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Area 12A Show At Richmond EC 3rd & 4th May

When is the North East weather ever kind to our BSJA members? Well in true form it wasn’t at its best for the 2 day BSJA Area 12A show at Richmond. Had the wind ever dropped it would have been perfect. That said it couldn’t dampen the spirits of the determined competitors and spectators who witnessed some fantastic show jumping across the 2 days culminating in 2 top class 1.30m opens.
The show opened with a decisive DLT Photography sponsored British Novice win for Richard Nichol in the outdoor arena where the going was excellent. The ground crew should be applauded for their commitment to ensuring that the going remained this way throughout the 2 day  show.
In the indoor arena senior honours went to Sally Johnson and Helen Swailes in the 90cm and 1m Amateur classes on day 1.
Our BSJA Academy members also took junior awards; these went to Charlotte Eagles, Jessica Ball, Holly Gair, Ellie Hunter, Charlotte Bentham and Sally Hopkinson.
Senior individual winners across the weekend included; Gail McDonnell, Charlotte Arnold, Katherine Leak, Samantha McNicholas, Craig Chadwick, Stephanie Shepherd, Stephanie Murray, Sarah Mousley and Sally Swiers .
There was a very popular win for Junior Academy coordinator Christina Foley when her ‘effervescent’ mare, Layla Z scored a stylish win in the Newcomers class on day 2.

The final class of the show on Monday was a thrilling multi horse jump off in the 1.30m Open. Paul Barker and Gareth Watchman both had four rides a piece, Sophia Cuthbert two and numerous others with a single horse in the field proved the quality of horse and rider combinations competing for the £100 first prize.
Local young riders Jonty Stephens and Melissa Gair having one horse each in the jump off rose to the challenge and some exciting competition was enjoyed by the numerous enthusiastic spectators.
Melissa  rode a fantastic jump off to lead from mid way with a foot perfect double clear,  never looking like touching a pole on Bowes Calvaro. It wasn’t until the very last horse in the class Paul Barker with his top horse Anderida Anica changed the result.
The inform combination  dropped down short after the green oxer to be the only duo to come inside the wall to the black and white upright saving valuable seconds. This then allowed them to steady over the remaining two parts of the combination before the short run to the REC white planks which had played such a part in eliminating others from the line up. It was a well deserved win by the more experienced rider but it also demonstrated the strength that out region has in its young rider base.

In total over £1400 was raised by the Charity day for the Air Ambulance appeal with pledges of support still coming in to show organiser Sophia Cuthbert. BSJA NE would like to express its gratitude to the generous sponsors without which this fantastic total couldn’t have been achieved.
Richmond Equestrian Centre
Keith Mowbray Coatham Stob Fencing
D.L.T. Photography www.dltphotography.co.uk
Barclays Staff Community Project.
Mrs. J. Dixon.
Bushy Armstrong Builders.
Thinford Saddlery
Millbry Hill (Armstrong Richardson)
Ivor Valentine (Farrier)
Mrs. M. Dixon.
Mrs. C. Metcalfe.

Results
Purchase your prints from our 2009 British Novice series sponsor

www.dltphotography.co.uk

All photos Courtesy of DLT Photography

BSJA Senior Team Jumping at Port Royal E.C.     

Saturday 9th August 2008

This year’s Region A Senior Team Show Jumping once again saw two Teams in action from our Area, although the Area is now a little different being “Show Jumping North East”. It is a credit to Show Jumping North East that we fielded two teams with only Area 15A (the Home Team) being able to do likewise.

In the days leading up to the competition date one or two Team Members suffered injuries to their horses and couldn’t make the line up. However a mixture of dashing about and the occasional conscription of suitable recruits who happened to be at Port Royal that day ensured that we had two complete teams of four.

