5 minute read
Riding Jane Paterson
The show season is here
BADMINTON 2022 did not disappoint. Perfect weather made it great for competitors and spectators alike. Plenty of sunshine, a gentle breeze and well-watered ground meant that the going was excellent, the trade stands didn’t get rained on, and the beautiful grounds of the Duke of Beaufort’s estate were not trashed, despite probably 250,000 people tramping round . . . oh, and of course, the horses!
It’s not just the 5* three-day event which takes place there now, but also the Grassroots championships for the lower grades of eventers who have qualified to ride in the final. There are both 90cm and 100cm classes for up and coming stars who get to ride round the fabulous courses built especially for them in this glorious parkland set in the Cotswolds.
Also there is a qualifier class held for the Dubarry Young Horse Event which aims to showcase potential future stars and has been very well supported, and will culminate in the final which is held in the autumn at Burghley.
This competition is now in its fourth decade and even to get to a qualifier means months of hard work getting a young four or five-year-old horse ready for serious competition. Judging on dressage, jumping, conformation and suitability is fierce and with the eyes on you as an individual, the tension mounts.
Local rider Jason Hobbs, who runs a competition and livery yard from Ham Farm, Yatton (owned by Mr and Mrs Crossman) entered two horses this year, one ridden by Jason himself, the other by Tom
With JANE PATERSON
Sloper, also a local rider. Tom went to work for Jason aged 16, planning to stay for a year, but is still there nine years later! He did well in the four-year-old class riding one of Jason’s horses and now is aiming to qualify for the 5* in the future on his own horse called Do Remember Me, whose stable name is Supermodel. Where do horses get these names from I ask myself? It was the 5* event which brought the real excitement to the weekend. In January I wrote about our local rider Selina Milnes from Yatton who was aiming for Badminton. Her dream came true when her beautiful gelding Iron, or Bentley as he is known at home, took her through the whole weekend pretty much foot perfect in superstar fashion in his first ever 5* event. Thanks to her loyal owners, Selina has managed to train this horse to a level that can only be dreamt about by most riders. Remember that Badminton is arguably the most prestigious international three-day event in the world and to even get there is a phenomenal achievement. This year there were 83 starters from 11 different countries, all at the top of their game. Selina was equal 30th after the dressage, then 29th after the cross country in which she had a clear jumping round but incurred a few time penalties. And then after a stunning clear show jumping round on the final day incurring only 1.6 time penalties, she and Bentley rose up the leader board, finishing in 24th.place. Absolutely brilliant! Out of the 83 starters, three withdrew after dressage, eight retired cross country and 13 were eliminated, then seven withdrew after the cross country, so to produce a performance like that among the world’s elite, well there are no words . . . we should all be Selina delighted with her dressage test proud of our local hero!
Jason presenting to the judge at the Dubarry young horse qualifier
More to look forward to
MORE shows for everyone are set to make it a fun summer. The 73rd Congresbury Horse Show (dogs as well) is on July 3rd, by kind permission of Alvis Bros.
Meanwhile the Mendip Farmers Pony Club have their summer camp to look forward to, as well as continuing to practice their mounted games regularly, keeping the mums fit as well as the ponies and children.
The Bath & West Show from June 2nd to 4th is always a great day out and will be featuring several equine classes from heavy horses to show jumping, and even shoeing, which will be of interest to aspiring farriers. Enjoy!
Pony club members compete in national championships
FIVEmembers of local Pony Club branches represented our area at the National Pony Club Winter Triathlon Championships.
Wylye Valley members Mim Gray, Gracie Gray, April Masters and Valentina Kemp and Banwell member Megan Tasker all qualified and made the long journey to Grantham, Lincolnshire, to compete against competitors from all over England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
The traditional Pony Club sport of tetrathlon comprises pistol shooting, running, swimming and cross country riding. However over the winter months the riding phase is dropped and a series of triathlons are run with the championships being the culmination of this series.
All five girls made their clubs extremely proud with their grit and determination, as well as coming away with a handful of personal best results.
The winter triathlons are open to all Pony Club members and are often popular with non-riding siblings. Check out the Pony Club website to find your nearest branch and their tetrathlon/triathlon representative.
Megan Tasker was eighth in Minimus
Equine entrepreneur
Maddie Abdullah, a horse-mad 15-year-old from Wells, has set up her own company, Harmony Horse, to help with the upkeep of Welsh cob mare, Dusty, bought on the last day that horses could be moved before lockdown in 2020.
She makes browbands for bridles, using leather, beads and diamante chain which she hand-sews into the browband.
Any profit made is either re-invested or spent on Dusty’s keep/events and allowing Maddie to attend courses to further her knowledge of the equine world.
An award-winning riding school in the heart of Mendip
Return to riding in 2022!
We all know it can be a bit of a challenge to get back in the saddle if you’ve not ridden for a while – but we have the answers! H Ride and coffee mornings H Adult group lessons H Quiet Hacks Call or email us for more details
