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National Riding Club Championships 2002
Well, we are yet again heading for end of the season. This year
has seen a new set of show jumps, also a new roadway, which I think we all would agree was well overdue and it is a treat not having to bounce about on
the old one.
These improvements have only been possible because of you all being so
supportive to your club. At the end of the day it is your money which is
used to make your club such a nice venue to come to.
On behalf of the RRC Committee we hope you have enjoyed coming to the
events. We are far from perfect but I think you will agree that the RRC
Committee work as hard as anyone could to make the shows enjoyable and well run
for you all. As you will see from the Area 5 report we have yet again had
a very busy and successful year. Congratulations to all riders who have
represented us, especially Gemma Carman who is destined to be our little star.
Well Done everyone.
The junior committee had a brilliant season; no postponements, no
cancellations, no foot and mouth and not much rain. Just big entries, good
classes, lots of support and stacks of fun.
The juniors have a thriving committee to go forward to next year with lots of
ideas and enthusiasm.
They would like to thank everyone who had helped and supported them
throughout this year and look forward to seeing you at next years shows.
Lesley Pugh
At a recent meeting of the British Riding Clubs Executive Committee,
affiliation fees for 2003 were discussed.
Unfortunately they have found it necessary to increase the affiliation fees
by £1 for senior and junior members for the 2003 season.
This will result in an increase of £1 in the Rugby Riding Club junior and
senior membership fees for the 2003 season.
It has been decided to instigate a points award system for both Junior and Senior Area 5 riders with perpetual trophies to be awarded to the highest placed individual in each discipline. These awards will be made at the AGM on Friday 25th October, along with the awards for all the other points competitions held throughout the year.
This year has proved to be one of the most successful seasons for both junior
and senior riders at Area 5 level.
Competitions have been held in all disciplines against clubs from surrounding
area resulting in numerous placings and qualifications for National
Championships.
Individuals and teams from Rugby Riding Club have qualified for every British
Riding Club Championship this year.
We have two junior British Riding Club National Champions, namely Sophia Icke
who finished first in the Junior Horse Trials Championships at Offchurch Bury
and secondly Gemma Carman who finished first in the Riders Test at Lincoln
Showground. Gemma was also crowned overall champion for achieving the
highest score of the day in her discipline.
The junior open show jumping team also finished fourth at the championships
with the equitation team seventh.
The Rural Riders Team also put on an excellent display to finish in second
place at the national championships, with the senior riders test team coming
fourth and Susan Bullock second individually.
On August 3rd 2002 my pony Worton Buccaneer and I were part of the Rugby Riding Club
Junior teams that qualified for the National Riding Club Championships in two dressage
tests and the Riders Test (a competition where you have to ride a dressage test but you
are marked on the riders position and the effect they have on the way the pony goes).
The equitation team including my other pony (Rhoson Garnet) also qualified as did the open
show jumping team - a great result for Rugby!
The championships were held at a new venue - Lincoln Showground, on the 15th and 16th
September. As we were taking two ponies and had an early start on Sunday, we decided to
book stables for Saturday evening and travel to Lincoln that afternoon. It took
us ages to get the ponies bathed and looking their best, but we eventually left home
at 2.30, hoping we would be able to ride in and settle down when we got to the
showground. Unfortunately, we were stuck on the M69 for over 2 hours so it was
nearly dark when we arrived.
On Sunday we got out of our tent early and tacked the ponies up to ride them
round the showground, they were very excited, especially Sunny (Rhoson Garnet) who
is only a young pony and at his first big show!
Mummy plaited the ponies while I got changed and I warmed Bucky up next to the
dressage arenas. My riders test competition was first, and I was in Arena 7. My tack was checked
to make sure everything was correct and I was called in - I had huge butterflies
in my tummy but Bucky was very calm. he did a lovely test and I was really delighted with him.
Soon after finishing that test I had to ride Novice 24 - a test which we find quite
difficult, but it was OK on the day. Then we had to do Prelim 18 - all the tests being ridden from
memory. Unfortunately my nerves got the better of me and I forgot one of the movements - a
horrid moment as I thought I had let everyone down who had worked so hard to help
me get to the
championships.
Bucky had finished all his classes by then so I put him in his stable for a rest and tacked Sunny up for the equitation jumping.
We all walked the course with Lesley Pugh who was really helpful and gave us some useful tips. The course was quite tricky
for a young pony but I hoped he would jump round.
As I rode into the ring I was very nervous, but Sunny was wonderful and jumped a lovely clear round. All the other team
members went clear but there was a lot of very good riders and ponies in the class so we
didn't know how well we had done. During
my round we heard I had been placed in the Riders Test class so we quickly tacked Bucky up and
returned to the presentation
ring for the awards. The winning teams for the riders test were called in and presented with their awards and then it was the individual
prizes. i was amazed to hear that Bucky and I had won the first prize in our arena and absolutely
stunned when they announced that we had
also won the overall riders test championship. Many photos were taken as we were given the champion rosette, sash and silver salver.
We then heard that the show jumping team were fourth - a brilliant result as the fences were enormous!
There was a long wait until the end of the equitation jumping but it was worth it as the Rugby team came 7th.
Eventually we had packed everything up and loaded the ponies for the journey home. I still couldn't believe all that had happened
- it was a day I will remember forever
None of this would have been possible however without the enormous help and support of Val Malka whose
organization and encouragement of all
the teams is fantastic; the wonderful team spirit of all the Rugby riders; ,my friends and family who are always there for me; and the two
best ponies in the work!
Gemma Carman
Website © Copyright Dawn Webb 2002