May
Quadrille Update
In case any of you wondered what
quadrille riders do at this time of the year I thought I’d give you
an update!
Many of you will know how poorly
Buddy has been and the excellent progress she is now making. In her
absence, the Furious Angels have had a change of personnel in order
to fulfill their engagements. Nicky took back the ride on her own
Limerick while Frances swapped onto Parky. Amazingly the team had
the routine pretty much spot on prior to their display at Leeds
Castle at the end of April. In the actual displays, however, both
Frances and Nicky had ‘blonde’ moments though fortunately not at the
same time! Kind observers told them that “no-one noticed”!!
Not wishing to make any mistakes at
Royal Windsor, a few more practises were scheduled and a
hoof-perfect routine ensued fit for The Queen. The Angels costumes
certainly had the wow! factor in the glorious spring sunshine
causing even the stewards to leave their positions in order to snap
a few pictures.
The Club are hoping to field 2 teams
at Addington this year in the hopes of retaining our crown.
Preparations are under way although the usual difficulties in
synchronising diaries is making progress slow at the moment.
Nicky Murrell
February
Moat View
Jumping Team at BRC Area 10 Competition
On Sunday 10th
February Moat View Riding Club entered a team into the BRC Area
10 team show jumping competition at Eaglesfield Equestrian
Centre. The team consisted of Buddy Williams (Old Park Rose),
Krissi Collens (Special Edition) and Colette Walker (Bolero
III).
With around 30
teams jumping in the senior section alone it was going to be a
long day! However thankfully the weather was kind and we were
blessed with plenty of sunshine.
All three team
members took part in the Warm-Up class. However we only
discovered it was one round against the closk just before we
went into the ring, which caused a bit of panic! The course was
up to height with some big spreads and coupled with light
plastic poles there were very few clear rounds. Buddy and
Krissi incurred a very unlucky 4 faults each and Colette went
clear - ending in 7th place.
In the Team
class, unfortunately Buddy and Krissi each rolled one unlucky
pole, which left the team just outside the 1st - 6th placings
(there were only one or two teams with 0 faults - most of those
in the top 6 had at least 4 faults). Colette jumped the open
section (over a larger than expected course!) and went clear,
ending up in 5th place individually.
It was a very
long day - we got home between 9.30pm and 10pm and we were all
very tired, but it was good fun and the horses tried their best
for us! I felt we had a good sense of team spirit and it is was
nice to see the team gell so well together. Ironically Buddy,
Krissi and Colette used to jump together as children, then lost
touch and recently have started jumping together again on the
Moat View team.
Colette (team
captain) would like to thank everyone who helped with the team
on Sunday and of course thank Buddy and Krissi for taking part.
Our next team competition is on 1st March at Blue Barn.
January
The weather on Sunday 27th January held out, all be it a
little chilly, for the first Demonstration Day organised
by Moat View Riding Club. The day was a huge success
with very informative talks and demonstrations from Shepway
Harness Club; Tor Henderson, Chartered Physiotherapist
and Saddle fitting with the Saddlerack. Chris Freed gave
a very interesting and informative talk of First Aid and
when to call the vet, accompanied by some very striking
photographs. One of the Club's instructors, Simon
Somers, came all the way from house-sitting in Devon to
give a highly amusing and insightful demonstration on
Showing with plenty of do's and don'ts and tips for
using washing powder and other household items! Simon
also gave a Side-Saddle demo using Club Secretary Jo
Cocker and her 23yr old Show Cob Jack, neither of whom
have done side saddle at before. With this Simon proved
that anyone could have a go at Side-saddle with a
suitable horse. Jo commented that "If I can sit on my
heavyweight cob and feel remotely like an elegant lady
on an elegant hack, then anyone else certainly could!"
Willow Farm kindly gave all ticket holders a massive 30%
off in their shop, which was certainly taken up by many
of the spectators judging by the number of shopping
bags!
The committee of MVRC would like to say a HUGE thank-you
to all our demonstrators for giving up their time to
pass there knowledge on in such good ways. Any ideas or
requests for demo's for 2009 please let us know.
NEW YEAR—New Challenges! 2008 is definitely the time to
try something new.
Have you ever wanted to compete on a dressage or
show-jumping team? Jump at Hickstead? Improve your
dressage scores? Try Endurance, Quadrille or Le Trec?
Go to BRC Area Qualifiers or Championships? Pass RC
Equitation and Horse Welfare Exams for career purposes
or just personal satisfaction? Whatever your ambitions,
Moat View Riding Club is here to offer you those
opportunities. Log onto the website and look on the
Calendar for dates of forthcoming events such as a Mock
Hunt, Combined Training, ODE and much much more.
