Spring 2013 Saddle Club Newsletter - Honourable Artillery Company

Add to this fact that the MOD has also had staff reductions imposed upon them so they havenot given high priority in their administration to giving the authority and pricing for the HACTroop ride to commence, despite persistent requests by CO of The King’s Troop for them todo so.However, it is hoped that the ride will commence on 13 th February and run for the next eightweeks before The Troop moves to Wellington Barracks and takes part in the Royal WindsorHorse Show.The format of riding at the Troop when it commences will change.Regrettably the HAC, like the other clubs who have the privilege of riding those fantastichorses, will lose their exclusive rides. It is The Troop’s intention to hold rides on aWednesday evening from 1930hrs to 2030hrs which will be open to all the nominated SaddleClubs and a Saturday morning ride from 0930hrs to 1030hrs.There will only be eight horses available for each of the rides so it is imperative that we bookearly. If you are unable to ride you must give 24hrs notice or you will be charged for the ride,The new riding arrangements at The Troop are hot off the press which means that I have notyet had the opportunity to speak with the CO of The Troop to see whether the HAC (whichhas strong historical connections with The Troop) can again have its own weekly ride.However to achieve this I will need the support of all those who would like to ride at TheTroop to support it and encourage others to do so. Anybody who would like to take part inThe King’s Troop this season should contact me immediately so that the HAC Saddle Clubcan ensure that it is well represented on the rides.Any one for PoloLast season the Saddle Clubs polo players had a successfull season and in the forth coming season it is the Club’sintention to build upon that success. Please see the articlebelow on the subject. Meanwhile we now have a woodenhorse on which to practice.Fence judging CourseStop watch in hand and a wine glass within easy reach,dressed forthe day thislady, who,until she metme had never been within 50 yards of a horse,has become an avid fence judge.Over the last few year the Saddle Club hasbecome more involved in fence judging as itgive another opportunity for members of theClub to get up close and sometimes veryinvolved with horse and rider.6

It is also a fun day in the country with a band of like-minded Saddle Club members, yourfamily and dog (on a lead) and the chance to see and meet many of the top riders trying-outor bringing-on their new horses.Having told you all the good news on the fence judging, ‘health and safety’ rears its head andmore and more event organizers are seeking confirmation that the people to whom theyentrust the task of fence judging are qualified to do so. Therefore on April 14 th the Club willbe running a free fence Judging Course which is open to all members so I hope to see youthere, especially those members who, for one reason or another, we have not seen for a longtime, because this will give them an opportunity to re-engage with the Club’s activities.I end with my usual reminders which are that you should check to ensure that your ridinginsurance policy is up to date and that it covers you for all the equestrian activities in whichyou participate.Secondly that your riding attire and any tack you may have meets the current BSrequirements,Enjoy your ridingRegardsEdwin7

CAROL SERVICE SUPPEROn 12 th December a packed congregation (or audience!) filled to overflowing the AlbertRoom at Armoury House. By the time the carol service started many (if not most) were welloiled by mulled wine or other beverages that were available beforehand. The service (whichroughly follows the form of the Church of England service of Nine Lessons and Carols) wasconducted by the Regiment’s new padre with aplomb. In mid-service we had the carolTwelve Days of Christmas in which the Regimental Band competed with the congregation tosee which could make the most noise and hold on to Five Gold Rings the longest beforedrawing breath. The service ended with triplerenderings of Jerusalem, Rule Britannia, andLand of Hope and Glory. At this point of thevery fabric of the hall vibrated with thesound.Thus filled with good cheer of every kindforty-four of us sat down to a Christmasdinner in the Queen’s Room. Good food andcopious wine were followed by a speech fromEdwin giving a resumè of the Club’sactivities over the year, during which hepresented the Best All-Round Horseman ofthe Year cup to Susie Flook and the Andrew Fellows cup to Georgina Jenkins as the mostimproved advanced horseman of the year.Susie FlookGeorgina JenkinsThen came our guest speaker, Major Charlie Lane (late Royal Horse Artillery and latecommanding officer of The King’s Troop) who now practises as a professional expertwitness in equestrian legal cases, in most of which he has to ride the horse involved. Havingbeen a horseman since childhood and raced as a jockey in professional racing his cumulative8

