My life changes.

At the beginning of 1965, I left my job at Borrowdale Stud. I decided that maybe it was time I did some ‘real’ work and earned a sensible salary!  

After an interview with the director of Veterinary Research Services, (who I had met through the racing world), I was offered the job of assistant/secretary to a Dr MacLeod. The man was apparently impossible to work with and was going through staff at a rate of knots, some lasting no longer than half a day! I knew with my complete lack of office experience, I was going to have my work cut out. However, if I wanted to prove my worth, I was going to have to grin and bear it! What a tyrant he turned out to be, but he quickly found that he had encountered someone who was not going to burst into tears, was willing to learn and could give back as quick an answer to his rude comments as he was likely to get!  After the first month, I was called into the director’s office, given a raise in salary and told that they were more than happy with the way I was getting on. 

I used to go to the race track most mornings before work to ride the race horses in training, and then in the evenings I came home to school and train the show jumpers. Meanwhile Hy-Li-Li had given birth to a filly we named Rising High.

Newly born.

She was not the prettiest of foals, to say the least of it, and with a very odd shaped forehead, we all wondered if she had a problem. Our fears were allayed by the time she was 6 months old and ready for weaning, as she had really been the ugly duckling who had by then turned into a swan!

Rising High, staying close to her Mum

With one of our grooms.

During the year, I had an offer for my top show jumper Mr Smith. We felt we could not refuse, as he was certainly not getting any younger, and my time was limited now that I was in a full time job and did not have the freedom of the past 5 years working at the Stud.  Kubla Khan was by then more than ready to take over from him in the show jumping world, and so at this stage I was back to only one show jumper. National Anthem was never going to be a jumper;  he was though a great horse to hack out on and use for the occasional showing class.  Hy-Li-Li was back in foal again and ready to be Mum once more.

At the end of 1965, Dr MacLeod was relocated back to the UK and I was offered the job as receptionist at the Vet Research Laboratory. Wow, I had to use one of those old switchboards with plugs and wires in all directions; things have changed a lot over the years!  I had become acquainted with Dr Condy who was the Wild Life Research Officer. I asked him if there was an opportunity to work as his assistant, as the current incumbent was due to leave in the not too distant future. I was told that if I was prepared to  study hard, take and pass the technician’s exams, the job was mine. After nearly nine months on reception, a lot of hard work reading, learning and writing exams, I then managed to join the Wild Life department and John Condy, whose work was mainly in the field and not in the office. 

Three young warthog bred at the Vet Research Laboratory.

The animals were well looked after and none were ever hurt in experimental work.

Working on Reception though was never dull, and one of my highlights of that time was when our Prime Minister Mr Ian Smith used to come in and collect his vaccines for the cattle on his farm. He was keen on racing and I had met him on a couple of occasions in the parade ring at Borrowdale race course. While waiting for his vaccines to be packed and ready, he generally came and chatted to me about the horses and how racing was going. What a lovely gentleman he was.  I doubt if there are many Prime Ministers who were as down to earth as he was, and not a security guard in sight!

Prime Minister Ian Smith in the centre facing the camera, my Dad on the left and myself far right.

Ian Smith talking to me (see arrow) at the race course. My Mum in white just in front of me

Dr John Condy was very involved in Foot and Mouth Disease work and this was particularly interesting. We collected many samples from wild life and would send them by air for testing in the UK. My main enjoyment for working with him though, was his interest in falconry, which took up a lot of after-hours training. By this time, I was trying to fit in the race track in the early morning, falconry during the lunch hour, plus a couple of evenings a week, and of course there was still Kubla Khan to exercise, and sorting out what shows I could manage to fit into my then busy schedule! 

At times, there were two to three falcons on the go plus the odd goshawk, and when Dr Condy had to travel around the country, I was invariably left to look after all his birds of prey. I had an excellent training in managing and looking after the birds, and I loved every minute of it. The birds seemed very content and appeared to enjoy their training as much as we did. Falconry is a licensed sport in South Africa and the USA, but strangely enough, no licence is currently required in the UK so it seems!

John Condy with Sasha, a peregrine falcon. She has just caught a grouse, which, as you can see, is bigger than herself!