Perhaps you just enjoy riding with like-minded people or
acting in a supporting role at a team or club event.
With beach rides, pub hacks, mock hunts, social evenings
and competitions to run, there is always something for
everyone.
December
Well
done to the Furious Angels for winning at Olympia!!
Click
here for the
Horse and Hound article, 28
December 2007
A note from Chef d'equpe
Nicky Murrell:
Olympia report
Unusually the Quadrille Final was
being held on a Wednesday this year rather than the traditional
Saturday, necessitating 2 days of work for most of the team but, we
hoped, a better journey through London. Unfortunately events early
on Tuesday worked against us and we arrived at Olympia later than
intended. No matter though, the horses were soon ensconced in their
stables after the compulsory vet check and the mammoth job of
unloading kit commenced. Horseboxes have to be parked about a mile
away from Olympia itself, a simple task until you factor in
squeezing out amongst the coached arriving for the evening
performance and crossing Kensington High street amid the Christmas
rush – sometime later poor Frances and Ashley returned.
Due to the
change of day this year we were able to watch the Grand Prix Kur
something I was particularly looking forward to; we saw some
beautiful horses although Frances, Sarah and I all thought we could
give the riders some tips on music choice! The horses were then set
fair for the night and we trudged our weary way to our hotel –
trying to find a cheap hotel within walking distance that can
accommodate 12 of us doesn’t get any easier; one of these years I’ll
be bold enough to book it before we have qualified! The kilometre
walk was repeated again at 5:30 the following morning, at least it
wasn’t raining.
This is always a
difficult period on competition day as there is a lull between
feeding and actually being able to get into the arena to work the
horses, however, this year it was filled by a frantic moving
operation as the Stable Manager had said we could move the barrier
between us and the FEI dressage horses in order to move Connor into
the box next to Eric. However, we could only do it if we moved the
tack etc that had been left in it outside NEATLY – it did belong to
Carl Hester after all. Dolendo who was stabled opposite kept a
benign eye on proceedings.
Last year Sarah
managed to commandeer the float used in the Finale, this time it was
a small room behind the stables complete with table, chairs and a
decent light! We have honed our procedure for getting horses and
riders dressed to the nth degree but it still takes about 2 hours.
Much of the costume is very simple and straightforward to put on but
both the rugs and the wings take at least 2 people to fit them
correctly. In the past the judges have been a bit twitchy about
being on time, mercifully this year they seemed more relaxed – we
would have been on time but for taking a route through to the
collecting ring that didn’t accommodate the wings!! A quick about
turn and moments later there they were in the ring.
We haven’t
received our judging sheets back yet, so we can’t be certain, but
the impression we got this year was that they weren’t being quite as
nit-picking as they’ve been in the past. This phase completed we
just had to wait for our turn to perform. I managed to watch
Worlington RC’s Dandy Highwaymen; their routing looked to be pretty
accurate but, for me, it lacked the flair that it had had at
Addington – first to go is always a difficult slot and with a
smaller audience than the usual Saturday crowd it seemed difficult
to whip up any sort of atmosphere. Next were, Southerndown RC’s
Goldilocks and the Three Bears – I didn’t see much of the routine
but they seemed a bit disappointed as they left the arena. The New
Forest Pony Enthusiasts followed and had huge foot-stomping support
from their supporters who did their very best to get the atmosphere
going. Their routine appeared to be a very neat, accurate one.
Finally it was
our turn. Watching as manager is not an easy task, I knew they could
do it – they had practised so hard and ridden it perfectly on
numerous occasions – but doing it at Olympia is not an easy thing.
Sarah and I
exchanged one or two anxious glances at the beginning of the routine
but then we started to relax as the Angels got it together. The
arena had been ‘measured’ extremely tightly but it is only once you
start riding the routine that you can work out where and how to make
adjustments necessary to fit your movements in where you want them
to be. The final part of the routine looked foot-perfect but I
wasn’t convinced that they had done enough to win. Whilst we were
all gabbling away the results were being announced – I turned to the
team and said “I think you’ve just won!”. To our collective
amazement they had – that is perhaps a little unfair as I felt they
were hot favourites going into the competition, we had a complicated
routine with music that fitted the theme perfectly and told the
story beautifully; added to this were the costumes which the judges
at Addington had told us were ‘worthy of a West End show’ – in that
arena the girls looked truly magnificent and did the Club proud.
The Club received
high praise not only for winning but simply for qualifying in our
first year of affiliation – just shows what hard work and
determination can do. Here’s to next year . . .