experience fitted him well for the role. You would think so: but he regaled us with anincident when he arrived to form an opinion on a horse and as he mounted it the saddlerotated, thus ditching him. One of the parties to the case said to the opponent, sarcastically,“So this is your professional witness!”Charlie later told us of another case in which he was involved concerning a young womanout exercising a stallion. During the journey they met, coming the other way, a party ofyoungsters led by a woman of 83 who was riding a mare that happened to be in season. Theresult was the stallion dumped its rider and mounted the mare, gripping its rider in its teeth!There was more and readers will realise that this was a most entertaining end to a joyfuloccasion. In thanking Charlie, Edwin presented him with a framed copy of the seating planas shown on the front cover of this newsletter.NATIONAL STUD AND NATIONAL HORSE RACING MUSEUM VISITWe are planning a visit to Newmarket on Saturday 2nd March for two purposes; first, tovisit the National Stud and, secondly, go on to the National Horse Racing Museum which isshowing a special exhibition, "Jewels of the Jockey Club", of paintings not normally onpublic show and includes both Gimcrack and Eclipse (Stubbs).The outline plan would be for people to travel independently and RV at the National Studat 11am. The guided tour starts at 11.15am and lasts 90 minutes. After the visit, we plan tohave a pub lunch nearby and then go on to the exhibition. Admission charges for the Studare £10 each (concession £8) with a discount for groups of 20 or more and £6.50 each(concession £5.50) for the Museum. Any members of the SC who would like to join us willbe very welcome but, if so, depending on numbers, it is necessary to book the National Studvisit in advance to ensure sufficient vehicles are available.For those without transport we will try to arrange car-sharing.Anyone interested please lets us know by phone (0208 743 6884) or emailrobert.shedden@o2.co.uk as soon as possible.9

RIDING HOLIDAY IN BOTSWANAIn October last year I, with a friend, Sally, had a wonderful riding holiday in theOkawanga Delta, Botswana (Windsor Park, eat your heart out). It was for onlyseven days but, in that time, from horse back, we saw at close quarters a wonderfulvariety of wild life: elephant, giraffe,zebra, hippos, many different breedsof buck as well as 100s of birds allattracted by the ready availability ofwater. Our stay was at Macatoo,approximately 60 miles from Maun,the nearest airport, a tented campbut equipped with everything weneeded in considerable comfort; oursleeping quarters had electric light,ensuite loo and shower with averandah overlooking the Delta. Thecamp was not enclosed and, duringthe night, there was evidence of elephant browsing a few yards from our tent and,in the daytime, bush buck, baboonsand many exotic birds were to beseen just as close. One magical night,we spent in a tree house 30 feetabove ground protected by mosquitonets over our sleeping bags. All mealsand unlimited drinks were includedand were served in great style in theopen in front of the mess tent, atnight lit by candlelight. There was asmall plunge pool to cool off duringthe afternoon siesta. Accommodationwas sufficient for 14 but there wereonly 12 whilst we were there, nearly all good riders. Non-riders are howeverwelcome and can explore the Delta by canoe or safari vehicle.Each day, we rode in groups of six plustwo guides for four hours in themorning and two in the late afternoon.There were 44 horses in all, somethoroughbreds but mostly cross breedswith local horses and Arabs, allbeautifully schooled, very fit, forwardgoingand fearless and no apparentvices. The guides were wonderful,could spot animals and birds long10

efore us punters and were a source of encyclopaedic knowledge of plants, treesand birds. October is the hottest and driest time of year but, even so, there wasplenty of water, hence the proliferation of wild life and the density of vegetation. Italso gave us the opportunity for frequent canters along the waterways, gettingthoroughly splashed in the process.Mercifully, the horses were sure-footed andthere seemed few under-water traps. Anotherthrilling part of the riding was gallopingalongside herds of giraffe or buffalo. Our onlydisappointment on what was otherwise aperfect holiday (very little evidence ofmosquitos!) was the failure to spot any lionor leopard, both of which are numerous inthe area as witnessed by frequent sighting ofpaw prints in the mud. Others staying at thesame time had a good sighting of a lion oneevening but only from a safari vehicle. When we finally took our departure we knewwe’d made a mistake in leaving so soon as our little 4-seater plane flew through athunder and lightening on its exciting 40 minute flight back to Maun.The Lodge is owned and run by African Horseback Safaris and although this is notan advertisement, anyone interested will find details through www.inthesaddle.comPhilippa Turner - Author11

