Every Cloud
Equi-Ads England & Wales, January 2002

This month Kuchina Johnson reflects on 2001.

Every cloud has a silver lining or so they say. This year I have been hard pressed to find that silver lining. First there was Foot and Mouth bringing many of my friends and colleagues to their knees. I had to sell four of my horses in February just to tide me over throughout the year and I was one of the lucky ones. Then in March my son broke his arm – not in one or even two places but he managed three! In spite of this, he still flew with his grandad to Spain bearing a bright red cast. He was disappointed that he was unable to ride when there but I told him that he could learn as much with his eyes and ears as he could with his hands. He did – a lesson for us all, I think.

As we were loading the box to head off in June my mother was rushed to hospital where she ended up having a long stay. I thought that was my lot for the year and believed that surely the rest of it would go smoothly. Shows were few and far between but the sun shone as did the horses. There were the few inevitable hiccups like schoolmaster pulling a shoe off in the box at the Royal Victoria Park show in August. This meant that the young horse had to give the high school display all on his own. My daughter stepped into the breech dancing Flamenco with him in the arenas. She stole the show. This proved so popular it is now a regular part of the show.

The silver lining appeared in November when I went to Portugal then on to Golega (capital of the horse) and met many of my father's friends and made many new ones of my own. I was walking down a stall of horses when I heard someone call my name. A group of trainers who had seen my web site invited me to join them. The invitation was extended to my groom and staff but I had to explain that there was just me. I was all those rolled into one. They also found it amusing and unusual that I trained dogs as well. After saying our goodbyes I returned home and was so glad to walk back into my little yard. There were no lemon trees lining the drive just happy healthy dogs and children and of course my horses. What more can a body want? I am off with my feed bucket now as probably you will be and I can only hope you feel as lucky as I do.