Equestrian Great news for competitors as Bath & West announce show A new Equine Showing Show is being held at the Royal Bath & West Showground in Somerset on May 21 and 22. The inaugural event will include a full complement of in hand and ridden classes, together with qualifiers for the RIHS & HOYS along with the Cuddy Supreme In Hand Qualifier. Head of shows Alan Lyons said: “The society are really excited to be hosting the Bath & West Equine Showing Show this summer. With the vast amount of space available on the Showground and the permanent facilities on site, we are confident that everyone will be able to enjoy two days of competing
THAT’S CHAMPION: A winner with their rosettes
in a covid-secure environment.” To ensure the safety of competitors, the event will take place behind closed doors under the guidelines of The Showing Council blueprint for hosting covid19 compliant equine events. Chair of the Royal Bath & West Society Horse Committee Jane Cooper said:
“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to run a two-day show for exhibitors to get out and enjoy themselves. We are moving back to the old horse area layout and will be using the Main Ring, Ring 2 and a new Ring 3.” The Bath & West of England Society was founded in 1777 in Bath by a group of philanthropists led by Edmund Rack to encourage agriculture, arts, manufacture, and commerce. The society continues to deliver a rich mix of established traditional exhibits through to the latest energy technology and contemporary entertainment. The entertainment and features around the 242-acre site ensure enjoyment for
every member of the family and include attractions that are spectacular to watch, educational, inspirational, “hands on” or just plain fun. Exhibitors will be able to enter online from March 15 and an online schedule will be available soon. If you are a previous exhibitor at the Bath & West, please note you will not automatically receive a printed copy of the schedule in the normal way. Closing date for entries will be May 3. No entries will be taken after this date and no entries will be taken on the day. For information about the Bath & West Equine Showing Show, visit bathandwest.com/equineshowing-show-2021
Important to check safety of our lorries As the evenings are getting lighter it gives me a little hope that maybe, in the not too distant Equestrian future, I will columnist once again Charlotte be able to Williams partake in that recently rare pastime of a horseshow! So, with hope in my heart, I thought it was high time Ivy my reliable Iveco had a thorough check-up before I can eventually hit the road (I can dream)! When you think that our equine friends are wholly dependent on us for their wellbeing in transit, our lorries’ safety should be high on our priority list. With this in mind, I rang my trusty mechanic Graham, who gave me the low-down on horsebox maintenance, 80
which made me realise how little I know about the basics of running a lorry coupled with the latest vehicle legislation. I had no idea that as of this month, lorries with front tyres that are older than ten years will be required to have new ones fitted. Graham enquired as to how frequently I checked the tyres for the correct pressure, depth of tread, exposed wires and bulges, and stressed these checks, coupled with having a roadworthy spare
tyre on board, were vital to avoid blow-outs and other nasty incidents. The one thing I am careful about is checking the floors of my lorry. Horse wee is a huge culprit in causing rotting wood and aluminium corrosion. And this is something that you can check yourself by just getting under the lorry and having a good look. If you are in any doubt, just ask your mechanic. A close friend of mine trains fire crews in livestock rescue.
She reliably told me that being called out to a horse who has fallen through the floor of a moving vehicle is one of the worst scenes to ever deal with and said this scenario is easily avoided. Similar checks should be carried out on ramps as they take a lot of strain. When you think of how much time, love and money we pour into our horses, it makes sense to spend a little time running through a few basic checks before we set off. As Graham reminded me, just because your lorry has a plating certificate and is roadworthy, is it horseworthy? As an aside, breakdown cover is money very well spent. I know from experience that sitting on the side of the motorway waiting for recovery is no fun at all, but I cannot imagine how awful it would be to break down with horses on board without it.
