Christmas Newsletter 2015
Transcription
Christmas Newsletter 2015
ATHERSTONE HUNT BRANCH OF THE PONY CLUB CHRISTMAS NEWSLETTER 2015 District Commissioner: Andrew James 5 Heath Road, Market Bosworth, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV13 0NT Tel. 01455 291273 or 07737 877697 [email protected] Branch and Membership Secretary: Stephanie Palmer 01455 828543 Section Leaders: Astley High Cross Sutton Cheney Warton Linda Vaughan Lucy Brindley Sue James Michelle Hydon 07726 036330 07879 630345 07791 736828 07771 587633 Chief Instructor: Louise Gilbert BHSI (SM) 07973 802731 Branch Website: www.ahbpc.org.uk AHBPC Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AHBPC?fref=ts DISTRICT COMMISSIONER’S CHRISTMAS LETTER 2015 Well another year has come and gone and the Branch continues to thrive with new members continuing to join right up to my writing this letter. The year has seen the Branch and its members involved in a wide range of activities with a great deal of success. In May we once again returned to Bramcote for our senior Horse Trials. The event again proved a great success and ran incredibly smoothly. A huge vote of thanks to everyone who made this possible but a special word for Jay Heath who pulled the whole set up together. The new layout seemed to be appreciated and once again we had a number of comments about how friendly and helpful all the judges, stewards and other helpers were. Well done to everyone concerned ! In July we ran a two day Mounted Games Competition at Manor Farm courtesy of Frances Attfield during which she was installed as Branch President and also awarded a “50 Years Service Bar” to the Cubitt Award she received in 1991. Frances has been a loyal and invaluable supporter of the Branch and this award is thoroughly deserved. Senior and Junior Camps at Bramcote were again compressed into one week and a really enjoyable, friendly atmosphere came from having such a wide age range of members present with the older ones helping the younger ones. On the riding front we had another good year with numerous Teams and a number of individuals qualifying for either the Championships or the Novice Championships with all of them acquitting themselves with considerable credit. The highlight being the Junior Mounted Games Team being crowned National Champions After the Championships we returned to Manor Farm for our Junior Horse Trials. The Event was a great success running every bit as smoothly as the Senior one with lots of Atherstone members and ex-members taking part – many of the former taking part in their very first one day event. As in previous years we must say a huge “THANK YOU” to all the landowners and proprietors who allowed us to use their facilities during the year. You will appreciate that none of the rallies, training, competitions that take place during the year simply happens . Each require a lot of hard work and dedication from Team Managers/organisers. On your behalf I must thank each of them for their hard work, dedication and commitment to the roles they have performed which is reflected in the tremendous success we have enjoyed this year. On a personal note I would again like to thank the Branch Committee for their support throughout the year. There have been some changes to the Committee during the year with Linda Vaughan doing a sterling job of reviving the Astley Section – something which we hope Michelle Hydon can do for the Warton Area now that she has taken over. Lucy Brindley has taken on the High Cross Section and Sue James continues to organize loads of activities in Sutton Cheney Section. There will be more changes in the Committee for the coming year, although these are not finalized one we do know about is that Stephanie Palmer has decided to give up the role of Branch Secretary which she has held for the last 7 years. Stephanie has picked up and run with everything that has been thrown at her and simply got on with it in a reliable, assured manner. Stephanie’s departure leaves a vacancy and so if anyone is interested in taking on this role and would like to know more about what it involves please contact me to have a chat Andrew James District Commissioner CHIEF INSTRUCTOR’S REPORT Firstly on behalf of myself and all our members I would like to thank everyone on our committees, Team Managers and Section Leaders for their hard work in organising so many events and to all owners of venues we have used, thank you. In January we held a successful Open evening at a new venue, "Olivers farm, Fenn Lanes" . This is an opportunity for old and new members to find out about what will be happening in the forthcoming year, to pay memberships, have hats checked and tagged and purchase merchandise. Team Managers, Section Leaders and camp organisers are present plus it is a chance to socialise and catch up with your friends. The date for 2016 is Friday 15th January. March saw preparation begin in earnest for the Horse Trials at Bramcote on 3rd May, fences being repaired and painted , weeds sprayed , grass mown, banks strimmed - hard work, all help was greatly appreciated. Work parties will be organised during the Easter holidays, please contact Alison Fletcher to offer your help. During the May Spring bank holiday we held a new dressage event at Shenton Lane field giving members the opportunity to compete all area tests on grass. We look forward to seeing more of you this next year at this event. June and July were busy months preparing for area competitions, various tests and camp at the end of July. A really enjoyable time was had by all at Bramcote, those members who haven't attended a Pony Club camp week really don't know what they are missing out on. Camp will be held in 2016 from the 7th to 12th August. August proved a busy month, with a lot of driving! Firstly at Hickstead proudly watching the Open Show Jumpers, then to Gatcombe the following day where a young intermediate team jumped admirably .Then a fun 3 days at Mini Camp, swiftly followed by several trips up the M6 to Chomondeley Castle for the Pony Club National Championships . Where, in such a beautiful setting, it was a pleasure to watch so many of our members representing the branch. Well done to you all. Unfortunately I wasn't able to be at the Mini Horse Trials but I know it was a successful day. September saw a team Show Jumping at Burghley with slightly mixed fortunes on the day but that is horses for you!! It was nice seeing so many members on the Saturday watching how the cross country should be ridden. Later in the month an Open team competed in the Arena Eventing but also suffered mixed fortunes; however, both these events are a fantastic experience for our members. November saw a celebration of achievements throughout the year of all our members at the Presentation Ball held at Weston Hall Hotel, it was a lovely evening and so nice to see everyone dressed up, not a hairnet in sight. The date for your diary 2016 is the 18th November, same venue. As I write this we are busy preparing for the Dengie dressage at Weston Lawns with Show Jumping, an event we intend to hold again this time of year in 2016. I wish each and every one of you who has read this a Happy Christmas, a health New Year and I look forward to seeing good SPORTSMANSHIP and HORSMANSHIP in 2016 Louise Gilbert Chief Instructor ASTLEY REPORT This year the members from the Astley Area of the branch have been working towards