  |
 |
|
The official newsletter of the British Horse Driving Trials Association |
|
December 2002 on-line edition |
|
|
|
|
|
The official newsletter of the British Horse Driving Trials Association |
|
December 2002 on-line edition |
| Message from the Chairman: I feel encouraged by the positive response from Members both during and following the recent Conference. Much has been achieved during the past year but we must now continue our efforts to uplift competitive standards and the quality of all our events, Club and National, thus ensuring more enjoyment for all and hopefully see long term improvement at International Championships. We have made a start with a significantly increased training budget for 2003, but so much more could be done if UK Sport/Sport England funded training initiatives in all Equestrian disciplines instead of preferentially treating the Olympic sector. This being the last edition of 2002, I take this opportunity to thank all our sponsors, particularly Fenix Carriages, BEIB, Baileys and Dodson & Horrell, who, I am delighted to say, are all continuing their support in 2003. Finally I would like to thank Jill Holah and all the contributors for the excellent Newsletters published this year, and wish you all a Happy Christmas. May we all enjoy a successful 2003. World Equestrian Games (Horse Teams Championships)
Jerez, Spain Keith and I had the great privilege of going on Joe Pullen’s trip to Jerez for the second week of WEG. And what a week it was. Why oh why didn’t we go for both weeks? Arriving to thick fog for the journey to Cadiz and then really heavy rain we thought we had got rerouted to Scotland by mistake. It was just like Hopetoun! But apart from a very heavy shower on the Tuesday we didn’t have another drop of rain. Soaring temperatures were kept bearable by a lovely breeze. Although we went to see the driving we also got huge enjoyment out of other elements of our trip. A brilliant group of people we were - a mix of drivers, supporters and show jumping fans. Cadiz and Jerez are both wonderful cities with a wealth of things to see and do. Readers will have had many chances to see the results, and there has been plenty of adverse comment about the teams in all disciplines BUT in all honesty were we really expected to win medals in anything other than Eventing? So this report won’t be on our driving teams’ performance per se, but more on the high (and low) lights of a fantastic week. Dressage. Some rude comments from some German spectators about Karen’s choice of breed were stilled by a nice test. Dick was last on and had a rather unhappy time which culminated in some extravagant airs above the ground by one of his leaders at the final halt. One or two surprising marks but some lovely tests and splendid turnouts. Heading to Garrapilos for the Marathon we had a driver who didn’t know the way and we met a travelling Circus, about 30 trucks, coming the other way on a very narrow road! The driver got directions and we made it in time to see the first competitor, Felix Brasseur, in the first obstacle, get one of his wheelers down at the B gate. No one else tried his route...news travels fast! The difference between the really good drivers and the not so good is amazing and particularly noticeable in the complicated technical obstacles. Boyd Exell, second to go driving for Australia, deposited his groom with a huge thump in the Bullring (obstacle 3) when trying to gallop out with the carriage really sliding hard. Dick Lane also lost a groom on the same post even though he had approached the gate from the other direction. The Cones course was good to watch with quite a few double clears including Barry and Boyd. In the drive off Boyd flew but Barry was faster...we were calling it Barry’s Barrage but then 10 secs was knocked off! Imagine scurry with a team – awesome! The best kept secret of the games was the British Equestrian Team hospitality tent. Shared with the Americans this tent provided breakfast, lunch and tea together with all your soft drinks, ice cream, wine and beer till 5pm for €40 (or only €30 if you missed breakfast!). It’s really organised by the Horse Trials Support Group and was very busy the first week so some of us tried to make them look and sound full for the second. If you didn’t know about Rosemary Barlow and the team, then you do now! Make a date for the next international. Excellent value but could do with being promoted more. We were in this tent, having made full use of the hospitality, at the end of the penultimate round of show jumping. The frantic stable manager was trying to get everyone on their horses for the prize giving and shouted and shouted ending with “Gentlemen, please mount your partners”! We went to the Reining competition and the Brits got through to the final. What an atmosphere with spectators all being encouraged to shout and whistle. Very different to our normal dressage! The closing ceremony was worth the trip on its own - parades of Andalusian horses, carriages and displays by La Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre which we had also seen on the Tuesday at their riding school. For horse lovers the perfect ending - including “Land of Hope and Glory” being played (and sung). Lots of tears and flag waving from the Brits! Should our team(s) be pleased with their performance? – Only they know the answer to that Should they be pleased they went to Jerez to represent their Country? – Absolutely Should we be pleased we went to support them? – YES, YES , YES (roll on Aachen 2006) National Driving Championships, Windsor After Granny duties near Salisbury, at the very last minute Drew and I decided to meet up at Windsor. What a pleasure to completely relax, free from pony/harness cleaning, learning hazards and working out times, etc. Wonderful! Friday turned out to be a real scorcher. Sunshine all day for Dressage and it was great to watch with 3 rings going at once. Saturday and Sunday were thankfully cooler. In the Novice singles it was great to see lots of talented young drivers. In the pony class, Kerry Copas was 3rd after Presentation and Dressage, but won the Marathon to take the lead. She had one cone down but held her place to became the Champion. Wendy Wadsworth won the Dressage and Alison Maynard the cones. In the horse class Anthea Shipley won the Dressage, but Lynda Christian from the Isle of Man won the Marathon, closely followed by Caroline Weiss and Joanna Sugden. Joanna was in the lead after the Marathon and stayed in first place to take the title. The Open Single Pony class proved to be the tightest we have ever seen. Louise Garget won the Dressage but there were less than 20 points between all 17 drivers. Marathon day came