Canter and Gleam
Blenheim’s Horses, Summer 2020
The stables smell of leather, fresh sawdust softens ground
The animals stand patiently and ever-quiet. Sound
Will make them stamp and startle, so walk with silent grace
Their eyes will follow every move, and visitors will face
The brushes laid for grooming, fresh food a bale of hay
Their Groom, devoted Millie, works with them night and day
The cleanliness and sparkle reveal her loving care
They listen to her orders and never ever dare
To disobey, stand out of line, to whinny, neigh or groan –
They carry Blenheim’s royalty across the grasses, mown
To absolute perfection: the clip, the clop, the gleam
Herald their morning’s canter as our early sunshine’s stream
Filters and flickers through the trees to light a lakeside ride
Immaculate, experienced, they see the world astride
Their brushed and burnished horses, our Blenheim’s pride and joy:
Go carefully and watch them pass. Do not their world destroy
It speaks to us of heritage, it echoes with our past
Of days in which without them we’d never live to last
So when you hear them canter and see that careful gleam
Stand to salute and bow the knee to Blenheim’s brilliant scene.
With special gratitude to Millie Coles and the team at Park Farm