many achievement badges and their Pony Club tests at Lea Marston Equestrian Centre. Congratulations to those members who have passed badges this year, with thanks to instructors Leanne and Laura. We have some new younger members in our section now so have been holding dedicated lead rein working rallies, however, we still have sessions for the more capable riders of course. We also had a new venue this summer in the Gate Inn Riding Club’s showground – this was a fantastic venue for those wanting to practice their Show Jumping as the club left their full course of jumps up for us. We would therefore like to extend our thanks to The Gate Inn RC along with Lea Marston, Sarah Kingham and Debbie Kerrigan for the use of their venues this year. Linda Vaughan Section Leader - Astley HIGH CROSS REPORT This has been my first year as Section Leader for the High Cross area having taken on the role earlier in the year in May. I have enjoyed seeing all the members achieve in lots of different areas. My role started with the remainder of the working rallies at Manor Farm Frolesworth and then went on to a series of test training in June for E-C at Misterton Riding Club which was very well attended. We also had a First Steps to XC at the club field which was great for the younger members in building their confidence and we also ran a XC rally at Ashby Magna for those a little more experienced. During the summer holidays there was a picnic ride at Fosse Meadows, but I’m afraid the typically English summer weather rained off the picnic, we also held a couple of rallies and a badge rallies at Misterton which proved very popular. Into September there was a continuation of test training and several members achieved the next level and have progressed well. A huge thank you to all the Committee of MDRC for allowing Pony Club to use their facilities, it is very much appreciated. Thanks also to Sue and Rob Tallis at Manor Farm Frolesworth. Thanks also to Sharon Boyd, Julie Tilley, Marie Watts for teaching and supporting me in my new role! Wishing all members and their families a very Merry Christmas. Lucy Brindley Section Leader – High Cross SUTTON CHENEY REPORT Well - 2015 is almost over! There have been some highs and some lows but yet again we have had a very enjoyable year. We tried a few new ideas – some worked well and others we will not be trying again. The First Steps rallies always go well and we spot our stars of the future, while having some hilarious moments. The best bit is seeing children improve before your eyes in literally minutes with all the “lead rein” riders riding off the lead rein by the end of the rallies in March and April. Thanks must go to our instructors for their dedication. We have done loads of badges and I see that new ones are being added in 2016 –although others will be discontinued. So if you want to get these then get in quick. C Test Training in April May and June was a great success with all candidates passing with flying colours. On 2nd May seven members took their Pony Club Road Rider Test and despite one falling off they all passed. We ran an Intro to Racing Badge in May which according to one member was “brill”. We had lots of laughs especially when some of the mums tried balancing on the barrel. Thanks to Katy and Katie for their instruction. Working rallies followed in June July and August despite the weather where we got very wet in June, soaked in July and just damp in August! In September we started D test training and again all have now passed. We are presently concentrating on D+ and moving towards C Test. We are also running achievement badge rallies for Feeding, Farming and Care of the Foot and hopefully by the time you read this we may have awarded some more of these as well as D+, Road Rider and C Test passes. A big WELL DONE and thank to all the Instructors, members and especially the volunteers who have been involved in 2015. Bring on 2016! Sue James Section Leader – Sutton Cheney WARTON SECTION I am pleased to have recently taken on the role of Warton section leader and my aim for the year ahead is to have on offer a variety of rallies and activities which are of interest and fun to all members. Therefore, to get us started I am able to announce that during the early part of 2016 we have dates in the diary at two new venues. Grangewood Farm Livery have kindly agreed to let Atherstone members use their superb facilities. Here we will be offering general rallies which are aimed at all abilities; those on lead rein, members jumping smaller fences as well as those jumping bigger fences. In addition to this we are holding a badge rally, kindly supported by a Pony Club parent, Caroline Wale, who is letting us use a function room at her premises. This is an exciting start to 2016. I would however like to take this opportunity to ask for members input for the year ahead. Please email or call me with your suggestions, whether it is something you are particularly interested in or ideas of possible venues, all suggestions are welcome as this will help to shape our year ahead. I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year and look forward to meeting you throughout 2016. Michelle Hydon Warton Section Leader [email protected] Tel: 07771 587633 or 01283 576082 SENIOR AND JUNIOR CAMP REPORT This year the Area Competition dates changed and camp was sandwiched between Eventing and Dressage and Show Jumping fell on the Wednesday of Camp. As a result we had 38 members in attendance as older members were competing or preparing for a competition. It was; however, lovely to see so many of them come along and help at camp this year. It was lovely to see the confidence of our members grow over the week and they had an opportunity to be involved in a mini ODE on the Wednesday which they all (members, instructors and helpers!) really enjoyed. We had an honorary camp member this year, The Pony Clubs ‘Pete the Pony’ came to camp and had fun leaning with the members. Our last day demonstration was a success and an opportunity for parents and relatives/ friends to see what the members had been learning over the period at camp. Followed by cake and tea in the marquee ahead of the awards presentation and the big tidy-up. Well done to all attendees, you achieved so much and, as always, we all found it a pleasure to support camp. I also have to say a very big thank you to all the volunteers who put in a tremendous amount of work in advance, during and after camp, we ask all parents to be involved in all areas, as this makes it easier for the organisers. As always, I would like to thank Louise Gilbert, for all her hard work, planning and preparation ahead of, during and after camp; making sure that we had enough instructors, the lesson plans balanced and that we utilise all of Bramcote Barracks resident XC jumps, imported SJ’s and dressage arenas. Andrew James and Jay Heath for the preparation for camp and support throughout and Jo Matthews for meticulously planning the helpers rosta. To Wendy our Stable Manager, Emily Matthews for being Assistant Stable Manager and our resident first aider George Duffin thank you as camp could not exist without you all. A thank you to all our helpers and to Nadine for the constant supply of cakes and Debra for collating the application forms for us. Camp 2016 This will be held at Bramcote and will run from Sunday 7 th to Friday 12th August. Camp cost will remain