and we all knew that this class would be fast. Amanda Saville did a tremendous Marathon, bringing her up from 4th into the lead. Despite one cone down and time faults she was assured of being the National Single Pony Champion. Louise came home in second place with a double clear with Keith Podmore third. Lynn Winder also completed one of the few double clears, which brought her up into 4th place. It was all so close and cone errors cost competitors many places, but it was great to watch. The Open Horse Singles was exciting throughout. David Matthews, fresh from Conty, won the Dressage with Jimmy Robson breathing down his neck. David drove a flying Marathon and retained his first place despite one cone down to become the National Champion and win the trophy for the lowest overall score. What a lovely driver he is and what a great cob. Jimmy retained his second place throughout the weekend. Carol Johnson won the Cones and finished third. Well done all of you! The Pony Pairs were always close between the top four drivers. Trevor Kimber won the Dressage, closely followed by Rowena Moyse, Penny Bragg and Jo Rennison. Rowena won the Marathon to give her an identical score with Trevor going into the Cones. However, Cones were costly for them both. Jo came from 3rd to 1st with two cones down. Keeping cool paid dividends for Jo to become the National Pony Pair Champion. Now to the Pony Tandem Class where Faith Szczuka headed the Dressage. Danielle Twitchen won the Marathon, but Liz Rowe, Lesley Cox and Susan Skeggs were flying as usual and went into the Cones in the first three places. What a wonderful class this is to watch on Marathon day with lots of young drivers driving so well (and the not so young as well!). Liz and Lesley both drove double clears to retain their places with Susan finishing 3rd. So Liz became the National Champion after a great season for her. It seems that lots of fast single drivers move up to tandems. I just wonder if our Tommy and young Danny and Grandpa Drew have designs on this class? In the Pony Teams, Philippa Gammell and John Pickford were joint Dressage leaders with Emily Bennett close behind. Emily (who was celebrating her wedding anniversary) drove a great Marathon - a real pleasure to watch – to take the lead with Philippa in second, but John unfortunately managed to omit part of the course so was eliminated. There were lots of Cones penalties in this class and even with two down, Emily retained her place to win yet another National Championship Class. Emily has been the National Champion in every one of our pony classes, Novice, Single, Pairs, Tandems and Teams. Congratulations Emily! I am sure that we will not see that achievement again for many years. (And she’s still so young. Where next?) James Jeffery won the Horse Pairs Dressage just ahead of Terry Selway and Peter Morris. John Attenborough proceeded to win the Marathon from Mick Peace, but Terry was now in the lead. He kept his cool and steered his big Gelderlanders through the twisty Cones course to become the Horse Pairs Champion. It was good for us to see Danielle on the back step again. Peter Morris won the Cones. Next we had the Horse Tandems class and what a conclusion to the weekend. René Schoop won the Dressage with Pat Cooper 2nd, followed by David Gulley and Karl Reid, but scores were close going into the Marathon. Karl, a real specialist in hazards, had a great round - lovely to watch - which lifted him into 1st place. René was 2nd and Pat 3rd, but René then had to retire with a lame horse. Cones cost this class dearly. David had ‘some’ down and Pat joined him but retained her place. Karl went into the Cones with 14 cones in hand ....... but then had a costly memory lapse at number 8. A long silence as we waited for the bell and poor Karl’s inevitable elimination: then a big cheer for Pat as the new Horse Tandem National Champion. Commiserations to Karl who won’t make that mistake again. And our personal congratulations to Pat. See, Pat, it does pay to go to bed early once in a while! The Horse Teams had already had their Championship at Lowther because of the clash of dates with WEG, so Robert Wilkinson was the only representative in the special class at Windsor. There wasn’t much competition but it was nice to see Robert driving this lovely team with ever-increasing confidence. The obstacles were very well built and some beautifully decorated. Well done George Prince and crew! The flowers were certainly worth the watering and night duties required to keep the deer at bay. Thanks, too, to the local garden centres who competed for the best dressed obstacle - Obstacle 3 won it. The Cones course was very good to watch - it certainly couldn’t be called boring. It made everyone think and was very entertaining to watch. I watched ALL day. A most enjoyable time was had by the Douglas’s. Thank you everyone, especially the Organisers and Chairman Tom for a very good competition. World Championships for Disabled Drivers The ‘F’ in Driving This report is about a team of people, who, in terms of personality probably couldn’t be more different, but came together for a week and not only put the Fun back in Driving, but also came back with Individual and Team Silver Medals for Great Britain at the World Championships for Disabled Drivers. The first test The event organisation? Well, it wasn’t. Rules were a bit of a moveable feast and timings were non existent. Chef d’Equipe Margaret Brockie was tested to far greater extremes than she had come across with any tandem tangle and deserves a knighthood for her tenacity in sticking with it. The event Despite slightly surprising German inefficiency on an administrative level, the event itself was second to none. The facilities were outstanding, the entertainment was top, the beer was cool, the foreigners friendly (particularly the Swedish) and the atmosphere perfect. There were tracks and level practise areas, a spirit level flat dressage arena, fast open obstacles (all easy to get to and fantastic from a spectator perspective) and a testing cones course. Cast of thousands The British team of Carol Porter, Judi Ralls and James Marshall were selected through training sessions and event performances over the year. Heather Clark took the travelling reserve place. With them came the complete package – David, Elaine, Lindsey, Ann, Pat 1, Dorothy, Pete, Pat 2, Emma, Mick, Mick’s wife (sorry, forgot name!!), Amy and Kate. And of course, Chef d’Equipe Margaret – oh, and me as trainer. Team diary We may have played hard, but the team worked diligently. THURSDAY Morning - Training Afternoon - Course walk FRIDAY Presentation and Dressage SATURDAY Marathon SUNDAY Cones What a brilliant result! Well done