Colette Walker in the Spotlight Localrider December 2018 January 2019

Localrider Magazine

FIVE PAGES OF GIVEAWAYS INSIDE THIS ISSUE! www.localrider.co.uk

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Winter 2018/2019

Show Reports & Local News, including...

Eventing Showjumping Dressage Showing Fancy Dress

and lots more...

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Winter 2018 / 2019 • VOLUME XVIII NUMBER 8

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In the Spotlight:

Show Organiser Colette Walker COVERING KENT, SUSSEX, SURREY, HAMPSHIRE, BERKSHIRE & THE ISLE of WIGHT

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SPOTLIGHT Colette Walker and Tyan Tyrianna pictured after they won the 65cm and 70cm Supreme Show Jumping Championship at the Sunshine Tour, which was held at Hickstead in September

From little acorns grow…

Left: Colette’s father John presenting the rosettes at one of the many shows Below, Colette’s support team: Chief photographer Graham Gott, Blake Walker, her father John Bryce, rosette maker Cathy Gott and show secretary Sarah Fawcett

Colette Walker (née Bryce) ran her first gymkhana when she was just eleven-year-old, now over 25 years later she is still running shows, but on a larger and grander scale…

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pupil at Barton Court Grammar School in Canterbury, Kent, Colette Walker’s school friends loved riding her ponies, which were kept at Kemberland Poultry Farm, Calcott Hill, Sturry, just a few miles outside of Canterbury. They longed to take part in shows and competitions like Colette did with her ponies at the weekend and that was when Colette’s father, John Bryce, suggested she ran a gymkhana for her friends at their field.

Idyllic afternoon of fun Colette bought some rosettes, her dad made some jumps, the BBQ was set up and Colette’s school friends arrived for an idyllic afternoon of fun. Word spread of the fun show and the local stable yard asked if they could come along next time. Colette said: “We bought a set of jumps, ran another show and it just went from there, with more and more people asking to be invited. Eventually, I started producing schedules on a typewriter and photocopying them, handing them out so that anyone could turn up and take part.”

The shows gained momentum and were very well supported, even if the occasional competitor was surprised to discover that they were being run by a school girl. Colette found the experience gained from running the shows very useful in some of her school activities, especially when she was elected Managing Director of her school’s Young Enterprise Company. Colette said the business had a successful year of trading and went on to win a few awards including Regional Company of the Year.

Moving to Essex Following school, Colette attended Writtle College in Essex, where she completed a BSc (Hons) degree in Equine Studies. During this time, she continued to run horse shows, finding new venues in Essex and across the South East.

Colette met her now husband Bradley when she was at school and he relocated to Essex with her when she went to university.

Following graduation, Colette’s skills and enthusiasm for running events saw her secure a position as a Fundraising Manager for a Charity based in Essex, where she organised a range of different events including jazz nights.

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Colette jumping her pony, Caprice II aka Filly at the annual show in Herne village in circa 1992

Memories of Colette’s early Horse and Dog Shows, which started in 1992...

Pictured Colette’s best friend, Sarah Fawcett, is the show secretary at the current shows.

Family life Eventually the couple decided to relocate back to Kent and a couple of years later their first son, Blake was born, followed a couple of years later by Harley. Both the boys have inherited Colette’s passion for horses and Blake, 11, has had much success in the show ring and show jumping, while Harley, 9, enjoys driving.

Collette said: “There was a time after starting full time work that I was going to stop running the shows, but my dad talked me into keeping them going, I’m glad he did!”

With the support of her family, husband, Bradley, her dad, John and mother, Yvonne, plus her best friend since she was seven, Sarah Fawcett, Colette has successfully combined running the shows with motherhood. 2017 saw Colette celebrate 25 successful years since the first ever gymkhana at Kemberland Poultry Farm and she is now running over 30 shows a year with a mixture of show jumping, showing, dressage, evening jumping shows, one day events and two-day Championship shows. Colette said: “If someone asks us to run a certain event, we will do some research and then hopefully give it a go.”

Fun, family run shows Over the years Colette has run a number of affiliated shows, but her passion is for the grassroots riders, encouraging youngsters on the lead rein and people attending their first ever show. Colette added: “If a horse refuses a fence we don’t ask them to leave the ring, instead we take off the top pole or lead them over the fence.”

The team’s ethos is fun, friendly, family run shows and anyone who has attended one of Colette’s Horse and Dog Shows will have experienced the encouraging support of the organisers and judges involved.

Colette summed up the shows, saying: “If asked what makes the shows a success, I would have to say it is a mixture of different

things. Firstly, it has to be the team that I’m very lucky to have involved. We’ve all been working together for a long time now and it just works.

Obviously, my dad, John “the gate man”, is fundamental to the events and is very much loved by everyone. But equally Graham Gott the photographer, his wife Cathy who makes our rosettes and helps at the shows, Sarah Fawcett the show secretary, Ian Leeves the first aider and my mum, Yvonne, who runs the dog shows. Plus, our brilliant team of judges and our other seasonal helpers are very critical too. Mostly I think we all enjoy running the shows and that shines through on the day of the events, if we are having fun, the competitors have fun too.

Secondly, we are careful about which venues we use and pick places where the ground is good and there is a certain standard in place. I always question “would I come here, would I jump on this ground or in this arena?”

Thirdly, but no less importantly, we try to be friendly and helpful to everyone. I like to think that nothing is too much trouble and that everyone can go away happy with at least one rosette. I remember at one show a horse in its dressage test kept spooking and was really upset, so the judge got up and led the horse around for the rest of its test. We are very lucky to have such super judges.”

Winning form When Colette isn’t busy running shows, she loves competing her Connemara pony, Tyan Tyrianna aka Molly. The supremely speedy combination recently took both the Supreme and Reserve Supreme 65cm and 70cm Championship at the Sunshine Tour Championships held at Hickstead.

As the 2019 competition season approaches keep a look out for one of Colette’s events near you. Good old-fashioned horse shows where the competitors receive encouragement and the aim is to go home feeling happy and hopefully with a gorgeous rosette too.

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