'Hobby horse girl' looks forward to Appleby – this time with her real pony!

HOBBY-horse girl Piper Ann England, whose picture touched the hearts and minds of thousands of fans of Appleby Horse Fair, will be back this year with her real-life pony.

And she hopes to wash her five-year-old black and white Gypsy cob, Storm, in the River Eden, and drive him pulling a cart.

Her return is partly thanks to generous well-wishers and supporters who were moved to respond after she was photographed trotting into the river on her hobby-horse in the middle of Appleby by Roma Gypsy Brian Graham, from Southampton.

He put the picture on his website where it was picked up by Appleby Horse Fair Keep It Alive Facebook site and featured by Travellers’ Times.

The postings went viral on social media and the offers flooded in.

Piper, now aged 12 and a pupil of Boroughbridge High School, North Yorkshire, said: “I wasn’t thinking about anything when I went in the water on my hobby horse and had no idea what would come of it.

“All the fuss left me speechless. I was so happy with all the generous reaction and thankful for all the people who have given me gifts, especially all those in the travelling community.”

Her father, DJ and van salesman, Wayne England, said: “Piper goes round on her hobby horse everywhere and we had no idea that Brian had even taken the picture.

“After it went viral, many people tried to raise money to buy her a horse, but we don’t really need the money and they didn’t realise she already had a horse," he added.

It was just that Storm wasn’t trained to go in the water or pull a cart, so we didn’t take him to Appleby.

At first we were a bit awkward and even turned down some offers, but then we realised how generous people were being and it would be nice to accept gifts in the spirit they were offered.”

Among the gifts accepted for Piper were a saddle, stirrups, a harness for a cart and a cart itself.

But perhaps the biggest joy for Piper was that Romany Traveller and horse dealer Chris Millard offered to break in Storm and train him to drive a cart.

Chris, who is already on his way to this year’s Appleby Horse Fair on June 6th, said: “I saw on Facebook that they were looking for someone to break in Storm.

I did it for free as life isn’t all about money and she looked so sweet.”

Chris took Storm to Swanage on Sea to replicate the crowds at Appleby Horse Fair and took two months to complete his training. He let Piper and her dad see how Storm progressed with regular video links.

“Storm was a bit of a character – a bit like a stroppy teenager – to start with. I think he was a bit spoiled. But he turned out a good pony,” added Chris, talking from the roadside in the New Forest.

Storm was delivered to Chris and picked up and transported after training, again for free, by Haddon Equine Transport of Catterick.

Wayne, who missed the horse fair last year, is delighted to accompany Piper this year and will be on hand to help her through the undoubted attention she will get.

“We are a little worried that Piper will be under a lot of pressure when she gets to Appleby, and we will have to manage expectations of her,” he said.

Neither Wayne nor Piper are Romany Gypsies or from the Traveller community – which made the reaction of the community even more remarkable – but their family has been going to Appleby Horse Fair for generations.

Last year Piper was with her grandma Deborah Stocks, from Knaresborough, on whose farm Storm stables.

She told Travellers Times: “We went down to the river and Piper had her hobby horse because she takes it everywhere.

“She is such a quiet girl, and she just wandered into the water where they wash their horses.

I wasn’t worried for her safety as the river was quite shallow and besides, you could get hurt just stepping out of your front door. Some risks are worth taking.”

The day after she entered the river on her hobby horse, Piper was lent a real horse to wash in the Eden.

“She coped fine,” said Mrs Stocks. “She has her own pony and goes to riding lessons. She knew what she was doing.”

Piper’s great granddad Pat Cronin has been going for years and parks on Fair Hill. Wayne is hoping to get a caravan to park nearby so the family can enjoy the whole six-day experience.

And whatever happens with Storm, Piper is also going to take her hobby horse with her again.

By Mike Glover

Exclusive for the Travellers' Times

(Lead photograph: Piper Ann with her pony Storm - trained and ready for Appleby this year - thanks to the genorisity of spirit of Appleby fair-goers (c) England family)