everyone! The Team would like to thank all their supporters and sponsors including the RDA Carriage Driving Committee, Brockham Harness Club, North East Driving Trials Group, South Downs Harness Club, Cheshire Embroidery Services, Bellcrown Carriages, Dodson & Horrell, Indian Herbs, Derek & Sue Mayes and the many business associates of team member James Marshall. Many thanks to all the many generous sponsors at this year’s National Championships. Particular thanks to Dodson & Horrrell who sponsored the Single Horse National Championships, and Strongid-P who presented a box of wormers to every National Champion. Special thanks to Bouvet Ladubay for the “bubbly” for the party on Friday night and the jeroboam for each Champion. Thank you, too, to Caroline Butterfield for her design input on the advertising flyer for the Championships. Finally, thank-you to all those who helped at the actual event – not only the stewards, judges etc, but also those who helped with the setting up of the event, moving of equipment, erection of banners etc. etc. Without your help the event could not have run. Recovering Well Trevor Harding has at last had his triple-bypass operation and a new heart valve. After only five days in hospital he is now recovering at home, and he and Marilyn would like to thank all the many well-wishers who have been in touch. Members will also be pleased to hear that Rita Warne (mother of Rita McGregor) is now making a good recovery after three weeks in hospital following her very unfortunate accident in her caravan at the National Championships. Farriers Awards for the best shod horse/pony 2002 Brighton - Lyn Harrington's Single Pony, Farrier Mick
Moody Bryan Hough Awards The winner of the Bryan Hough trophy at Lowther was Maria Hough (daughter-in-law of the trophy’s donor, Eileen Hough), not as printed in the last edition of Carriage Horse. The winner of the same trophy at the National Championships was Lyn Hayes, groom to Karl Read. BHDTA website I have had the pleasure of looking after the BHDTA website since October 2001 and have seen it go from the doldrums of the foot & mouth year to a full and busy competition season. With both myself and my wife being involved in carriage driving and having been the founder of the Scottish Carriage Driving Association website and its editor for several years, I was able to draw on my experience to make the BHDTA site more interesting, useful and accessible. I would like to give my thanks particularly to Jill Holah, who gave me a tremendous amount of support and guidance, particularly at the early stages, and who had to put up with being bombarded by my emails almost on a daily basis. Thanks also to Amanda and Gaynor at the BHDTA office, who pass a lot of information to me and who never seem to tire of answering my sometimes seemingly pointless questions. The website has had a lot of positive feedback over the last year and I think we have got the format just about right - sufficiently informative without being too complicated. Ease of use has always been high on my list of priorities. We welcome and listen to suggestions from readers and in the course of last year, we have made a number of alterations at their request. If anyone has any comments, be it positive or negative, please do not hesitate to email me, I shall be glad to take them on board. Undoubtedly one of the most successful aspects of the website is the presentation of National event results. Here our thanks go to Tom Petitpierre and his scoring team for supplying the results so quickly and efficiently. For most events, we were able to have the results appear on the website on the Sunday evening after the event. Only for a couple of events, where the scoring had to be done manually, did the results not appear until the Monday. We have also altered the format of the results slightly during the season and, at the request of several readers, added the individual dressage scores for all competitors. At the same time we try to give all the other relevant information without making the results pages too cluttered or complicated. Again, any comments on this would be much appreciated. Over the forthcoming winter months we will try to keep the interest going by providing news and reports of international events, such as the Driving World Cup, which starts in November and carries on until the finals in Sweden on 30th March 2003. There is also indoor driving and other activities in this country which go on through the winter, so please keep visiting the site for news and updates. Many thanks to everyone who helped to make this a success. Email us on: website@horsedrivingtrials.co.uk 2002 BHDTA Dinner Dance You can always tell how good a ‘do’ has been by the buzz the next morning. Sadly, that buzz has been a bit lacking of late at BHDTA ‘do’s’ but there was no mistaking it at this years’ dinner at the Cheltenham Moat House! Maybe it was the excellent food, the great disco, the superb graphics produced by Rachel Stevens for the presentation of the Points Leagues awards, or maybe it was that everyone was there to celebrate at last a full season’s competing at the sport we love, but there it was, the comparison of hangovers, the gossip about who did what to whom and where, who looked good (everyone!), who didn’t (no-one of course), and naturally, plans for next year. The BHDTA and carriage driving generally has had to struggle recently, what with foot and mouth and the fuel protest, but after such a great night when a good time was had by all, we can safely say……..WE’RE BACK!!!! Windsor Sponsored Drive The organisation of the event has been taken over by Windsor Park Equestrian Club, although the BHDTA office will continue to help with some of the admin work. Susan Bailey, who has been involved with the event for 19 years, has been appointed the Chairman of WPEC’s organising committee. Since its inception 20 years ago, the Drive has raised over £175,000 for charity. The date for the 2003 drive is Sunday 13th April. OBITUARY The recent death of Alan Robson, despite his strong battle against illness, has deprived the driving world of one of its staunchest supporters. Alan’s interest in carriage driving was kindled when he first saw the sport at Lowther and immediately decided that his company would sponsor an international competitor. Carriage driving became an even greater part of Alan’s life when he retired from business and bought his first Fell pony before progressing to a Fell pair and later a Horse Pair, regularly competing at National events. Alan did everything with the utmost enthusiasm and attention to detail and these quality were evident in his role as Chairman of the North Eastern Driving Trials Group from 1994 to 1999 and