the same as 2015; under 12’s £245 and 12 years and over £295. Camp is a tradition of Pony Club and we are looking forward to seeing as many members there as possible this year; for those who do not know Camp at Bramcote includes: a safe environment for members to learn and try something difference or enhance their skills tuition from a dedicated professional and fully trained instructor throughout camp the ability to be considered for efficiency tests (if members are at the right level and have undertaken a level of training ahead of camp, working rallies are an ideal opportunity to gain this though Winter and Spring) and achievement badges stabling for all horses/ ponies; including a bail of shavings, hay and feed structured riding lessons twice a day where members will enjoy a mix of flat work, Show Jumping, Grid Work and Cross Country training delivered by highly trained instructors a daily stable management session lecturers delivered by a range of people for members not staying over lunch, drinks and a snack are included for members 12 and over (who stay over) lunch, evening meal, drinks, including hot chocolate and cream before bed, snacks and evening entertainment are included a grand finale presentation to family and friends on the last day of camp and most importantly having fun and making new friends! If you have any queries about Bramcote Camp 2016 please contact me. Application forms will be available in the New Year (watch the website and facebook) I would encourage you to get them to us as soon as possible to secure your place at camp. Julie Doherty Bramcote Camp Organiser MINI CAMP REPORT At this year’s camp we had 46 children riding in 8 groups with the age range from 4 to 12 years. The children were very fortunate to have been taught by some very dedicated and experienced instructors and you could see that they really benefited from the wealth of knowledge that the instructors were able to give. Many thanks to Louise Gilbert, Julie Tilley, Heather Wyles, Sharon Boyd, Ruth Willamett, Amelia Payne, Graham Savory and Pony Club Junior Instructor Beatle Payne. It’s always such a lovely venue at Lodge Farm by kind permission of Mrs Cantwell. The weather for the three days was good and the atmosphere was so friendly and fun with the parents being able to stay and enjoy watching their children riding. Mini Camp was run over three days with lots of space to go at and so many fields we were able to spread out and with two full set of show jumps, dressage arenas, games lines, grid jumping, and the wonderful paddock that the younger ones have great fun riding up and down the hills as well as miles of National Forest to ride on. Thursday afternoon was the day the parents and family came to watch their children; Mrs Cantwell put on a lovely barbeque with cups of tea and cakes. All the children went home with lots of rosettes and having had a lovely time. Many thanks to everyone that gave up their time, this is what makes it so much fun for so many children. Amelia Morris-Payne Mini Camp Organiser INTERMEDIATE SHOW JUMPING This has been a year of great development for the intermediate and open show jumping teams. Starting from January, we have had teams and individuals out at Inter Branch competitions, doing themselves and the branch credit. These competitions are excellent preparation for area and invitational competitions and I would encourage all members to take the chance to go out and compete. The winter months are an excellent time to practice techniques and try out new heights without any pressure. Area: In July we had two teams at Intermediate and one at Open for the Area. At Intermediate we had a team of Laura Brown, Joey Thirlby, Lucy Ibbetson and Annie Clarke. It was one of those days where luck wasn't on our side. However a beautiful turned out team were rewarded with first in Tack and Turn out. The other team of Beatle Payne, Anna May Vernon, Maddie Doherty and Florence Gilman also could have done with a little more luck. However the star of the day was Anna May, completing one of the few double clears of the day. She finished 5th overall and qualified for the championships. However our luck must have rubbed off as unfortunately a virus put paid to our hopes for them at the championships. At Open we had Charlotte Cooper, Steph Fairchild, Sophie Croxton Freya Mckinley and Lucy Tallis as an individual. Our open team were a credit to the branch and achieved the rare double. First and first in tack and turnout. All five showed great riding around 2 technical courses. They continued this at the Championships and were placed 9th out 22 teams. Steph Fairchild then also competed in the Elite competition and showed us just what a fantastic combination she and Jubilee are, finishing 4th to some very quick times but more importantly, they did not have a pole in any of the competitions. This year we were lucky to have entries in 5 competitions: Rockingham international Horse Trials: this is a new Pony Club competition designed for those just moving up to Intermediate level. We were lucky enough to have two teams so we were able to give several members the opportunity to experience a big event. Evelyn Hopkins, Anna May Vernon, Joey Thirlby and Lucy Ibbetson were placed 11th just out of the rosettes (not helped by a broken stirrup leather - a sign of future luck?) Megan Coventry, Ellen Szwec, Becky Sankey and Maddie Doherty were also just put of the placing but all showed some excellent jumping. Hickstead: we qualified for Hickstead last year at Area. The team of Sophie Croxton, Steph Fairchild, Freya Mckinley and Laura Brown completed the first round on 4 faults which was fantastic. This meant they didn't have to jump off and had qualified for the main arena second round. I can categorically say they are all braver than me! The course was full up and technical and they rode it beautifully. Finishing 7th was a great result (but a little frustrating as we were 1 pole from joint third) Steph Fairchild rode a double clear and qualified for the individual jump off. another clear gave her 5th individually, a fantastic result. Gatcombe: This competition was the day after Hickstead and is normally for Open riders. However as they were competing the day before, the Intermediate team of Joey Thirlby, Annie Clarke, Lucy Ibbetson and Laura Brown stepped up. Laura had also stepped in at the last minute for Hickstead and I am very grateful to Adrian for driving her around the country to do both. Held over two rounds, the team went into the second round as one of 5 teams on 8 faults, with 3 on 4 and 2 on 0 faults. With only the last two teams to go, we knew we were likely to be joint 6th but who would be faster. For a couple of disappointed moments they called the places and we weren't there. Then there was a “hang on, that's wrong” and we made it, 6th place. This is a fantastic achievement for the team who were competing against horses and riders regularly jumping 1:20m plus. Burghley: this is an under 18 intermediate competition. We sent a mixed team of Intermediate and Novice riders moving up to Intermediate. With so many competitions this year, it was nice to see so many riders representing the branch. Lucy Tunnicliff, Anna May Vernon, Meg Munro and Joey Thirlby looked extremely smart and missed out on best turn out by 1 mark. Lucy and Joey both did excellent clear round but both Anna's and Megan's rides were a