HARROWAY 2012 with CINDY SIMMSHaving received rave reviews last year as a fun, challenging and thoroughly educational day, LucindaSims hosted the second Cross-Country and Show Jumping day clinic at Harroway House on 14 thOctober 2012.We were a small group (six in total) and the standard was satisfyingly even across the group makingfor an excellent level of riding and challenge throughout the day’s activities. Our mounts for the daywere a little different from the previous year. We hired just two horses from Pewsey Vale EquestrianCentre, the lovely Missy, and Bertha (who is new to the yard but a very smart, promising bay cobtipped to be the ‘new Missy’ for those who take an interest!). Four of Cindy’s horses were in use too,Dolly, Bruce, Orla and Artie who were a very fair match and well suited to our group. Susie joined uson her Domino and later admitted to us this was the second chance she’d had to ride in 5.5 months sowe felt she did very well indeed.The day started in the outdoor arena where Cindy built us a twisty course designed to test our skills atdirection, control and safety as much as to confuse our course remembering abilities! We built up to atechnical level working a figure of eight through separate parts of a double at full canter. We weretested by fillers, planks, pipes and spreads until the horses were warm and our confidence was up.We then headed to the cross-country field where Orla was swapped in for Artie and we had a riderswitchon a few of the horses. Up on the hill, as one would expect, things shifted into a new gear andwe listened carefully to Cindy as we were all reminded regularly to ‘SIT UP!!!’. The fences againwere designed to make us think and really connect with the job at hand and we had our fair share ofclose shaves but thankfully no falls. Cindy was an excellent instructor on the cross-country course,challenging the group over several different five-jump courses but always pushing us to be safe andconfident in everything we did. We put the lessons learned in the school to good use out in the openand it proved to be an exhausting morning!Susie made sure we had ‘proper HAC lunch’ – complete with wine for Dutch courage and somefantastic food. We refuelled and re-mounted after lunch for the mini competition where we would befully tested on the day’s learnings.The course was 2’6’’ to 3’0’’, a good size for our group, and included an unusual right turn to a lefthandedfence which Cindy saw at HOYS and thought would be a good test for us – it certainly was,though Charlie and Debbie had Dolly and Bruce (both ex Grade A show jumpers) so they soonshowed us how it was done (complete with flying changes)! The competition was a back-to-backclear round followed immediately by a jump-off round and the times were nail-bitingly close.However, the stop-clock never lies and the results were as follows:1 st place: Georgina Jenkins on Orla2 nd place: Victoria Younghusband on Missy3 rd place: Debbie Pengelly on Bruce4 th place: Susie Flook on Domino5 th place: Charlie Rigby Smith on Dolly6 th place: Natalie on BerthaThere were two additional awards for most improved and runner-up most improved. These wereawarded to Natalie and Charlie respectively.Thank you to all who helped to arrange this day and get the planning off the ground. I hope there willbe a continued appetite for these days meaning more members will have the chance to take part at theHarroway days.Georgina Jenkins12

LUCY OLDFIELD TROPHY COMPETITIONOn 23 rd November 2012 Juanita Coulson, Rosie Blake and Georgina Jenkins (your author)took part in the Lucy Oldfield Trophy competition at Trent Park Equestrian Centre inOakwood, North London.This is the second year running that the team has entered the competition, involving a ridertest – an assessment focused on rider only, not the regular combination of horse AND rider.It’s a tricky concept to imagine – the conventional dressage test, at any level, is an evaluationof the harmony between horse and rider, one influenced by the other, however in the case ofthe Lucy Oldfield competition, this is a rider competition through and through.Having competed last year and been pipped to the post in placings for all three riders(Juanita took 2 nd in 2011 by 1%!!!) we were determined to improve on the results. The drawwas not in our favour, as I was drawn first but was followed by Rosie and Juanita ridingroughly midway through the draw. We each had 10-15 minutes to warm up our horse andafter this brief encounter we were ushered into the arena to complete the British RidingClubs Novice Riding Test 11. The team each rode a sound test. I personally incurred twofaults for putting in an extra circle (oh dear…), Rosie did very well on a hot horse andJuanita made it look easy as usual!In the gallery we feasted on a superb buffet supper and chatted to new and familiar faces.The wine flowed (thankfully) until the scores were up. And worth the wait it was! Rosie wasawarded 6 th place, I was awarded 5 th place and Juanita won the competition on a score of+70%. Hooray!Moonlight was quick to make sure we had a winning photograph taken and we deliveredsome deserved carrots and Polos to the horses too. What a great result to take home on aFriday night and real boost for the club. Well done to all and thank you to Moonlight, Edwinand Stephen for the support!13

