One might not expect to come across budgie-smuggling at Hickstead – but there was a similar case at the Agria Royal International Horse Show yesterday (23 July).
Three people who were bathing a pony were surprised to see a different type of feather, when the tiny green interloper landed on someone’s head.
“Is anyone missing a budgie? It’s very friendly!” Emma Richards said, in the Hickstead competitors’ Facebook group.
It turned out the small intruder was Chip, who had gone missing in the area a day ot two earlier, and whose small owner was very distressed as a result.
“On hearing their missing bird had in fact flown the nest to visit the showground, the owners flocked straight to Hickstead to collect him,” a spokesperson for the All England Jumping Course said.
“Chip was reunited with a delighted Sienna, and Emma received a reward for finding him.”
The spokesperson added that the team hoped Chip enjoyed his bird’s-eye view of the showing and showjumping action.
Emma added: “Three of us were bathing a pony when he just landed on my friend Gemma Scott’s shoulder and then jumped on to my head. Gemma’s mum managed to wrap him in a horse hood and had a box in her horsebox that she put him in.
“He seemed really friendly and I just thought we would have a bigger audience placing it on the Facebook page.”
Emma is at Hickstead as her daughter is riding 128cm show pony Broadgrove Dimension and first-ridden M&M contender Thistledown Snow White.
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