later as President. An annual event was held at his farm in North Yorkshire, most recently in the week before his death. His funeral was attended by many from the driving fraternity, and the hearse was drawn to church by Mark Jackson’s pair of Gelderlanders. Our deepest sympathy goes to his widow Chris, and sons James and Phil. As we go to press, we have also learned of the sad death of Trina Hall after a courageous battle against cancer. Trina was an enthusiastic member of the Midlands and East Anglian Clubs, competing with a single and tandem, and gave an enormous amount of time to help both riding and driving for the disabled over some 30 years. She will be particularly remembered for her skill as the ’eyes’ for blind driver Martin Tonge which enabled him to compete in Midlands Club events. Her courage, cheerfulness and caring personality were an example to all. Our deepest sympathy go to Dave and to her daughter, Charlie. ANNUAL CONFERENCE REPORT Chairman Tom Pettifer welcomed some 160 BHDTA members to the 2002 Annual Conference held this year at the Cheltenham-Gloucester Moat House. In his Chairman’s address, he reported an encouraging regeneration in the sport after the disastrous effects of FMD in 2001. The busy programme of National events during the summer had culminated in the return of the National Championships to Windsor in September. He congratulated the drivers at the World Disabled Driving Championships where the team of Judi Ralls, James Marshall and Carol Porter – all BHDTA members – took the team silver medal with Judi Ralls coming home with the individual silver. He regretted that the other British teams at European and World Championships in 2002 had been less successful although FDM and the resulting lack of competition had probably been contributory factors. Tom then moved on to insurance matters. He reminded members of the wide range of insurance cover provided for members, events and clubs, but warned that brokers were predicting large increases in personal liability premiums when the current three-year contract expires in June 2004. The meeting was told that new legislation required the appointment of a BHDTA Child Protection Officer, and that Janice Moore had kindly agreed to undertake this role. Members also learned that the BHDTA had been asked by the BEF on behalf of Sport England to sign an equity agreement agreeing to actively increase the participation in the sport by ethnic minorities. Tom thanked all those who helped to raise money for various aspects of the Association, particularly Sheila Hawking and the supporters, who had raised just under £3,000 this year, Paul Chambers who had organised another Summer Ball to raise money for the Single Horse drivers going to Conty, and Yvonne and Bob Johnston who had raised a considerable sum towards the cost of sending the Horse Teams to Jerez. Looking to 2003, the Chairman outlined
the Council’s priorities: The Chairman concluded his report by thanking the Council for their support, particularly George Bowman (Vice-Chairman), and also Peter Bridson, the Honorary Company Secretary. Treasurer Geoff Woods then reported that although the accounts for 2002 indicated a modest surplus, the effects of inflation meant that BHDTA subscriptions in all categories except Juniors would be increased by 10% for 2003. The Juniors’ subscription would remain unchanged, as would the cost of horse registration and club affiliation. Rules Chairman Anneke Wallace confirmed that there would be no rule changes except the adoption for National events of the already publicised FEI standard track widths. She outlined proposals for improving the qualification procedure for participation at each level to try and standardise the route in each class, and explained the proposed introduction of Intermediate classes. She did, however, emphasise that these proposals were still at an early discussion stage and none would be implemented before 2004. On behalf of the Competitions Committee, Ian Douglas gave details of the event calendar for 2003, including the possibility of reinstating the popular event at Thoresby Hall. It was noted that there are no CAI-B events scheduled in Great Britain for 2003. Sarah Garnett reported on the Club Representatives Meeting held earlier in the day at which 17 affiliated clubs were represented. A new Club Liaison Committee had been formed to improve co-operation and standardisation of levels between clubs. Sheila Hawking then gave a report on behalf of stewards who had met earlier. They supported the suggested introduction of a list of Accredited Stewards. The Chairman then explained the proposed new selection procedure for 2003 and invited comments from the floor. The proposal was very positively received and it was confirmed that this would remain in place for two years before being reviewed. The Council was anxious that all funds raised in the future should go into one account with separate headings for each class and that these should be accounted for by the BHDTA and managed by the F & GP Committee with a representative from the class involved. Among points raised under Any Other Business was criticism of the tightness of obstacles at Lowther. Organiser Robert Benson was aware of adverse comments about this year’s event and was present at the Conference to listen to constructive criticism so that he could address all the problems. Members were also told that it was hoped to involve a number of course builders to flag the obstacles at the National Championships for 2003. In answer to a complaint about the treatment of sponsors at this year’s Nationals, the Chairman agreed that it was very regrettable that sponsors had apparently not been properly looked after or thanked for their generosity. Following the Conference, members and their friends enjoyed a very well attended Dinner Dance organised by Sheila Hawking at which the awards for the annual Points Leagues were presented on behalf of the sponsors by Mark Broadbent (Fenix), Simon Mackaness (BEIB) and Jane Buchan (Baileys). Copies of the full notes from all the meetings are available from the BHDTA Office. OFFICE AND COUNCIL NEWS Membership Renewal All new membership packs will be sent out from mid-January, but members should be aware that in order to continue their unbroken insurance cover, they must renew their membership by at least the end of January. Please note that it is still mandatory for Marathon Grooms to be members of the BHDTA (in any category other than Supporter). Those members who signed a continuous payment authority on their credit card will receive a separate letter confirming their membership renewal arrangements. Sporting Equals Audit Questionnaire Sporting Equals on behalf