CHAPTER 6

In the village at that time, everyone was very busy organising fetes and all sorts of events to raise money for the new church bells. They were a peal of six, which had been recast and rehung and the cost was £600.

There is no more melodious and beautiful sound than hearing these bells pealing out over the countryside and everyone in the village were very enthusiastic about them.

During the Summer, the village is filled with visitors who stay at farmhouses. Most are families with young children and Mike and Del used to take two families every week from early May to September.

To help pay for the bells while the village was full of visitors, it was decided to have a raffle with the first prize of £50 or a pony. Mike had bought a little Welsh Mountain pony called Tony at a farm sale for £10 and he was good company for me in the field, but due to his animals and poultry he did not really have enough land for the two of us and wanted to find a good home for him.

It was suggested that he put the pony in the raffle as first prize. He was not too keen for as he said: "How can I be sure that it will have a good home with the winner?" Anyway he was persuaded to carryout the plan. All that Summer tickets were sold at 6d each (2 1/2 pence), by the end of September over £300 had been raised and the draw for the pony was held at the village dance one Friday evening.

He needn't have worried, for the winning ticket was drawn by the local blacksmith who had a good customer for the pony at a local farm, so Tony was safe in a good home where he lived for over 20 years and taught hundreds of youngsters to ride.

The proceeds went a long way to helping to pay for the bells, but Mike vowed never again to raffle an animal of any kind for there is no real control over what happens when the winning ticket is drawn out.

By the end of that Summer I was getting fat and not long before Christmas I could feel my foal moving about. Everyone was starting to get excited and there were long discussions as to whether I would have a boy or a girl.

I was treated royally, groomed daily and my diet was carefully planned. My stable was spic and span and I was brought in every night as from late October into the warmth.

Across the road from Court Vale was a half acre meadow which was really a large orchard of very old apple trees. It faced south and was surrounded by high hedges. "That's a perfect place for Twilight to foal," said Mr. Hughes, Mike's friend. "She'll be quiet and there's plenty of good grass and you can keep an eye on her easily. She won't be bothered by the cattle or the poultry and when the foal is born they will both be able to wander in and out of that old stable in the corner of the field if the weather is bad."

The meadow belonged to our neighbour Mr. Georgie John and he was only too pleased to rent it to Mike for a few shillings a week. So after Christmas of 1966 I was turned into it regularly so that I would get used to being there.

I soon got to know every inch of it, where to stand out of the cold north and east winds, where to catch the sun, and where to be sheltered from the wild west wind. The old stable had no door and was perfect for sheltering from heavy rain.

My foal was due in early April and usually this is a wonderful time in Pembrokeshire for Spring arrives early. There would be primroses and daffodils everywhere and the new grass would be growing well and strong. The apple trees would be coming into blossom and there would be lots of beautiful sunfilled days, perfect for my young foal to be born and grow up quickly.

By March, I was casting my Winter coat and by now very heavy in foal. The vet checked me every week and told Mike I was in perfect condition. The boys still rode me so I had just the right amount of exercise.

April came with mini heatwave on the first day. The sun brought out the apple blossom and my little field was awash with daffodils. In the high hedgerows primroses shone like gold and I was turned in there permanently.

Never an hour passed without someone checking me and Mike even came out in the middle of the night with his torch to check me.

"You'll not see that foal being born," said Mr. Hughes. "She'll have it when your back's turned. They always do." I felt well and happy. Now the foal was moving all the time and my teats were swollen with milk. One morning, drops of milk were dripping from them and something told me I was about to foal.

It was about 6 am and the beginning of a beautiful day. Already the blackbirds and thrushes were singing and the sun was rising into a blue sky. I lay down beneath one of the big apple trees in the far corner of the field. I rolled over to feel comfortable. There was not a soul about.

Lying there I suddenly felt a funny sensation and realised that my waters had broken. I could feel movement much more than usual. I stood up quite quickly and stretched and out came my foal's feet together, then the head and there it was lying on the grass. I knew at once it was a boy and as I licked him all over he struggled to his feet and swayed over towards me. I stood still with milk streaming form my teats as I felt his little head push beneath my back leg and felt his soft mouth surround my teats one at a time as he gently sucked making a slight squeaky noise.

For two or three minutes I stood there gently nuzzling him and guiding him towards my teats. He was broad of back and in the sunshine the colour of a ripe horsechestnut. On his forehead was a white blaze just like his father and he had my hard blue hooves.

I moved slowly from the tree's shade into the full sunlight and he followed ever stronger after his first feed. I walked towards the gate. His beautiful coat now drying in the sunshine and stood proud with my head over the top bar and whined loudly.

Within a minute the whole family were there. Mike, Del and the two boys and also Grandpa and Grandma. They were overjoyed and shouted the news. "Hush," said Del. "You'll wake up the whole village."

They patted me and fussed over us both. "What shall we call him," said Mike. "Conker," said Mark, "'Cos that's just his colour," and so it was.