In 2006 The British Horse Driving Trials Association announced the formation of British Young Drivers (BYD) to include drivers aged from 5 to 25 years from all over the British Isles.

The aim of the BYD is to encourage and educate young drivers and help them develop their skills. This will create the foundation for the future of our Sport with a progressive structure of training levels that will underpin their natural talent and enthusiasm.

Most regional clubs have programs for their younger members and it is encouraging to see how many young drivers are showing a keen interest in competition driving.

The BHDTA  Easter Training Clinics and the Junior National Championships are run with help from sponsorship from Baileys Horse Feeds, the Worshipful Company of Saddlers and the BHDTA Supporters. A Summer Clinic is also organised as well as On Foot sessions mainly over the winter.

The focus of British Young Drivers is on structuring training programs suited to individual abilities, with long term goals of competing Nationally and Internationally. It is intended to be totally inclusive and open to all abilities. The structure has been developed to be transparent; based on published competition results.

MISSION STATEMENT

To encourage young drivers into the sport and develop their knowledge and skills

Aims

• To promote young drivers
• To help young drivers develop their skills

Objectives

1.      To encourage young drivers to participate in the sport.

2.  To raise the profile of Young Drivers

3. To encourage young drivers to learn about the organisation of the sport.

4. To create a selected advanced squad from the National Young Drivers

Structure

1. Membership

BYD is open to members aged 5-25 years old.  As soon as they are old enough, Young Drivers are expected to be a member of a BHDTA affiliated club and/or to join the BHDTA. They must be BHDTA members (age permitting) if they are picked to join a junior team travelling abroad or when they start entering national competitions. Members and supporters are also entitled to wear group clothing.

2. Skill categories:

• National– for those who have competed at National Competitions including National Novice qualifiers
• Club – for those who compete at club level, inside or outside.
• Novice – for those who have not yet started competing.

Progression will be monitored. Young Drivers are expected to keep a record of their training and competition results on Moodle.  From here trainers can keep track of the progress of each driver.

This will allow the BYD to focus on each group’s needs more efficiently. It also encourages progression and hard work, as each young driver will aspire to be in a more advanced group.

 Communication Chain

BHDTA 
|
British Young Drivers Committee
|
Area Representatives
|
British Young Drivers

BYD Committee details 

Committee Structure

This is made up of three young drivers who are elected on an annual basis. The process is as follow:

The administrator asks for email nominations from the young drivers – 2 are required for each candidate. Nominations are open for 1 week closing the Wednesday 2 weeks before the BHDTA Annual conference

If more than 3 candidates are nominated then there is an email vote, open for one week. The closing date is the Wednesday before the BHDTA Annual conference

A committee member can be elected for 2 consecutive years, and can stand again after a gap of one year.

The committee is also composed of a representative of the BHDTA Council, 1 or 2 BHDTA adult members one of whom needs to take responsibility for co-ordination and administration. Advice will be sought from trainers and other interested persons.

Area Representatives

The young drivers on the committee liaise with the young drivers to appoint Area Representatives (AR). The role of an AR is to support the committee, to identify potential members for the BYD that they may meet at events in their own locality and to promote the BYD. If possible they also need to contact a local coach or training establishment and organise at least one session of regional training each year. Their role is also to get in touch with their local media to let them know about the BYD and what we do .Area Reps are re-appointed on an annual basis once the new committee has been elected.