Thanks to collaboration between London's riding schools, host venue, Dressage at Hickstead and HOOF, the Olympic Legacy project of the British Equestrian Federation, London Riding Schools and our amature riders were able to compete for medals to be presented by Lady Pauline Harris of Peckham, so on the 22nd of June we attended the inaugural Team London Riding School Championships.
We only had a team of three so every score would count and we took Trio and Tarron to be added to the pool of horses. The competitors horses were drawn from a hat so no-one knew who they would be riding till they got there then each rider had just 8 mins to get used to there new ride before competing in a Novice level dressage test. Many London riding schools attended including Dulwich, Trent Park, Mudchute. Our team consisted of (left to right) Kathryn Whybrow (Modern Apprentce) Sarah Cliffod (Head Girl) and Franchesca Bailey (Modern Apprentice). It was a tense and exciting competition but after the team tests we had managed to finish in 3rd place. An outstanding achievement for the smallest riding school and we didn’t even have the pleasure of dropping a score.
Next came the individual test. The top place riders from each of the team then had to ride another more difficult test on yet another horse, Sarah was our highest placed rider and she rode a super test and became a double bronze medallist by placing 3rd.
The other stars of the day were our horses who coped very well being plucked out of a riding school and sent to Hickstead on a windy day with international flags flying! Tarron proved to be the real star of the day as he placed 1st, 3rd and 7th in a field of over 30. He really was the best four legged advert for the farm we could have asked for.
Riding School Success at Team London Event
June 2011
Thanks to collaboration between London's riding schools, host venue, Dressage at Hickstead and HOOF, the Olympic Legacy project of the British Equestrian Federation, London Riding Schools and our amature riders were able to compete for medals to be presented by Lady Pauline Harris of Peckham, so on the 22nd of June we attended the inaugural Team London Riding School Championships.
We only had a team of three so every score would count and we took Trio and Tarron to be added to the pool of horses. The competitors horses were drawn from a hat so no-one knew who they would be riding till they got there then each rider had just 8 mins to get used to there new ride before competing in a Novice level dressage test. Many London riding schools attended including Dulwich, Trent Park, Mudchute. Our team consisted of (left to right) Kathryn Whybrow (Modern Apprentce) Sarah Cliffod (Head Girl) and Franchesca Bailey (Modern Apprentice). It was a tense and exciting competition but after the team tests we had managed to finish in 3rd place. An outstanding achievement for the smallest riding school and we didn’t even have the pleasure of dropping a score.
Next came the individual test. The top place riders from each of the team then had to ride another more difficult test on yet another horse, Sarah was our highest placed rider and she rode a super test and became a double bronze medallist by placing 3rd.
The other stars of the day were our horses who coped very well being plucked out of a riding school and sent to Hickstead on a windy day with international flags flying! Tarron proved to be the real star of the day as he placed 1st, 3rd and 7th in a field of over 30. He really was the best four legged advert for the farm we could have asked for.