Zita the goshawk.

My Life Before Charente to be continued :-) 

 

The section of my life story during our overland trip is published on Kindle if you should be interested:-

 

See

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/THE-GREAT-1953-TREK-ebook/dp/B008KK0KHU/ref=pd_ys_iyr1

A trip to Lourenço Marques as part of the Rhodesian team.

Training my new horse Kubla Khan was an absolute pleasure, and he seemed to enjoy it as much as I did!  Right from the start I realised his potential, and he had the biggest heart of any horse I had owned so far; he was ready to try anything, regardless of what I asked of him.   He was really very special and I was so looking forward to his first jumping events! 

At the end of the show jumping season in 1963, the final show was at Umtali near the Mozambique border and I had decided beforehand that this was to be Hy-Li-Li’s last competition. As a result of the points she had won to that date, she had been upgraded to grade C and I knew that she would not be able to cope with the higher fences and stiffer competition. She of course surprised us all by winning everything in which she had been entered, but I knew in my heart that she was really at her limit. I did not change my mind, so she retired in glory, as did Dusky, after his Horse of the Year show success. It was decided that she would return for a couple of months to Jack Quinton’s (from whom we had originally bought her) where he would cover her with his newly imported stallion.

Results for Hy-li-li in the Umtali post. (The Hill Billy Team had nothing to do with me!)

In 1964, I was again picked to jump for Rhodesia (against Mozambique and South Africa) with my horse Mr Smith; my friend Gail Hall who had a brilliant little horse called Royal Amber, was also picked for the team. Firstly in Salisbury at the Glamis Grounds, followed a few weeks later in Lourenço Marques (LM) [since Mozambique's independence, now called Maputo]. We had been beaten by South Africa in Salisbury, but left for LM with a feeling that we could do better! Mr Smith had thankfully not let the side down and we had jumped two clear rounds - photo below.

The same team to travel to LM.

Gilbert Fischer, Gail Hall, Angela Edwards and myself.

Gail and I set off on the two-day drive from Salisbury to LM, (almost 1,300 km or 800 miles). Cars then aren't what they are now! I remember stopping overnight at a little village called Groblersdal in South Africa and it was absolutely freezing! We had both been in bed for a while when I heard Gail quietly ask me if I was still awake. I said yes, I was far too cold to sleep so we both got up and rummaged around for some extra bedding and clothes. By 04h00 we had both reached a state where we could no longer endure the cold; we packed up, climbed in the car and made our way to the Mozambique border. On arrival in LM, the language problem began -they speak Portuguese- while asking directions and this set us both off giggling like two young schoolgirls. We finally found the stables, managed to see that the horses were comfortable and eventually we tracked down our hotel. We discovered that the Rhodesian team was in one hotel and the South African team in another; this did not go down well with Gail, who was quite keen at the time on a member of their team!

As we had been the first riders to arrive, on our first night Gail and I went off to find a restaurant at the coast where we could get some dinner. We discovered a little Chinese restaurant which looked good, so this is where we made our stop. We were highly impressed with our waiter, who was in fact half Chinese and half Irish, his mother being the Irish blood! We had never seen a duck carved so expertly with chop sticks before and we were soon chatting away to him and telling him about the horses and the show. Afterwards, he invited us both to go downstairs to see his tropical fish collection in the cellar. It was a very impressive  sight, the room full of fish tanks stocked with exotic species, and he told us this made his pocket money,  as he exported such fish all over the world. The evening stretched out much longer than planned but we finally said we had to go as we had horses to attend to early the next day!

Having seen to the horses and exercised them early the next morning, I returned to the hotel  to  discover the largest bunch of flowers I have ever seen in my life, waiting for me on the bed! Our Chinese friend from the night before had sent them; we never did get back to the restaurant, but I did at least find the phone number, so I could relay my thanks.

Myself and Mr Smith

We were in LM for almost two weeks, and although I had no major single wins, I managed to cover expenses with  my prize money. Rhodesia did  win the team event however, beating our main rivals South Africa into second place. We had a great time, with many parties along the way! Suddenly it was time to leave for home! Gail was returning to Salisbury with friends, and I had planned to go on to the Pietermaritzburg show in South Africa, as did a couple of other Rhodesian team members. The local press gave us recognition, as you can see below.