little fazed by the size of the occasion and gave the girls a difficult round. However a wonderful experience for all. Blenheim: An Open team of Steph Fairchild, Sophie Croxton, Lucy Tallis and Beatle Payne represented the branch at the Arena Eventing, our first time back in the competition after a number of years. It is extremely popular and a ballot is held, this year we were fortunate to be pulled from the hat. A very tough full up course saw the girls do some lovely riding but not be placed. Steph again went clear and had a few time faults. It has been a busy but highly enjoyable year. Training will continue over the winter (please check the branch programme and facebook) All those jumping at Intermediate and Open, as well as those hoping to progress to these heights are welcome. Training concentrates on the technical riding needed to jump these heights. I look forward to seeing many of you there. Keep an eye out as well for inter-branch competition dates as these are an excellent way to practise, especially for those hoping to go to Area or represent the branch at invitational competitions. Finally thank you to all those parents there support, I wouldn't have such great teams without the efforts you put in. Jo Stuart-Matthews Open and Intermediate Team Manager NOVICE SHOW JUMPING Area Show Jumping Competition at Solihull Riding Club Lucy Tunnicliff, Aliyah Shafiq, Evelyn Hopkins, Becky Sankey, Will Boyd, Megan Munro, Jack Hewitt, Megan Ribton, Ellie Knighton, Ellie El Khamlichi, Lee Vaughan, Beth Heath. Such is our strength in numbers and talent that we were able to field 3 teams at the Area SJ at Solihull in July. With around 35 teams (over 150 riders!) in the class it was a very long day! All 3 teams finished round 1 on a zero score which was a fantastic achievement, unfortunately the B and C teams had the worst of the weather to contend with in Round 2 but all rode capably with just unlucky poles falling, both teams finishing on a score of 16 faults just outside the rosettes in 11th and 12th place. The A team fared slightly better, finishing on 12 faults and a very respectable 7th place but the biggest 'congratulations' must go to Megan Munro who jumped a triple clear to win individually and qualify for the Championships. Dengie Show Jumping Another Megan who deserves a big 'well done' is Megan Coventry who qualified for the Dengie SJ Second Round at Field House, finishing in a fantastic 3rd place after jumping 1 of only 3 double clears, and so qualifying for the Dengie Finals in April at Moreton Morrell. It wasn't her day on the day but what an achievement to get there! We have been well represented at many other branch competitions throughout the season with much success, Novice Show Jumping rallies and training will be on-going throughout the winter at several different venues so if you are capable of jumping 90cms or working towards this, please come along and join the fun! Sharon Boyd Novice Team Show Jumping Manager PreNovice Show Jumping In my first year as Junior Show Jumping manager it has been a thoroughly enjoyable time. As a branch we are very lucky to have some lovely and enthusiastic children coming along to Show Jumping rallies, and taking part in team competitions. I am sure that this has attributed to the many successes that they have enjoyed throughout the year, a few of which are highlighted. The year kicked off with success at the inter branch Pytchley Show Jumping competition at Onley which was to set a trend for the rest of the year. Two teams represented the branch in the 70cm and the 80cm with the team of Grace Duffin, Eleanor Davies, Lucy Watts and Ellie May Tilley claiming 2nd in both and Ellie May winning as an individual in the 70cm. The branch’s Easter Show Jumping competition was again a huge success, with a big thank you going to Sharon Boyd and Lisa Hewitt for all their hard work, along with those who volunteered on the day. The Atherstone excelled themselves throughout the day with the juniors leading the way in the first class. Sophie Reynolds, Alex Tomassoni, Freddie Boyd and Jessica Bishop took team 1st in the 45cm with five of the six individual placings being taken by Atherstone members. The 60cm class saw us take 2nd and 4th team placings. The 70cm was dominated by the branch claiming team 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Again four individual placings were taken by Atherstone members in this class, but it was Mia Brindley who took individual 1st with a lovely clear. In the 80cm the team of Eleanor Davies, Lucy Watts, Grace Duffin and Ellie May Tilley (pictured above) rode superbly and were delighted to take team 1st in a very competitive class. It was the first time for many at the Pre Novice Show jumping Area competition and we were able to enter two teams. There were a lot of nerves as one would expect but they all applied themselves admirably. The team of Mia Brindley, Thomas von Schweitzer, Harriet Body and Eleanor Davies (pictured) took a fantastic 3rd place, whilst the team of Alice Body, Lucy Watts, Keira Shafiq and Ellie May Tilley had a few unlucky poles with Jaymee Toon riding as an individual who also had an unlucky pole. The first of the Autumn Show Jumping competitions took us to the Fernie branch show jumping at Gumley. Elizabeth Horne and Harry Hewitt started a damp and foggy day with a mix and match team placing of 2nd and Elizabeth taking individual 5th. There was great success in the 70cm for the team of Sophie von Schweitzer, Grace Duffin and Mia Brindley who claimed team 1st with Sophie taking individual 1st. The 80cm saw Tsiah Woods take individual 4th. It got all spooky at the North Warwickshire Halloween Show Jumping with Harriet Boyd winning the best fancy dress costume. Sisters Emily and Sophie Reynolds took 1st place who were super quick in the ride and run class, both then going on to be placed individually in the 65cm. Evie Whitby rode a lovely clear round in the 75cm to take 4 th individually. It is clear that we have a keen junior Show Jumping section which I am proud to be a part of. A big ‘thank you’ goes to the parents for all their support of the children and each other. Many thanks must also go to the instructors who have been involved in the training throughout the year. It has been lovely to watch the members having fun and growing in confidence. I hope this continues as they progress and look forward to another fun and successful year in 2016. All rally and training dates can be found on the branch programme and on the Website. Marie Watts Junior/Pre Novice Show Jumping Manager DRESSAGE As always the Dressage Calendar starts during the winter months with the Dengie Winter League Qualifiers taking place, 11 members qualified for the Winter Area Competition once again held at Marchington. As always the Competition was fierce and the only Atherstone member to qualify for the Final held at Moreton Morrell in Warwickshire was Jess Corser. Jess was partnered by Pepper who went very well and in the final was just outside the top ten in a very strong arena. The Spring sees the Assessment days for the Pony Club Rider Development Pathway, a training system designed to identify and help talented members in Eventing, Dressage and Show Jumping progress their training, firstly through an assessment day and then a Training Camp for one member in each discipline picked from each of the nine assessment days. Members