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OnTheMarket

Property punters: The pony club mother

Our new series takes an affectionate look at the different types of property buyer in the market, kicking off with the Pony Club mother

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Pony club mum

Sara hates to admit that her Norfolk farmhouse, although very pretty, is small, with an equally tiny paddock-the smallest for miles around. Still, that's not going to stop her and little Harriet finding the perfect pony to go in it. Sara's search for equestrian perfection has taken her to the ends of the Earth-even Cornwall. Here, she and Harriet find Conkers, a vision of chestnut brown excellence. Sara pays a fortune for him there and then.

Although Conkers looks sweet when viewed from the kitchen window, he's anything but. As Sara quickly discovers, the little pony is even more mad to win than she is. Privately, Sara and Harriet wonder if Conkers might be a little bonkers. The pony wins so many rosettes that Harriet's bedroom is soon festooned to overflowing, as is almost every other room in the house. Meanwhile, the hallway is an obstacle course of tack, helmets, riding boots and competition entry forms.

Sara is thrilled by her daughter's success, and when she's asked to be Pony Club Secretary, her cup overflows. Unfortunately, finding room to do her Secretary's job is even more challenging than winning gymkhanas, as prize cups and shields now fill (or clutter, her husband says) every available space. Sara realises, to her dismay, that drastic action is called for: they must move. Fortunately, she soon spots a replacement farmhouse. She's thrilled with her spacious new home, which has a study and, of course, a paddock-the biggest for miles around.

Country Life

Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.