of Sport England has requested that our members complete the enclosed questionnaire as part of their Audit Review. It is suggested that you return the questionnaire with your membership renewal. Nomination for Council The following elected Council members are due to retire at the next AGM: George Bowman, Ian Douglas, Edmund Goodwin and Sydney Smith All are eligible to stand again. There are four vacancies on the Council, and the necessary forms for nominating other candidates for the election can be obtained from the BHDTA Office. Completed nomination forms must reach the office by 31st December 2002. Don't miss this opportunity if you wish to put a new candidate forward. BHDTA Child Protection Officer Many thanks to Janice Moore for offering to take on the role of Child Protection Officer on behalf of the Association. As information on the legislation becomes available, it will be circulated to event organisers, members and clubs as appropriate. Health & Safety Adviser As part of our ongoing commitment to Health & Safety within our Sport, the Council seeks a suitably qualified Honorary Adviser to assist our Health & Safety Committee. If you can assist in any way, please contact Barry Hunter, the Chairman of the Safety Committee CLINICS 2003 1/2 Feb National Coursebuilders, Unicorn Trust Various Stewards Training Days as part of the Stewards’ Accreditation scheme will be announced in the next edition of Carriage Horse. BHDTA Clubs Liaison Committee The BHDTA has set up a new Clubs Liaison Committee which it is hoped will go some way towards improving the flow of information between the Affiliated Clubs and Council, and which will provide a forum for the exchange of ideas. The intention is to split the country into regions, with a representative for each area. It is hoped that these representatives will also be able to work with the clubs to set up training clinics at all levels and covering all aspects of Horse Driving Trials. Wherever possible it is hoped that training clinics would be open to members on a regional basis. Grants of money to help towards funding these clinics will be available on application to the Training Committee. Initially it has been decided to establish six areas. These are Scotland, the North, the Midlands, the South West, the South East and Ireland. In the light of experience it may be necessary to revise these divisions - time will tell. The five co-opted members of the new committee who have agreed to act as Area Representatives were approached to help with this venture because they are active and committed members with experience as organisers, officials and competitors. I hope they will not mind me saying that they have all been around for some time, and therefore have a good background understanding of the sport. One of their first duties will be to identify, in their own areas, those members within the clubs who have the necessary enthusiasm and are prepared to put in the time and effort required to make this new venture a success. Please help us to help you, as clubs or individual members, by taking advantage of their very generous commitment to this new committee. Regional Club Representatives Scotland North Midlands South West South East Ireland Chairman FEI Appointments Congratulations to Diana Brownlie who has been appointed an Official International Judge - one of only nine in the world. Andrew Counsell has been accepted as Candidate International Judge, and Ian Douglas has been confirmed as an International Technical Delegate FEI Badges of Honour The following competitors earned FEI Badges of Honour
during 2002: These are awarded on the basis of points scored for the completion of international championship events. JUNIOR CLINIC Twenty-four junior drivers between the ages of 11 and 23 attended a clinic at Oatridge Agricultural College near Edinburgh. They came from as far afield as Lancashire and Aberdeenshire, and ranged in ability from just having started driving, to competed at Indoor events and to those already qualified for the National Novice Championship. Almost all the instructors and participants stayed on campus and enjoyed the College facilities of a warm class room and refectory and a very cold indoor and outdoor school. The two days were filled with talks and demonstrations by instructors Jane MacInnes, Philippa Gammell, Joyce Simpson and Anneke Wallace assisted by Amanda Saville and Ruth Skinner who had each brought a bunch of juniors to Edinburgh. Subjects covered on Saturday were: Presentation, with, as role model, the immaculate Highland pony turnout produced by Elinor Stevens and Joyce Simpson, and discussion on how to improve an ‘everyday’ turnout for competition. Carriages with a range of single carriages on show, ranging from a simple exercise cart to the latest state of the art marathon vehicle. Ian Bertram demonstrated for the more technically minded how to check the bearings and brakes. An Equestrian Team Quiz filled the evening won by the Blue Team consisting of Chris Ainscough, Lorna Dow, Olivia Dernie and Christine James. On Sunday a talk on ‘Preparing for the marathon’ gave everyone an insight into the timing and timetables on marathon day. This was followed after lunch by Long-reining where everyone had some practice and four ponies were shared between four teams in a long-reining obstacle competition. It was really encouraging for both BHDTA and SCDA, the joint organizers of this event, to see such a good turnout of enthusiastic youngsters coming together and ensuring a healthy future for our sport. Anneke Wallace IMPORTANT COMPETITOR INFORMATION Unfortunately it has not been possible to arrange a National event at Thoresby for 2003, but the Midlands Driving Trials Group are again running a Club event with a Novice qualifier (see below). As reported at the Conference, there are no major rule changes for 2003 except for the introduction of FEI standard track widths for National events. The only exception to this FEI rule is in the Horse Tandems class where the minimum track width for Cones is 138cm (the same as for Horse Singles). FEI minimum track widths for 2003 Cones: The Marathon width for all classes is 125cm. Free replacement pages for the 2002 BHDTA rule books will be available after 1st February. Please apply to the BHDTA office with an addressed envelope (atleast A5) stamped with 33p. Scoring Rules The BHDTA has never enforced the FEI rule change with regard to the scoring of the marathon obstacles. It has been agreed to continue scoring as at present for 2003, I.e. the obstacle times are converted to penalties for each individual obstacle. But from 2004 the scores will be calculated as per the FEI rules which require the times of all the obstacles to be totalled before being converted to penalties. The individual obstacle results on the scoreboard will then show the times in seconds for the obstacles, not the penalties. Royal Windsor Horse Show Entries We have not yet received confirmation from the organisers of the International Driving Grand Prix at Royal Windsor Horse Show about the number of British entries to be invited to compete in 2003, although early indications are that they are likely to be similar to 2002. As in the past, the selection of competitors to fill the allocated places will be based 50:50 on the results of the 2002 Points League and the National Championships. In the event of duplication, the remaining places will be allocated from the Points League. All those eligible will receive written invitations in due course. Novice Qualifiers North Eastern HDTG, Escrick Park 12/13 April SELECTION PROCEDURE TO BE ADOPTED