Maddie Doherty, Jess Corser and Ellie Mitchell took part in the dressage sessions and had a great day, see Jess’s report. Atherstone held a successful dressage competition at the Shenton Lane field which was a great afternoon/ evening for all. We saw some beautiful tests and it was a fantastic opportunity to practise the dressage tests for the Area Dressage and Eventing competitions. We will be looking to run a similar format in 2016 as all members who took part this year took a lot away from the competition and enjoyed themselves. The biggest day of the Dressage year is the Area 7 Dressage Qualifiers, this year held at Moreton Morrell in Warwickshire. We had 2 Novice Teams, 1 Intermediate and 1 Open Team. Our Open team of Sophie Croxton, Maddie Doherty and Lucy Tallis (unfortunately Amy Croxton was unable to compete on the day due to her horse going lame) were placed 2nd with Maddie being placed 5th in her arena and qualifying for the Pony Club Championships as an individual. The intermediate team were Izzy Beeston, Ellie Mitchell, Beatle Payne and Lily Taylor. Ellie very kindly stepped in at very short notice after Evelyn Hopkins horse Aslan became very ill (I’m pleased to say he has now made a full recovery). Beatle was placed 2nd in her arena and the team were a very credible 4th place overall. Our first novice team of Will Boyd (placed 4th), Ellie El Khamlichi (placed 5th), Beth Heath (placed 3rd) and Jack Hewitt had a very successful area where the team were placed first and they qualified for the Pony Club Championships. The other Novice Team who, although weren’t placed this year, were a credit to the Branch and showed much promise for future years consisted of Mia Brindley, Charlotte Fountain, Sophie von Schweitzer and Lucy Watts. August arrives and with it Championship season. This year saw The Novice Championships joining the main Pony Club Championships held at Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire. A few weeks before we had great news from head quarters that our Open team had been invited to the championships. Amy Croxton joined the team. They had a very early start and performed four very nice tests with Maddie coming 9th in her arena, and Sophie came a very credible 3rd in her arena getting herself a podium place, well done. Our Novice team, Mia replaced Jack Hewitt as the fourth team members as he had also qualified for the Novice Eventing at the Championships, enjoyed the experience of the championships and although not in the ribbons this year there was a great team spirit on the day and despite the pressure all riders seemed to have a good time. Then it was the turn of Dressage to Music where Jess Corser flew the flag for the Atherstone to compete in the Novice Dressage to Music class. She scored an impressive 74.3% to become National Novice Champion with a floor plan designed by herself. The Family pairs title went once again to Harry Hewitt and his mum Lisa. And so we find ourselves already looking towards the 2016 season. I cannot recommend the Dengie Winter League highly enough as a great way of competing over the winter and as an introduction to those who wish to start competing in Pony Club Dressage. Atherstone have just run a very successful competition at Weston Lawns where Ellie El Khamlichi, Ellie Mitchell, Phoebe Mitchell and Anna May Vernon have qualified for the Novice; Ellin Szwec, Lily Taylor, Charlotte Cooper and Hannah Sclater qualified for the Intermediate and Maddie Doherty qualified for the Open levels. We will be running a Dengie competition next year so look out for the dates. There is also the Pony Club Online Dressage Competition run monthly through Dressage Anywhere. Classes start from Walk, Trot and tests are videoed and uploaded for judging so no need to even leave home! If you would like further information on the AHBPC Dengie competition or Online Dressage Competitions please get in touch. I am sure I speak on behalf of all the riders when I thank all those who have been involved with Dressage this year if I name names I will surely miss someone off! As always though the biggest thanks goes to the parents who put so much time and effort in throughout the year, I hope the members have thanked you all. Well done and thank you to everyone who has made this year so wonderful, Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year I can’t wait for the start of 2016! Julie Tilley Dressage Manager RIDER DEVELOPMENT PATHWAY A year ago I applied for the Pony Club Rider Development Pathway as dressage rider. Although I met the required criteria it was a long nervous wait for the email which would confirm if I had been successful. That e-mail arrived in March and it was good news, I had been selected for the assessment day held at Warwickshire College. For the assessment day we were allocated ride times - one morning session and one in the afternoon. My ride partner was Emily from the Clifton on Teme Branch. Our assessor/trainer was International Dressage Rider Andrew Gould. In the morning session we worked the horses in and given tuition by Andrew. In the afternoon we rode with Andrew who was now looking to see if we could improve our horses. Andrew was pleased that I had taken notice of his guidance and was impressed with my improvement. From my assessment day I took some training tips which helped me with Pepper at home and in competition. I had a great day, watching the other candidates, learning and making new friends. It is an opportunity I would like to repeat and recommend others to apply; details can be found on the Pony Club website: http://www.pcuk.org/index.php/training/riderdevelopmentpathway/ Jess Corser MAGICAL MUSICAL RIDE Once again the Atherstone branch managed to put together a brilliant team for the musical ride to be held at the Championships at Cholmondeley Castle. I was especially grateful to be taking part this year after my unfortunate accident the day before the event last year which meant that I couldn't ride. The team was made up of ten this year, Ellie Mitchell, Lucy Watts, Francesca and Alex Tomassoni, Harriet Boyd, Ellie Mae Tilley, Jess Hill, Sophia Duncan, Harry Hewitt and myself. Most of the team travelled up to Cheshire the day before and camped over, doing this really adds excitement to the whole event and we all had a great time travelling around on the buggies, riding up and down on our bikes to check on the ponies and looking around the shops. In the morning we had a final run through before getting all dressed up which took ages but we all looked great as we rode off together to the main arena. Our theme this year was SPACE, we all dressed up as astronauts in white suits complete with reflective visors and oxygen tanks made from old milk bottles wrapped in foil. We even had a couple of aliens make an appearance at the end which the judges found very amusing. The ponies wore black satin rugs with silver sparkly moons and stars painted on. Julie Tilley and Sharon Boyd did a fantastic job of choreographing our routine to some really great space themed music including Star Trek and Thunderbirds. All the ponies were very well behaved and we completed our routine with no mistakes and we were all really happy and proud to have taken part. We got some lovely comments from the judges and all came away with a nice rosette and stable door plaque. I would recommend taking part in the musical ride to anyone, there is