Area 17 at BHS Awards 2011
Area 17 Award Winners
L-R Front row: Mary Bryant (NFPEC President & co-founder, Janet Irving (Meon co-founder),
Brenda King (Meon past-Secretary & co-founder), Kate Ingram (NFPEC)
2nd row: Peter Laurie (Master, Worshipful Company of Saddlers), Martin Clunes (BHS President), Mandy Pidgley
3rd row: Helen Campbell, Dawn Vear, Simon Young
Back row: Suzanne Kempe, Susan Shaw (NFPEC Chairman)
Photograph courtesy of Dave Marriott Photography Ltd.
NFPEC wins
British Riding Club’s Riding Club of the Year 2011.
Twenty Five Years of success cumulates in this very prestigious National Title
Back in 1986 when the club was first formed little did anybody dream that 25 years on the club would achieve so much success at national level and be held in such high esteem within the Riding Club movement.
The idea of co-founders Mary Bryant and Pam Harvey Richard to provide the registered New Forest pony with a platform at national level to prove the ability and talent of the breed as a performance pony has been an outstanding success.
The club is the only Riding Club in the UK to be confined to one breed of pony. The idea was initially met with some concern by Riding Club’s HQ putting the club on ‘probation’ for the first two years. However all worries about the ability of the club members to compete successfully against others mounted on bigger horses were soon forgotten. We have since learnt that all new clubs have a two year probationary period before being granted full affiliation!
The very first year that the club team took part in Area Qualifiers proved to be a roaring success, not only winning at local area level but also the overall Prix Caprilli Dressage Team Championship. This was quickly followed by a repeat performance the very next year and further wins in the other disciplines - show jumping and horse trials. There has not been a single year when we have not had either an individual or a team qualify for the National Championships in at least one discipline. In recent years we have had upwards of ten ponies representing us at the finals! Quite an achievement bearing in mind that many clubs have never had teams get through to the finals! Indeed we now hear many comments from other clubs at the National Championships suggesting that their members need a ‘New Forest’ pony!
The membership has gradually grown, reaching a peak at one time of nearly 350 members. Many varied activities have been organised both mounted and un-mounted including; the Annual Show, Pleasure Rides, TREC, Showing, Dressage and Jumping clinics, Stallion Parades, a private viewing day of ponies for sale, carol singing, indoor tack sales, quizzes, skittle evenings and varied lecture/ demos to name but a few.
The Musical Ride of the New Forest Stallions was one of the early projects for the club and was thoroughly enjoyed by all those who saw it - the highlight was being part of the Hyde Park Festival of Food and Farming in 1989.
Within Area 17 the Club has also been very active in hosting Area Qualifiers in Hunter Trials, Dressage, Show Jumping and Dressage to Music.
The club campaigned for many years to remove the lower height limit that was set at 14hhs on ponies ridden by adults in the jumping disciplines and for the first time this year the new rule came into affect - a great advantage for the small adults that compete successfully on the smaller native ponies.
Over the years we have held many national team titles in all disciplines and are current holders of the SEIB Quadrille Championship; the final being held at Olympia International Horse Show.
The standard of competition continues to rise but this year for the first time in recent years we qualified teams in both dressage and show jumping to go to the BRC Championships at Lincoln. All ponies and riders excelled themselves; taking part in four team finals in dressage and two finals in show jumping. We came home with rosettes in every competition including a win in the Team of Four Dressage, a second in the Rural Riders Dressage, a third in the Senior Novice Show Jumping and Riding Test, a seventh in the Senior Style Jumping and a fourth in the Novice Dressage.
It is as a result of these successes at Lincoln the club has been awarded the
BRC Riding Club of the year 2011 title - a fantastic achievement.
Meon Riding Club
Co-founders receive BRC 40 Years Long Service Awards
The Meon RC was formed in 1968 for horse riders in the Meon Valley area of Hampshire. Two co-founders Brenda King and Janet Irving recently retired from the Committee, having served continuously from the very beginning. Both continue to be members, and help at Club events.
Brenda took on the job of Secretary, and saw the Club build to its present strength and success. She competed in Dressage and Show Jumping at Area Events, achieving a place at the Championships with her daughter in Dressage to Music Pairs. For many years she organised the Annual Show, and helped tirelessly at most events. She now intends to devote even more time to Access and Bridleways. Her interest in this was generated when she had her first horse, and had difficulty in finding paths in the Denmead area. Moving to Petersfield, even more paths came in for her attention; she is now the BHS County Officer for Hampshire, and working hard to ensure paths are not lost for future generations. Where-ever possible this is done on horseback.
Janet also rode at Area Level in Dressage, and now enjoys the pleasures of non-competitve riding. She continues to judge at unaffiliated show jumping events, and help out with many other tasks at Club events - one of our army of unsung heroes who is always there to say 'Yes, I can do that!'!
Richly deserved awards for all their hard work promoting BRC and Area 17 over 43 years.
BHS
Receives Prince Michael International Road Safety Award
However cautious riders are, unfortunately accidents do happen. As the BHS were talking to decision-makers to get improvements made in many areas, it was soon apparent that statistics carry far more weight than anecdotal evidence. Hence a website was born to enable reporting of equestrian incidents. Not only can riders now record their experiences, whether a road accident, being chased by dogs, or other, but can seek advice on how to keep safe..
This website was considered to be such a significant advance towards improved road safety that the BHS was awarded the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award.
Report incidents at www.horseaccidents.org.uk