Olympia 1999

by Helen Revington
(Photographs by Stephen Sparkes)

Timbu and Rani execute half passes many would be proud of

Many years ago the racing camels were a big hit with the crowds and camels returned to the Show in 1999, but in a very different guise - Timbu and Rani are dressage camels. Former zookeeper Frank Bock bought Rani and Timbu as youngsters and with his girlfriend, Isolde Frenzel, an experienced dressage rider, he has trained these animals which are perhaps more generally known for their natural laziness and obstinacy, to perform a polished and highly entertaining 'Pas de Deux'.

Rani (10 years old) and Timbu (13 years old) are examples of the Bactrian camel and are equipped to deal with the extreme temperatures of the Mongolian Desert, which is bitterly cold in winter. Having two humps (unlike the camels from the Middle East desert zone) they are best ridden bareback. Frank and Isolde ride them with bitless bridles, yet they have still mastered the finer points demanded of a well trained dressage horse, including half-pass and flying change - the latter movement being particularly slick!

The Millennium Bugs of the Sevenoaks Riding Club celebrate their win in the Riding Clubs Quadrille

With their long silky hair gleaming and flowing with each movement, it was bizarre to watch these 'ships of the desert' and their riders (in full dressage apparel!) perform their show - and somehow very touching. These animals are often regarded as comic and yet here they were, demonstrating in a most positive way their intelligence and the trust they have in their trainers - the bond between them was very evident. No doubt this is a reflection of the love and attention that is lavished on them. Timbu and Rani have been with the couple since they were just a year old and are treated like members of the family - even to the point of joining their handlers on holiday!

Frank confirms that the camels are intelligent and that they do form strong attachments with their owners. Nevertheless, this delightful performance, which demands suppleness, balance and rhythm, not to mention a willingness to co-operate, must represent many years of patient training. These camels are a real crowd pleaser so let's hope we see more of them!

Slightly more conventional displays of dressage were witnessed during the finals of the British Riding Clubs' Quadrille of the Year. The Quadrille was won this year by the Sevenoaks Riding Club's topical offering 'The Millennium Bugs'. The Sevenoaks team was making its debut appearance at the finals, yet they managed to hold off a strong challenge from last year's winners, the Saffron Walden team and won by ten points. The Bugs were:- Hidden Promise ridden by Martine Weber, Cranswick Sabelo ridden by Emma Kinsley, Ginger Busby ridden by Liz Warner, and Gulliver, ridden by team manager Lesley Allen, who had to step in at the last minute when the original fourth horse went lame six days before the event.

Jo Jack and Anne Mitchell's Highland stallion Denedin Harris. Overall winners of the Mountain & Moorland Ridden Championships

A notable appearance was made by the twenty-nine year old Sundance Kid II who was performing for the West End Riding Club. Sundance Kid, who was a member of the 1997 winning team, survived two operations this year following a head injury that has left him blind in one eye.

The final day is the one that Mountain and Moorland fans long for - it is time for their Ridden Championships. Highland ponies dominated the Championships with the homebred Dunedin Harris taking the overall championship ridden by Jo Jack, and Moss-side Campsie Glen, owned and ridden by Ruth Darling, taking the Reserve title. Ruth works within her family's landscape gardening business so she leaves it to her mother to keep Glen fit during the week. Harris was bred by owner Anne Mitchell, a vet who works in Stirlingshire. She has been breeding Highland ponies for twelve years and a win at Olympia has always been at the top of her wish list.

The 'Millennium Finale' took a retrospective look at Finales past and an expectant look to the new millennium and the exciting prospect of Sydney gold. So, as the final strains of Auld Lang Syne rang out, Olympia celebrated its best Show yet and the crowds left for the excitement of Christmas and the heralding of the twenty first century.

The Millennium Finale