Just came across this thread. Fascinating. I started riding at Gateacre in 1964. Memories are still fresh. The earliest horses I remember are Dawn and Driver, Driver's half sister, Bramble. Then there was Jonathan and Juliet, Storm & Gale and Storm's son, Cherokee, Jingles & Romany and Simon (a little dun pony and my favourite) and Merrylegs and Wildfire. There was little Penny, who was, I think, 33 when she was finally put down .
Ala came later and I loved riding him. Jim also bought a skewbald cob for himself called Kate. Another later addition, Desmond, was a firm favourite of mine.
He bought a mare, Annabelle, who one day down at The Track, kicked Little Dan, Joan's favourite pony and broke his leg. Needless to say, Annabelle was soon sold.
Before The Track, down at Allerton, was made available to riders, we used to ride all around Gateacre and Woolton. There were still lots of fields to canter in then.
My sister, friends and I spent every spare minute up at the stables, helping Delia, Margaret and Chris to muck out. They were wonderfully happy times and we made so many friends.
Jim and Joan eventually sold their house in Allerton and had a house built from one end of the indoor school, so that they could be on site. They bought a German Shepherd, Major, as a guard dog.
Jim certainly was a character. I remember him saying to me that he couldn't get 'soppy' over a horse like we girls did, but he'd sit up all night with one if necessary. However, he could be a bit handy with his walking stick from time to time. I remember poor Simon, who wasn't an easy ride, getting it occasionally. I didn't like that.
Jim and Joan came to my wedding in 1973 because they'd been such a part of my childhood.
Selside - I think your 'Fjord' pony may have been Juliet? She had a very high, curved neck. Jim hogged nearly all his horses' manes (except Ala, the Arab), which we all hated, but he thought they looked 'neater'.
I remember the parties - one was definitely at Reynolds Park. The daughters of its then owner rode at Gateacre. He also hosted a meal at his house in Halewood, was it? Gosh I just can't remember his name or the girls' names. The horses are much easier to remember!
Maximus - I do remember Irene, though, who as you say, usually rode Ala. I recognise Driver in your photograph and I think that's Merrylegs in the background. Horrocks, I don't remember. Was he a late addition?
Joan had this idea for having a Social Section and a few of us used to meet to arrange activities, but it never really took off.
The reason the indoor school was full of cobwebs was because Joan thought it was bad luck to remove them! That's what she told us anyway.
Now I'm remembering two more ponies - Buttons and Bubbles. Bubbles was a small grey who was lame for ages and it turned out he'd broken the pedal bone in his foot, just like the racehorse, Arkle did. He had to be put down. We all cried for ages.
And yes, when Jim retired he had every horse put down and held each one while the deed was done. He said he didn't want them to end up neglected. It was a strange decision and not a popular one.
Well, this has been a real ride down memory lane. Apologies if it's a bit rambling. I wonder if we ever met back then? We rode for ages on a Sunday afternoon and prior to that on a Wednesday evening.
After I went away to college, I rode just when I came home.
