Annie was a pony mad little girl, a proud member of Park Lane Stables’ Pony Club whose Dad regularly brought her to ride by tram, train and bus all the way from Croydon. The 10 year old’s positive attitude to life cheered up anybody around her who needed it. She was devoted to Eliot, our black cob with the white blaze who was also the perfect hippotherapy pony when he wasn’t running and jumping around the arena with a Pony Clubber on his back.

But one day a headache out of the blue turned out to be meningitis, and Natalie got a call to say Annie was very poorly. Shockingly quickly, the sunny little girl with the beaming smile died.

Annie’s funeral was in March 2020, just as the UK was entering into lockdown. As Park Lane Stables closed too, Natalie feared for the regular participants whose one slice of ‘normality’ and light-hearted interaction was their weekly visit. What would become of these regulars who were now confined to four walls? Routine is crucial for anyone who is mentally vulnerable, and ‘coronavirus’ was not tangible enough to be understood. Being prevented from visiting Park Lane and the ponies was only too tangible, and many were distressed at having this taken away, and didn’t understand what they’d done wrong.

Taking ponies to people’s homes felt a logical way to brighten days, especially as the horses needed exercising. With none of our younger regulars coming to the Stables, the smaller ponies couldn’t be ridden, so we’d already been walking them locally.

Whizz was a gentle little grey Welsh Mountain pony who joined us just before lockdown. And when Annie’s parents asked Natalie if it might be possible to name a pony after her, Whizz became Annie’s-Whizz. Like her namesake, she went on to cheer everyone she met.

#TinyPonyAtYourWindow started out with us walking a pony to the homes of our regulars. Word spread, we were inundated with requests, and we found ourselves a national news story for the first time.

Annie has another very special legacy. Each July at Pony Club Camp, which Annie adored, participants spend an exhausting few days developing their horse and team skills. Each year Annie’s Award, a silver shield, is presented to the Pony Clubber who has been, quite simply, ‘most Annie-like’.

We know you’re still smiling down on us, Annie.

If you’d like to find out more about meningitis, or donate to help fund research to help future children like Annie, you can do so at Meningitis Now

Park Lane Stables’ Pony Club is currently fully subscribed, but you can ask to be added to our waiting list if you wish. Alternatively, check out other Pony Club centres near you at https://pcuk.org/

You can read more about Annie and Eliot, and other special friends of Park Lane Stables who have touched our hearts over the years, in Only Heroes and Horses.