North Eastern Driving Trials
NEWSLETTER
Dear Member,
This is the first newsletter of the season and by the time you read this we will have had at least one event. The weather has once again played it’s part, with the first PLAE day at Escrick having to be cancelled as the whole of the grounds seemed to be underwater! Luckily for us things improved and the actual weekend of the two day event was glorious. There is a full report and results on the website but the class winners were as follows:
Pre-Novice: Novice Pony Novice Horse
1. Jodie Dick 132.65 Anne Hampshire 175.84 Penny Hartley 201.14
2. Ruth Bamforth 144.46 Kim Usher 198.36
3 Alicia Castleton 167.37
Int. Pony Int. Horse Open Pony
1. Birgitta Kronqvist 120.82 Graham Heath 105.30 Glenys Ellis 109.88
2. Heather Clark 141.42 Wendy Mason 135.36 Alec Jeffrey 121.41
3. Rosie Mould 161.21 Lorraine Swift 144.61
Open Horse Pairs Teams/Tandems
1. Patti Atkinson 104.89 Chris Hillman 174.36 Pat Cooper 147.17
2. Steve Hoyle 118.19 Sara Bower 194.83 Robert Bowman 168.55
3. Susan Henry 123.30
National Qualifier – Pony National Qualifier - Horse
1. Emily Ham 114.39 Steve Nichols 125.18
2. Deborah Daniel 118.55 John Wilkinson 130.38
3. Ross Wilkinson 121.24 Trevor Holmes 141.88
Best Dressage Best Marathon
Novice Adrienne Reed Novice Anne Hampshire
Open Judy Hilditch Open Patti Atkinson
Pairs Sara Bower Pairs Chris Hillman
Team/Tan Pat Cooper Team/Tan Robert Bowman
Lowest Overall Score Patti Atkinson. Well done to everyone and particularly club driver Steve Nicols, who has booked his ticket to the Windsor Championships nice and early!
New to the job of Volunteer Coordinator, Penny Hartley was very pleased to see so many helpers come for the tea & biscuits after the marathon at Escrick. She would like to thank all the people who baked cakes etc and those who helped with the teas. There will be a similar gathering in the marquee after the marathon at Ripley and it’s hoped that all the helpers will come there at the end of the event for some well earned refreshment. Penny also wants to give her grateful thanks to those people who offered to steward at short notice on Saturday at Escrick.
Computer Scoring:
Escrick also saw the first trial of the new computer scoring system and all seemed to go very well and can only get better as we get used to using it. The results were on the website by Sunday evening thanks to Ray Bragg.
PLAE Day:
Following the cancellation of the first PLAE day due to flooding, the second one went ahead as planned on 2nd May. Nine drivers took part and the weather was reasonably kind to us! A big thank you to everyone who gave up their time to set up and run this PLAE day.
Ripley Castle:
A good entry for Ripley is anticipated and we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for good weather. A
new bridge has been constructed across the gully near the water obstacle so that entry into the last obstacle is better. You can check out pictures of this construction on the website. On the Saturday evening Ken Walmsley will be lighting the BBQs at the marquee so that folk can bring their own food to cook. Come along and bring your tables and chairs so that we can all have a great get-together.
More Modern Technology:
For future events, the entry confirmation letter will be sent out by email and after the event competitors will be able to download their own results from the website. If you’re unable to do either of these things please let Janet Nicols know and she will be able to send them to you by post. Janet will be at Ripley. Making use of this technology will mean we can cut out a lot of the paperwork and do more via the website, which can only speed things up and improve our carbon footprint!
Website:
Alwin Harrison is now managing the club’s website which I hope most of you get the chance to visit on a regular basis. Alwin currently has a call out for old pictures of club driving from years gone by, so if you have any you can let him have please send them to webmaster @nedtl.co.uk
The club also now has it’s own Facebook page. For those of you not already signed up to to the social networking site there may hopefully soon be a link from the club’s website. If you are already signed up you can just search for us in the normal way.
Sponsored drive:
This year’s sponsored drive was a rip-roaring success and raised over £6,500 for Help for Heroes. Well done to Sheila Hawking and her team and to all those who took part and did their bit for this extremely worthwhile charity.
Allerton Park:
As you will no doubt know by now, due to circumstances beyond our control we have had to move the date of the Allerton Park event. It will now take place on the 17/18 July, effectively swapping dates with the Nidd event which now moves forward to 12/13 June. Please make sure you have amended your calendar!
Stewards etc:
None of our events can take place without the help of our loyal and hardworking band of stewards. Seriously, no matter how good the venue, dressage arena or obstacles, without those volunteers there would be not one single competition! So, if you can help in any way, even if it’s only for a short time on either Saturday or Sunday, please get in touch with Penny and offer your services. Penny’s details are: Tel: 01535 273041; Mobile 07710 382008; Email pennyhartley@tiscali.co.uk
From Nigel Williams, BHDTA Club Representative:
Proposed “World Cup” Competition
With my BHDTA club liaison hat on, I would like to draw the attention of NEDTL members to a proposed competition appropriate for club drivers. It takes the form of a World Cup event, each regional winner or winners to compete at the Windsor National Championships in one of the two arenas. However, due to the date of notification and an already full schedule, the NEDTL committee have not found it possible to implement qualifying events this year. Should any club members wish to know more about this novel idea, I refer them to the BHDTA discussion forum; Martyn Willis 13.01.10 and 15.03.10. Expressions of interest will be noted for future reference .
Here’s wishing you all a happy and successful driving season.
Jane Wilson
North Eastern Driving Trials
NEWSLETTER
Dear Member,
Another year is almost at an end and I hope you’ve all had an enjoyable and successful driving season on whatever level you’ve participated. The indoor events continue as detailed in your last newsletter and on the website and Pat Cooper will be happy to hear from anyone who wants to take part and keep their eye in over the winter period.
AGM:
An important date for your calendar will be the AGM. This will be held at the Bridge Inn, Walshford, Nr. Wetherby on Sunday 3rd January 2010. (Hopefully you will all have recovered from your New Year’s hangover by then!). There will be coffee and tea on arrival and the meeting will start promptly at 10.30am. This will then be followed by an open discussion for members. This year, Pat Cooper, Brian Anderson and Sue Oddie are due to retire, but all three are willing to stand for re-election. However, nominations are open to anyone else who wishes to serve as a director on the NEDTL committee. So, if you feel you would like to come on board and can find someone to nominate and second you (both of whom must be members of the club) then we would be delighted to hear from you. Enclosed with this newsletter is all the documentation you need for the AGM (minutes from last year’s meeting, agenda, notification of amendments to the constitution and rule changes) together with a nomination paper for election to the committee which must be filled in and returned to Sue Oddie by 28th December 2009. So don’t delay, fill it in today! Remember, this is YOUR club, run for YOU, so please come to the AGM and have your say. The open discussion session which follows the official business of the AGM is a great opportunity to air your views on any topic driving-related. We look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible. Also, just by way of a reminder, memberships fall due on 1st January 2010 – a new membership form is included in this paperwork, which should be sent back to Joanne Thomas at the address given.