My Life Before Charente to be continued :-) 

 

The section of my life story during our overland trip is published on Kindle if you should be interested:-

 

See

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/THE-GREAT-1953-TREK-ebook/dp/B008KK0KHU/ref=pd_ys_iyr1

Not feeling well, but a fabulous day's racing for my Dad!

On our return to Rhodesia from the 1962 Beira show, we had a few days to settle the horses down and relax, before we were off again, this time to the Marandellas Agricultural Show. Marandellas is a town  about 50 miles east of Salisbury.

On arrival, I was not feeling too well, but it was an important show, so I pulled myself together and both Hy-Li-Li and ‘Smith' jumped well throughout. On the final day and the main event, the Grand Prix, I remember walking the course wondering what I was doing there, as I felt absolutely terrible! I can only think what a terrific horse Mr Smith must have been; I did nothing at all to help him in the event and still we managed third place, beaten only in the jump-off against the clock. I feel sure if he had been helped along the way, we could probably have notched up a Grand Prix win. Anyway, we had done our best and put the 'if only' thoughts out of our heads! On the way back home in the car, horsebox behind, Mum said she realised how bad I must be feeling, as she had never known me to drive so slowly (!) and the next morning I woke up to find myself covered with spots! The doctor duly made a house call and I was told that I had chicken pox. I was apparently at an age where I would probably get it quite badly and bed rest was the only answer. It took a good ten days for me to feel like going back to work and to this day I still have not got 100% hearing in my right ear, due to the effects of the illness.

Mr Smith 3rd place at 1962 Marandellas show.

During my time in bed, I managed to do some theory work, as I was due to take my British Horse Society Pony Club 'A test' at the end of September. This "top of the range" theory and practical test covers, amongst other things, anatomy, stable management, course designing, coaching, care of the horse, saddlery and paddocking, apart from all the riding and horsemanship aspects. 
At that time, there had only been one person who had taken, and passed the 'A Certificate' in Rhodesia, so I was more than determined that I would make the grade and add my name to the pass list! This I managed to do, with one other member of the Pony Club, so two more passes were added to the list!

Collecting the cup for a Pony Club Team event, for which I was the team captain.

In November, a young jockey named Dennis was visiting from South Africa; he'd previously ridden a few times for my Dad. He travelled with Dad and I and the two horses, Lady Heath and Jewel’s Reward, to a race meeting in Marandellas.

Lady Heath was in the first race, an amateur hurdle and due to be ridden by me. The second race a five furlong sprint and Jewel’s Reward was to be ridden by Ivan, one of the Rhodesian jockeys. Dennis was booked to ride him again in the last race over six furlongs. What a day it proved for my Dad, who was triumphant with three winners from two horses! See the "Salisbury Herald" newspaper report below.

On our arrival home, I remember Mum coming out  and asking how we had got on. Dennis, with a very long and dismal face, said “well, Diane won the first one with Lady Heath”,  and after a long pause , with Mum saying how pleased she was, he went on, “Ivan won the second race on Jewel’s Reward”.  Mum said that was wonderful, then Dennis, laughing out loud, said “and I won the last race on him as well”. Mum was quite overjoyed by this and we all went indoors to celebrate, after seeing the horses fed and settled in their stables. It was really quite an achievement. Two races for a horse in one day was an unusual occurrence, even in those days, but now it is unheard of. I am pleased to say that Jewel's Reward suffered no ill effects from the extra exercise and in fact he came back home looking all ready to race again!

My Life Before Charente to be continued :-) 

 

The section of my life story during our overland trip is published on Kindle if you should be interested:-

 

See

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/THE-GREAT-1953-TREK-ebook/dp/B008KK0KHU/ref=pd_ys_iyr1

A new show jumper and an amazing trip to Beira in Mozambique.

Sorry about the long break but time is not always on my side!!

In July 1962, the gelding ‘Mr Smith’ joined my show jumping string. We had bought him just before the Sinoia Show and the show jumping Derby that month, with the understanding that we would only take him over after the event. David Stubbs from South Africa had been booked by the seller to come up to Rhodesia for the show to ride him. To my delight, he won the Derby, but this of course made life all the more difficult for me, as I had to prove that I was able to ride him equally well! 

