Latest News
Area Rep's Report from Executive Meeting
Membership Cards
New cards will be issued centrally with effect from 1 January 2012. Secretaries should now be receiving a Q & A sheet with other bits of information on how the new procedure will work. If there is anything that you don't understand then please ask.
80 cm Horse Trials
A working group has been set up to look into the feasibility of running a new horse trials team championship at 80cm.
Riding Test
We have been looking at how we might make the Riding Test more attractive to members and one of the things that we are doing is changing the way that it is scored. Instead of scoring and commenting on each movement a series of overall assessments will be made at the end of the test (similar to the collective assessments at the end of a dressage test). I'd like to see this in place for the 2012 qualifiers, but I might need to be patient while judges are trained in the new procedure.
Hat Tagging
Checking that hats comply with our rule requirements will take place at all our qualifiers in 2012. I have started the process of checking hats with a very nice trip to the Isle of Wight on Sunday when Vectis EC were holding a dressage show. There were a few hats that I saw that could not be tagged. They were either Harry Hall or Caldene hats, where there was no date following the standard number. It's worth checking with your team members for the Winter Dressage Qualifier that they don't have one of these hats. I recently sent you all an information sheet on what to look for when checking a hat. I'll be at Chilworth RC's Xmas Dressage Show on Saturday 10 December checking more hats.
Combined Training
A new Team Combined Training competition will be introduced in 2012 to replace the individual combined competition that culminated in a championship at the Festival of the Horse at Aston le Walls. Two riders will ride a prelim test with jumping at 75 cm and two riders will ride a novice test and jump at 85 cm. We need to look at how we can hold a qualifier for this event.
Junior Dressage
2012 will see a new individual dressage championship at Elementary level introduced for Juniors. In Dressage to Music there is also some tweeking to the junior competition. There will now be a Junior DtM at Prelim level as a separate class and a pick your own between Novice and Elementary FSM. There will be a restriction in place that competitors cannot enter both classes.
Penalties for rule infringements
A series of penalties are being introduced for minor rule infringements, so instead of getting eliminated, competitors will get a 2 point penalty for a minor rule infringement (eg riding a dressage test without gloves).
Substitutes at Championships
In the past, clubs have had to nominate their substitutes when making their championship entries. This procedure is to be dropped and clubs will be able to nominate a substitute when declaring the team at the championship. This of course means that rider eligibility cannot be checked in advance, but it will be checked in arrears and any riders found to be ineligible will be disqualified and the team score re-calculated.
Team Managers Guidelines
There will be a new booklet published to help team managers through the procedures of getting teams to qualifiers and then to championships.
Area Road Shows
I have been to two Road Shows in the past month and it was nice to see two New Forest Riding Club Officials at the one at Hartpury College. Dates and venues for the 2012 Road Show have still to be determined.
Official Stewards Training
Training for Official Stewards will take place on 18 & 19 February 2012 attended from Area 17 by Nick Fincham, Jane Cleal and myself. This keeps us up to date with current thinking on such things as cross country and show jumping course design as well as looking at some of the issues that we may need to deal with as an Official Steward.
Awards
It was nice to see that Brenda King and Janet Irving were presented with BRC Awards of Merit recently at Saddlers Hall to mark their long years of support for Meon Riding Club. Both are retiring form the Meon Committee. Also New Forest Pony Enthusiasts were presented with the Riding Club of the Year award following an outstandingly successful competition year. Well done to all.
Finally can I wish you all a very happy Christmas and a successful New Year
Peter Buist