Bonnie was my first pony, a 13.2hh Arab x mare. She was bought for me from a local riding school when I was 11 years old, and I can still remember the day we went to collect her and I rode her to her new home with my Godmother in a quiet village a few miles away from where we lived.

My parents decided to buy a 7 acre field and put up two stables and a tack room and Bonnie moved in. I used to school her in the field over jumps made of barrels and old wooden road signs and practise flag racing as she hated anything that flapped around her. This was the grounding of my equestrian future.

We had many ups, downs and falls during our time together. We attended pony club rallies and camps, local shows, combined training and dressage competitions and even hunter trials. We also completed many sponsored rides and the Junior Golden Horseshoe even though I fell off into the wortleberry bushes and Bonnie was chased by a rather fancy Exmoor stallion all across the moor!

We hunted together all over Exmoor and the surrounding area and became known as the 'gate openers'. This was definately her favourite pastime second only to eating! Opening and holding the gate for all to pass through, closing it and then galloping past everyone to the next one! We even had the honour of being selected to ride with the Master for the day at the Childrens Meet. That was a great day and one I'll always remember.

Bonnie was in my life for 22 wonderful years from the age of 4 to 26. Sadly on New Years Eve 2001 a heartbreaking decision had to be made as she was suffering from laminitis. She was put to sleep at home and then buried in the field where she had grazed with a wonderful view over the sea, hills and home.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank some very special people:

My mother and father for saying that I could have a pony and that Bonnie could be the one.
My late grandmother for buying Bonnie for me.
My godmother for helping us look after Bonnie at the start.
And last but by no means least: Kate who helped look after Bonnie and was there with her at the end, and Janet who had Bonnie on loan for the last ten years and kept her ridden and looking the picture of health up to the great age of 26. You both did her proud and for that I can never thank you enough.