Horsey stuff too. Taz on wedding & funeral duty

[Manky Monkey]

Anyone remember Taz?
For those new to the forum, Tazet is my missus, Tanya. She owns a part restored '69 Dodge Charger & a part built Reliant trike.
She used to be a regular on the forum, but now works such long hours, she rarely gets the chance to call in here.
We live in an old cottage on the edge of Clandon Park, a National Trust house near Guildford in Surrey, where Taz runs the stables. Although they no longer own the big house, her bosses, Lord & Lady Onslow, still own the 800 acre estate around it & live in a large farmhouse in the grounds.
On Saturday, their youngest daughter got married at the local village church so Taz was in charge of the drive there & back in the horse drawn carriage.
Lord Onslow's recently retired from carriage driving. He & Taz travelled round the country, competing in events at other stately homes -sort of off road rally driving with horses. His team of Welsh Palomino ponies are used to charging around obstacles & through woods & streams, racing against the clock, not trotting sedately to church. We had visions of them skidding sideways into the churchyard in a spray of gravel, with the bride hanging onto the back of the carriage for dear life.
Because of Lord Onslow's failing health, the wedding was brought forward by several months, meaning Taz had just 1 week to get the team trained up for wedding duty. Only 2 of the 4 ponies had done a wedding before.
Brought in from their field, hosed down & brushed up, they scrubbed up suprisingly well. I was pressed into service to help polish the leather harnesses. Once they were fitted up, the 4 ponies had to stand for an hour in the 300 year old barn, waiting for their big moment. Max, in the foreground in the second pic, was starting to doze off & wanted to lay down -he had to be taken out for a brisk walk round the yard to wake him up again.
 

[Manky Monkey]

The dressage carriage was chosen, but hadn't been used for a year or so. I spent the rest of the morning polishing it till it gleamed. 

[Manky Monkey]

As Lord Onslow's very unwell, it was decided to load him onto the carriage first, then hitch the ponies up afterwards.

[Manky Monkey]

The present Lord Onslow, Michael, & his son, Rupert, looking very rakeish with his orange plume, who will eventually take over the estate. He drives a Range Rover with a Chevy engine conversion & is quite impressed that Taz owns a 6 1/4 litre Dodge charger!

[Manky Monkey]

My missus, Taz. She scrubs up well when she has to too, though she's more normally in jeans & wellies & smelling faintly of horse poo. 

Taz & stable hand Katie.

[Manky Monkey]

The 4 ponies aren't used to standing around -they know that once they're hitched to the carriage it's time to race. So Taz had to keep them in check until the bride appeared, then get going as soon as she was aboard.

[Manky Monkey]

Setting off, across the estate, to the local church.
The big house is now owned by the National Trust & can be rented out for formal occasions, but used to be the family home. The present Lord Onslow lived there when he was a boy. As the Onslows drove past in the carriage, there was another wedding taking place there.

[spanners]

bloody ell  taz does scub up well .
that well i had to study the picture,s   lol

[Manky Monkey]

Whoa there buddy! 
Out of the estate gates, gently over the speed bumps, & up the road to the church.
To keep the team of 4 under control in Saturday afternoon traffic takes some doing, especially when you're trying to look poised & sedate too. Taz handled it all expertly. Guess who got the job of standing on the corner outside the church, in a dayglo vest, slowing the traffic down.    

[spanners]

didnt they give you the bucket and shovel job ,,,,

[Manky Monkey]

  Tony Oily Bike lives nearby & rode through the village on his Triumph later that afternoon. He said there was a trail of horse poo leading to the church!

They'd arranged to unload everyone in the driveway of the house next to the church, away from the traffic.
With the family safely off to the service, it was time for a fag & a breather for the girls. The ponies were unhitched for a break too.

[Manky Monkey]

Only the bride & groom to take back to the house after the wedding, so while they were in the church, Taz dashed back to the yard where the lead pair of ponies were unhitched, leaving the more experienced 2 for the drive back.

[Manky Monkey]

Katie.

[Manky Monkey]

Out of a different gate on the estate & down the dual carriageway, back round to the church, to hide in the driveway next door until the church bells rang. Then out to the front to pick up the new bride & groom for their trip back to the house.

[Manky Monkey]

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