Stories

PREMADASA RIDING SCHOOL

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15July "Akash" the Curious Colt

(Akash - Age 02 days)

Recent years saw some very interesting babies being born at the Premadasa Riding School stables. We saw the baby blue eyes of “Mickey Blue Eyes”, the tantrums of “Honey” and of course the unforgettable “Akash”, amongst the many many other foals born over the years.

“Akash” made a name for himself as being one of our most curious and rascally foals. He had a very unfortunate birth… his mommy (Bellasima) had absolutely no milk. And I was the fortunate female to assist in the delivery. Luckily we had a heads up!! And disappointingly we had news that he was the fifth foal that she was going to have and that all her other foals had died within 03 days.

So the countdown began!! And we were prepared!!

He was gorgeous!

A chestnut darling, who stood up within 15minutes!! (A record in our stable) and started chasing the only other female (besides his mother! – who had no milk!) round and round the stable for milk!! Oops!! That was me!!

Thankfully, I was equipped with a bottle full of milk which he immediately downed, and asked for more!

“Akash” was to face some tough times ahead, cause “Bellasima” passed away just 01 week after delivering her bundle of joy. Baby “Akash” was orphaned and left to his own devices.

Amazingly we had an immediate reaction from all the other horses in the stable!! “Seville” thoroughbred (baby stealer) immediately took “Akash” as her own… (“Seville” is a dam imported from India that is known for her penchant to steal foals from other dams… so all new mommies are very careful about keeping their little angels from hulking Seville!! (who by the way is twice their size!!))

Ofcourse… “Akash” had advertised for a mother … so her baby stealing was under legal channels!

As “Seville” needed to time to also try and accomplish her mission of stealing “ALL THE BABIES”, “Akash” did have some time away from his overzealous mother, which he decided to make useful use of. For a year, he became the Riding School Watch Dog!!

If anyone visited us, they would immediately see a scraggy little foal running up to them (scary for some people – trust me) to sniff them up and provide protection for any girls left unattended around the school

Twice a day, he would do the rounds, check the security and of course check the computers in the office and if everyone remembered to bring him his wages (chopped up carrots).

(Akash - age 04 months)

After lunch, he would break into the feed room, eat his fill and take a nap under the fan in the living room. After 1 month, he apparently felt sharing a stable with his adopted mother (whose concentration was on new foals – she had adopted another 2 by then!! Thief!), he felt he should sleep with the big boys!! This saw “Akash” joining the stable hands to sleep next to their beds (cause they had the foresight to say NO!! when he tried to climb on!!)

“Akash” is now a large 02 year old, enjoying the green green grass of Digana, Kandy. He is chasing dogs, and girls and is looking forward to coming back to his home turf very very soon!

(Akash - Age 01 year)

A MEAL WITH AN OLD FRIEND

Written on 02.01.2019

Old friends sharing a meal ♥️

A Pony with Attitude - ENJOY!!

Written on 15.07.2013

Over the last 11 years, We (The Riding School) have seen so many horsey friends join and leave (the dearly departed). Even if they are not a part of our crazy schedules today, We will always remember the funny and crazy moments that they gave us!! :D

ENJOY

Possibly the most famous pony to have strutted his stuff in our paddock … Enjoy taught so many kids the joys of handling a stubborn ornery pony!! :D A stallion with a mind of his own, Enjoy had a very impressive track record in his time racing at the Nuwara Eliya Race Course under the ½ breed category (thoroughbred + pony) – never lost a race in his life!!

Despite his actual size, Enjoy thought he was a very BIG horse…. Therefore he deserved (in his estimation) ALL the girls… This takes us back to August 2001, when the first large consignment of Marwari horses came into Sri Lanka…

The stable was in chaos!! We had 04 very **** stallions and 09 very excitable mares!! Without the thoroughbreds!! It was definitely an exciting time, and in deference to the sensibilities of the very virile Stallions, we divided the girls as equally as we could amongst them!!

So the stable arrangement went something like this….

Enjoy … Mummal, Nabila, Chandra, Kasturi; Tipu Sultan … Kajol, Menaka, Neelam, Alexander … Ghungurun, Neeta, Asturias, Soft Spot, Shyam.

That evening we all left the horses to their devices, content in our stupidity that the stallions were SO happy with the flirtatious and stunning mares in their vicinity… Little did we know!!

The next morning came way too fast, and I remember distinctly walking oblivious to the stable. A bunch of very exhausted and utterly embarrassed stablehands stood in a line…

“There was a problem last night!! Enjoy got out and went to fight with the other horses!”

“Oh my poor sweet Enjoy!!” my immediate concern!! I run like a mad woman to see my angel of a pony!! The love of so many children’s riding dreams!! The MAD and ORNERY and VIOLENT and IDIOTIC animal that was preening in his newly reaffirmed position as the head of the stable! He has torn at the other unassuming innocent brand new, twice his size very expensive Marwari stallions (3 of them mind you!!) and was chomping on his morning grass (apparently the horse ears were not enough!!)

The picture with grey pony was captured when Enjoy met his for ever more best buddy - WHAT TO DO!! (keep watching us for the dirt on this rascally pony!!). This was the only other stallion that Enjoy was willing to tolerate, and play some tag.

There was also the time that Enjoy (so far the only equine to have walked into a studio set in Sri Lanka!) went on live television on a show about horses (and fell asleep and embarrassed me on national TV ... another story!!)

Years later, when Enjoy had passed his prime, and really need a break (which he refused to accept) we gave Enjoy to a gentleman who had a few ponies for breeding, so he could spend the rest of his days cavorting with the girls!

Earlier this February, the rascally pony that touched so many of our hearts and taught so many kids to love riding passed away of old age ... Enjoy was 20 years old.

He did however leave behind two other very famous and popular ponies .... Scooby Doo (based at St Thomas' Gurutalawe) and Champa (based at PRS Nugegoda).