Promotions for 2010:
Two people are due to be promoted up from the Novice to the Intermediate class. These are; Kelly Wilson (Novice Pony) and Steve Nichols (Novice Horse). Both were worthy points winners for 2009 and we wish them both well in the intermediate class for 2010. All other classifications remain the same.
Outdoor Dates for 2010:
Ten outdoor activities are planned for 2010 including potentially six two day events. The calendar will read as follows:
27th/28th March Sponsored Drive at Escrick Park. This year the sponsored drive will be to raise funds for “Help for Heroes”, a charity which provides assistance to those serving personnel who have been wounded in Britain’s current conflicts.
5th April (Mon) PLAE day, Escrick. 17th/18th April Two day event, Escrick (NQ)
12th May PLAE day, Escrick 15th/16th May TDE, Ripley Castle
22nd/23rd May Training weekend, Escrick 12th/13th June TDE Allerton Park
17th/18th July TDE, venue to be announced 21st/22nd Aug TDE Newby Hall
18th/19th Sept TDE Escrick Park 25th/26th Sept Junior Champs, Escrick
This year, alongside the club classes, we’re proud to announce that Allerton Park will be running as a National Regional Event for the BHDTA. This means that anyone who wishes to do so (and who has the appropriate membership) can opt to enter the National class and have a chance to qualify for the Windsor championships. There will also be another Novice Qualifier at this event which means the club is offering members two bites at that particular cherry in 2010.
Computer Scoring:
We are now a little further down the road of obtaining a computer scoring system for our events which will hopefully streamline proceedings in the not-too-distant future. To this end, Barry Hilditch is organising a training session in the new year with Ray Bragg, who is an expert in this field! Places are limited so, if you are able and willing to offer your services as a scorer at one or more events next year, please get in touch with Barry (01924 848951) to book a place. Candidates must be familiar with Microsoft Excel.
New Appointments:
I’m delighted to be able to tell you that there are two new appointments to facilitate the smooth running of Club events in the future. Janet Nichols has stepped forward to take on the role of Entries Secretary following the retirement of Lorraine Swift and Penny Hartley is taking over from Mary Longbottom to organise stewards and helpers for all our events. I’m sure you will join me in wishing them all the very best in their endeavours and to say a big THANK YOU to both Janet and Penny for taking on these vital roles. Contact details are as follows:
Janet Nichols (Entries):
Phone 01845 501955; Mobile 07721 778124; Email janetnichols251@btinternet.com
Penny Hartley (Helpers):
Phone 01535 273041; Mobile 07710 382008; Email pennyhartley@tiscali.co.uk
Helper’s Lunch:
Don’t forget, you loyal band of helpers, the lunch to say “thank you” is early this year, on Sunday 31st January 2010. Please give Mary Longbottom (07761 158194) or Pat Cooper (07961 564348)a call to book you place.
For Sale:
Large Ifor Williams 610. To carry one horse or pony plus carriage. Excellent condition. Tel: Mary Longbottom 07761 158194)
It just remains for me to wish you all, on behalf of your committee, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
It doesn’t seem possible that we’ve already said goodbye to another season and that the end of the year is upon us once more. However, without doubt we went out in a blaze of glory, with an extremely successful and well attended event at Escrick Park, where once again we enjoyed fantastic weather. In the absence of an Inter-club Championship, class winners were awarded trophies for being Northern Champions in their given class, and the results were as follows:
Pre-Novice Ch. - Ross Wilkinson: Novice Pony Ch. - Anne Hampshire
Intermediate Pony Ch. - Rosie Mould Open Pony Ch. - Gary Brown
Novice Horse Ch. - Steve Nichols Intermediate Horse Ch. - Wendy Peckham
Open Horse Ch. - Mike Howard Pairs Ch. - Douglas Strachan
Pony Tandem Ch. - Jeff Ormerod Horse Tandem Ch. - Pat Cooper
Well done to all of you!
Of course, being that Escrick was the last outdoor event, the Club Points Championship was also decided. The results of that are:
Novice Pony - Kelly Wilson (9 points) Novice Horse - Steve Nichols (14 points)
Intermediate Pony - Jill Williams (5) Intermediate Horse - Wendy Mason (9)
Open Pony - Gary Brown (17) Open Horse - Judy Hilditch (13)
Pairs - Tony Mould (9) Tandems/Teams - Pat Cooper (13)
Well done again and thanks to all those competitors who have helped to make this season such a success. Trophies and rosettes will be awarded at this year’s dinner dance – more of which later.
It is interesting to note that in a year of recession, with everyone talking about the “credit crunch” our entries have been up on all previous years. In 2009 a total of 53.4 competitors per event took part (not including those drivers who competed on one day only), compared with 45.6 in 2008. All in all, a very encouraging trend – lets hope we can continue this in 2010.
We planned six events this year and held five of them (Streatlam having had to be cancelled) and it was particularly good to see that the pre-novice class has been well supported. Hopefully, we will see the novice pony and novice horse classes slightly more well-filled in 2010 as some of those competitors move up.
National Champions:
The Club was very well represented at the 2009 Championships and I’m delighted to say that Judy Hilditch was crowned National Open Horse Champion and Lynn Winder National Open Pony Pairs Champion! Well done to both of you and to everyone else who qualified and competed at Windsor.
Changes for 2010:
The club faces many challenges going forward into next year and how successfully we progress as a club will be largely down to you as members.
First of all, I have to tell you that after five years of hard work and unswerving dedication to duty, Lorraine Swift is retiring as entries secretary. I’m sure you will all join me in saying a big “thank you” to Lorraine for carrying out this task so well. Naturally, this leads me to putting out a heartfelt plea for someone out there who would be willing to step up and take on this role. If you think this is a task which you could do, please contact Sue Oddie on 01924 368126. Sue – and Lorraine – will be happy to give you an idea of what’s involved.
Also retiring at the end of this year, having done what is an extremely difficult and time-consuming task for fourteen years is Mary Longbottom, who is giving up the vital job of finding all the helpers which are needed to run each event. Again, we are looking for a dedicated person to step into Mary’s shoes and perform this task. If you think it’s something you could do, contact Sue Oddie and let her know. Mary tells me she is more than willing to help ease the new person into the job. Mary has also asked me to pass on her thanks to the wonderful team of helpers who have continued to step up to the plate over the years.
We look forward to seeing Mary and Lorraine – unencumbered by the duties of office – at our events next year!
Also hopefully for next year, the club is actively going to pursue the advanced technology that is computer scoring! Vice Chairman Barry Hilditch is looking into what programmes are available and this may even impact onto the job of the entries secretary, if we are able to offer entries on-line. Computers need people to operate them however, and as we have in the past, we are asking for anyone who is able – or knows someone who is able, not necessarily a club member – to help form a team to undertake this task. If we are able to train a team of people to computer score, then the job can be spread between them and therefore it’s won’t be necessary for any one person to commit to having to score at every event. Again, Sue Oddie is the person to speak to about this.
Of course, you don’t need me to tell you that these administrative duties are every bit as vital to the successful running of club events as having people willing and able to build obstacles or lay out the dressage arenas. Without people to take on these tasks we are in real danger of being unable to safely organise the five events planned for 2010. So, if you think you can help, please let Sue know.