FOR 2003/2004 Prior to the first selection event competitors must state their interest in writing and sign the declaration agreement. There will be four selection events, the best three results to be counted - to be considered for team selection a competitor must complete three events. Points to be awarded as final event placing ie. 1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points etc. Points will be awarded to declared selection candidates only: ie. If 1st placed competitor at a selection event is not a declared candidate, one point will be awarded for 2nd place, etc. Should there be an equality of points scored, the marathon scores at mutually contested events will resolve placings. There is no restriction on the number of horses that may be used during selection but in Single Classes each driver/horse combination will be classified individually. Horses to be qualified as Article 931. BHDTA to make available qualifying events. Council will nominate Selection Events with a view to finalising teams in sufficient time to allow pre- Championship team training and preparation. Ratification Panel Members to consist of BHDTA Chairman, Competitions Committee representative, Chef d’Equipe and Class Nominee. Substitute members shall be appointed by Council if any member has connection with candidates in contention. The Panel shall seek, should it be deemed advisable, Veterinary advice and/or reports and any other information regarding the competitor. The Panel shall be empowered to de-select any competitor if necessary, All decisions of the Ratification Panel to be approved by the BHDTA Council. SELECTION EVENTS FOR 2003 The selection events for the Combined Pony World Championships at Karlstetten (Austria) 14 - 17 August and the Horse Pairs World Championships at Jardy (France) 18 - 21 September will be announced in the next issue of Carriage Horse. Horse Registration 2003 The cost of horse registration remains unchanged for 2003 at £27 per animal for the first five, and £20 for each additional over and above that number. Applications for re-registration should be submitted by fully paid up 2003 Members with a photocopy of the diagram page of the vaccination document/passport carried to events. An initial registration form for new animals can be obtained from the BHDTA or downloaded from the website. All registrations must be sent to the BHDTA Office, NOT the Membership Office. National Championships 2003 12th to 14th September Following the return of the National Championships to Windsor, the Council is reviewing how the event ran and where improvements can be made for 2003. We are aware that one of the problems that arose this year was over access to the marathon course. Whilst we are in discussion with the Crown Estate over this, early indications are that quad bikes, motorcycles and scooters will not be permitted in the park. Obviously every effort will be made to resolve this problem, particularly for our disabled drivers, but if this is not possible, we will be arranging a full-time shuttle bus service to the obstacles, although unfortunately this will inevitably mean additional expense for the organisation. CLUB NEWS The Bellcrown Northern Inter-Club Championships were hosted by Lincolnshire Driving Trials Group at Grimsthorpe Castle. Unfortunately the date clashed with the Liberty and Livelihood march, resulting in a lower than expected number of entries. However, along with the host group, there were teams from North East Driving Trials Group Ltd and Chester Driving Trials Group. All drivers competed as individuals and the best three scores from each team counted towards the Championships. The event was superbly organised by Colin and Sally-Ann Allen. The dressage and cones arenas were laid out by the lakeside and Saturday’s good weather helped things go well. The cones course contained a slalom and box but flowed nicely. Saturday was rounded off with a lively social evening and disco. The marathon ran through the lovely estate with the route taking us from the lakeside to medieval woodland with sightings of deer. Section A was tough but a fair test of fitness and stamina. Section B was on a good level tarmac road, and Section E took us back towards the castle. The view of the castle with the obstacles incorporating the lake and parkland was stunning. The eight obstacles were well designed, built and decorated. They drove well but were tighter than they looked. On completing the marathon all competitors received a rosette and an Equitape wormer courtesy of Equitape who had sponsored one of the obstacles. Bellcrown Carriages had kindly sponsored the event. Unfortunately Martin Johnson from Bellcrown had injured his hand that morning, but after an abortive wait in casualty he made the long drive from Cheshire to Lincolnshire in order to present the prizes! North East Driving Trials Group were the championship winners with the Lincolnshire runners up. The event was a resounding success and full credit must go to Colin, Sally-Ann and their team. Brockham Harness Club Auction The annual Brockham Harness Club auction was held as usual at Leigh Village Hall on November 10th. This year the committee had advertised the auction well in advance in local press, Horse and Hound and other driving clubs in the area. It certainly paid off with a good number of sellers and buyers attending. As over 300 lots were entered it was going to be a very busy day. By 2.00 pm the hall was packed and as the weather was holding off I decided to start outside to auction the horseboxes, carriages and trailers. Most of these sold except a very smart Renault HGV horsebox with a reserve of £6,000! Back inside the auction got off to a brisk start with a nice set of cob presentation harness making £400, a full size collar complete with hames making £250, a