done Ange, but next time, keep your idea`s to yourself eh?!!

This event has been 7 months in planning and it could`nt have worked without the "team" of people involved. If I forget to mention your name, please forgive me. Here goes.......

Route Planning & Map production: Eddie, Jo and Angela

Making of DVD - Neil (Jades dad, Jade and all the riders/drivers)

Mailshots to prospective Sponsors plus "Smile a mile" posters and sponsor forms: Gail and Angela.  Greg for the printing.

Carriage maintenance.  David.

Training of Horses: Angela,Catherine, Jo, Jenny G., Romualda,Ann,Kim,Eddie,Sharon,Brenda,Lynda,and Sarah

Organising the overnight accommodation for the horses: Angela

Tack cleaning before the event: Joanne

Doing all the chores back home during the event: Naomi,Joanne,Charlotte,Jenny D., Alison,Jill & Debbie

All those who saw us off from Harswell on 25th (sorry I can`t list you as I was pre-occupied with the start so I`ve forgotten exactly who was there!!),plus our "Welcoming party" on our return, namely Jenny G., Jess, Roz, Gail, Charlotte & Jenny D.

The "Emergency Stand-by team" of Richard and Jill.(we are so relieved that we did`nt need to call on your services but we so needed you to be there !)

The human participants during the actual event: Angela,Jo,Catherine,Eddie,Jenny G.,Romualda,Gail, and Sharon. ( I was there too).

However, the most important and biggest thanks must go to:

(i) ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO SPONSORED US, and

(ii) COOKIE & DANNY - these 2 ponies were AMAZING, absolutely AMAZING.

OUT-TAKES.(The bits not mentioned by Cookie).

Day 1; We thought Danny was poorly because he started the ride so slowly. Perhaps he had an inkling of what was ahead! Anyway, panic over, he picked up in the afternoon.  North Ferriby RDA did not turn up to greet us at their stables, perhaps there was a mix-up over dates?

Day 2: The main road from Beverley to Leven was SCARY! Ask Sharon.      I believe we got a mention on Radio 2 when "Sally Traffic " said a horse and carriage was creating a huge tailback. Cookie spooked and nearly jack-knifed the carriage, causing even more chaos.

I went behind a hedge for toilet relief and later assured Catherine that it was  a safe place to go.  When she got into position a double decker bus full of passengers went by on a road that ran at right angles to the hedge with Catherine in full view. Oops!!

 What a late finish. We were all knackered (sorry but it`s the only word that fully described the way we felt) !!

Catherine`s new boyfriend rang and asked her to stay overnight at his place. After 15 miles in the saddle I asked her if she`d warned him he had no chance?!!

Day 3: When I went off for the sandwiches the "team" almost went the wrong way. You see, they do need me!! We had to placate an irate Farm Manager before he allowed us to stay on his land for lunch.(not quite the story Cookie told you!!)

Day 4: Eddie joined us and made Catherines day. They chatted all day and when they were`nt chatting they were texting! Can you be done for texting while riding or in charge of a carriage? It threw down with rain just after Catherine took over from Eddie. Good timing Eddie(who was in the back-up car with me when the heavens opened)! Poor Catherine was soaked to the skin. What made it worse was that she was wearing (technical horse term about to be used) "sticky bum jodhpurs". They have a rubber-like lining. They were so wet that when Catherine tried to do rising trots, her bum stuck to the saddle and when she did work it free, it made a squelching sound! Angela pulled a thigh muscle when Danny slipped.

Day 5: Catherines day off, so Jenny G. joined us to help Angela with the riding. With Jenny`s hip and Angela`s pulled muscle it really was "riding for the disabled "today!! Boy did they both hurt today. Well done girls for soldiering through. My personal thanks go to Gail who also joined us today. Her story about her mum (now forever to be known as "just hit it Jess") made my day. Get her to tell you the full tale someday, you won`t regret it.

Day 6: ("Pensioner on a Pony Day")- Romualda joined us (-the oldest of our crew as she quickly pointed out to us), along with Gail & Jenny G., so the "Fab Four" became the "Magnificent Seven" (- yes I was Yule Brenner,before any of you smart Alec`s come back with that one). It was just as well that there were plenty of  riders because poor Angela only lasted 3 miles in the saddle due to her pulled muscle(despite all the Nurofen tablets!!) (add riding under the influence of drugs to the phone texting charges now accrued by our Team).

Day 7: Jo commented how well Cookie was looking and Cookie`s lips moved immediately. I swear she was replying " I might look good, but I feel sh..........ort of energy!" Danny stomped in a puddle whilst being ridden behind the trap and soaked Jo and Angela.(Probably sweet revenge for what they had put him through this week!!)

Dannys snippet..... " Hasnt Alan sounded so serious as health and safety man........... ask him who is photographed with white flowers behind his ears and dancing with statues in posh house gardens on the route?"... and if you want to see the skills of  a pensioner on a pony ask Romualda to demonstrate the sideways straddle jump from rock to moving horse in 3 seconds!   Alan`s retort: Gail,(alias Danny), did you mean pensioner?? Have another look at what you`ve typed!!! (ok I was so busy editing your lines I missed mine!...corrected now Gail)

 

Full donations still being added up total to follow

see the video link. (4 mins)

My name is Cookie and I came up with the idea for this event. Please

On 25th - 31st July 2010  I hope to be one of the horses from our group to take part in the The Smile A Mile Event

For sponsored volounteers, ponies and carraige to cover 170 miles over 7 days

To visit each Riding for the Disabled Group in East Yorkshire on the route in celebration of the 40th year of Riding for the Disabled

To raise our core funding for 2010 by sponsorship of £50 per mile (any donation, higher or lower, gratefully received - Aim to raise £8000 in total)

Our local farrier Alistair Stiff has sponsored our first mile can you help on our way?

The group is run soley by volounteers. All donations used directly in core funding and equipment

We give our time please help us raise the money to keep our riders smiling

The specific horses used from our group will be selected on assessment of fitness for this event

Further info if required contact - Angela Payne 01430 860521    01430 860521        

 

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