Northern Venue?
Sadly, the event planned at Streatlam this year had to be cancelled due to rain of biblical proportions which flooded the course. Next year, five events are planned, all of which are to take place within the area between Escrick Park and Boroughbridge. Although it would be great to hold an event in the far North of our region, there are logistical problems attached to doing this. So, this note is by way of a plea to any of our members who live in that area to ask if you could possibly get together, find a suitable venue and organise such an event on behalf of the club. As competitors, you know what we need in terms of terrain, area available and suitable marathon route etc. There is currently a gap in the calendar for July 2010, so if you think you could fill it – or would at least like to try, please contact the club and express your interest. Alwin Harrision, Ken Walmsley or Barry Hilditch will be able to advise you or answer any questions you may have, so give them a call. (Their contact details can be found on the website).
Junior Drivers: Due to the interest expressed by junior drivers wanting to compete at North East Events, the committee has agreed to amend the club rule which governs the age at which a junior can compete. From 2010 juniors who have attained their twelfth birthday by the date of an event they wish to enter, will be able to compete in all three phases of NEDTL two day outdoor events. However, they must be accompanied by a responsible, equine-experienced adult. Assessments will still apply to new drivers, junior or otherwise, and anyone under the age of 18 MUST wear a back protector whilst on the carriage. This rule applies to drivers and grooms.
On the subject of rules, don’t forget that you can access the BHDTA rule book on line from the BHDTA website. The rule book covers all aspects of competition from widths, weights and times to penalties for being late to the start of Section A! Unless otherwise stated, the NEDTL runs in accordance with BHDTA rules.
Small Ponies: Last year we asked for anyone out there who was interested in the club running a special class for small ponies to get in touch. The low number involved means that it is not practical to run a separate class, but for next year, walk times will be amended to allow ponies that are under 11.2 hh more time in this section of the marathon.
Indoor Season:
As one door closes another opens and the indoor season kicks off at Ledston Equestrian Centre on Saturday 31st October 2009. Other dates are as follows:
Ledston Equestrian Centre: Croft Top, Haslingden:
31st October 09 5th December 09
15th November 09 9th January 2010
13th December 09 6th February 2010
17th January 2010 6th March 2010
21st February 2010
21st March 2010
For Ledston events contact Pat Cooper on 07961 564348 and for Croft Top contact Margaret Brockie on 01204 531301. Further details and entry forms can also be found on the website.
Club Regional Representative:
I am pleased to tell you that, following the retirement of Barry Hilditch from the National Club Liaison Committee, Nigel Williams has been voted on in his place as the Regional Representative for our area. This gives us both an ear and a voice at National BHDTA level and I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing Nigel all the very best in his endeavours.
Spare Paint? As if he’s not going to be busy enough, Nigel Williams has also asked me to send out a plea for any left over brightly coloured gloss paint you may have lying about in your garage or garden shed. This is for the decorating and embellishment of obstacles, etc. He also asks for any other items which you feel would aid in this way – (he particularly quotes an inflatable Santa, or similar), unused plywood, tarpaulin or w.h.y. (Stands for what have you, apparently!) If you can help, please get in touch with Nigel.
Helper’s Lunch: The helper’s lunch will be held as usual at East Keswick Village Hall on Sunday 31st January 2010. This is the club’s way of saying a big thank you to all those people who turn out time and again and provide the very necessary assistance to run all our events. Please get in touch with Mary Longbottom or Pat Cooper to put your name down for this. Book early!
Dinner Dance: The 2009 dinner dance will take place at The Bridge Hotel, Walshford, near Wetherby on Friday 20th November 2009. Tickets cost £20 each and are available from Sue Oddie (order form at end of newsletter). As well as a great chance for an end of season get together, the trophies and rosettes will be awarded to the winners of the 2009 points championship. So, if you’re a NEDTL champion, come along and enjoy your moment in the spotlight!
Trophy Returns:
If you were the recipient of a points trophy last year, can I ask you please to return your trophy to Sue Oddie as soon as possible in order that it can be presented at the dinner dance on 20th November 2009. This year we will also have an opportunity to award the trophy for the best Junior driver, which has been won by Ross Wilkinson (age 14).
And Finally . .
Just another reminder that if you have anything interesting (driving-related) which could go on the website, please send it to David Wagstaff-Myers for his consideration. The website has now received over 23,000 hits, so it’s important that the front page changes regularly so people are tempted to scroll down and try looking at other items. In order to do this we need items of interest for David to put on there. All David’s contact information is on the website.
Your next newsletter will contain a roundup of all club events over 2009, dates for 2010 and will also bring you information about the AGM, due to be held in early January 2010. Remember, the AGM is an ideal opportunity for you to come along and have a say in the running of your club.
Until then, I look forward to seeing you all at the dinner dance – don’t forget to fill in the form at the end of this newsletter and send it to Sue Oddie for your tickets.
Spring has sprung! The hedgerows are flushed with green, daffodils are performing their usual golden host stuff, birds are singing and best of all, light nights are back! I hope you’re all enjoying this season of the year as much as I am and making use of the current spring weather to get your horses/ponies fit for the forthcoming season.
Of course waving goodbye to winter (hopefully!) also means waving goodbye to the indoor championship, which concluded on 22nd March 2009. All the points were added up and the winter champions are as follows:
Novice:
1 Birgitta Kronqvist (21 points)
2 Ruth Jackson (19)
3 Sarah Clarkson (17)
4 Catherine Worsman (6)
Open:
1 Jane Wood (19 points)
2 Val Whitesmith (13)
3 Ruth Hirst (11)
4 Wendy Mason (10)
Congratulations to the overall winners and well done to everyone who turned out to support the winter indoor competitions.
Stewards Training Day:
The stewards training day, organized by Sheila Hawking, took place in the South Milford W.I. Hall on Sunday 22nd March. Committee member and willing participant Nigel Williams sent us this report:
“48 stewards mustered at South Milford ready for a pre-season symposium on stewarding, observing and time-keeping at horse driving trials, as well as to hear the effects of the new BHDTA rulings. Philip “Mr.TD” Bateman produced a day of projected presentation, explaining the features of the rule changes introduced this year with reasons for the adjustments highlighted and coupled with Philip’s experiences from his national and international career as TD.
Lateral thinkers were unleashed when the subject of the steward’s – or more correctly the observer’s - role at an obstacle was discussed. When has a turnout actually left an obstacle? And what does constitute a “groom down”? Numerous scenarios were put to the speaker, mostly involving grooms with the wall-walking powers of Spiderman and the hopping ability of Zebedee! Rules cannot cover every eventuality but a steward in doubt should note accurately what happened and call in the TD – let him sort it out. Sheila Hawking and her army were kind enough to produce an excellent light lunch during which discussion appeared to be – strangely enough – horse-based!
Clearly the most useful knowledge by far is derived from direct field experience but I am sure that all attending benefited from this guide to the new rule changes. New stewards – sorry observers – will be a little more confident when they hold up their first turnout in 2009. Well done and thank you to all those responsible for this event!”