Finally a huge
thank you
to the team:
riders, horses, costume makers, grooms, music finders, lorry drivers
etc etc without whom none of this would be possible.
The Furious
Angels crowned 2007 BRC Quadrille Champions.
- sponsored by South Essex Insurance Brokers
Ltd
The Final of the
Quadrille of the Year, sponsored by South Essex Insurance
Brokers Ltd, took place on Wednesday, 19 December 2007 in
the Grand Hall at the London Olympia Horse Show.
Nicky Mackenzie, Marketing
Manager of South Essex Insurance Brokers, presented the
Furious Angels from Moat View Riding Club with their trophy.
The winning team members were
Frances Wilson on Limerick, Rosemary Williams on Old Park
Rose, Amy Williams on Hortons Pink Panther and Liliane
Widdows on Hortons Connor.
The four teams, selected at
the Trial at Addington, were inspected on their turnout and
performance by the panel of Judges; David Holmes, Patrick
Print and Julian Seaman.
Judged on content,
performance and artistic impression, the team scored closely
in all three areas. The judges however particularly praised
the artistic impression with the entertaining variety of
music and display of horsemanship.
In second place were New
Forest Pony Enthusiasts with their square dance theme of “Do
Se Do’ers”. Their choice of movements and skilled ability to
carry them out scored them equally well in both content and
performance.
Fine and Dandy from
Worlington RC were third. With their horses dressed in
stunning electric blue costumes depicting highwaymen, the
team scored highly in the turnout phase of the competition.
They were also commended for their performance.
In fourth place came Southern
Down as Goldilocks and the three Bears. They too scored well
for their performance, and also for their programme’s
content.
Patrick Print, Chairman of
The British Horse Society and judge of the Quadrille final,
said: “As usual it was fun to judge, the riding was of a
high standard and there were very few marks between each of
the four teams.”
November
Thank you to those
who took part in the Area 10 National SJ Qualifiers at Duckhurst.
We had a total of 3 teams entered (one junior and two senior).
The junior team was made up of a few new members, some of whom
have only recently started jumping this height. Chantelle
gained the lowest score of 4 faults over a solid and up to
height course.
The senior 'A' team
ended with two riders on 0 faults and one rider on 8 faults -
all three riders jumped a lovely clear in the higher round.
Sadly we ended up just outside the top 6 places (in 7th), but
should still be pleased with our performance as it was a busy
show and the standard was high. The 'B' team jumped three
lovely clears in the first round (one of only 4 teams to do
so!!) but incurred a few faults in the second round (inc a very
'graceful dismount' from the Club Secretary and were pushed down
the leader board as a result.
However we all had a
great day and are looking forward to our next outing.
Some future team
jumping dates are below. Please let me know if you are
interested in being on the team. I am also keen to hear of any
other team dates that you see advertised...
Sat 5th Jan - TEAM
JUMPING AT BLUE BARN (TEAMS OF 3) NOVICE OR OPEN
Sun 10th Feb - BRC
TEAM JUMPING AT EAGLESFIELD (SCHEDULE ATTACHED)
Sat 1st Mar - TEAM
JUMPING AT BLUE BARN (TEAMS OF 3) NOVICE OR OPEN
Sun 27th Apr - TEAM
JUMPING AT BLUE BARN organised by Black Horse
Finally, if any of
you are interested in meeting up for a practice I could
probably organise an hour at either Blue Barn or Plum Pudding on
a Wednesday evening. They both have clear round on a Wednesday
so we could use the course for a bit - if I twist a few arms!!
Limes Farm might be another option and possibly could do another
evening besides Wednesday. I could make enquiries.
I think it would be
a good idea for us to meet up and do this a couple of times
before our next outing, as the other RC teams seem to practice
together which must contribute to their performance. Please let
me know when you are available and which venue you would prefer.
Collette x
October
MOAT VIEW RC - QUADRILLE TEAM QUALIFIES FOR OLYMPIA!!!
August
MOAT VIEW RC - MAIDEN VOYGE TO HICKSTEAD AND THE FIRST OPEN
SHOW!
On Sunday 29th
July Moat View RC sent three teams to compete in the Royal
International Horse Show at Hickstead. The club was only founded
this year, so this was the first time it had entered any teams
into this competition.
After a long
few months of selecting teams and organising practice sessions,
nine riders (including two juniors) ended up taking part on the
day. The teams consisted of: Jo Cocker, Laura Hackett and Clare
Jones; Buddy Williams, Colette Walker and Paul Smissen; Michelle
Collins, Gill Pring and Adam Legge.
Due to the
ground conditions, the event took place in the large outdoor
arena, which rode really well. The courses were built to height
but were rideable and flowed nicely.