lovely dressage saddle making £475 and a leather GP saddle making £205. Meanwhile Cath Goddard’s snack bar was doing a roaring trade selling hot and cold food with all homemade cakes being sold out by the end of the sale. It certainly was a buyers market though, with a set of English leather horse pair harness going for £150, a set of brand new large pony webbing harness going for £130, but the best buy of the day had to be a set of pony team webbing harness complete with bridles and bits selling for £235! There were lots of bargains to be had with many good quality items being sold to a local second hand tack shop for resale at a healthy profit. A good day was had by all as we sold almost £7,000 worth of goods. My sincere thanks go to all that helped and I look forward to seeing you all again next year, and yes I did get my voice back after a couple of days! Lincolnshire Driving Trials Group Bennington Challenge and LDTG Club Championships “What an end to the season,” said Michael Mart of Bennington Carriages “We were delighted to be associated with this event. There was a great atmosphere all weekend – reminds me of Osberton Horse Driving Trials in the good old days! – with plenty of fun and good competition” Colin and Sally-Ann Allen and their team of helpers did us proud with a superbly run event, incorporating the splendid terrain of Grimsthorpe Castle, obstacles to test all and blessed with sun, what more do we want! There were some superb prizes up for grabs including Glassware from Bennington, Blue Chip vouchers, Equitape wormers and Musto clothing. Evening entertainment was laid on in the marquee with a disco, hot supper and a very entertaining auction by Mike Fallowell with prizes from bulb planters to 100 safety pins! To keep the Presentation standards Bennington donated a magnificent Bronze horse, with all competitors having to do standing presentation. Bennington Challenge trophy went to the Lincolnshire Driving Trials Group. The last event on the NWDC's calendar for 2002 was held at Eden Brows, Armathwaite in Cumbria on 13th October by kind invitation of George Bowman Junior. The woodland at High Stand was utilised for the
marathon course by permission of the Forestry Commission,
who waived their usual permit fees on condition that any
money raised went to charity. The raffle proceeds of £133
were donated to Driving for the Disabled. The going underfoot remained good and the gravelled
woodland tracks with grassy centres gave an
excellent route for the first trot section. The 1km walk
brought competitors back to Eden Brows by road before the
third trot section where they were timed negotiating four
colourful hazards. The North Eastern Driving Trials Group beat all the other sports to win the category for best County/Regional Senior Team in this year’s Yorkshire Sports Awards 2002. The winners in each category go forward to the Outstanding Team Awards. These awards (now in their fourth year) are made by Sport England and BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. The presentations were made by BBC presenters Harry Gration and Christa Ackroyd on 1 December and highlights of the evening were shown on BBC Look North and are included in a special TV programme recorded at the event. 2002 has been a memorable year for the club and its members. Record entries, the development of permanent facilities at Escrick Park and Royal greetings for the Jubilee Weekend event have all contributed to a great year. Club member Pat Cooper became National Champion Tandem Driver and fellow member Amanda Saville took the Single Pony title. In September the Club competed in the Northern Inter-Club Championships, and once again gained success by winning the overall competition. And the Club’s achievements go further - James Marshall and Heather Clarke formed part of the British team at the World Championships for Disabled Drivers in Germany where they helped to win the silver medal. Both Heather and James compete regularly and on equal terms with able bodied drivers at club level, despite the apparent disadvantages caused by their disabilities. James is paralysed from the waist down following a rugby accident, whilst Heather has no arms or legs. Both are trained by Pat Cooper. Well done everyone! BENNINGTON SOUTHERN OPEN WEEKEND For the third year the Bennington team are delighted to be holding the Southern Open weekend with the assistance of Bennington’s agent Clare Wigmore LHHI on Saturday and Sunday 22nd and 23rd February 2003 at Wilton RDA Centre Indoor School, Wilton, two miles west of Salisbury, Wiltshire. Both days run from 10 a m to 4 p.m This is a weekend not to be missed with an excellent opportunity to see a wide range of Bennington Carriages in action and available for trial with leading international drivers including Boyd Exell, Di Hayes and National Pony Tandem Champion Liz Rowe. During the two days there will be continuous demonstrations with the complete range of Bennington Carriages available for trial, from pleasure to competition, including the Bennington XL being put through its paces by Boyd Exell. There will also be two NEW models launched, a New Bennington Competition dual purpose 4 wheeler and the NEW Pony Single Presentation 4 wheeler. A timetable will be published on the day. Bennington Carriages and Clare are agents for Tedman Harness and their full range of harness will be on display for sale, along with many driving accessories. Admission is free and hot refreshments will be available. We look forward to meeting you during the weekend where there will be plenty of action and fun. For more details contact Clare Wigmore LHHI 01722 712 237 or Sue Mart at Bennington Carriages 01400 281280. A very big THANK YOU to the team at Writtle who made the recent Indoor event East Anglia 's most popular so far this season! Twenty-nine competitors took part, several coming all the way from Kent and a number of first-timers. Five junior drivers did well, too! Mike Daniell bravely wielded the microphone after judging Precision and Paces in the morning and kept up a fresh, pithy and amusing commentary throughout the day. A number of students at Writtle College also worked really hard all day. Andy Heaford was the luminous Safety Officer who made things happen remarkably accurately on site, from clear signposting to chivvying of competitors and making things extra safe. As ever, the super-professional yet seemingly relaxed, good-humoured team from the IHDTC ran the event like clockwork. Yes, we ran about 25 minutes late in the morning, yet, for a first event at a new venue and with a completely unbroken team, it went well and, more importantly, was good fun. Perhaps we'll run another event at Writtle next year?
