2010 Summer Camp at Ashfields

My first summer camp with the British Young Driver at Ashfileds was a wonderful learning experience as-well as being a lot of fun.  Even if it did rain a lot there was still loads to do and the weather certainly did not dampen anyone's enthusiasm.
I met plenty of new people all into driving and of varying ages, all who went out their way to be friendly. The instructors I trained  under were Sarah Jane Cook and Sara Howe but advice was also freely given and greatly appreciated by Wilf bowman Rilpey we also had a one off schooling demo from Anna Grayston which was full of useful tips some relevant to my own pony's situation.
There was a trip to Baileys horse feeds which was most informative.
The majority of the days were made up of sessions of dressage, cone and hazards training and on the last day we all took part in a friendly derby made up of a course that was part cone and part solid hazard , we where split into groups of equal experience and took  it in turns to complete the course. It really was brilliant fun! although I had never done anything like it before I felt under no pressure and my instructors guided me through  it at my own place.
The water hazard turned out a little more exciting than I had anticipated but thanks to my groom (who got his feet wet) and gentle coaching from the two Sarah's we all finished on a high and I know my pony benefited from the experience
I really recommend the Summer camp to any new comers to the sport with all the friendly knowledge and experience available you cant go far wrong even if your pony  has never seen anything like it before its not a problem because you can go at your own pace.  Thanks to everyone who made this possible with all their time and effort, I'm now looking forward to next year.
   
Many thanks
Charlotte Connolly
 P.S I'm gonna get a bigger tent!!!!!!!!!!!!

Young Drivers Selection

Ashfields Carriage and Polo Club, Great Canfield Essex

Ashfields Carriage and Polo Club hosted a successful Selection Event this weekend for the British Young Drivers wishing to be selected for the Junior World Trophy in Hungary. This afternoon the team squads were announced - One for England and one for Wales, - the teams consist of....

The Selection Weekend at Ashfields

The British Young drivers on the list for selection had a very useful weekend’s training at Ashfields.
On Saturday we each spent half an hour training for our FEI dressage with Wilf, who had the challenging task of teaching us how to get our ponies to do the medium trot that is crucial to our test. We are all used to working, collected and extended trot but this was a new challenge! Only Kirstie and Grace, who being younger had a different test, were spared ! Wilf was very helpful and patient . We then drove our test for Anna who marked it, discussed it and got us to drive it a second time so we could improve ready for the event the next day.

 Later we walked the cones and the Derby course, met up and chatted and finally dispersed to get our ponies extra clean and gleaming for the trot up with Anna the vet who also checked our horse passports.

Parents and helpers had cooked a great supper which was wolfed down and much appreciated! Then we all discussed the exciting plans for Hungary and for the event the next day.
Sunday morning was a whirlwind of activity – sprucing up ponies, sprucing up ourselves into our smart presentation outfits and mentally driving our dressage test over and over while waiting to go in. Charlotte Snow was the convincing dressage diva on this occasion but everyone had something they were really pleased about – for me it was a 9 for Jack’s halt in contrast to the 4 he had got at our last event here – the Channel Cup – when he decided to show off with airs above the ground in a display of stallion enthusiasm!

After dressage – the precision and challenge of the cones with only four double clears - Mike . Rosanna, Jack Thorne and Amber.

Then after lunch everyone’s favourite bit – the Derby. The obstacles at Ashfields are tremendous and the Derby was fast, furious and fun. There were plenty of tricky pairs of cones to catch us out in between. Mike’s nippy little Shetland Brownie flew the course in the fastest time of 27 seconds with my Jack , who loves his obstacles , not far behind on 30.20.

At the end of a fabulous event the final scores were given out. There were some close results but overall James was the worthy winner on 80.47 with Charlotte chasing close behind on 80.83. Grace took the honours for the younger drivers with Kirsty just two penalties behind.

