B04P - Riding by Faith Through Ireland - Paperback Book
B04P. Riding by Faith Through Ireland - Paperback Book
'As sweet, relaxing and enjoyable a read as one might wish to find and having spent many years living abroad it brings on a feeling of melancholy and homesickness." - Jim Culloty, Grand National winning jockey. Also rider fo triple Gold Cup winner Best mate.
"Tracey's book brought home an appreciation of what we have here in Ireland. The beauty of the place and the characters in her photographs. If heaven is half as good as this - it's a grand place." JJ manga, Trainer of Grand National winner Monty's Pass.
Riding through Southern Ireland on her Highland ponies (ridden from Scotland), Tracey captures the beauty of the countryside and its good humoured characters.
135 colour photographs, 98 colour pages. Size 240mm x 210mm.
Here I am with my Highland pony Callum talking about our journey through Southern Ireland.
“We worked all sorts of things, working in a chocolate factory, giving the bookies all our money! Yer, Always with the horses!”
“Go and speak to your man over there.” Jerry indicated a fierce looking man with a moustache restraining his horse by the birddle. As Kingsman wouldn’t go anywhere near the jaunting cart, I dismounted and walked over to explain that I had ridden my ponies from the top of Scotland to Land’s End and then onto Killarney and was hoping to see the official at Muckross house.
“He’s gone for the day.” His gruff exterior softened slightly, as he eyed up Callum and Kingsman. “Two fine looking cobs. Would you sell them?”
We sped along through the beautiful parkland in the drizzling dusk, to find a different way out as the gate we had entered through was locked. Investigating another locked exit, Jerry rode in between two security camera.
“The guards will be out to get us now!” I flung at Jerry, while I avoided the camera, and we urged the ponies into a fast trot heading in the opposite direction. I felt exhilarated , like I was a little girl again on her Dartmoor pony, speeding through the drizzle, ducking under the low dripping branches, out of bounds and loving it!.
It was dusk and we were trotting to see Ross Castle before dusk. On one of our short cut endeavours, Jerry found a multi-coloured golfing umbrella, which he picked up, and we rode along the pavements of Killarney side by side on Callum and Kingsman as through we were pedestrians, with the umbrella tipped into the prevailing rain so the ponies could see, but we couldn’t see where we were going!
“If I try to be like him who will be like me!”
As I rode along he narrow lanes, I met Michael and Mary Murphy who lived in a tiny thatch cottage. “My grandfather lived here with ten acres subsistence farming, just existing.” Michael said, continuing: “we acquired through the Land Commission the sum of 25 acres, milked 11 cows by hand and every day took 50 gallons of milk to the creamery by the pony and cart, then we progressed onto a tractor and trailer.
Puck Fair, a three day event has been held for hundreds of years. The first day is known as gathering day when a male mountain goat is crowned and enthroned as king of Puck Fair, high up on some scaffolding in the town square, where he stays through the second cattle day until the last day, which is scattering day, and then the goat is released back to the mountains.
“Where are your cobs? Asked the young Jauntie I had met the previous day at Muckross House, “and the saddle? How much do you want for it? I was relieved the saddle and my ponies were hidden in the cow shed!
“They won’t take no for an answer” Jerry warned.
Kingsman resting his head on my lap while we took a break form our trek!
Jerry couldn’t resist the adventure and came and rode his thoroughbred race hose on Rossbeigh Beach.