I am sure all those who attended found the day useful and that all competitors can rest assured that our stewards are now well-versed in all the latest information. Thank you to Sheila and Philip for facilitating this training.
PLAE DAYS:
There are still some places available for Douglas Strachan’s PLAE days so he is opening these to any novice or open driver who would like to come, until such time as the places are all taken. The dressage arena, cones course and flagged obstacles will all be available and. as per usual, novice/new drivers will be allocated a “god parent” in the form of a more experienced open driver to help them through the day. If you are interested in taking part please give Douglas a call on 01482 632170. Plae days are on Saturday 11th April, Saturday 25th April and Sunday 10th May.
“INTRODUCTION TO DRIVING TRIALS”
This event takes place at 7pm on the evening of Saturday 18th April at Willerby Hill Farm, near Beverley, E. York's. It is aimed primarily at people from other spheres of equestrianism who might not have given a second’s thought to driving, in the hope that we can persuade some of them to think about having a go! However, all are welcome, it’s free to get in, there’s a good cafe which will be open on the night and we have some great raffle prizes! So, please feel free to come along and lend your support.
SPONSORED DRIVE:
As you will all no doubt be aware, the date of the sponsored drive had to be altered at the last moment due to a double booking of Escrick. It will now take place on Sunday 19th April, starting at 10am. This year’s recipient of monies raised is The Alzheimer’s Society which I’am sure you will all agree is an extremely worthy cause. There will be flagged obstacles to drive which are optional and as an additional bonus this year there will be a dressage arena and a cones course laid out, which drivers can utilize for a small donation to the cause! If you find you are able to attend the sponsored drive, or even if you would just like to make a donation, please contact Sheila Hawking on 01977 682298
TRAINING WEEKEND – ESCRICK PARK
Back by popular demand, the annual training weekend will be held again this year at Escrick Park on Saturday and Sunday the 16th and 17th May 2009. The format will be similar to last year, in that there will be instruction in dressage and cones as well as a chance to perfect your obstacle driving skills.
Dressage trainer Joyce Fearn will be available again this year and hopefully – as she proved so popular last time – we can arrange for everyone to have at least one session with her, possibly even two. There are a maximum of twelve places available which will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis so if you would like to book a place, please let me know as soon as possible. There will be the usual bring-your-own-food get together on the Saturday night. Contact Jane Wilson 01430 828133 or email jane_m_wilson@yahoo.co.uk
SPRING TRAINING:
For those of you wishing to brush up on your dressage skills for the forthcoming season, we are able to offer some training sessions with Joyce Fearn at Escrick Park. At the moment, these will be mid-week (due to Joyce’s availability), although it is hoped to organize some weekend sessions later on. So, if you are free mid-week (possibly into the early evening), or can juggle your work accordingly, and would like to put your name down for a session, please give me a call on 01430 828133 or email me at jane_m_wilson@yahoo.co.uk The next session will be on Tuesday 28th April 2009 and is open to anyone who would like to come.
COMPUTER SCORING:
We now have four people who have put their names forward to learn how to do computer scoring but we would like a few more please! The system we used at Escrick last year worked extremely well and was fast too, which meant that presentation happened earlier and everyone got off home in good time! If you think you would like to have some training in how to do this then please get in touch with Sue Oddie on 01924 368126
MEMBERSHIP DETAILS:
As I am sure you all know, as we keep a list of members we are bound by the Data Protection Act 1998. This means that we cannot divulge any of your contact information to anyone else without your permission. This has caused the membership secretary some difficulty as apparently she is often contacted by one person in the club wanting the telephone number of another! Being bound by the DPA, she is of course unable to give this information out.
However, we know that some other clubs produce lists containing names, addresses and telephone numbers for their members, which is then given out to all the members. We would like to know therefore, what your thoughts are on this. It is something we could perhaps think about doing for next year, assuming we have specific permission from each person on the list. Perhaps a “tick-box” could be included on the membership form? In the meantime, please don’t ring Joanne up for anyone’s contact details – she can’t give them out!
2009 EVENTS:
Just to remind you all, event dates are as follows:
2nd/3rd May Ripley Castle
23rd/24th May Escrick Park (Qualifier)
13th/14th June Allerton Park
18th/19th July Streetlam (new venue)
22nd/23rd August Newby Hall (new venue)
19th/20th September Escrick Park
And I hope you’ll all be delighted to hear that in 2009 there will be a marquee at every North East Event! Hopefully as many of you as possible will take the opportunity to socialize using this excellent facility – and remember, this invitation includes everyone - grooms, helpers, stewards and Uncle Tom Cobbley and all, as well as drivers!
Please remember to get your entries in nice and early to make entries secretary Lorraine Swift’s job a little easier this year. Closing dates in 2009 will be 18 days before the event and this year, any entry not received before this cut off point will incur an additional charge of £20.00.
Also, don’t forget that Mary Longbottom will need to have the usual amount of help lined up for each event. If you can help, please get in touch with Mary on 01924 494865 or email her on marylongbottom@gmail.com - don’t wait until she rings you!
SMALL PONIES:
Calling all small pony owners. We know there are quite a lot of you out there and we wondered if there are enough of you to warrant us putting on special classes at some of our summer outdoor events this year? Small is classified as 11.2hh and under so if you – or anyone you might know – has some of these tinies, ask them get in touch with the club. If numbers warrant it, we will look at putting on classes for small ponies. Contact Douglas Strachan on 01482 632170
SUCCESSFUL HANDS-ON DAY:
This event was held at Follifoot Park, Near Harrogate, on Sunday 15th February. Organized by Ken Walmsley and Pat Cooper, this was extremely well attended. Pat sent us this report:
“The North East Driving Trials organized an 'Introduction to Carriage Driving' at Follifoot Park Equestrian Cent re, Nr. Harrogate, on 15th February. It was extremely well supported with over 50 people attending, which proved to the organizers that there are people out there who want to know more about our sport, at the grass root level. It was a 'hands on' event with everyone tasting the experience of driving horses. Refreshments were provided and we had many people joining the club as supporters or wanting to become stewards at our events. The feed back was extremely positive and everyone agreed that it had been very well organized”.
I BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THAT?
Your driving club had gained an extraordinary distinction in that it is now proud to lay claim to having Britain’s Youngest Director. Our very own Membership Secretary, Joanne Thomas is listed in a Who’s Who of business people as being that very thing! She will doubtless be glad to add that title to another she has just gained, having been crowned British National Novice Indoor Driving Champion at the recent Indoor finals held at The College Equestrian Cent re, Keysoe, Beds on 4th/5th April. Well done Joanne, for flying the club flag in spectacular fashion!
CAN YOU HELP US TO REDUCE OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT?
Finally, I know that many of you already receive your NEDTL newsletter via email, but I still send out an awful lot by post. If you usually get your newsletter in this way, but think you could cope with it via email, then please do get in touch with me and let me know. If you could simply email me to say, “Send me my newsletter electronically” then I will automatically have your address to do so. jane_m_wilson@yahoo.co.uk
Another year draws to a close and as I sit to type this newsletter driving, cold sleet is slowly melting the last of the snow outside. Still, if the winter months fly by as fast as all the others, we’ll soon be turning our thoughts to getting ready for next year’s events.
