April 5, 2009. Palm Sunday Church visit. As Nick said, Lavender-Rose was fantastic and played to her audience. It was a lovely solid Church with all the old wooden fittings but quite a narrow isle. They had a band and piano which was near the isle near the back which didn't faze her as she walked sedately past.

She delicately sniffed a little girl sitting where the Vicar was reading a donkey story to the children and the people all chuckled. I was sitting down on the carpet and had the rope lose when I took that photo of her. Nick took all the others. When we walked out she wasn't fazed by the waving branches and we followed the man with the guitar and everyone else was behind Rose.

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Mayfield Show on March 14, 2009 Rose was 2nd in the Foal or Yearling class, 2nd in the Youngstock Pattern and 3rd in the Weaving. The Youngstock Pattern is where you have to walk through two cones facing the judge and complete a circle to the left in a anti-clockwise direction. When you return to the cones you have to break into a trot and continue trotting in a circle but this time to the right in a clockwise direction. It is quite hard when the donkey is on the inside of the person leading. I had been practicing and had almost given up on this but just on the day before the event Rose started to do it nicely. The winner gave a polished performance halting squarely between the cones at the finish.

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Geraldine/Temuka Show on March 7, 2009 Rose was 1st in the Foal or Yearling, 2nd Best Presented and Reserve Champion Donkey.

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Donkey & Mule Society South Island Show 15 February, 2009 Rose was 4th Yearling, 3rd Bending and made a brave effort in the obstacle class. All classes were well filled and this show is a credit to the organisers. It is a fun picnic day out with the serious business in the judging at a show where the competition is steep.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching all the other competitors and their animals, talked to people and took photos.

When the performance classes came around Rosie was entered in the bending race and in the in hand obstacle course. They had three sets of bending poles and nine donkeys entered so it was run in three timed heats. I was very surprised to hear after all the heats were run, that Rosie had got third. The obstacle course was interesting. By that time I was out of oomph and we progressed slowly, me going over the first brightly coloured pole where Rosie stopped, then just when I was thinking this was it, she did an almighty jump and then went nicely over the second pole. A lot of donkeys balked at the black plastic ground sheet. Rosie lost precious time as she was not sure either, but eventually went over it, stepping high. There were cones to weave through next and I don't think we were very quick there. We were not placed but it was worthwhile for the doing of it. That is what it is all about really; Taking part. I think donkeys, having an intelligent mind, like to be doing things. Rosie said hello and sniffed noses with a few donkeys and without exception they were all kind to her. With horses you have to be careful with introductions and stand back a bit. They are likely to make alarming noises and throw front feet suddenly up in the air or turn to kick if they feel threatened. My nerves don't like that. Donkeys are calming and reassuring. I'm so glad to have a donkey.

Waimate show 22 November, 2008 in the grand parade after winning the foal or yearling class and a 2nd in the novice donkey any age.

The day before the show. She stood nicely while I vacuumed the dust out. She has made a dust bath where the lime aggregate was dumped a few months ago and from where Nick barrowed it to the standing areas around the shelters and gates which used to become a bog after rain. The aggregate has formed a nice hard surface and the rain runs off which is all good for Rosie's feet. However, we dried out and rain became a distant memory. Specks of lime and dust proved particularly hard to remove from her woolly back and the vacuum cleaner was the best option though we did try a blower out first. The temperature is too unreliable down here to consider washing her. She looked Cute in her new white cotton cover which arrived just in time to make sure we didn't have to repeat the vacuuming in the early hours on the day of the show. We were delighted that she got a prize, but that was not the main reason we took her. The important thing was to take her out and accustom her to crowds and what have you.
She was not at all keen on the idea of the float and in spite of her size put up quite an effort not to go on when the time came to bring her home. Floating lessons coming up !

Because of my back I find bending difficult and now use a low seat to sit on while cleaning and trimming hooves. Rose is very comfortable with this.

Shortly after Rose arrived on the 28 May 2008 we had three inches of snow.