Once again the standard was very high and the qualifying places went to the teams from Lancashire and Cheshire just as they had done the previous year.  This year our two teams completed the whole of the competition which was very pleasing and although we were not required to parade mounted for awards (only the first four teams were brought forward) I am sure all of those who took part thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Team Jumping is very different to competing with only your own success to think about and it was great to see the superb Team spirit which shone through on what was a very wet and miserable day in terms of the weather. I would urge anyone who is interested to look out for the notices early next summer which request those who would like to be considered for the Teams to put their name forward.

This is not an event where you wait to be invited to take part, so get your hat (jockey skull cap or £200 Whittaker style whatever) thrown in the ring. I am sure those who will be responsible for choosing the Teams would like to have an awful lot more volunteers putting themselves forward in 2009.

The teams representing Show Jumping North East last week-end were as follows :

Discovery Level : Leigh-Ann Lewis Hey Wilhelmina, Margaret Swinburn Utah Du Paon

Newcomer Level : Upan John Brannen Loughnatousa Rose Karen Gaines

Grade C Level : More Artistic Billy Davison Alter Ego Jonathan Stevens

Open Level : Sophia Cuthbert Goulton Exclusive John Brannen Crievestone

Please accept my apologies if I have mis-spelt any horses or riders names.

I know it is frowned upon to mention those within a Team scenario individually but I was never one for following tradition so here goes. Special mentions to Leigh-Ann Lewis for our only double clear competitor, John Brannen for agreeing so readily to ride two horses and thus ensure we had two complete teams of four, young Jonathan Stevens for stepping in at less than 24 hours notice with a very mature performance, Karen Gaines for stepping in at about 60 minutes notice. My final thank you goes to someone who didn’t even have a horse with her at Port Royal, Eleanor Anderson was enjoying her summer holidays with three days away at Port Royal and gave her time without being asked assisting in every way imaginable.

To all of the competitors from Show Jumping North East and to all of their assistants and families a huge “Thank You”. We didn’t walk away with a qualifying ticket we didn’t even get Rosettes for trying really hard. However you were without exception a great credit to your BSJA Area.

Next year when the Area Selection Committee has the luxury of dozens to choose from we will definitely give Lancashire and Cheshire something to worry about!

Dave King Joint Chef d’Equipe Show Jumping North East    Tuesday August 11th 2008

Above left, BSJA North East 'Tees' team parade before the team competition. Above right, BSJA North East 'Tyne' team.

Below left, Leigh-Ann Lewis going clear in Discovery. Below right, Margaret Swinburn going well in Discovery.

Above left, John Brannen in the Newcomers for the Tees team. Above right, Karen Gaines in Newcomers for the Tyne team.

Below left, Billy Davidson in the Grade C for the Tees team. Below right, Jonty Stephens in the Grade C for the Tyne team.

Above left Sophia Cuthbert in the Open class for Tees. Above right, John Brennan in the Open for Tyne.

Below left, the winning Area 18 team from Cheshire and runners-up Area 17 from Lancashire. Below right, even with the team prize slipping away, appreciative support for every team member.

BSJA North East Area Training

with Andrew Hamilton

Billy Dodds and Sophia Cuthbert with Accredited BSJA & Scottish Equestrian Assoc. coach Andrew Hamilton.

BSJA North East Area training took place on 3 and 4 June at Stainsby Grange Equestrian Centre, kindly organised by Anne Brennan and provided by International rider and Accredited BSJA & Scottish Equestrian Assoc. coach Andrew Hamilton who made the journey from Carluke in Lanarkshire. 
Both dates were over subscribed and were attended by both senior and junior riders of all standards and experience levels. Most sessions comprised 2/3 riders who were grouped according to their level of experience and similarly that of their horse or pony. The sessions lasted a very full hour with Andrew ensuring that everyone worked very hard and took something away to practice at home. 