AGM – The Bridge Inn, Walshford:
The 2009 AGM will be held on Sunday 4th January 2009 at the Bridge Inn, Walshford commencing at 10.30am. A copy of the minutes from last years meeting is being sent out with this newsletter, together with the agenda, a membership renewal form and a nomination paper for a new director for the Club. This year Ken Walmsley, Mary Longbottom, Nigel Williams, Steve Kerry and Alwyn Harrison are all due for re-election. Luckily for us, four are willing to stand for a further term of office, which leaves one place to be filled. This is currently being held by Joanne Thomas, who was co-opted onto the committee earlier this year. If you would like to nominate yourself to serve on the committee or if you know of someone who would like to be nominated, please fill in the enclosed nomination form and return it to Sue Oddie as soon as possible. Following the AGM there will be the usual opportunity for an open discussion between participants. This is your chance to have a say about all and any matters driving/club related, so please take the opportunity to come along and air your views – this is your driving club!
Dates for 2009:
There are six outdoor events planned for 2009 including two at new venues. For the first time, we will be running an intermediate class for single horse and pony which means that those of you who have qualified out of the Novice class will be able to take a more graduated step up towards the Open class. There is a new, specially written dressage test for the intermediate classes (Test 1a) this year, which you can have a look at on the BHDTA website. We hope that everyone will be happy to support this class. Those who are moving up out of Novice to intermediate this year are:
Pony: Joanne Thomas, Nigel Williams, Gemma Smith, Heather Clark.
Horse: Catherine Worsman, Jane Smith.
There will be three PLAE days at Escrick on 12th April, 26th April and 10th May. For further information contact Douglas Strachan on 01482 632170. The sponsored drive at Escrick will be on Sunday 4th April 2009.
Other dates planned for 2009 are:
2nd/3rd May Ripley Castle
23rd/24th May Escrick Park (Qualifier)
13th/14th June Allerton Park
18th/19th July Streetlam (new venue)
22nd/23rd August Newby Hall (new venue)
19th/20th September Escrick Park
There will be a stewards training day, organized by Sheila Hawkins and this will take place on 22nd March, venue yet to be confirmed. We hope that as many of you wonderful stewards as possible will take the opportunity to attend this day and we will give further details in the new year.
Helper’s Lunch:
The ever-popular helper’s lunch will be held again next year on 8th February 2009. At East Keswick Village Hall once more, the format will be slightly changed in that a hot meal will be provided for you. On this occasion attendees will be invited to bring their own alcohol with them, should they wish. Further information on this can be had from Mary Longbottom.
Child Protection Officers:
I’am pleased to announce that we now have two certified child protection officers, namely Sue Oddie and Mary Longbottom. If you have any concerns or issues of a child protection nature, please contact Sue or Mary direct.
Dinner Dance:
I hope those of you who attended the dinner dance enjoyed the slightly altered format. Trophies were awarded to the points champions, together with the trophy for Best Dressage which went to Wendy Mason, (37.60). The Presidents Tray was awarded to Alec Jeffrey for outstanding contribution to the club over 2008. Well done to everyone.
It may be early to think forward to next years dinner dance, but as the guest speaker was enjoyed by all, does anyone out there know of another one for next year? If so, please let Sue know.
Helpers Needed:
I know it’s a perennial cry that you’ve been hearing for years, but we really do need to try and increase the number of people who are willing and able to help at events – not just to stand out in all weathers on a Sunday manning obstacles and sections, but right across the board from building and course laying to setting up cones and scoring. To this end you will find a separate sheet with this newsletter which allows you – or anyone you might know who would be willing – to give some indication as to which area they may be able to help in and at which events. We appreciate that not everyone can do all of the jobs listed at every event, but if we could build up a database of stewards/helpers who could bring their skills to bear even at just one event this would be a tremendous help. Please fill in this form if you are able to help and send it to Sue Oddie.
Website:
Do you have anything interesting and driving-related for the website? It could be an amusing story or a cautionary tale or even something about “the good old days” when everyone was going round obstacles in original wooden vehicles. If you do, please send it to Webmaster David Wagstaff-Myers for his consideration. That way we can keep the website new and fresh with something of interest constantly appearing. You can either click on the link on the website or send items to David at web@nedtl.co.uk
Windsor Programme:
I hope those of you who have access to Sky channel 280 were able to watch the 2008 National Championships and spot the drivers who we see regularly at our events. For those of you who couldn’t see it but would like to, a DVD of the programme is available from Jackie Herd who can be contacted during the day on 01430 425546. It’s a great programme with some super slo-mo shots to music and shows competitors across all 14 classes.
Season’s greetings!
It simply remains for me to wish each and every one of you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year on behalf of your committee. We look forward to seeing you all next year and hope that as many of you as possible will come to the AGM on 4th January 2009!
I can’t believe how quickly this driving year has whizzed past but here we are again, talking about the last event, who did what at Windsor and how to get tickets for the dinner dance!
Escrick Park:
The last club outdoor competition of the year at Escrick Park enjoyed what was probably the best weather of any event this year. Sadly, the plans to hold the Northern Inter-club championships had to be abandoned due to the fact that there simply weren’t enough entries from other clubs. Next year the format will be different, in that this will simply be a Northern Championship, open to everyone and to be contested by individual drivers rather than teams of drivers. A similar event already runs very successfully in the South.
Those of you who were at Escrick will no doubt have been impressed by the new scoring arrangement kindly operated by Ray and Penny Bragg. This computerized system meant that despite the number of entries the results were out and the presentation being held by 3.30 on Sunday afternoon! Our thanks go to the Braggs for their hard work and also to Keith Hampshire who did a sterling job collecting the scores on his motorbike.
Being the last event, the points were totted up and I can announce that the winners of the 2008 points championship are:
Novice Pony – Joanne Thomas Novice Horse – Catherine Worsman
Open Pony – Glenys Ellis Open Horse – Judy Hilditch
Pairs – Douglas Strachan Multiples – Jeff Ormerod
Well done to everyone. Trophies and rosettes to 4th place will be awarded at the dinner dance so do please make the effort to come along and collect what you’ve won so that everyone can applaud your success.
Windsor Championships:
No less than 18 drivers who regularly compete with the NEDTL took part in the National Championships and all acquitted themselves very well. Jane and Ben Smith finished second in the Novice Horse class and can now look forward to NOT having to do a standing presentation any more! Webmaster David Wagstaff-Myers did not fare quite so well in the Novice Pony but did manage to come fourth in the cones phase in a very strong class of 11 and said he enjoyed the weekend greatly. Tracy Fletcher won the Open Pony, making her this year’s National Champion, with Gary Brown finishing third and Elizabeth Greensmith seventh. Angela Flanagan came third in the Open horse and Chris Ainscough and Gael Newby made a good showing. Lynn Howard won the Pony Tandems but sadly Pat Cooper missed out in the Horse Tandem class, being eliminated in obstacle 5, although she did go on to score a double clear in the cones. There were no club representatives in either the Horse or Pony Pairs, but Peter Shannon flew the flag in the Pony Fours class and finished in a very creditable fifth place and came third in the cones.