a lot of practising involved but it's always good fun. There is always a good range of ages and ability taking part so is open to anyone that fancies a go next year. Charlotte Fountain JUNIOR HORSE AND PONY CARE This year our 4 teams that were made up of; Jessica Corser, Ellie Mitchell, Elysee Williams-Ward (A), Grace Duffin, Mia Brindley, Ellie-Mae Tilley (B), Eleanor Davies, Hattie Evans, Lucy Watts (C), Molly Bevin, Elizabeth Horne and Sophia Duncan (D) started training in the early spring for the annual Area Horse and Pony Care competition. We all had to wait for a long time to see whether we were allowed to enter all 4 teams in as we normally only enter 2-3, when we heard the good news we were all over the moon with happiness and excitement for the big day. Eventually, the big day of the competition arrived and it all started when we pulled down the drive way to Hollyfast Equestrian. We all insured we looked immaculate for the turnout. (which team B achieved full marks for along with only one other team in the whole junior section!) Everybody was extremely nervous, even our instructors hoping all the best for us. As we all waited alongside the station we were due to start at, the judge explained what would happen and how we rotated around all the different stations. Then, suddenly, she blew the whistle. We were off. After we had rotated around all the different stations that had quizzed us on subjects like: shoeing, feeding, countryside access etc. We waited nervously for our results. The A team had successfully come in at a delightful 2nd place meaning they were through to the championships at Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire. The A team were further placed 6th at the championships, well done girls! The B team came in at a surprising and unexpected 3rd place, missing that unlucky one point to being lead to the Championships with the others! The C team came 12th place, at their first ever experience at the hours and pony care competition! The D team came home with a lovely 10th place, once again experiencing the tense environment for the first ever time! We would like to give a huge thanks, from ALL the teams, to Julie Tilley and Sharon Boyd for the brilliant tutoring and the amazing facilities we had to use! No-one could have done it without you. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH! Hopefully, a good turn out again and hopefully the same amazing results for next year! BRING ON 2016! Grace Duffin, Mia Brindley and Eleanor Davies JUNIOR HORSE AND PONY CARE AT THE PONY CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS It's not all about the riding! There is the opportunity to represent the branch at the Horse and Pony Care Competition. Preparation starts in February with the training in the warm! Teams are then selected ahead of the areas which are held generally around Easter. We couldn't repeat last year’s team as Georgia Ison was too old for juniors. So it was down to Elysee Williams-Ward to step in as the younger member and join Ellie Mitchell and myself. Areas went well, the hard work spent training paid off and we secured 2nd place at the areas and qualification for the Pony Club Championships in August! The Championships were exciting as it is our opportunity to put our knowledge to the test. For the Horse and Pony Care we have to have a good all round knowledge of how to look after our horses. We spent two hours working our way through the different sections. Then it was a nervous wait for points to be added up. I am pleased to say we secured 6th place at the Championships. Horse and Pony Care training and the competitions gives you a good excuse to expand your knowledge whilst being part of a team. After two years as a junior it's time to move on to the seniors - so I guess 'our' team will be needing a new member - could it be you? Try it - it's fun to learn with friends Jess Corser SENIOR HORSE AND PONY CARE Preparation for this year’s Area Competition was quite different as our Team of Beatle, Lucy and myself were quite well scattered and busy. Lucy was studying hard for GCSE’s in Leicester, Beatle was at University in Loughborough and I was in the last few weeks of College in Northamptonshire. It meant we all did a lot of revision of past notes and a lot of further work learning topics in ever greater detail on our own when we had a spare five minutes! The Care Competition tests members on the theory and practical elements of Horse Care right up to AH Standard so we never stop learning or dare to think we know enough! The Area was again held by the Heart of England branch who, as always, put on a great day for us all. It’s the fourth time Beatle and I have been together and the third year we have been joined by Lucy so it feels like a real team effort now. Finally after being second for the last three years by the narrowest of margins we finally lifted the Area Shield with a comfortable win. Both a relief and a testament to the hard work we have put in over the years. Area 7 is one of the largest and toughest Care Competitions with 13 Senior Teams competing, and the standard rises every year. It was lovely knowing we were off to Champs without waiting hopefully for a prized ‘Wildcard’ Getting together to train for Championships proved even harder for us than the Area, as while School and University had ended for the summer and I had finished College, I moved even further away as I left home for London and work! So the start of Championships for me meant a long journey firstly back home to Leicester, then an early start to meet Beatle and catch a lift to Cheshire! We were competing in the afternoon this year so we had a little time to look around and do some last minute revision, which included a conformation assessment of ‘Pete’ The Pony Club Mascot! The Competition started and we had a total of 10 sections each taking 8 minutes. This year’s sections included Travelling, Conformation, Mares & Foals, Shoeing, Lunging and Paddock Management. Unfortunately in the Travelling section our guinea pig horse without warning suddenly kicked Lucy twice in the leg. Lucy was quite badly hurt and obviously shocked as were Beatle and I. We sat out the rest of the section while Lucy was attended to. A unanimous decision by all of the examiners and officials allowed Beatle and myself to continue the competition though as expected we were thrown a little off our game by events. The rest of the Competition thankfully passed without incident. The results came and we were placed fourth for the second year in a row which is a great achievement especially with a man down. While we had hoped for a podium finish we didn’t want to stand on it without Lucy who was by now on her way home via the A&E Department! My lift back to Leicester the start of my journey back to London was going to be with Lucy so her dash to hospital meant I was now stranded in Cheshire. I can’t thank Chloe from the South Trent branch enough. Chloe was also competing in the Care Competition and in the true spirit of the Pony Club came to my rescue and gave me a lift home. So ended our Care Competition journey for 2015 – or so we thought. That evening one eagle eyed Atherstone Member was looking through the Pony Club’s Live Results Website and noticed we had in fact been placed third. On further checking from Andrew and Pony Club officials it was confirmed we had been third and we all missed out