THE SUPER-COB SERIES: APRIL 2022
BLUE CROSS DOUGIE
Fostered from the Blue Cross during 2013 as a 9 month old in very poor condition, Dougie has defied all odds and transformed into a superb all-rounder for both owner Samantha & her daughter.
At the time of being fostered, Dougie was underweight, riddled with lice, 'totally feral' & presenting with Neurological issues. Owner Sam saw him on the way home from a tack sale & decided to give him a chance with some 1-1 care for three months & they haven't looked back since.
Sam explains 'He flourished with all of the attention...we used to take him walking up & down the hills on the lanes to help build his strength up...he started to grow & we knew he was going to be staying forever'.
After making a full recovery under Sam's care & attention, Dougie was backed at age 4, 'he was so easy, it soon became clear he was a talented little pony'.
Dougie is 10 this year & despite his rough start in life he has gone onto having a successful career in dressage - taking Samantha's daughter to the Pony Club Championships in 2019, as well as currently training at BD Novice Level at home. However, Dougie also knows how to step it up a notch & also boasts a 'super jump', proving him to be successful competitor in the Eventing ring - completing several Hunter Trials & ODE's.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, NHS Worker Samantha fell very ill after catching Covid and losing a colleauge to the virus. Samantha explained it 'took the use of my arms & legs...even though I had little balance, I rode Dougie to build my strength back up...Dougie seemed to know I was fragile & was so gentle with me' almost as if to be returning a favour from many years ago...
'SENSITIVE, LOYAL & A PLEASURE TO OWN'
Dougie has frequently been used by the Blue Cross to showcase what these little cobs can flourish into, despite their past, as well as the fantastic re-homing work that the Blue Cross centres offer for neglected & abandoned equines all around the UK. Samantha states 'Dougie is a great example to showcase what these little cobs can achieve with a little bit of love & training'.
Dougie was so incredibly patient & friendly when I went to visit him for his Photoshoot; it almost took me a-back with how confident & trusting he was around someone he'd never met before. Dougie's nature & success is a true testament to the hard work of Samantha, her Daughter & the Blue Cross.
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