PERHAPS if one were to choose a theme song for this year's Hearts for Horses Family Fun Day and Market, it would be something resembling Four Seasons in One Day by Crowded House.
This year - the event's second - it was moved to summer, and held on Sunday, January 17 at Yarra Glen Hunt Club.
Despite this, and a promising morning, sunshine was soon replaced by wind that blew market stallholders away, followed by torrential rain, then replaced once again by glorious sunshine. This was the cycle for the day.
Regardless, the day was a success, raising close to $1800 for Project Hope Horse Welfare Victoria.
Driven by a passion to educate and inspire the public, the event is co-ordinated by Judy Tricker, whose daughter, Hannah, owns Bear, a horse rescued and rehabilitated by Project Hope more than six years ago.
On the day of the event, the set-up team arrived at Yarra Glen Hunt Club with fingers, toes, arms and legs crossed that the predicted rain and thunderstorms wouldn't eventuate.
The hard tasks, being the setting up of the jumping ring and the demonstration ring, the cleaning and preparation of the venue and the carting in of the food and other supplies donated by generous businesses such as Warrandyte Bakery and Yarra Valley Free Range Eggs, had thankfully been done the day before.
Thanks to a great traffic-less run in, a few stallholders arrived early.
Soon beaming children decorated colourfully as a result of the work of a facepainter were wandering amongst the fluffy and feathery delights Jamieson's Run Animal Farm had bought along.
The array of goods available from the market stalls was dazzling, ranging from jewellery and soy candles to flopsy toys, natural horsemanship materials and adventure novels.
The pure profit stall, manned by volunteers, provided a range of items for buyers to peruse undercover when rain struck, with all profits going directly to Project Hope.
A little later, thanks to the presence of the 15m tautliner trailer stage, singer-songwriter Jemma Michael (and later, band Harlequin Heroes) braved the threat of rain and provided soulful songs to set the scene.
The Freshman's Showjumping Ring, run by Maroondah Adult Riding Club with jumps provided by Lilydale Pony Club, proved a worthy challenge for competitors in wet conditions; including Helen Powell's horse Sultan and his rider Juliet Reeder.
Rescued and rehabilitated by Project Hope in 2005, the quiet and elegant Sultan has certainly come a long way since.
With the pony rides in place, raffle tickets being sold, and the demonstrations by the Mounted Games Association in the demonstration ring, the day was in full swing by mid-morning.
Had the skies have stayed blue it would have continued so, but unfortunately by 1pm market stall marquees were being blown away, forcing market stallholders to call it a day in the early afternoon.
The day would not have been such an enjoyable success were it not for the generous donations of goods and time made by so many people, and the number who came through the gate.
Those who returned for the second time after the miserable weather of the inaugural event, those who heard of the cause for the first time and pitched in with hearts and hands, and those who offered words of support or encouragement all made such a big contribution to this cause.
The new sponsor level system trialled worked well, with the support of gold sponsor, Hoogies of Yarra Glen, silver sponsor Bendigo Bank (Mt Evelyn), and bronze sponsor the Shire of Yarra Ranges.
This aided Project Hope Horse Welfare by making horse rescue and rehabilitation less of a financial burden, allowing the happiness and health of these majestic animals to be restored.
Hearts for Horses Market and Family Fun Day will run again next year at the end of January.
Offers for assistance in organising the event have already been made, and any more help would be welcome.
The intention is for it to be bigger and better.
Let's hope someone tells the weatherman.