When riding on some very cold evenings recently, including being snowed on, I’veoccasionally thought it would be good if horses hibernated for a couple of months eachwinter. With the snow and very wet fields, I’m sure there are some horses who would agreewith me! Roll on Spring!I mentioned in the last update that a team from the Saddle Club were taking part in LondonRiding Clubs’ Lucy Oldfield Trophy competition at Trent Park Equestrian Centre on 23 rdNovember. I’m pleased to report that the team did exceptionally well. See report earlier inthis newsletter.Having received a number of requests for another visit to Harroway, this year we have twodates for show jumping and cross-country with Cindy Simms. Details can be found below.These are very popular events and fill up quickly, so you snooze, you lose.We are also paying another visit to Cullinghood in March to ride the mechanical horse and,optionally, a real horse. It’s a great opportunity to ease yourself back in to the saddle if youhaven’t ridden in a while. Details below.The RA Hunt is holding an Inter-Hunt relay event on 21 st April and we are hoping to field ateam again. Teams of four race against each other over identical cross-country courses withfences up to 3’ high. A hunting whip is passed from one rider to the next before the nextrider can start. It’s run as a knockout event after the first round with the fastest teams goingon into the next round until the fastest two teams race for the trophy. If you would like to beconsidered for the team, please email jan.glen@l2.co.uk or call the number below.Unfortunately we have to postpone the annual Pyramid Dressage and John Palmer Trophycompetitions at Flemish Farm until later in the year. A few of the horses at Flemish Farm arenot fully fit at the moment. Below is an email from Caroline explaining. Please do continueriding at and supporting Flemish Farm and send a donation to help Bob and Caspar if youcan.Juanita has been busy planning and has organised a wonderful weekend in the Cotswolds inJune. See details below. We are also planning vaulting and side-saddle events for later in theyear. Get in touch if you are interested in taking part.Best wishesJan and JuanitaRIDING MASTER’S UPDATEJan Glen - Riding MasterJuanita Coulson – Assistant Riding Masterjan.glen@o2.co.ukjuanitacoulson@yahoo.com07840 104455 07766 71076314

Email from Caroline at Flemish Farm:Just wanted to let you know that you will need to book early at the moment. Quite afew of the horses are on very specific work programs for quite a while as they arehaving treatment from the vet and this means that some horses can only hack andsome lessons maybe limited depending on the available horses. We would of courselove for you to continue to ride and the horses really do need to keep going andexercise. If you are allocated one of the horses having treatment we will let you knowand advise you.Bob and Caspar are two of the horses who currently need treatment and they will begoing to the hospital for the day for investigations and X-rays at the beginning ofFeb. We will know more about their future treatment and work loads after this time.Bob and Caspar are two horses that are the backbone of the Light Cavalry. Both ofthem have attended every parade we have done and many of our Supporting Ridershave hacked them, jumped them, done dressage on them and last of all pegged them.They are truly all rounders!We have never done this before but we will be setting up a collection to help fundany on going treatment. This will enable us to make sure that Bob and Caspar aregiven the very best options. If you would like to help please send a cheque to theaddress below or donate when you are at the yard.We will of course keep you up to date with the fund raising and their treatment.Many ThanksCarolineManagerLight Cavalry StablesFlemish FarmWindsor Great parkBerkshireSL4 2LD01753 622291www.lchac.org.uk15

RIDING SCHEDULEContact numbersFlemish Farm:High Standing Hill, WindsorGreat Park, SL4 4LDTel: 01753 622291e-mail: haclc@aol.comJan Glen,Riding Master:Mobile: 07840 104455email:jan.glen@o2.co.ukJuanita CoulsonAssistant Riding Master:Mobile: 07766 710763email:coulson@aldpartners.comDates Event NotesLessons and hacking at Weekdays and Weekends.Contact Caroline Quested at FlemishFlemish FarmGroup and private.Farm for detailsEvery Monday at thesame timesFlemish Farm, Windsor19.30 – 20.30 Novice Lesson20.30 – 21.30 Intermediate /Advanced lesson *Instructor: Clare RussellPlease book via Flemish FarmMaximum 6 ridersBody protector essential for jumping.Every Thursday atTrent Park, Oakwoodtube station19.30 – 20.30 Novice Lesson20.30 – 21.30 Intermediate /Advanced lesson *Courtesy of BBC Riding ClubCourtesy of the BBC RC. Bookingsmanager Isabel Gray via emailbbcridingclubbookings@hotmail.co.ukWill restart Winter 2013 King’s Troop Ride at Woolwich Contact jan.glen@o2.co.uk for detailsTuesday evenings atKnightsbridge BarracksCourtesy of the Civil Service RidingClub occasional opportunity to joinadvanced lessons at 18.30 or 19.30Contact jan.glen@o2.co.uk for details.TBC 2-hour hack from Flemish Farm Contact jan.glen@o2.co.uk if you areinterested.24 March 2013 Mechanical horse and lunch,Pangbourne7 April 2013 Show jumping and cross-country,Harroway with Cindy Simms14-16 June 2013 Weekend riding plusaccommodation in the Cotswolds, atJill Carenza’s29 September 2013 Show jumping and cross-country,Harroway with Cindy SimmsDetails in newsletterDetails in newsletterDetails in newsletterDetails in newsletterTBC Vaulting lesson Details will be confirmed later in theyear.TBCPyramid Dressage and John Palmershow jumping competitions—Flemish FarmDetails will be confirmed later in theyear.* Novice - Able to walk and trot independently and progressing to canterIntermediate - Riding independently at walk, trot & canter, trot poles, progression to lateral work and jumping.Advanced - As above and confident at lateral work and jumping16

