Sarah Todd: Worrying about the long-term memory of daughter's hens

As a very young girl, not much more than a toddler, an Indian Game hen frightened me to death. She was sitting on some eggs under the granary and didn't like me nosing about. It's funny how these things are never forgotten. Ever since,; the slightest flap of a wing sends shivers down my spine. There's a photograph somewhere of a school trip to London, a

few years later, and me looking on in horror at the pigeons in Trafalgar Square.

Anyway, we managed, and the daughter got a rosette in the young handler class. It was quite an eye-opener watching all the preparations, with exhibitors using cotton wool buds to dab baby oil on to their birds' combs. We ended up dashing off to get my pyjama top to give them a quick rub over.

My daughter's thoughts have turned to a new pony after the loss of our old Darius, but we're trying to put her off until after Christmas as there's a long winter ahead. In the meantime, she enjoyed the horse classes at the show and was particularly taken with the

X Factor-style search for a star competition, run by showjumping husband-and-wife team Graham and Tina Fletcher. She watched wide-eyed as the pair made the finalists ride around a big course of jumps without any stirrups.

One thing's for sure, as the Fletchers obviously know, there's nothing sorts the wheat from the chaff when it comes to riding skills than going without "the pedals", as Graham put it.

Another thing Mr Fletcher did very well was introduce the riders. After his years in the sport he knows that you've to help the spectators along.

He told us how old the riders were – didn't the winner do well at only 14? – how their horses were bred and what kind of level they'd been previously competing at.

We'd have enjoyed a bit more commentary in the other classes. There were some smashing little riders in the showing classes and it would have really added to the atmosphere to have known how old they were; same goes for the age, breeding and height of their ponies. Same right through the schedule of classes. Many had travelled tremendous distances to compete and, at this kind of indoor event aimed at a wider audience, some of the stories behind the exhibits deserved to be told. Perhaps time, and keeping to a tight schedule, gets in the way?

Anyway, the show team of three hens are back in the orchard, scratching about between the windfall apples and the muck heap.

"Do you think they'll remember going to Countryside Live?" asked the daughter.

Well, who knows, they must be clucking about something…

CW 30/10/10