Only one month later, 'Mr Smith' and I entered the six-bar event at Salisbury Show. "Six-bar" means a competition where riders jump six fences set in a straight line. The fences are equally spaced, the first fence being the lowest and each subsequent fence is higher than the one before. 

I was over-the-moon when we won the  event, clearing just over six feet on the final fence.This was certainly the highest fence that I had yet  experienced!

Mr Smith and myself winning the 6 Bar event.

In August, I was more than proud and pleased to be selected to jump for the Rhodesian team at the week-long International show in Beira, Mozambique. All expenses would be paid for my travel and two horses, Hy-Li-Li and Mr Smith. Mum said that she would like to come with me; naturally, she would pay for herself. The Mozambique authorities objected to that idea;  they generously insisted that Mum's expenses would be settled as well!

Mr Smith jumping the wall in another event at Salisbury show.

We had the most amazing trip and a show that I will certainly never forget, even though we had no wins and only places in each event. The Portuguese people were fantastic hosts and our every whim seemed to be catered for! On arrival, we discovered that all the horses had been unloaded from the train they had travelled down on, and put into spacious stables at the army base. 

Our hotel rooms were ready and waiting and we were taken on a trip to see the arena that had been set up for the show. It was a large indoor stadium and the floor had been laid with thick rubber matting that had been covered with sand. This was a first for the Rhodesian team, as none of us had ever competed indoors before and I suspect it may have been a first for the South Africans as well. Three countries would be competing, Rhodesia, South Africa and Mozambique. Our first reaction was how the horses would respond to being inside, with a large crowd very close by. We need not have worried, as they all just took it in their stride, other than on one occasion which I will mention in a moment.

The first two days of the show went well and ‘Smith’ managed a fourth and a fifth place. Hy-Li-Li became the favourite of the crowd and, it seemed, of the judges as well; each time she appeared, everyone was chanting a chorus of ‘Hy-Lee-Lee, Hy-Lee-Lee’!! She obviously enjoyed all of this and pranced and bucked like she never had before, showing off to every one’s delight. In one event, where she finished seventh, she was suddenly called forward at the prize giving as in seventh place. In every other event during the whole show, only 6 places were in the line up; proof that that she was loved by the judges and the crowd too! On the third and fourth days, we were all taken off for a two day safari in the large game reserve close by, while our horses were well looked after by the army stable hands. Mum was included in this trip which a great experience as we saw masses of game including the big five of lion, elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo and leopard!

On our return to Beira, we  had the main event of the team show jumping and this fell on my nineteenth birthday! All the horses jumped well, but South Africa outstripped us when jumping against the clock, so the final result was South Africa first, Rhodesia second and Mozambique third. We all went in for the final prize giving, myself on Mr Smith who had been the perfect gentleman throughout the show. After the team prizes had been presented, we were all asked to stay in our places for a special presentation. Two of the largest bouquets of flowers I had ever seen were brought out and presented, one to myself and the other to Maria Fernandes of the Mozambique team. The brass band then struck up very loudly with 'Happy Birthday' which sent most of the horses into complete turmoil, ‘Smith', included, which was all the more difficult for me to control because of the large bouquet in my arms! With no damage done and no riders on the ground, we all managed to regain control, cantering slowly around the arena before making our way out. I discovered afterwards it was Maria’s 19th birthday as well, and she was as surprised as I was by the whole presentation!

A Mozambique magazine featured a 7 page article on the whole event, of which page one, plus a photo you can see below. I apologise for the quality of the images, but they did not photocopy well!

Page 1 of the article.  The person who sent it to us marked it all with red arrows and underlining.

Trying to hold on to flowers and Mr Smith when the band broke out with Happy Birthday!

Mr Smith and myself again at Salisbury Show and below.

My Life Before Charente to be continued :-) 

 

The section of my life story during our overland trip is published on Kindle if you should be interested:-

 

See

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/THE-GREAT-1953-TREK-ebook/dp/B008KK0KHU/ref=pd_ys_iyr1