Please remember that riding is a dangerous activity and although we hope you will never need to useit, it is vital that you ensure that you have adequate accident insurance cover.Dress for lessons must include a riding hat of the current standard and suitable riding boots (long orshort and chaps are acceptable). No fashion boots or Wellingtons please. Coloured jodhpurs/breeches are allowed except for competitions when they should be beige or white.Riding Hat Safety Standards. The safest standard for a hat is PAS 015, 1994 & 1998. The otherapproved standards are BSEN 1384, 1997, EN 1384, 1996. You should buy a new riding hat if yourhat has sustained an impact (i.e. on a bad fall, banged head or being dropped - the damage may notbe visible on the outside of the helmet), or if your hat becomes too tight, too loose or too old.17

Yoga for Horse Riders No 2Cavendish Pavilion, Field End Road, Eastcote HA4 9PG – 1 st floor.Free Parking in the large car park next door to the building.Thursday 21st February 7.30 – 9.30pmLight refreshments at 9.00pmDoors open 7.15pmTicket £8 – payable in advanceThe evening will consist of the usual 1½ hour Yoga session geared to beginners withemphasis on posture and alignment. Hopefully most of the students who attended lasttime will come for this follow up, so we can move on a bit. I was hoping to focus moreon balance between feet and then between our sitting bones; noticing these weightchanges in rotation and hopefully getting the student to notice whether a hip or shouldercollapses. Eventually we may be able to take this extra sensory perception into our bodywhen riding. I also intend to do more work on shoulders and upper back. Interestinglymost riders were lose hipped but tight in the upper body. Finally there will be a bit ofwork on basic breathing and of course relaxation at the end of the session.You will need to bring a non-slip mat with you, but if you haven’t got one a thick towelwill suffice. I do have some spare mats and will bring up what I have. A block and strapare also useful equipment, so please have a look around for something suitable. Again Ihave a few straps to lend out. A light blanket is lovely for relaxation.The venue is fabulous, newly carpeted and will be very quiet. There is a maximumnumber of students that can be accommodated, so please get back to Pam and makeyour booking and let’s have a fun evening.Jackie Barker BWY Dip and Yoga Elder----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------NAME....................................................................................................E-MAIL...................................................................................................TELEPHONE............................................................................................Payment is £8 payable to Northwood Riding Club and sent to:-Pam Burch62 Copthall Road WestIckenham, Uxbridge UB10 8HS18

MECHANICAL HORSE SIMULATOR LESSON24th MARCH 2013Last year’s visit to Cullinghood Equestrian Centre (Pangbourne, RG8 8QA) was sosuccessful we have another trip planned this year.In the morning everyone will have half an hour on Ithacus, the mechanical horsesimulator. The simulator helps assess and improve technique and also helps build confidencefor nervous or ‘returning’ riders as it removes the unpredictability of riding a living animal.It is suitable for all levels of experience including complete beginners. So if you haven’tridden for ages and would like a gentle re-introduction, this is the ideal way to get goingagain. The more advanced can try to ride advanced dressage movement such as flyingchanges and passage.Ithacus is a 15.2hh ’horse’ and is sensitive to leg, hand and seat pressure. The interactivecomputer relays your body position and how your body moves with the mechanical horsesimulator. If you are one sided or too heavy in the saddle the computer will highlight this onthe screen, which helps you and your instructor correct any imbalances.After lunch we will be getting onto real horses for a one hour lesson to put into practicewhat we learned in the morning.The cost is £65 per person which includes; the mechanical horse lesson, the real horselesson and a wonderful 3 course lunch including soup, hot main course and a puddingcooked by our lovely host Maggie.If you just wish to have the lesson on the mechanical horse the cost is £30 plus £10 if youwish to stay for lunch. If you would like to attend please email me by 2 nd March atjan.glen@o2.co.uk.Jan19

SHOW JUMPING AND CROSS-COUNTRYAT HARROWAY7 th April 2013 & 29 September 2013 – Harroway, near Andover, WiltshireThere have been so many requests for another day a Harroway that we are puttingon two this year. See the write up for our October trip, above, in this newsletter.This day is ideal for anyone who has done a bit of jumpingbut never tried cross-country or for those moreexperienced to improve their skills. Cindy Sims has themost wonderful way of instructing and will soon build yourconfidence and have you flying over the fences.Schedule0915 – arrive at Harroway0930 – show jumping lesson1100 – cross-country lesson1230 – lunch1400 – jumping competitionThe cost will be confirmed nearer the time but is anticipated to be approximately£130 which includes horse hire and instruction.This is likely to be a very popular day, so please email me as soon aspossible to secure your place. Please include the following information in youremail*:NameTelephone numbersEmail addressPerson to contact in case ofemergency:HeightWeightRiding experience:Show jumpingCross-countryYou must have a well fitted riding hat to current standards (preferablywithout a fixed peak) and a body protector and, of course, appropriateriding insurance.The closing dates for bookings are:For 7 th April – by 9 MarchFor 29 th September – by 18 August* If you prefer post to email then please send above details to:Jan Glen, 15 Beehive Lane, Binfield, Berks RG12 8TX20