Our congratulations go to all of you as it’s an achievement just to qualify. Unluckiest person at the Championships must have been Judy Hilditch who, having traveled all the way to Windsor become so ill that she had to be taken off to hospital on Saturday and kept in overnight. We were all glad therefore to see her back to form one week later at Escrick where she won the open horse class.
Jackie Herd and partner Tim Maloy were there filming everyone across all three days and the resulting programme will be shown on Horse and Country TV (Sky channel) 280 some time in November.
Indoor Season:
With barely a pause to draw breath, the indoor season kicks off at Croft Top on Friday 17th October 2008. New for this year Pat Cooper is instituting a system whereby all drivers will be provided with a sheet after dressage and cones which will give you advice on how to improve your driving skills. Pat says: “We are offering an extra training facility at the Indoor Events at Ledston Equine Cent re. Margaret Brockie (a UK cc Judge) will write a few short notes whilst you are doing your dressage through cones. These will be able to help you improve through the winter and provide continuous advice and guidance for your training programme. These comments can be discussed during the interval after the dressage if anyone so wishes. So, for a fee of £25 you can have an indoor competition and guidance for training which is excellent value. Numbers have to be limited so please contact Pat Cooper on 07961564348 for you entry. This facility will be available at the Croft Top Event. Also we shall have a Winter Championship at Croft Top, Haslilngton.”
Dates for the indoor series are:
Ledstone: Croft Top:
26th October 2008 17th October 2008 (Fri)
23rd November 2008 7th November 2008 (Fri)
14th December 2008 20th December 2008
25th January 2009 17th January 2009
22nd February 2009 28th February 2009
22nd March 2009 13th March 2009 (Fri)
Training Policy:
Those of you who regularly access the website (which currently gets around 100 hits per day) will see that Douglas Strachan has posted the club’s new training policy. If you are not able to access the website but would like to see this policy anyway, please get in touch with Douglas on 01482 632170.
Winter Training?
I have been asked by quite a few people if there will be any training available this winter so, as an adjunct to Pat’s indoor improvement sheets I would be happy to organize something if there are enough people willing to pay the necessary cost of winter training. Escrick is great in the summer months but indoor facilities would be needed to keep us out of the winter weather and this of course puts the cost up. However, I’am happy to try and negotiate a decent rate somewhere but assuming we use ridden instructor Joyce Fearn – who seems to have gone down very well with everyone - her fee would need to be added to the hire of an indoor school plus your traveling costs to get there. If you would still like me to pursue this (probably aiming for sometime early in the new year) then do please get in touch and let me know you’re interested. You can ring me on 01430 828133 or email me on jane_m_wilson@yahoo.co.uk
Your Club Needs You!
As well as the perennial plea for more stewards and helpers, we would also like to ask the following:
Scoring: Is there is anyone out there who would be willing to learn how to operate the computerized scoring system and score at events? This is such a vital role and we saw how well it operated at Escrick. If you think you could help to do this, please get in touch with Sue Oddie on 01924 368126. Course Building: Ken and Alwyn have built up a loyal band of muscle-men who have been helping to build obstacles and clear the course for every club event. However, you can never have too many muscle-men I always say, so If you think you can help in this way please give Sue a call on 01924 368126 and register your interest. These people go largely unseen by the bulk of competitors because they do most of their work in the weeks before the event takes place but I can assure you all, without them there would quite simply be no events.
Prize Giving and Dinner Dance:
This year’s dinner dance and prize giving will be held at the Bridge Inn, Walshford, near Wetherby on the evening of Friday 21st November, 7pm for 8pm sit-down. We’ve gone to great pains to make sure that this years dinner dance is much more entertaining. For a start we will all be in one room and not on two levels as we were last time which should make the whole thing more friendly. Also, this year there will be an after dinner speaker, a gentleman called Graham Hetteridge whom I’am told is both amusing and interesting. Tickets are £19.50 and can be obtained from Sue Oddie, The Stables, Heath Hall, Heath, Wakefield, WF1 5SL, telephone 01924 368126. Trophies and rosettes will be awarded to the overall points winners during the evening. You can use the tear-off form at the bottom of this page to order your tickets but please include an SAE. If you were awarded a trophy last year, can you please make sure you return it to Sue as soon as possible please?
Website:
I hope most of you will have been able to have a look at the new website, designed and run by David Wagstaff-Myers. I’am sure you’ll agree with me that it looks fantastic, is very user-friendly and since it’s inception only a short while ago it has received over 3,000 hits. A big thank you to David for all his hard work. Incidentally, if you have any suggestions for the website you can contact David by clicking on the Webmaster link on the front page – I know he would welcome your feedback.
Another thank you must go to photographer John Hartley who attended two of our events this year. John has been extremely generous in letting us have photos for the website and to accompany the various reports which have been sent out. We hope to see more of John next year.
For next year:
The three minute window on Section E of the marathon is going to apply to all classes next year - this was removed from the pre-novice class so as not to put pressure on new drivers to have to make a certain time. However, this window was originally adopted for welfare reasons, so that horses and ponies were not expected to keep up a faster average speed than necessary and it also helped drivers to learn to judge their pace in order to come in neither too early nor too late. So, in 2009 there will be a minimum and maximum time window across all classes.
I hate to be the bearer of unwelcome news, but by the time you get this newsletter we will have passed the longest day and the nights will be drawing in again! Still, it’s good to know we have the second half of the driving season to look forward to, as well as an extensive programme of indoor events to follow. On the subject of which, the following are dates for your diary:
Indoor events:
Ledstone: Croft Top:
26th October 2008 17th October 2008 (Fri)
23rd November 2008 7th November 2008 (Fri)
14th December 2008 20th December 2008
25th January 2009 17th January 2009
22nd February 2009 28th February 2009
22nd March 2009 13th March 2009 (Fri)
If you would like more information on the indoor events please give Pat Cooper a call on 01937 573507.
Outdoor Events:
We’ve had three events so far – or more correctly, two and a half. Unfortunately East Keswick had to be abandoned after Saturday’s dressage and cones as torrential rain meant that it wasn’t even possible to get the steward’s 4x4’s down to the obstacles, let alone carriages. So, after one day only, the best dressage scores were:
Open pony – David Wagstaff-Myers (58.8) Open horse – Judy Hilditch (46.8)
Pairs – Tony Mould (58.2) Tandem – Pat Cooper (48.3)
Novice pony – Birgitta Kronqvist (59.2) Novice Horse – Catherine Worsman (66.6)
Pre-novice – Stephen Nichols (57.3)
Lorraine Swift, Judy Hilditch, Alan Wilkinson, James Binns, Birgitta Kronqvist, Jane Smith and Joan Lawrence all received rosettes for double clear in the cones.
Ripley Castle:
Ripley Castle fared only a little better with the weather. Saturday was fine and bright but the ground had already soaked up a lot of water which led to a boggy dressage arena. Sunday’s weather was miserable so it was on with wet weather gear for the marathon. Once again, the extremely holding conditions took their toll, with many very tired and muddy turnouts coming through. A grand total of 29 competitors across all classes picked up section penalties and once in the obstacles it was very plain to see the difference between those horses and ponies who’s level of fitness this early in the year was better than others.