Then the moment we had all been waiting for – the teams were announced for Hungary.
Anna the vet was kept busy giving out the vaccines the ponies would need and Sara gave us extra ice to keep the doses chilled on our long journey home. Poor Jack – a jab seemed a poor reward for all his hard work!

We are all very excited about competing in the World Trophy and very grateful to Mary Jane , Sara , Trainer Anna , Wilf , Anna the Vet and all the parents who made our selection weekend a success.

Emily Ham.

Easter Clinic for Young Drivers
5-7 April ant Unicorn Trust Equestrian Centre

With the Young Drivers clinic being so close to the National indoor championship at Keysoe there was expected to be a slightly lower turn out than usual. Our expectations were wrong with 30 Young drivers ranging from beginner to National competitors travelling from all over the country to train with the talented trainers we were lucky enough to have.

The clinic began with all Young Drivers that had competed at a national level coming a day early so they could have a focused day of training with Sarah Garnett. These National competitors were able to take the time to watch each others lessons which allows them to learn from each other and the trainer.

Monday came around very quickly and brought with it a very large group of Young Drivers all eager to begin training and hone themselves and their ponies. The trainers were Anna Grayston, Sarah Howe, Carol Boswell and Anna Saddler. All of which did an amazing job of teaching each Young Driver with their individual needs and capabilities in mind.

Mark Broadbent, owner of the world renowned Fenix Carriages, came all the way from Claydon in Devon to give a speech on carriage maintenance. This was very well received by all and may help to solve some squeaks being emitted from their carriages. Sarah Jane Williams also did a session on limbering up the drivers and had them all forming human chains and then trying to unwind themselves.

After supper Frank Campbell gave an inspiring and educational talk on progressing through the sport, he is both an indoor and outdoor National champion. Rosanna Walter-Symons also gave a talk on how to manage responsibilities such as school/college/uni as well as carriage driving. With these talks signalling the end of a very long day the Young Drivers headed off to check ponies and then to bed.

Tuesday saw a new addition to Young Driver clinics, the Pony Club. It is hoped much will come from the interaction between the two organisations. The pony club riders were partnered with a National Young Driver for the day so they can learn about carriage driving and gain their carriage driving badge. This was deemed a success by all that took part.

On Wednesday everyone had a go at driving an obstacle and had a final lesson before a late lunch and the usual round up of thank yous and hand out of progress reports to all the participants to take home and keep in their portfolios.

Thanks to everyone concerned and all at Unicorn Trust, and especially Sydney Smith for making this all possible.

Article by James Gambs, photo by Tim Bradford

It’s always and enjoyable experience to take part in a training day with your friends and fellow competitors. Thursday morning was looking very promising but unfortunately the bad weather had set in for the whole day, which is a true testament to the dedication of Anna Grayston and Sara Howe for teaching all day outside. Despite all odds, including broken down lorries and borrowing carriages we still had a full schedule of eight drivers. (Marissa Pinock, Alice Pritchard, Joanna Bassett, Harriet Bradford, Anne Wrigley, Millie Bradford and Tori Bradford)

Each driver had a 45 minute lesson in the morning and in the afternoon, tailored to their specific needs in each discipline. Anna worked with us on our flatwork focusing on straightness, rhythm and our indoor dressage tests. This allowed us to get an idea what we are aiming for and allowed techniques to be highlighted that will enable us to improve. Sara’s lessons were based on cones and obstacle driving getting many of us to find a speed at which we could find accuracy and balance. Sara set up a hexagon of cones of which we had to drive in and out of making various shapes without losing impulsion or letting the ponies fall around the corners.

Lunch was very kindly prepared by Samantha Kelly and was a delight to come in and eat something warm and delicious after being out in the wet.

The day overall was successful and I think we all picked up some new techniques to improve our driving. I especially enjoyed my lessons as I was using a horse that was only broken to harness a few months ago who needs confidence and vital experience.

