About 20 years ago when I first started trialling, I was at a
trial when the 'necessity to go' came over me. I enquired as to the
location of the Ladies Loo and the reply was: “ There is only the
shed over there by the hedge. Tie your dog outside so that
everyone knows you are there”. So off I went with hurried steps
and a purpose. I proceeded to tie my dog to the side of the shed
when to my surprise, out came a man. Where was his dog? So
much for the 'engaged' sign. Never mind I thought as I turned the
corner into the pungent, doorless, rusty, corrugated tin shed, only
to find nothing inside except a soggy, smelly wet patch in the corner,
UGH!!!! You ask, “Did I use it?” With legs crossed and pressure
building, there was no alternative, only open fields with few hedges
and private houses for about 3 miles, what was I to do?
Ladies Trial!
In another trial in the same part of the country a couple of years later;
the trial committee had very considerately provided a small toilet
tent with a portaloo inside. Oh! what an improvement I thought,
until I realised that it was unisex. Now don't get me wrong, normally
I do not have anything to say against the opposite sex but the loo
should really have been reserved for 'Ladies Only'. Our male
counterparts may have the apparatus to keep these ladies necessities
clean and dry, but I am sorry to say that many do not appear to have
the aim.
On this particular day there was quite a wind and as many of the
ladies prepared to 'take a seat' the nylon tent enveloped them like
clingfilm around an apple as they manoeuvred themselves to avoid
the soggy area surrounding the loo.
The Plea!
Coming to the present day with the increasing number of ladies on the trial fields, the loos have improved slightly but certainly not enough.
The provision of both ladies and gents loos is a must and I make
a plea to ALL trial organisers, to please provide us with a clean
and reasonable convenience, nothing posh, just somewhere where
we can relieve the pressure before going to the post.