Overnight leader in the pre-novice, Gemma Smith held onto her lead with a creditable marathon of 86 to finish ahead of Adrienne Reed and Kim Usher. Novice pony winner was Joanne Thomas by a considerable margin from second placed Birgitta Kronqvist and Val Whitesmith in third. Novice Horse winner Jane Smith also recorded her win in this class by a huge margin over Penny Hartley in second.
The open pony was won by Glenys Ellis with a good fast marathon of 60.0 which was beaten only by Alan Wilkinson, winner of the open horse class with a marathon of 57.2. Ripley also played host to the final selection event for the British Para-Equestrian and the winner of that class was Judi Ralls, who lead throughout the event to finish on a total score of 101.70 with Margaret Lupton in second and Lindsey Tyas third.
Cautionary Tales:
David Wagstaff-Myers, who was in second place after dressage and cones at Ripley, suffered the great misfortune of losing a wheel from his carriage at the end of Section A on Sunday. David un-harnessed his pony to make the walk back to camp, leaving his harness on the carriage. To add insult to injury on returning to collect his carriage David discovered that his harness had been stolen.
I think we’ve probably all heard various stories recently about an increase in horse and horse equipment-related thefts and I know that locally there have been several incidents of diesel being siphoned from horse boxes – two times in a row on one particular occasion! As the cost of fuel spirals ever upwards I think increased vigilance should be a watchword for all of us at the moment.
Escrick Park:
The weather for Escrick followed a very similar pattern, being fine and sunny (even hot!) on Saturday and wet again on Sunday. The two National Novice Qualifiers sadly continued the current trend of low numbers in this class, with only three entries forward in the Pony class and four in the horse, but nonetheless places were hotly fought over. David Wagstaff-Myers took the Novice Pony qualifying ticket and Wendy Peckham the Novice Horse class. Both drivers managed to hold on to an overnight lead after dressage and cones to earn their place at the Windsor National Championships. Lowest open dressage score of the day went to Penny Wood with 50.8 in the open pony and in the club novice class Tony Mould scored a creditable 47.8.
Rain after a period of hot, dry weather meant that the ground conditions were very greasy for the start of Sunday’s marathon. This didn’t stop drivers putting up some extremely quick times in the obstacles however. Fastest marathon went to Open Pony competitor Gary Brown from Lancashire, who stormed round the obstacles for 54.4 penalties which also gave him the lowest overall score of the entire competition. Second fastest on the marathon was Alan Wilkinson with 63.4, which enabled him to pull up from fourth place to win the open horse class. Lynn Winder held on to her lead in the pony pairs to take the win from Douglas Strachan (who, his groom secretly told me, managed all seven obstacles without a single senior moment!) Lyn Howard won the multiples class with her tandem of attractive bay ponies.
The Para-Equestrian team had their final run at Escrick before heading off to the World Championships at the end of June. The class was won by Terry Kirby from Judi Ralls, with Lindsey Tyas in third. Throughout the weekend the group had been selling raffle tickets to raise funds, the first prize for which was a set of harness generously donated by Rene Schoop. This was won by Ben and Jane Smith who needless to say were delighted!
Photographs:
Photographer John Hartley was deep in the woods at Escrick taking pictures at obstacle no. 1. You can look at these (and purchase copies) via John’s website at www.JWHphotography.com
Training:
A training weekend was held on the 7th/8th June at Escrick Park. It was attended by ten drivers who were given the chance to have dressage sessions with driving judges Margaret Brockie, and Phillipa Thompson and ridden dressage trainer Joyce Fearn. There was also individual cones tuition with current open pony champion Jackie Herd and the opportunity to drive two of Escrick’s permanent obstacles and try various routes to see which worked best for them. The weather was fantastic and a very pleasant, relaxed and sociable weekend was had by all. It is hoped that this weekend will be repeated next year, so anyone interested should keep their eyes on the 2009 programme.
Further Training Dates:
In the meantime, there will be two further training days at Escrick Park, one on Sunday 20th July and one on Sunday 17th August. The first of these will be aimed at novice drivers, who can have help with their dressage, cones and obstacle driving from other members of the club who drive at national and/or open level. There will be a very nominal fee for this (hopefully no more than £10) just to cover costs and places will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. The second date will be Sunday 17th August and this will be aimed at drivers with a little more experience. As we managed NOT to frighten her off the first time, Joyce Fearn will once again be coming to give help with dressage. Cones and obstacles will be available for free practice and once again, places will be allocated on a FCFS basis. The cost for this day will depend on numbers but will hopefully be in the region of £30 - £40. Anyone wanting to book a place on either day please contact me by phone on 01430 828133 or by email at jane_m_wilson@yahoo.co.uk
Congratulations:
As you have read, the Club has played host to the para-equestrian team on several occasions now and Ripley Castle was their final selection event following which the team to represent Great Britain at Greven in Germany was chosen. I’am sure you will join me in saying a big well done to Heather Clark, who has secured a place as an individual and wish her and the team the best of luck. Congratulations also go to Club regular Birgitta Kronqvist, who will be representing Sweden as an individual.
Pat’s Appleby Adventure:
Pat Cooper, Julie Todd, Jude Beaumont and Jane Metcalf undertook to drive from Bardsey to Appleby with horses Peggy and Zippy in order to raise money for breast cancer. This is Pat’s story:
“Our journey started at 7.30 am on 31st May from Bardsey Nr. Leeds. As usual and true to form I was late. We had a slight technical hitch in that I did not have anything to sit on to drive the bow top gypsy wagon but the ideal chair was finally found and a note was left for David – “Please saw the legs of this chair as per Sellotape mark”. Julie and I awoke to the sound of the saw – perfect job – and finally the three of us set off on the first leg of our journey of approximately 100 miles.
Up the old A1 outside Boroughbridge and then to Langthorpe outside Ripon for an overnight stop. We tethered the horses, got settled in and then heard a terrible buzzing noise – looked up – swarm of bees – good grief. We ran to the other side of the road quaking (leaving the horses who didn’t bother one bit). Off on Sunday morning with a big change in the weather! Cold, raining, and we were WET. We moved on and dried out as we went and finally landed at Leyburn some 25 miles on. Ken and Brenda Walmsley arrived with a fantastic spread followed by Jean and David Calvert who provided the sloe gin – by this time we were wet inside but definitely dry and warm outside.
Monday morning, off again and the terrain is now getting rather hilly to say the least, starting with Aysgarth Bank. Everybody out and walk - and walk we did, or rather march. Once you get to the top of one hill all you can see is more hills! (Never mind girls think of the pounds we are losing!) Next stop the Moorcock Inn - shower, pub meal and David and Jean once again with a bottle of champagne this time, not to be drunk by man nor beast till Appleby!!!
Tuesday morning, away again. More switchback hills heading for Soulby, some 15 miles from the Moorcock. We camped near the river and had fish and chips which we finished about 6 pm. We sat down and no one said a word - we were just waiting to find a good excuse to go to bed. We were really dog tired and it was better to stay quiet than use up energy talking!!
