Spring 2013 Saddle Club Newsletter - Honourable Artillery Company

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