Page 149 - It's a Rum Life Book 3 "Ivy House Tales 1970 to 1984"

the tallest horse we had ever seen in our lives. He was almost black with four white legs
and a beautiful white flash down his nose. This was Ebony who was to be one of the
“biggest” influences in our entire lives. He was about two years old and a Shire Horse.

By now we had had about four years living with horses and driving them. Little Jupiter was
not so little and destined to take over driving us at the BDS events when his mother was
too old to cope with the longer distances.
This all happened before we had our own little lorry and having agreed to buy Ebony we
needed some transport. Back to Bev Scott at Walcott near Lincoln who had built that
original huge boat trailer (Book Two) for ideas about transport for Ebony. It had to be taller
than the usual horse trailer and obviously extra strong! It all happened very quickly and we
returned to Wharton to collect our new charge.
As we were loading Ebony, Helen found a nest of Kittens in a manger and the farmer gave
a white one to Helen, this became “Wharton” of future fame!

Back at home we had negotiated with an employee of the local Drainage Authority to rent
some river bank to provide grazing for our extended equine family and Ebony found
himself in company with Juno and Jupiter on a pretty, quiet, tree lined bank side at
Revesby Bridge, about two miles down that long straight road north of us. In fact Revesby
Bridge is where the ‘seven mile straight’ finishes in its northerly direction.

New skills were to be learnt as Ebony needed breaking in to harness work and “No. 1”
driver Albert, with his extensive farming background became Ebony’s principal trainer.
We needed a suitable vehicle and found a lovely traditional four wheeled flat dray at the
home of Fred Harlock at Thorney near Peterborough.
So the story goes on......driving horses with the BDS and the considerable experience
gained over the years was partly to blame for the beginning of Northcote.

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