In some of the sessions Andrew concentrated on related distance work and encouraging the riders to think 'forward'. He demonstrated the importance of seeing how a course rode as well as walked and not getting too hung up if a distance walked half a stride out. The ability to adjust the horse or pony's length of stride being the most important factor. He explained that approach, surface going and positioning of the fences (i.e. on slight curves or straight) all play important factors when riding related distances.

Andrew also made clever use of very narrow fillers without wings to improve horse and riders control and focus. When asked to jump these - it proved more difficult than it sounded for many combinations! Bounce jumps, grid and pole work were all also used over the 2 days to improve rhythm, technique and focus of the horse and rider. He also worked on greater control by placing a row of poles between 2 small fences in a line, asking riders to jump the fence drop back down to trot over the poles and then pick up the canter and pop another small fence. The importance of correct warming up before commencing a coaching session and correct cooling down of the horse following it was also emphasised. 

Andrew's excellent rapport with the members and his ability to explain everything very clearly made all of the sessions very enjoyable and great to watch. The participants provided excellent feedback and thoroughly enjoyed their coaching session with Andrew

Area 12 Equestrian Plus Magazine

To view the Area 12 article in the April issue of Equestrian Plus magazine, click the link below:-

Equestrian Plus April

Click on the link below to view the James Taylor article from Equestrian Plus (slight delay while article loads):-

James

Click on the link below to view the Dan Thompson profile from the May issue of Equestrian Plus (slight delay while article loads):-

Dan

James Taylor and Horia du Neretz

4th in the British Open Championships 2008.

Twenty one of the brightest young names in show jumping will compete in the BEF World Class Development Programme Championship class, at the British Open Show Jumping Championships held at Birmingham's NEC on April 3rd - 6th 2008, including James Taylor from Northumberland and his 13 year old Selle Francais mare Horia du Neretz.

After 6 qualifying competitions, jumping tracks of 1.50m the top eighteen riders based on points accumulated throughout the qualifying series and one wild card show where three riders qualified. All now have the chance to compete in this prestigious class and one rider will be crowned World Class Development 'U23 Champion' 2008. James collected points at both Hartpury College and Towerlands Equestrian Centre.

A number of World Class Development riders have qualified, including last years winner William Whitaker, who this year will be riding Loxley 57, and with a mixture of some old and new faces in the final line up, it will be a highly sort after title.

To determine the starting order of the Championship class, the riders will jump in the WCD Programme Pathfinder class the day before, with all clear rounds going through to a jump off against the clock.The winner is the rider with the least faults in the fastest time that will then have the advantage of going last in the WCD Programme Championship class.

With an increase in the prize fund for the Championship class to £3000 and training vouchers awarded to the top eight placed competitors ranging from £800 to the winner to £100 to the eighth placed rider, it signifies the importance these young riders place on winning this class.

Carole Griffith, the World Class Development Manager says, "This is the fourth year that we have supported the U23 Championship, and again we have been delighted with the interest that it has generated amongst the best young show jumping riders. With the calibre of the top twenty one riders who have qualified for the final, this will be a very exciting competition".

The World Class Development Programme, is Lottery funded through UK Sport and is designed to assist in the development of talented riders, with the best opportunities to maximise their competitive potential through an established training pathway that will see them progress onto the Olympic Performance Programme for 2012 and beyond.

Alison Lines picked up the 1.10m KBIS National Amateur Championship at Arena UK

Following on from a successful season in Area 12, leading Senior rider Alison Lines picked up the 1.10m KBIS National Amateur Championship at Arena UK riding Jane Lishman's 7 year old gelding Tradolin. From 144 starters, 10 made it through to the 3rd round of the final on Saturday evening. Di Boddy's strong 1.25m jump-off course produced only 3 clear rounds with Alison taking the championship.

Owner Jane Lishman was present at Arena UK for the qualifying rounds and the 3 round championship final and was delighted to watch her horse Tradolin claim the title.

Click the link below to view Philippa's training tip (slight delay while article loads):-

Training Tip

Schedules

Results

Junior Academy