RIDING WEEKEND IN THE COTSWOLDSEscape to the country for a weekend of fine riding in beautiful surroundings.Many of you will remember Jill Carenza’s top-notch horses from last year’sHAC meet, when she stepped into the breach at short notice and provided somefirst-rate hirelings. We will be staying in Jill’s lovely antique-filled house,where the breakfasts are legendary. With over 50 horses and ponies to suit allabilities, show-jumping and dressage schooling facilities, a cross-countrycourse and scenic hacking in the Cotswolds hills, there will be something foreveryone. Check it out at http://www.cotswoldsriding.co.ukThe programme of activities can be tailored to suit the level of experience andpreferences of participants, but a sample itinerary would be as follows:Friday 14 June :Arrive in the evening, pub supper in The Mount Inn,Stanton - http://www.themountinn.co.ukSaturday 15 June: 10:30 Assessment and 1-hour flatwork lessonPub or picnic lunch3:30 Cross-country lesson + 1-hour hack or 2-hour hackSunday 16 June:10:30 Jumping or flatwork lesson12:00 3-hour pub ride, with a civilised and leisurely stopfor lunchWhether you are a happy hacker or a competitive rider wanting to hone yourskills, put this in your diary as something to look forward to after this drearywinter.The cost of the weekend is £295, to include two nights’ accommodation (in ashared twin or double room), breakfasts, horse hire and tuition.Spaces are limited, so book yours asap! Email juanitacoulson@yahoo.com withyour height, weight and riding experience. You will need to send payment nolater than 14 May to secure your place.21

EQUESTRIAN VAULTINGTRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT THIS YEAR: By Juanita CoulsonYou may have seen the graceful Joanne Eccles winning gold for GB … or you may bewondering: “what on earth?” It can best be described as gymnastics on a horse: great forcore strength, balance and fitness, and a lot of fun.A taster session with national coach Julie Newell, on her incredible patient and super-smarthorses (some are ex-grand prix!), will see you through some of the basic movements. Youwill also have the chance to watch a stunning display by members of English VaultingSquad. In the interests of research, yours truly has had a go – I can confirm it is perfectlysafe, but a jolly good workout! You don’t need to be super-fit, you won’t be expected tovault on from the ground, and the wearing of Lycra is not compulsory.We are planning an introductory half-day workshop later this year at a venue in HighWycombe. Cost is £60 per person, based on a group of 8. To register your interest or findout more email juanitacoulson@yahoo.comLearning to stand at a walk on the adorable 18hh Yogi Bear22

POLO—2013As we while away the winter dreaming of the next polo season it seems a good time tocollect our thoughts on the way ahead because, by the time this article is read, the season willnot be far off and by the time of the following edition it will be under way.My first objective is to establish who is interested in playing (or even learning to play) underthe Saddle Club banner. Polo playing newcomers to the Club and complete beginners at thegame will, of course, be most welcome. Whether or not you played last season I thereforeask anyone interested in playing in 2013 to register that interest (which would be withoutcommitment) by responding to this article as soon as maybe with an e-mail message to thateffect in which you mention both the polo club which holds (or it is intended to hold) his orher membership and your registered handicap, if any.On the question of which polo club, I should mention to newcomers (and to remind previousplayers) that it is not possible to play in a polo match without belonging to a polo clubformally affiliated to the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA, the body that governs thegame world-wide). It does not matter which club the player joins because once a member ofa club the player can play anywhere. As to the particular, having said that, we, the SaddleClub, will continue to base ourselves at Fifield Polo Club (in an eponymous village justoutside Windsor) and to recommend all our players to belong there too. Not only is this avery welcoming and friendly Club, with four grounds, 120 ponies on site and a commodiousclubhouse but its membership fees as very competitive. The greatest advantage inconcentrating ourselves in one club is the ease with which training and tactical instructioncan be given and rehearsed.Last season we had enough polo players within the Saddle Club to field three teams but wedid not formalise that. For the season ahead I propose that we group players into semi-formalteams by handicap. I fully realise that members have other commitments during the summerbut the advantage in some form of formal grouping lies in the ability of team members toplay together as a team. Thus, whenever taking the field, each team member knows thestrengths and weaknesses of the others. Last season, for example, on most occasions therespective teams did not start to play together as a team until about the third chukka and that,together with a misunderstanding of the rules, cost us many a game.On the subject of the rules, I intend to arrange one of more introductory sessions around agreen-baize table to explore in detail the rules of the game. I plan this to occur just before thenew season begins in April. Those who register an interest in playing (or learning to play)will be notified separately of the arrangements.Once I know the number of those interested I will map-out a match programme for theseason ahead with a skeleton of at least one match per player per month in mind.. Already inhand are arrangements for two tournaments to be run by the Saddle Club; one at the RoyalMilitary Academy, Sandhurst, in June and the other at Fifield in August. On each occasionwe will invite opposition from elsewhere and make it a social occasion as well. In addition Ianticipate a renewal of the challenge to matches from JP Morgan and from Deloitte. A thirdtournament will be run by the HAC Regiment at Ham Polo Club on7th September at whichwe might be invited again to field a team. Thus there is already the foundation of anenjoyable season. There will be more news anon.23