on the Podium finish. I’m pleased to say that Lucy was only badly bruised and didn’t break anything which was quite a relief and we were awarded replacement Rosettes and Salvers from Pony Club Headquarters. We also fully intend to be back in 2016 for another go. I cannot recommend this competition highly enough to all members, it’s helped me enormously, keeping my horse care knowledge fresh, updated and continually improving which in turn has helped me pass both Pony Club and BHS Exams. If anyone is interesting in having a go please get in touch with Sharon Boyd or Julie Tilley who will be delighted to welcome you on board. Anna Meadows TETRATHLON CHAMPIONSHIPS Myself, Jack Hewitt and Thomas von Schweitzer (junior boys team) qualified for the Tetrathlon Championships in August held at the fantastic Bishop Burton College in Yorkshire. It is a busy few days with settling in the ponies and setting up camp and a briefing on Thursday, swimming Friday morning, followed by shooting in the afternoon, and a very wet course walk! Saturday was XC day and then the final phase, running, on Sunday morning, and a huge prize-giving in the afternoon. All 3 of us managed some personal bests over the weekend and felt a tremendous sense of achievement jumping the amazing XC course. We were delighted to finish in 3rd place in our class as a team. It was great that Ellin was also competing for Atherstone at the Championships too, she was there in the junior girls competition and also did very well. Tetrathlon is physically challenging, but most importantly great fun, you don't need to be amazing - come and have a go! Will Boyd ENDURANCE After the successes of 2014 a disappointing year for Atherstone Pony Club endurance. We held an introduction to Pony Club Endurance rally on 30th March which was well attended but we only had one member Thomas von Schweitzer who took part in pc endurance during 2015. Thomas accompanied by his mum Sharon took part in the area endurance qualifier but unfortunately they took a wrong turn so finished outside the allotted time. There are some rule changes being introduced for 2016, there will be no area qualifiers. To qualify for the championships you need to have completed 3 rides with vetting within the required time. You do not need a specialised pony to take part in pc endurance but need to be able to ride confidently at mostly trot and canter for 2 to 3 hours. Children 13 years and under need to be accompanied by an adult. Endurance is great fun and we hope to see more members taking part in 2016. Lisa Hewitt Endurance Team Manager MOUNTED GAMES One Step Beyond for the Atherstone Hunt Prince Philip Junior Mounted Games team in 2015! Recipients of the AHBPC Team of the Year and 2015 Prince Philip Cup Junior Champions. Sounds good; and it was GOOD! Congratulations have to go to the whole Junior set up – from the very “first steps to games” rallies to the week in week out training of the Junior teams. We keep saying it but if it wasn’t for the enthusiasm, hard work and determination of the whole “team” of people involved we wouldn’t be able to achieve such a high standard and consistently perform at the dizzy heights of Junior Champions in 2015 and runners up in 2014 and 2013. Well Done EVERYONE! It all starts in the dark nights of January, training every Sunday until the clocks change and then every Wednesday until it’s over - generally August at the Championships. With over 30 rider and pony combinations in total (Seniors & Juniors) AHPPC is one of, if not, the strongest in depth at Mounted Games in the UK with great facilities and dedicated trainers, parents, support personnel and last but not least riders and ponies. Competitions come thick and fast from April and we were able to field 2 senior teams and 3 junior if not 4 on occasions. The first Prince Philip qualifier is Area in May. Our Senior A team arrived having performed very well at earlier friendlies and word in the fraternity seemed to have the Atherstone as an early potential HOYS candidate. The team didn’t disappoint and won Area by 3 points beating Warwickshire into 2 nd place and qualifying for the next round at Zone. A very satisfying result! The Senior B ended up 4th and missed out on qualification. Meanwhile the three Junior teams were competing hard and ended up 2 nd, 4th and 7th respectfully ensuring both A and B would be at Zone 8 weeks later. The C team missed by one place! After several more friendlies and the most ever external shows e.g. Cheshire Show, Burghley Game Fair etc. came ZONE – this is the best chance of getting to HOYS but you have to be on form and make a minimal number of mistakes! Senior A was second to Romney Marsh who just blitz everyone – (they actually lost at HOYS to Monmouthshire on the very last race of the season and that was harsh!). So a good 2nd propelled us to the Championships as one of the favourites. Junior A & B performed well at Zone with Junior A winning comfortably 19 points ahead of the nearest rival with Junior B, 6th. With another 7 weeks before Champs more friendlies and external shows were attended including a great Atherstone Friendly weekend at Ashby Parva courtesy of Mrs Frances Attfield (Recipient of the Cubitt Award for 50 years volunteering). Yet again Senior A showed signs of being the real deal and real challenger for not only Champs but potentially at HOYS. The Championships at the end of August soon came and after 8 months of training and competing it all came down to 2 hours of competition. A draw was made to split the 22 senior teams into to groups of 11. For some reason, this caused some anxiety, which seemed to be born out when 7 of the strongest teams were pitched against each other in the first competition of the day. Whether that made our senior team nervous or we simply had a bad day at the office, we were unable to make 6th spot (missed by 1 point) and therefore the season ended abruptly there and then. (East Cheshire who took sixth in the morning session ended up 2 nd in the afternoon and went off to HOYS for the 1st time ever.) Poppy Shaw on Rosie, Ellie Mae Tilly on Lady, Freddie Jackson on Toffee, Freddie Harris on Angel and Sophie Reynolds on Scallywag So it was all down to the Juniors who were firm favourites for the title along with one other team. With parents reduced to biting nails and looking the other way as the competition came to a climax our Junior A team battled it out with the Sir WWW’s and eventually won on the last race to become 2015 Champions – cue Delirium amongst a selection of the crowd! – After 2 years of being runners up now we were CHAMPIONS. So after all the excitement of 9 months, the ups and downs, cold nights, hot summer evenings and many weekends away the season fades away and we say goodbye to those too old for 2016 including Izzy Harris who rode for the England team at the International competition in Ireland as she was 3rd reserve at the England trial in March. Six Juniors move up to the seniors for 2016 which will swell the ranks and provide some interesting competition for places next year when we hope to put out 3 senior teams on a regular basis and we anticipate that many new juniors will appear and Matt will be working on defending the position of CHAMPIONS. WELL DONE to everyone involved this year, we hope you had a great time and hope that we’ll be seeing you in February and look forward to yet another competitive season