Thanks to everyone who contributed to our success! CLUB CLINICS To help encourage members and teach everyone more about course building we persuaded our resident club course builder Mark Ingham to hold a clinic for the club. To this end eleven members gathered in the cellars of Newnham House on a wet, windy, blustery day, armed with picnics, pencils and paper. We started with the laying out of the dressage arena which sounds straight forward, but those who have done it will know that to get four square corners is more difficult than you would think! We then ran through the designing and setting out of a cones course and the importance of the positioning of the cones and distances. Never embark on a laying out a cones course without having first put it down on graph paper to get the correct distances, and setting it out armed with a LONG tape- measure and plenty of string! Finally we were taken through the setting up of a marathon, selecting a suitable route to achieve the distances required for each individual section, making sure the start and finish of each section were in a suitable place, easy for score collecting, stewarding, hold ups, etc. etc. And finally on to the design, construction and flagging of the obstacles. There are so many aspects to take into consideration - width of gates, alternative longer routes for the less adventurous, height of posts, distance within the obstacle, where to place the in/out gates, and so on. At the end of the day, to put some of our new found knowledge to the test, we were given sketches of the Newnham obstacles to design a route. This proved more difficult that you would think, and this was just to drive them - they had already been designed and built!! It was a most worthwhile and enjoyable day. It brought home to us all the variety of challenges involved and the complexities of designing and building obstacles. There is so much more to an obstacle than just driving ! Club Judges’ Clinic A Club Judges Clinic will be held on Sunday 16th March 2003 at a venue still to be confirmed. These clinics are invaluable for those already judging at club level as well as those who think they might like to try judging but need the confidence to put themselves forward. Full details in the next issue of Carriage Horse. Brockham Harness Club - Backsteppers Clinic After an active first day at our two day event, at Dounhurst at the end of August, over 40 competitors, grooms and camp supporters gathered outside the marquee with Georgina Frith and Andrew and Sara Simmons to cover the essentials of team work and how to be a ‘Back stepper’ The clinic was broken into three parts with a chance to ask questions and join in. Georgina covered timekeeping and explained how the courses are measured and the times worked out by the organisers and how to calculate the times from the speed/distances/max and min times supplied to take with you. Sara covered navigation and highlighted the key differences between walking the course from the backstop perspective compared to how the driver would approach the course. She emphasised the importance of simple and clear communication between driver and groom and the need to prioritise how you walk the course so that you concentrate on areas where driver error is more likely to occur. A good working knowledge of the rulebook is always helpful especially in times of crisis - How important is it not to cross the line between the entry/exit flags before you finish? Where do you resume if you go through a gate in the wrong order? Is it worth picking up a dropped whip in the obstacle? Can you leave the obstacle with one trace down? Just as the questions were dying down, right on cue, a single and a pair drove into view having just completed Section A of the course. We all followed the drivers to the nearest obstacle and Andrew demonstrated the value of sticking like glue as the backstep ballast. With the help of Luke Axel-Berg and his Fenix Flyer and John Pickford and his Van Den Heuvel pair carriage he showed how they handled very differently round the same obstacle and how this would influence how and where you stood/leaned. Budding back steppers were offered a go, and one quick volunteer was able to try both carriages at speed whilst the rest observed technique and assessed effectiveness. SUPPORTERS NEWS The Nationals over, the Conference weekend been and gone – infact I can’t believe another season is behind us. Judging by the lack of support at the Stewards’ Meeting at Cheltenham, I am pleased to know that there are no grievances! 2002 saw the retirement of loyal stewards, John and Carol Hunter , and they will be much missed next season. The ‘200 Club’ draws are now completed for this year, and the full list of 2002 winners is available from me if anyone would like to have one. I do ask you all to give your support once again for 2003, and details for renewal are enclosed with this newsletter. I would like to thank everyone who has helped in any way during the 2002 season. Without you all the Supporters’ Tent would cease to function. I look forward to seeing you all next year. May I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and peaceful New Year. Sheila Hawking LETTERS Dear BHDTA We should like to thank everyone involved, both Committee and members, for presenting us with the David Broadbent Steward's Award. It is very much appreciated. Look forward to seeing you all next season. Pauline & Ted Genge THE NEXT ISSUE OF CARRIAGE HORSE WILL BE DISTRIBUTED WITH 2003 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL PACKS in early JANUARY 2003 Deadline for articles, adverts etc is 15th December 2002 Advertisements: Members - £10 plus VAT For commercial adverts please contact the Office All items to be sent to BHDTA Office or preferably e-mailed to: bhdta@horsedrivingtrials.co.uk This publication has an independent editorial policy and is intended as an open forum for BHDTA members. All letters and reports from members and clubs of the BHDTA are welcomed and will be published where possible, although some editing may be necessary if space is limited. Letters will have the right to reply in the same issue if considered appropriate. Anonymous, defamatory or objectionable letters will not published. Unless the contrary is shown, the views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the BHDTA or its Council. |
|
|