After the
second rider had jumped from each of Moat View's teams, they had
one team on 8 faults, one team on 12 faults and one team had an
elimination. There were very few clear rounds, so the club was
really pleased to have 3 of it's riders complete the course with
just 4 faults a piece - the 4 faults being incurred by rolling
an unlucky pole! However, after the third riders had jumped Moat
View sadly ended up outside the placings. There were a total of
81 teams in the competition - the teams had come from riding
clubs across the whole country and the standard was high!
A special
mention must go to Laura Hackett who was on one of the smallest
ponies and was one of the youngest riders. She rode the most
determined round over a long and imposing course, to end on just
8 faults. Adam Legge (another junior team member) also deserves
a mention for completing the 105cm course in style, on a horse
he has never competed before - ending on just 4 faults.
The down side
of the day was the mud. The car park was like a swamp. Everyone
had to queue in their lorries for around 2 hours to be towed by
a tractor onto the show ground and then had to wait a further 5
hours to be towed off again!! It made it a very long day.
On Sunday 12th August we
held our first ever Open Show at Trenley Park Liveries, near
Fordwich, Canterbury. Despite the threat of the recent F&M
outbreak and the terrible wet summer we have experienced so far
causing concern as to whether the show would actually be
possible, the fields were dry, the ground was firm, the sun
stayed out all day and the competitors were plenty. We also had
some really positive feedback about the organisation and classes
on the day, and via email after, and the committee of MVRC would
like to thank everyone for their support throughout their first
year and are very much looking forward to seeing everyone next
year.
Chelsea Wilding riding Pewter took the
Ring One jumping by storm, winning the Intermediate, Small Open
and Open. There were lots of smiles and laughter surrounding the
Ring Two jumping, Ryan Taber riding Zola received a rosette and
prize from class sponsor Silverline Travel.
There were some quality horse and ponies
in the showing classes which made it challenging for our judges.
Susan Smissen riding Fairview Sonny Boy took the Pony
Championship and Zoe Stanway-McKavey riding Galway Guy the Horse
Championship. Horton Cobs took the 3 top spots in the Ridden
Cob.
We would like to say a huge thank you to
all our kind sponsors and everyone who gave up their valuable
time to help on the day. Thank you also to all the competitors
that supported our first show which will hopefully be the first
of many! The date for your diaries next year is: 10th August
2008!
June
Well May
and June have been a busy couple of months for Moat View Riding
Club. We had a good turnout for the showing preparation day where
Julie Marchant showed everyone the tricks of the trade for the show
ring, including trimming, plaiting and how to make the most of your
horse with tack and other little tips. Jack the cob was even treated
to a stylish Brazilian type trim on his tail!!
The
Showing clinic was a great success with the participants thoroughly
enjoying the day. The weather held out and it was a glorious day. We
had a good mix of horses and ponies from a 11hh Section A to a
17.2hh Hunter. The working hunters were certainly worked hard and
were asked to repeat the ride round together until Simon was happy
with everyone! They did it brilliantly in the end and many people
got the confidence to actually open their horses up for the gallop.
The first
of the summer dressage series and combined training was a hit with
Nicola Wilson and Cutie winning the Intro Combined training and Jo
Cocker and Sky winning the Walk and Trot Dressage. Lisa Crosbie and
Shady Lady heading both the novice combined training and dressage,
Jo Cocker and Jack the Lad winning the Intermediate Combined
Training and the dressage. The Novice 21 class was shared between Jo
Cocker and Jack and Julia Harman with Caspar, where they ended up on
exactly the same marks throughout the test! The 17th June results
are not out as this goes to press and the next dates for the series
are: 29th July, 12th August (Open Show) and 16th September. See
Calendar
for more details or phone Jo on 07751 238204.
Our latest
event was a Race Night where we raised £400 for the club and £350
for the Kent Air Ambulance. An excellent buffet was put on by the
committee, and the punters all got their money out to bet on horses
such as Pheasant Plucker, Hoof Hearted, Pedigree Chum and Muffin
Tops. There were nearly bust ups when we auctioned the horses off in
the penultimate race, but it was all sorted out amicably by a bit of
a bidding war! We're planning another one for September so watch
this space.
The club's
now looking forward to our annual Hog Roast and beer bottle hunt,
Team Show jumping at Hickstead, pub and beach rides, cross country
ride, mock hunt, demonstration day amongst other things and of
course our First Open show which includes show jumping, showing and
dressage. We have qualifiers for showing and jumping and pony and
horse championships with many prizes for the classes. Schedules are
out now!!