Wednesday morning – away at 7.30 on the last leg, only 10 miles to Appleby. We were meeting Border TV at Burrells cross roads at 10.00. We came 98 miles by horse and were on time – they came 10 miles in a car and were late!! Last bit into Appleby where we collected a lot of money as people in the town were most generous. We drove up the flash road and into Julie’s field on Wednesday morning - spot on time .
CONCLUSION: This journey was planned a year ago. There was never any question that we weren’t going to do it, despite the fact we were a horse and driver down and Jane had pneumonia two weeks before we set out. We did it for Breast Cancer and hope that our final figure raised will be in the region of £3000. Our grateful thanks go to the people who fed us on the way, those who have kindly donated to the cause, to Stuart who waited on us hand and foot and of course to our horses, Zippy and Peggy, whose amazing stamina and fitness enabled us to complete our journey. What we do next year – who knows – watch this space!!!!”
Summer thoughts of a Grumpy Old Man
The following was sent to me by the Club’s Health and Safety Officer, Douglas Strachan:
With the sun high in the sky, the hay about to be cut and the driving season in full flow. there are a few items which need mentioning and which will make future events better and safer for everyone.
Punctuality at the start of the Marathon
It is essential that ALL drivers report to the start of the marathon 10 minutes before their official start time. This is to allow for the harness check. (Did you know that under rule 956.1.7 the Official at the start of the marathon is entitled to deduct up to 10 marks?)
Quad Bikes
Under the recent BHDTA directive, drivers/owners of quad bikes are solely responsible for the operation/insurance of the quad. (At a recent event one quad was observed carrying FOUR persons).
Portable Stabling
Just to remind you, open-corralled fencing is not allowed at NE events. (Electric fencing is allowed as the Risk Assessment considered that a loose horse would be less dangerous than one charging around with a necklace of galvanized fencing!!!)
Use of Hose Pipes
Please be sensible with the use of water. Sometimes a hose is connected and left running long after water containers have been filled and at one event at least this year the water was metered!
Escrick Availability:
Anyone can use the dressage field at Escrick Park at any time. If you would like to make use of this facility, please give me a call beforehand on 01482 632170.
I hope you’ve all come through the winter well and rested and raring to go in 2008 This is my first newsletter, having taken over responsibility for it from Sue Oddie, so I hope it’s to your liking.
Indoor Competition:
The last one of the series took place on Sunday 30th March 2008 at the new venue of Ledston Equestrian Cent re. Winner of the Open class on this occasion was Sarah Meredith on a total score of 53.8 closely followed by Glenys Ellis (55.6). Third was Judy Hilditch on 56 and in fourth place was Joanne Thomas on a score of 64.4.
The novice class was won by Val Whitesmith on 65.4 followed by Catherine Worsman and Sarah Clarkson in joint second on 71.6. Third was Ruth Jackson (76) and fourth Sue Heathfield (78.6).
The Winter Championship has therefore been decided and the winners are:
Novice: 1st - Val Whitesmith 20 pts Open: 1st - Glenys Ellis 18 pts
2nd - Birgitta Kronqvist (7) 2nd - Joanne Thomas (8)
Debbie Dale (7) 3rd - Judy HIlditch (7)
Sue Heathfield (7) 4th - Sarah Meredith (6)
3rd - Catherine Worsman (5)
4th - Linda Southern and Ruth Jackson (4)
Congratulations to all.
Plae Days and Stewards Training:
Sadly, the first of the plae days had to be cancelled due to the awful weather, but the next two, planned for 27th April and 18th May at Escrick Park will hopefully be safe. Organizer Douglas Strachan tells me that there are two places left on the 27th April and five available on 18th May. Entry forms can be found on the website or else you can contact Douglas on 01482 632170.
As you will no doubt know, there is a steward’s training day running alongside the plae day on 27th April. This is open to anyone, whether you are new to the sport or if you have stewarded before. Participants from our club have yet to come forward in any great number but quite a few from other clubs have put their names down. This is a good chance to have a get together with like minded people as well as to brush up on your stewarding skills so please come along and join in. Coffee on arrival and a light lunch will be provided so If you would like to attend please contact Sheila Hawking on 01977 682298
Desperate Plea:
Whilst on the subject of stewards, can I please ask those of you who are able to fulfil this vital role to get in touch with Mary Longbottom and offer your services to her? Mary spends a huge amount of time ringing round trying to find stewards for all of our events so if you can help, or if you know someone who can, please contact Mary on 01924 494865 and tell her which events you can help at. Please don’t wait until the day before the event to do this - be pro-active, get your diary out and ring Mary now.
It’s becoming harder each year to find enough people to steward and I know you all understand that without this help there will be no events. So, even if you are a driver, perhaps you could try and put aside at least one date when you could help steward instead of competing.
What some of your committee members have been up to on your behalf:
In an effort to keep current with course building and dressage judging, committee members have attended various clinics run by the BHDTA and the Midlands Driving Trials Group. Barry Hilditch has this report on the former:
BHDTA Club Course Builders Clinic. Penrith, March 16th 2008
Led by Chairman Ken Walmsley, seven members of NEDTL made the trip to The George Hotel, Penrith to attend the first Club Course Builders Clinic held for clubs north of the Trent! In addition to Ken, Brian Anderson, Pat Cooper, Rob Wilkinson, Alwyn Harrison, Philip Thompson and myself all attended the clinic taken by Mark Ingham.
Mark is a national course builder and was course designer for the Windsor championships in 2007, only to see everything he had made ready by Wednesday come to nothing when the event was cancelled! He is in charge for 2008 so will, hopefully, see his new open and flowing obstacles driven then. He went through all phases of the competition and highlighted present day thinking on cones and obstacles in particular. Everyone found it a very useful day and were of the opinion that it gave food for thought for the coming season. In total 19 people attended with the rest coming from three Scottish clubs.
Club Judge’s Clinic, Scropton Equestrian Cent re., Derby, 23rd April 2008:
Myself and Judy Hilditch attended this clinic which was organized by the Midlands Driving Trials Group. Sarah Garnett was in charge and we were provided with three “guinea pigs” who kindly put their necks on the block for us to judge. We went through various tests and awarded our marks ice-skating style under Sarah’s eagle eye, having to justify what mark we gave and say what comment we would put on the sheet. I hope you will be reassured to know that your club judges proved to be “singing from the same hymn sheet” as such an esteemed national judge and competitor as Sarah Garnett.
Club Clothing:
Sue Oddie has asked me to let you all know that a catalogue will be available at the early events so that any of you who wish to can order t-shirts, fleeces, etc with the new Club logo on. Sue will only be able to send in an order when she has a minimum number so please make a point of finding the catalogue and choosing what you would like.
Website:
Philip Thompson is hoping someone out there may be interested in taking over responsibility for running the NEDTL website. Fairly good but basic computer skills are required and Philip is happy to assist anyone who may be interested in getting started. Please contact Philip direct on 01207 588658.
So, that’s just about it for my first newsletter to you. Keep an eye on the website for up to date news and results throughout the year, which you can find at www.nedtl.co.uk You can contact me by email on jane_m_wilson@yahoo.co.uk