I cannot ignore the cost of all this and, unfortunately, there is no such thing as cheap polo. Ihave already mentioned the inescapable costs which cover membership of a poloclub and ofthe HPA. So far as Fifield is concerned the season’s subscription for HAC playing (asopposed to social) members will be the same as last year ( about £400). On top of that willbe the compulsory subscription to the HPA of £120. The variable costs are, of course, thehire of ponies by those who need to. That, of course varies between hirers and if not for useat the hirer’s base will be enhanced by the cost of transport. One should be anticipatingsomething like £70 per chukka at Fifield of which there are four chukkas to a game. (One ofour members, Georgiana Crofton, runs a business (Adrenalin Polo) of hiring out polo poniesand very generously has constructed a price package specifically for HAC members and Igive the details below.) Then there are team fees for entering individual tournaments ormatches and these go to the hosting Club for such things as the maintenance of the pitchesand, maybe, the provision of umpires and an ambulance. Typically, last year, we paid about£200 per team per session of several games. I set it out like this because I do not wantanyone to enter this sport with closed eyes and there are two things I always say to newplayers: “First, beware – this game is addictive and, secondly, into it you can pour endlessmoney - if you are not careful”. The established players know all this but I sincerely hopenewcomers will not be deterred but they must be informed.I think we are looking ahead to a really good season. Please let me know by e-mail(whether you played last season or not) if you would like to be part of it. Registering aninterest is not a commitment but merely an interest in receiving further information.Commitment comes at the point of deciding to join a polo club.Bob SheddenSaddle Club Polo Captainrobert.shedden@o2.co.ukAdrenalin Polo FeesWithout Pre-payment packageWith pre-payment packageStick & Ball per hour £65 £55Instructional session per hour £90 £85Combined session £115 £100(half-hour practice/instruction + 2 chukkas)Club chukkas £70 per chukka £65 per chukkaTournament chukkas £85 per chukka £75 per chukka24

FENCE JUDGING COURSESunday, 14th April—Windsor Great ParkA happy band of fence judgesThis course is free and once qualified by your attendance and issuedwith your certificate your services will be much sort after by organizersof hunter trials.Timings:1045hrs1100hrs to 1230hrs1230hrs to 1330hrs1330hrs to 1345hrs1345hrs to 1500hrs1500hrs1515hrsCourse Assembles at Flemish FarmTechnical Lecture on fence judging includingrefusals, hesitations, falls, combinations, safety,children, air jackets and much more taken byAnthony Ffooks (former BE T/A)Lunch break (so pack the picnic basket)Drive into Windsor Great Park to the old crosscountrycourse behind the polo grounds.Practical Fence judging including hesitations,presentations, commitment, timing point etcAny QuestionsDepartDress code for the day is country clothing.Those wishing to attend the course should e-mail their names to EdwinSeabrook at Edwin_seabrook@hotmail.co.uk by 1200hrs on 5 th April.25

VALE OF AYLESBURY SPONSORED RIDESaddle Club members may like to consider taking part in theVale of Aylesbury Sponsored Ride which takes place onSunday, 17th March 2013 at Royal Air Force Halton, Wendover,HP22 5NS.The Ride is non-profit making, run by volunteers and exists toraise money for local charities. Over the years the Ride hasbeen running, riders have raised in the region of £250,000 forcharities. The beneficiaries of last year’s Ride were the RoyalAir Force Benevolent Fund, Action4Youth, The Thames Valleyand Chiltern Air Ambulance Trust, Chilterns MS Centre, TheRiding for the Disabled Association, Make a Special Kid Smileand The Kimblewick Hunt.Full details, including entry form, are available from thewebsite:http://www.haltonride.org.uk/index.html26

