Sandown Park Race Course and Painting Bees and Horses

Back at Sandown Park Race Course for the National Honey Show brings memories of a wonderful past with horses

I'm looking forward to painting bees and horses next year!

It was lovely to be back at Sandown Park the other day, for the National Honey Show; it brings past memories of riding barely broken-in ponies from the grand age of 5 years old – who would do that to a child!

It’s where a loved family member raced many moons ago – can’t name him as too famous (him, not me!) but a race takes place in his honour at Sandown Park Race Course and other places each year. We had a family tradition of putting on a small bet each April – 50p – I never realised its significance in my early days, just thought it was a birthday treat!

Sunset and Sandown

Perhaps it was in my genes – before knowing the connection (my family underplays everything!), I also enjoyed racing, as such… taking the saddle off and pretending to be a jockey – often to my detriment as it was usually too much temptation for my highly-strung pony (considered a rig on account of his extreme attitude).

He saw it as red ‘freedom’ rag to a bull and would charge in whichever direction he fancied, getting rid of me in the process. But when horse and rider don't go separate ways, the sensation of wind through the hair is an understatement as there’s nothing quite as exhilarating and powerful as racing along as fast as you can go, driven by the ‘invincible’ and the energy of a horse with thundering hooves beneath you! – well, that’s how it seemed, anyway! ;)

I have such a strong past with horses, I can’t believe I haven’t painted many – but first I want to fill my little corner of earth with beautiful honey bees and their furry-winged friends – they seem to represent the ongoing cycles of nature and hope. I am sure many people would have discovered the joy to be found in observing bees, particularly during our recent lockdowns.

Wild bees have been my garden delight for over 10 years but they seem to have cast a little magic as they present their increasingly enchanting world to me, which I don’t mind in the least.

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British Wildlife Artist Writer Illustrator

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