I hope everyone has gained something from the day and I am looking forward to planning the next! A big thank you to Anna Grayston, Sara Howe, Samantha Kelly and the whole team at Warren Barn Farm.

Young Drivers Clinic with Di Hayes
Shrewton, Wiltshire 13th-14th Feb 2010

The Young Driver Clinics are always events I look forward to and the Di Hayes clinic was no exception. Saturday morning was a cold start, with lessons starting at 9.30 am.

Each driver had a 45 minute lesson which was mainly based on flatwork and tailored to individual needs. Some Drivers worked on their Indoor Tests, or generally letting the ponies settle in to the new surroundings, which were quite noisy due to the large military operations on nearby Salisbury Plain.

The afternoon lessons were again 45mins, with drivers improving and practicing skills learnt in the morning and then furthering these skills to really push both drivers and ponies.

Di shared lots of her valuable experience, which really helped in trying to improve any issues. She also explained things from a Judge’s point of view and how to gain extra valuable points that can make such a difference. Lessons finished at 4.30 and after a quick break Di gave us an interesting talk about shoeing and the importance of balance in horse’s feet and the vital relationship between vets and farriers. She had several examples of horses on her yard, which gave us the opportunity to see the possible methods of balancing.

On Saturday night we all ate in Di’s house, which was very kind of her. The food was made by Louise Hogdson, who did a fantastic job. Di showed us a few videos of the advanced dressage test, which gave us an idea of what we should be aiming towards! Also some very useful goal setting sheets, set on a week by week basis, which gives training purpose and drivers can see progression over the weeks.

Sunday morning was slightly warmer, with an earlier start of 9am. There was a mixture of individual and joint lessons. We all mainly focused on cones driving, starting with a course and then focusing on the more technical elements; first thinking about accuracy and then building in the speed, while maintaining the rhythm.

The joint lesson was really good, and gave a sense of competition and a little bit of pressure, added by Di’s loud speaker! At the end of our joint lesson we swopped ponies, which was really interesting to experience a different challenge. After our lessons Di couldn’t resist having a go at the course, with her pony Troy.

Overall the weekend was a great success and everyone learnt lots! I would like to thank Di very much for her hospitality and a fantastic weekend of training.

Rosanna W-Symons

Photos - Top: Amber O'Neill, above: Mike Hodgson

Junior numbers are continuing to grow at North West events, along with the quality of the driving. We now have five young drivers who are making a lot of seniors sit up and take notice. And that’s a 500% increase on what it was in 2008!

Charley Fitzpatrick enjoyed a very successful summer outdoor season in 2009 driving Heather Hulme’s (grandmother) Buttons. The pair also took part in club training before Charley’s return home to Spain and back to school – with her red rosettes! We miss her at the indoor events.

Emma Jones (aged 14), driving club Chairman Colin Walmsley’s Joshua in her first indoor season, has dominated the IHDT Novice Pony classes so far … and the partnership just keeps getting better. Some very fast obstacle times have helped Emma to win at every one of her outings this winter. Emma and Joshua are currently honing their dressage skills and will surely be a force to be reckoned with at the Finals in April.

Megan Wheeldon, at only 8 years old, is also competing in IHDT Novice Pony driving her wonderful pony Skippy. With quiet, sensitive driving and growing confidence with each trip, Megan and Skippy are steadily laying down the foundations for what will surely prove to be a successful combination. Despite their long journey, Megan and mum Tracey are already keen and helpful competitors.

This season, Hayley Nickson (aged 15) has been unbeatable in the ‘Club’ class, probably to the relief of some of the Keysoe hopefuls! Hayley drives club member Trudie Benest’s Phoebe and despite major problems earlier in the season with laminitis, Phoebe is now thankfully 100% sound and going superbly. Like Emma and Mike, Hayley and Phoebe have won each time out in Club Novice Pony having turned in some spectacular times in the obstacles.