in the 2016 Prince Philip Mounted Games. Marcus Palmer AREA EVENTING Offchurch Bury 25th July We had an exceedingly wet afternoon walking the XC course on the Friday, luckily the Saturday was gorgeous and we were bathed in sunshine. The competition stated with the Novices, we fielded 2 teams; the Hares team consisted of Harriet Gilman, William Boyd, Bethany Heath and Jack Hewitt and the Foxes team of Emma Spencer, Lucy Tunnicliff, Evelyn Hopkins and Ellin Szwec and two individuals Shannon Bibby and Ellie El Khamlichi. The XC course turned out to be very testing with only twenty six rides jumping clear from the ninety one starters. We achieved some amazing results with both Bethany Heath and Lucy jumping double clear to win their sections and qualify for the Pony Club Championships. Evelyn and Jack also jumped double clear with Evelyn coming second and Jack fourth, he heard later that he had also qualified when the third placed rider had to pull out. Well done to all the Novice riders who rode well even though some had problems. Having ‘lost’ Annie Clarke from the Intermediate Swifts team before the event and Lucy Ibbetson having to withdraw on the day, Megan Munro came into the Swifts team at the last minute. All the Swifts team of Joey Thirlby, Beatle Payne, Megan and Lucy Tallis jumped clear XC and finished fourth. The Swallows team of Laura Brown, Anna May Vernon and Florence Gilman went well with both Laura and Anna jumping clear XC, Beatle achieved best dressage in her section but with the last fence down and three time penalties XC she dropped to fourth place. Lucy had a superb day with a 22.7 dressage and clear XC to finish third and qualify for the Championships, again well done to you all. With only three Open members able to compete this year was a disadvantage at this standard but our riders still came home with rosettes, Sophie Croxton took the best dressage rosette and the team finished fifth. Emma Milner jumped an impressive show jumping clear round so it was unfortunate that she lost her stirrups jumping the fence in the water and had to circle before the narrow fence. Charlotte Cooper was a ‘star’ jumping double clear to finish third and qualify for the Pony Club Championships. Adrienne Beeston Team Manager EVENTING AT THE NOVICE CHAMPIONSHIPS It is a great achievement to qualify for the Pony Club Championships so I was delighted that we had members competing at all three levels of Novice, intermediate and Open. Lucy Tunicliff, Beth Heath and Jack Hewitt competed individually in the Novice competition. The cross country course was long and undulating and I witnessed some very tired ponies/ horses literally climbing over the last fence. Lucy and Jack both jumped superb clear rounds in the Show Jumping phase with Beth rolling just one pole. Lucy and Beth both jumped fantastic clear cross country rounds just inside the time. Jack went well with just a couple of hiccups at the water. We were all ‘over the moon’ when we heard that Lucy had finished a very credible 4 th. Well done to you all. Lucy Tallis competed as an individual in the Intermediate class, she was placed after the dressage phase and rode a lovely Show Jumping round and was unlucky to have one pole down. Watching her cross country round she was going really well but had the bad luck to be held on the course and had a couple of stops right at the end of the course but well done as the course was quite demanding and caused a lot of trouble, from the 163 starters only 58 jumped clear cross country. Charlotte Cooper competed in the Open class; she did really well to have only one pole down in the Show Jumping as it caused a lot of trouble with only one third of all the competitors jumping clear. As I was fence judging I was very conscious of all the stops, falls and eliminations so I was delighted when I heard on my walkie talkie that she had jumped the troublesome corner fence clear, she was unlucky to have a stop at the ‘bogey’ fence in the water but she finished in great style, so well done. From the nineteen teams competing twelve were eliminated and from the ninety five started only thirty one jumped clear cross country. Area 9 (Glous) seem to have a stronghold at the Championships as they seem to win year after year, this year they had seven individual placings and a win and a 3 rd place in the Intermediate teams and in the Open they had nine individual placings with again a win in the teams. Area 7 had two individual placings (including Lucy in the Novice) and a 4 th in the Intermediate teams, in the Open they had one individual place but the teams were eliminated. The Atherstone teams have been placed at all three level in the past and I am confident we have plenty of talented riders in our Branch to achieve team placings in the future and I look forward to the Area competition at Offchurch on Saturday 16th July 2016. Adrienne Beeston Team Manager PRESENTATION BALL 2015 A fabulous evening was had by all at the AHBPC Presentation Ball at Weston Hall Hotel, we had lots of support from members and family and it was a great way to celebrate the many successes of AHBPC through 2015. Below is a list of winners who won trophies and every member who represented the branch in 2015 a team competition received a medal for each of the disciplines. Trophy Winners 2015 PATTY JENKINS MEMORIAL TROPHY WINNERS 2015 Awarded for services to the Branch Beth Palmer TEAM OF THE YEAR 2015 Junior Mounted Games Team; Champions at the PC Championships Freddie Jackson, Freddy Harris, Ellie Mae Tilley, Sophie Reynolds, Poppy Shaw, Sienna Williams-Ward AWARDS FOR ACHIEVEMENT DURING 2015 Junior Boys: Junior Girls: Sophia Duncan Freddie Jackson, Freddy Harris and James Callaghan Intermediate Girls: Lucy Tunnicliff Intermediate Boys: William Boyd Senior Girls: Charlotte Cooper AWARDS FOR IMPROVEMENT DURING 2015 Senior Member: Lucy Tallis Intermediate Member: Beth Heath Junior Member: Harry Hewitt DISCIPLINE AWARDS 2015 Beeston Cup for the Highest placed member at Area Eventing Charlotte Cooper Marples Shield for Highest placed Member at Area Dressage Maddie Doherty Trophy for the Highest placed Member at Area Tetrathlon Thomas Von Schweitzer Endurance Cup for Highest placed Member Thomas Von Schweitzer Show Jumping for Highest paced Member Stephanie Fairchild Senior Mounted Games Rider of the Year Tom Clews Junior Mounted Games Rider of the Year Charlotte Kingham Palmer Trophy for Endeavour in Mounted Games Ellesha Beese BRAMCOTE CAMP TROPHIES 2015 Senior Camp Member Fran Tomassoni Junior Camp Member Hattie Evans Key Dates for your diary for 2016: 15th January 7th February 18th February 25th March 1st May 8th May 31st May 18th June 25th June 9th and 10th July 16th July 7th to 12th August 19th to 23rd August AHBPC Open Evening, Olivers Farm, Fenn Lanes Area Triathlon, Wrekin College Area Quiz, Lydbury North AHBPC Easter Show Jumping Competition, Solihull AHBPC Horse Trials, Bramcote Area Mounted Games, Hampton Lucy Area Horse and Pony Care, Bishops Castle Area Dressage, Moreton Morrell Area Show Jumping, venue tbc Area Tetrathlon, Ettington Area Eventing, Offchurch Bramcote Camp Pony Club Championships All AHBPC Committee members and Team Managers would like to wish members and families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We are looking forward to continued success during 2016, and wish all our members the very best for the coming 12 months.