Our junior teams were:

In contrast to the last team jumping in November, the weather was positively spring-like!!  Heather Sherry very kindly team managed the novice team and they came 3rd with Kaile and Embassy a very creditable 2nd individually which was excellent.  Hannah jumped a nice double clear but had one time fault which put them out of contention for the individual jump off and Katherine had one unlucky pole.

The junior open team finished on a zero score in the first round and had 8 faults in the second but it was enough to clinch it and they won!!!  Alice Rowe’s Fronnie had springs in her feet and cleared every fence by miles, inspired no doubt by Alice’s vocal encouragement and were rewarded with a win in the individual.   

While the juniors relaxed in the café, it was the seniors turn and our teams were:

Natalie gave us all a heart attack when she didn’t turn up because her lorry wouldn’t start but in true Natalie style she borrowed a lorry (or hitched a lift – can’t remember which) and got there in the nick of time.  Both Angela and Freya looked at me as if I had suggested eating worms when I wondered whether either would take Natalie’s place first to go, so it was down to me and young Joe (JJ Malone) to blaze the trail and remarkably he jumped 2 clear rounds!    Both Angela and Freya jumped nice clears in the first round and had an unlucky pole each in the second and Natalie breezed in to jump a good clear with the energetic Casino Royale.  They were unlucky in the second round to have the last fence – it didn’t fall until they were nearly out the door!  Still, it was good enough for a team 2nd place and we were pleased.   

The intermediate open class led straight on and this time Natalie rode her own Montanna Bay (Tanner) with Pauline, Carly and Cherie in the team.  After mixed fortunes, the team were 2nd which was excellent – they only narrowly missed winning by one fault – and Carly was individual winner.   Well done to Carly! 

It was great to see Claire Savage-Roberts who turned up to watch with Dad, Malcolm and Sister, Nicola and she is making good progress following her nasty fall from the muck heap.  She was able to support the teams from the viewing gallery by waving her crutches about. 

A huge thank you to in particular to our volunteer helpers on the day (we have to provide helpers in order to compete). Shelagh Porter (Katherine’s grandmother) very kindly stewarded the warm up arena (believe me, it is very difficult trying to stop people riding potentially dangerously in what is a small warm up area – they don’t like being told!), & Jan Taylor and Chris Ball who put up the fences in the ring.  Thanks also to everyone who made the effort to come along and represent the club.

Alyson Parker

Riding Clubs Weekend – Foresters Teams – Towerlands 30th June – 1st July 2007

FORESTERS RIDING CLUB - 10TH JUNE 2007

LIAISON ONE DAY EVENT - MILTON KEYNES EVENTING CENTRE

In a change from the last couple of years our area 8 ran this event alongside area 7 at Milton Keynes Eventing Centre.    This was a lovely place with good ground and a super cross country course. 

We fielded 2 senior teams this year one team in the novice which unfortunately was only a team of 3.  Vicky Nastri on Risky Lady did a good dressage but was unlucky to collect a few jumping penalties.  Jo Nugent and Willow who were doing their first one day event for Foresters did well and finished with 4 penalties in the show jumping and a few time penalties and a stop in the cross country.  Our third rider Carly Parker riding Clueless proved he was nothing but by finishing on their dressage score and coming 4th individually.  The team finished 3rd which was brilliant considering we had no fourth rider.

Our intermediate team nearly was a team of 3 after poor Trisha Prout broke her ankle last week at the Hunter Trials finals at Aston Le Walls however Claire Savage Roberts gallantly offered to ride Chi (Ardens Twist) instead of Trisha and after some slight discussions in the dressage between horse and rider jumped a beautiful clear round show jumping and were unlucky to have 1 run out cross country.  Natalie Homer who has been having a good season eventing this year did a super dressage and got a good score and show jumped clear unfortunately on my instructions to go fast did just that and ended up with 14 penalties for going too quick.  Alison Woodgate and Woody (Blakeney Cowboy) did their usual super dressage and Woody was actually very careful in his show jumping and went clear, they were very close to the time cross country but got 3 penalties for being slightly too quick  but they finished up 3rd  individually.  Pauline Stevens did very well and although she thought she went too steady cross country was actually spot on the time to get no cross country penalties and finished 5th individually.  We did really well and for a while I thought we had won but we came 2nd which is still brilliant.

It was a lovely day and the weather was perfect unfortunately there were some problems with the scoring and the results were very slow to come out, in fact they were not announced until 8.00.  Therefore I must say a massive thank you to everyone for staying so late to wait as I am sure like myself most of you were up at the crack of dawn and had a long journey home.  Well done to everyone.

Geraldine Emmins

Senior Team Manager

Back to Norton Heath again, another scorching day England out of the World Cup we needed something to inspire us, well, they did brilliantly and if it were not for Billericay’s teams we would have qualified for the Championships in every event, sadly as in the penalty shoot out, it was not to be, but with our members it was not for a lack of guts, commitment and effort.

First came the Novice, our team Oak came second and team Ash were fifth, in the Intermediate we were second again and fourth with Billericay narrowly squeezing us out of top place in both classes.

In between both these classes came the Equitation and with only three in the team, Carolena, Claire and Natalie jumping in every other class! They won, with Natalie first individually.

We didn’t field an Open team this year, but everyone should be proud of their achievements and I would like to thank everyone including members and friends, committee and mums and dads for the support they gave the teams it made a lovely change for us to be the noisiest group cheering our riders on.