Mike Hodgson, (aged 14, but now the ‘veteran’ of the CHDTG juniors!) is having a busy season driving Brownie in IHDT Open Pony where like the girls, he has won each time out. Also, adding Blackie as leader, he is competing in the Tandem class where they continue to grow in confidence with each outing. And in his spare time … Mike is getting to know Mister D’Arcy, a new addition to the squad. If only Mike could remember the dressage test!

Chester Group are now looking at new ways of supporting their juniors with possible training clinics and a Junior Page on the club website. Things are definitely on the up.

Louise Hodgson

Channel Cup 2009
1-2 August 2009, Ashfields Carriage Driving Centre, Great Britain

FULL RESULTS

Photo: The winning English team - Frank Campbell, Mike Hodgson, Harriet Bradford, Grace Smith, Mark and Katy Bell and Roseanna Walter-Simmons with Sara Howe.
Photo by Tim Bradford.

Jay Snow, Age 10   

Click on the photo for a larger picture. The horse is called Kevin who likes to help out on these occasions (and he doesn’t know he’s plastic)

Kirsty Thompson-Dowes, aged 10 years, driving Lightning.

REPORT ON TEAM GBR
FINAL RESULTS
TEAM GBR PHOTOS IN THE PHOTO ALBUM

TWO BROTHERS AWARDED TASS SCHOLARSHIPS IN THE DISCIPLINE OF DRIVING
1st April 2008

Two brothers from Devon, Frank and Roger Campbell have been awarded Talented Athlete Scholarship Schemes, the first brothers to receive this funding, and also the first in the non-Olympic equestrian discipline of Driving.

The Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) is a Government funded multi-million pound scheme that is in its fifth year of operation for Equestrian Sport in England. The overall aim of TASS is to assist Great Britain’s most talented young athletes, who wish to optimise the effectiveness of their sport and their academic programmes.

Frank and Roger compete in the sport of competitive Horse Driving Trials, which consists of three very different phases or stages. Modelled on the ridden three-day event, a Horse Driving Trials is a triathlon for horses/ponies, which tests the overall versatility of an animal in harness. The brothers began driving at the ages of 11 and 12 years of age respectively, after being introduced to the sport by their Grandmother.

Roger (18) drives a single horse with a Bennington carriage and presently is based at Hartpury College, Glos where he is studying for a diploma in farm mechanisation, which means a one-way 3hr train journey most weekends to receive regular training for this season’s forthcoming national qualifiers, hopefully leading onto the National Championships that take place in Windsor Great Park. Last year, Roger won a number of novice horse classes, and was the highest novice placed horse at the National Championships.

Frank (16) drives a single pony and two horses and is still at school and therefore based at home. His aims for 2008 are to represent GB at the Junior World Pony Driving Event that takes place in Austria in July, driving a 13.2hh Dartmoor x Morgan, owned by Trisha Luxton, to compete at the National Junior Championships and also to groom for Boyd Exell at the World Four-in-Hand Championships taking place in The Netherlands later this year.

Boyd Exell is one of the world’s top carriage driving competitors and instructors, who lives in Leicestershire and who both Frank and Roger regularly receive training from, with Frank also working for Boyd in the summer time to broaden his experience and improve his driving abilities.

Sarah Armstrong, BEF TASS Manager says, “ For two brothers who compete in the non-Olympic discipline of Driving to be recognised with a TASS scholarship indicates the sporting talent these brothers are demonstrating, and hopefully with this funding it will assist them towards success on the world stage”.

Both Frank and Roger are thrilled to be recipients of the TASS Award and say, “Being awarded the TASS funding is fantastic as it will mean being able to receive further training with Boyd, as well as financing travel costs to competitions, both necessary in our quest to compete at the top level”.

TASS is a working partnership between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), Further Education Colleges (FECs), National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGB’s) in this case the British Equestrian Federation and other sports organisations.

Amber O'Neill.