ROYAL ARTILLERY HUNT 200 CLUBThe RA 200 Club was formed in 1978, to raise funds for the Hunt. Membership is limited to200. The rules are that each member subscribes £24 annually. This is either by cash,cheques or by annual or monthly Bankers’ Order (annually £24 or monthly £2). For thatsum each member is given a permanent unique number. That number enters a monthly drawand the prizes below are awarded to the winning numbers. Each year £1,400 is given awayin prizes:Monthly (except January and November) - £40.00November – 5 prizes of £100.00January (drawn at the Point-to-Point) – 1 prize of £500.00Should the number of members fall below 140 the committee reserves the right to wind upthe club and to return the balance of annual subscriptions which have been paid in advance.Prize winners are paid by cheque to the address shown on their application form or to theirlatest notified address. Lists of prizes will be send on request (SAE please).Please complete the slip below if you wish to join. Any further details may be obtainedfrom: Major Chris Cobb-Smith, or telephone 01980 620497 or email: chris@chironresources.comif you wish to join.Please do give your support – the club, when full, donates over £1,200 to the Hunt eachyear.RA Hunt 200 ClubTo:Major C.S.G. Cobb-SmithGolling CottageChants Lane Home telephone: 01980 620497Shrewton Mobile telephone: 07818 400 894WiltshireSP3 4EGemail: chris@chiron-resources.comI apply for membership of the RA Hunt 200 Club. I undertake to pay one year’ssubscription in advance or by monthly Bankers’ Order. I will inform the secretary of anychange of address and also if I wish to withdraw from the club.I enclose my cheque/I have set up an Annual Bankers’ Order payable to the RA Hunt -200 Club. [Lloyds Bank; Account number: 02382190; Sort Code: 30-90-21] delete whereapplicable.Signature: …………………………………………………Date: ………………………..Name:…………………………………………………………………………………………Address incl postcode:.............................................................................................................e-mail.........................................................................................................................................27

SADDLE CLUB HUNTING WEEKEND9th March 2013Kick On!Well here we are again in the run up to the HAC hunting weekend on Salisbury Plain with the Royal ArtilleryHunt. It was a great pity the p2p was cancelled this year due to the weather, however it maybe rescheduledfor later in the year and hopefully we can gather at the usual picnic area, Col Bob's boot!I'm thrilled to be receiving so many emails already requesting horses for our day so keep them coming; do tryand get your application forms complete with cheque for both horse and dinner to me as soon as you can.After the cut off date, 1 March 2013, I will send out a list of horses and riders so you know who to find on themorning.The meet this year will be held at The Queens Building, Larkhill Racecourse and, as always, dinner will be atThe Antrobus Arms, Amesbury.A couple of etiquette refreshers for you allYou should be neat and tidy wearing either a tweed jacket with a tie or a black/navy jacket with a huntingstock, beige breeches and leather boots and of course a hard hat with harness.Good manners is essential and do greet the masters on your arrival, ‘Good morning, master’ and also don’tforget ‘Good morning’ to the huntsmen and hunt secretary and other hunt staff.Always keep your horses head facing the hounds, it’s not appreciated if hounds are kicked and you’re likely tobe sent home. Always make way for the Masters, hunt staff and passing cars. Say goodnight to the Mastersand hunt staff even if its still light.I very much look forward to seeing you all in March. Any queries at all do get in touch.Jane McGill07956 203103jkmcgill@thehorseboxgallery.com28

Hunting weekend 9h March 2013To: Jane McGill, 31a Leathwaite Road, Battersea SW11 1XGFrom: …….........................................................................................................................………...Address: …………………….………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...Phone (Office)……………………….………………….…..… (Home)………………….…………………………………...(Mobile)….……………………………………………………….Email……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………….Please book me a place hunting for Saturday 9h March 2013 @ £120 per horse (this includes asubstantial subsidy from the Saddle Club) (please also include £35 for dinner if you wish to attend)I enclose a cheque in favour of the HAC Saddle Club for £…………………………….....…Riding /Hunting experience…………………………………………………………….………….………………………….....................................................................................................................................................What type of horse do you prefer to ride?……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...This information will be passed on to the supplier of hirelings. The HAC Saddle Club cannot be heldresponsible for the type or temperament of the horse you are provided with.Are you a hunt member? or a supporter if so please give details?…………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………….. ……..Date of birth …………..…………….…………Weight ……………...……………….Height …………..………………Next of kin detailsRelationship………………….…….....................…Contact Number.…........……………………………………..Address………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………...………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Please return to Jane McGill by Friday 1st March 2013.The Hunt SupperI will / will not be attending the Hunt Supper at the Antrobus Arms after hunting at £35 per headwhich includes wine and port at dinner.Please state any dietary requirements…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………AccommodationAccomodation at the Antobus Arms is to be booked by the individual for the Friday and/or Saturdaynight. It is recommended to book well in advance to avoid disappointment.29