Borde Hill Horse Trials | Writing Wings

Today is the much-anticipated Blog Hop for Elaine Kaye’s latest children’s book, Doctor Mom. I can’t wait for my great-grandkids to give yet another seal of approval as they did with Pea Soup Disaster, the first in the Gregory Green series, and with Slow Poke, her debut. These kids are the best reviewers – and already Elaine Kaye fans.

So, let’s have a fanfare with cake, ice-cream and fireworks for Doctor Mom.

Title: Doctor Mom

Author: Elaine Kaye

Genre: Picture Story Book

Ages: 5-8 years

BLURB: It’s Saturday, and Gregory Green can’t wait to have fun with his dad on the riding lawnmower, but something is wrong. Sammy, his teddy bear and best friend, won’t get out of bed. Gregory is worried when he sees Sammy’s left leg is torn. This is a case for Doctor Mom! Can they fix Sammy? And just how did Sammy get hurt in the first place?

PRAISE FOR DOCTOR MOM:

“Doctor Mom is an adorable story that shows how Moms can fix anything—even a torn limb on a beloved teddy bear! Children will enjoy the lovable little bear who needs a stitch or two and his boy who plays dress-up as a doctor.” – Wanda Luthman, award-winning author of Little Birdie Grows Up

“A sweet and heartfelt tale kids can easily identify with, and all of that with a wonderful touch of magic.” – Tonja Drecker, reviewer at Bookworm for Kids

BUY LINK:

AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Elaine Kaye first created Gregory Green after her son, who loved her homemade pea soup, thus inspiring the story Pea Soup Disaster. Doctor Mom is the second book in A Gregory Green Adventure series and highlights something all moms and children can relate to; a beloved stuffed animal in need of a repair.

Kaye has worked as a library assistant and teacher’s assistant in elementary schools in the Sunshine State. She currently lives in Florida, but she has called Michigan; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Okinawa, Japan home.

She is a grandmother of three boys.

Website / Etsy Shop / Goodreads

MOTHERLY MEMORIES

My mother has been in my thoughts as we have just celebrated Mother’s Day, here in the US on May 13th – Mothering Sunday back in the UK was earlier in the year on March 11th. Anyway, for this blog I got the chance to bathe in those motherly thoughts as the hop-hostess – thanks Chrys Fey – set me a wonderful goal:

“Prompt: Share a favourite memory you have of your mom. Or just share a picture of your mom that you cherish. Or you can do both!”

I have two specific pictures of my mum, Nidia – or Mummy as we called her – and the one above releases so many specific memories.

It was taken in May 2005 at Borde Hill Horse Trials by a veterinary surgeon friend, Tony Warr. I was co-organiser of this event at the family estate, and my mother was very supportive, especially as I had already been diagnosed with MS – multiple sclerosis – five years earlier. That support had to be strong as despite the MS, I had been determined to revive the horse trials that had been cancelled in 2001 due to the horrendous foot & mouth outbreak.

I was cutting back on my equestrian journalism career as the MS didn’t sit well with tight deadlines. Pacing myself and co-organising an event with a long lead was a better fit, especially living with a mother that backed me and, with her riding background, shared the dream. I remember going with her to other horse trials in the South East and sitting eating a picnic lunch watching the cross-country. And I remember Mummy polishing the trophies for the South East Eventers League, founded in 1995 by me and Ian Bareham – and so much more moments we shared.

That era came to an end for me and others, and sadly my mother passed in April 2013 – which still brings floods of tears. Borde Hill Horse Trials commemorated her with a beautiful flower box fence on the cross-country.

The family used this photo, that I had taken a few years earlier, as the cover of the Order of Service for the funeral of Juana Nidia Gereth Clarke – more memories flood out.

Check out the other story in the MOM BLOG HOP!

1. Chrys Fey	2. Elaine Kaye
3. M. J. Fifield	4. Words Turn Me On
5. Ingenious Indie Promotions	6. sherry @ fundinmental
7. The Sunflower’s Scribbles	8. Juneta @ Writer’s Gambit
9. The Really Real Housewives of America	10. Samantha Bryant @ Balancing Act
11. Diane Burton	12. The Ninja Librarian
13. Writing Wings	14. The Story of a Writer
15. Wanda Luthman’s Children’s Books

Bill Allen at Borde Hill Horse Trials ~ Photo by Tony Warr

On Saturday April 4th the sport of eventing lost one of its great supporters and personalities, Bill Allen. My first thought was for his wife Ann, and his family as I know how close they all are.

I couldn’t help it but I cried. For me Bill was special, as a friend and a colleague. Without Bill, I would never have got Borde Hill Horse Trials back onto the calendar. As my co-organiser, Bill taught me everything I know about running a horse trials, and helped assemble a first class team to put on the event. For many Bill was a first-class starter, and the joint-organiser of the successful Purston Horse Trials, but he could turn his hand to almost everything. But most important thing I learnt was that the organiser was responsible for chucking out the rubbish bags.

Bill Allen at Borde Hill Horse Trials with BE Steward Nicky Salmon (centre), Johnny Hill and Roland Clarke (right). Photo by Tony Warr.

There have been so many tributes to him, and they all say, “how helpful and supportive of many events and people he was”. That he was “such a hard working lovely man, always with a joke and a smile and will be SO missed”. We “will miss his cheerful banter and big smile!”

Of course for me Borde Hill Horse Trials wasn’t the beginning as I already knew Bill. He was one of the linchpins at so many events that I attended, initially as a journalist, and then as co-ordinator of the South East Eventers League. In fact the SEEL organisers made sure to honour Bill & Ann for their crucial work ‘behind the scenes’, by presenting them with the Seahorse Achievement Award in 1998. And, of course, Ann was an integral part of the partnership – and of any event she scored or helped at.

The Seahorse Achievement Award

Bill continued to support me as life got harder because of my multiple sclerosis, making sure that provision was always made for my disability. He ensured, with the two main sponsors Johnny Hill and Bill Kear, that I had a mobility scooter to continue going to events. However, MS eventually took its toll and I had to give up as co-organiser at Borde Hill, but although he too stood down, Bill Allen still helped the new team.

As my MS got worse, I went to fewer events, but tried to go to at least one Borde Hill event each year. And one of the first people to greet me was Bill Allen, even if he was busy doing things to keep the event running smoothly. Sadly, 2013 was the last time I went to the Horse Trials at Borde Hill, as we moved to Wales in 2014. So that was the last time that I saw Bill & Ann Allen.

So I wasn’t aware that he had cancer, or that during Tweseldown Horse Trials in March, Ann was visiting him in hospital ever evening, after working at the event.

Eventing has lost a great supporter and friend. I just feel devastated. My love and condolences to Ann and to all his family.

R.I.P Bill Allen, a great heart and a generous man.