MSRC Spring Newsletter 2019

Dear Member,

This week it looks as though Spring has really arrived! Apart from those dreadful winds the winter has really been quite kind – we did have to cancel the show jumping due to the wind. The other reason for the odd cancellation was the over reaction to the equine influenza – amazing when it is endemic! However, on that subject – different venues are applying differing rules about frequency of vaccination and showing your passports – so please make sure you know the rules for the specific venues you want to visit.

The Riding Club were invited to present the cheque (just a dummy one as they had already received the money!) to the Injured Jockeys Fund from the supper night, at Wincanton Racecourse on February 27^th and Brough Scott received it on behalf of the charity. It was a glorious afternoon and a photo soon appeared on the IJF website.  We now have a further cheque for them from the very popular Quiz night on March 1^st – and also a cheque for WHW Glenda Spooner Farm. Thanks to the team that worked so hard to make the quiz night such a success. Carol very ably kept order with the 14 teams that took part and Ed produced a wonderful supper – which was voted ‘the best yet!’ Margaret produced another fantastic raffle and Jane, Jaki, Sadie and Martin all worked incredibly hard. It is a busy night but well worth the effort. Date for 2020 is March 6^th!!

On the team front there is nothing on the dressage until May when the Dressage to Music is due to take place, but Carol would still like to hear from any prospective team members for this year. We did receive a very late wild card for the Novice Championships at Arena UK – but sadly it was not possible to get this organised in time as team members by then had other priorities. Martin’s ladies (the ones who leave the ground!) have been flying – their results have been getting better and better – In all disciplines Mid Somerset are now a serious force to be reckoned with! Well done to all the participants and a huge thank you to Carol and Martin – a team manager’s job is far from easy.

The summer programme is now with you and we hope to see many of you out competing. If for any reason you are not competing we are always looking for help to run our busy programme – so please consider giving a few hours of your time to help with one of these events. You will have seen that we are giving the Combined Training another try but the Annual Show will not run this year as support has dwindled greatly in the last few years.

If a visit to the swimming lane at Stretcholt – possibly together with some tips on preparing for showing – interests you, please let Carol know.

We have been unable to secure a date during the summer for another Day Camp, but there will be one on November 16^th at WHW with Gill Longhurst teaching in the flatwork sessions and Ed in the pole work sessions. This will be popular so mark the date in your diary.

On October 6^th we are once again running the Area 12 Qualifier for the Novice Winter Dressage Championships at KSEC. This is a very busy day and we need YOUR help to run this prestigious event. If you can help by writing, stewarding or helping in the office – please let Marian know.

If you have always fancied a spin round Wincanton Racecourse now is your chance! On May 19^th the racecourse will host a canter round the racecourse in aid of Combat Stress. The cost is £20 per person (0ver 16) – for more details contact Catherine Johnston on 01747 852 693 or visit www.wincantonracecoursecanter@hotmail.com.

We hope that there is something for everyone in our summer programme and we look forward to seeing you out and about very soon.

Safe Riding!

Your Committee.

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Main Club Contacts:

• Chairman: Ed Hobbs – 07968 628 169
• Margaret Peverley – 01935 473 188
• Marian Draper – 01458 241 506 / 07885 301 898
• Treasurer: Julia Down – 01373 461 807 / 07720 626762
• Membership: Carolyn Edwards – 07786 553 765
• e-mail programmes: Alex Green – 01460 281 032 / 07766 885 965
• Dressage Competitions: Jane Surmon – 07771 548317
• Facebook: Martin Boreham – 07813 132 949
• Website: Jade Forbes – msridingclub@gmail.com

Our Team Managers are:

• Dressage: Carol Plested – 07973 360 968
• Horse Trials / Show Jumping: Martin Boreham – 07813 132 949

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MSRC New Year Newsletter 2019

Dear Member,

Happy New Year to you all!

Well what a turn around in our team fortunes this year! Carol has built on the successes of 2017 and the teams have gone from strength to strength in 2018 and Martin – who has taken on any teams that leave the ground – has galvanised enthusiasm and team spirit into his teams.

So let’s hope 2019 will see Mid Somerset back on the map!

Just our annual reminder that being a Team Manager is really hard and very often thankless work, these managers do not have time to ring everyone on the members list – so the onus is on YOU to contact them and make yourself available!!! So please pick up the phone and talk to the relevant team manager for whichever discipline suits you and have a chat to them – we will get MSRC back to the top! To refresh your memory and for new members – our Dressage team manager is Carol Plested  who can be contacted on 07973 360 968. Martin Boreham (07813 132 949) deals with any discipline that involves leaving the ground – so HT, SJ or arena eventing – Martin is your man.

Mid Somerset once again ran the Area 12 Novice Winter Dressage Qualifier at King’s Sedgemoor in October and thanks go to the whole team that made the day such a success. Having decided not to run the Junior qualifier – life was so much easier and the day ran like clockwork – thanks to a lot of you working very hard! We have had a lot of congratulations for running such an efficient day. We have agreed to run this qualifier again in 2019 for the 2020 Championships – so Marian will be after you for the first weekend in October!

Our competitions have run with mixed success – there have been good days and some not so good days. The Annual Show has struggled and we will be giving that format a rest in 2019. The dressage competitions have shown some very good days and some days when we have struggled for entries. Jane Surmon is about to take on the dressage organisation – apart from entries and times which Alex Green kindly continues to process for us.

Our Quiz goes from strength to strength and it will run this year on Friday March 1st at Long Sutton Village Hall – with another fabulous supper prepared by Ed Hobbs! So get your teams together in good time.

Training is continuing to be popular. Jane Holderness-Roddam made her annual visit last weekend – we are so lucky to persuade her to come to us. We ran two day camps with Gill Longhurst and Ed Hobbs and these were very popular. Sadly our test riding days came to a sad and premature end with the sudden death of Lynne Baldwin. A huge loss to the dressage world both locally and nationally. We continue our sessions with Sue Petty which are really excellent sessions.

Our Supper Night to celebrate our 50th birthday was a huge success – and I am not sure how we will ever better that. John Francome was so entertaining we could have listened all night. Nigel Payne did a brilliant job with the Sporting Auction and also brought along his mother who was one of the founding members, Food at the Northover was as good as ever and Margaret’s amazing raffle enabled us to give £2400 to the Injured Jockeys Fund. Carol had made up a marvellous hamper of West Country produce as a gift for John and he was delighted with it.

The speaker at the AGM was Jane Holderness-Roddam who was as entertaining as ever and her account of WEG was fascinating.

We hope to see lots of you out competing in the New Year. Just a reminder – please, please enter early and please, please if you change your e-mail address or mobile phone number don’t forget to let Carolyn and Alex know!!!! Carolyn Edwards has bravely taken over Membership and is doing a terrific job. The bad news is that membership fees will have to increase at the 2019 renewal. It will only be a £5 increase and this is still very competitive compared with other clubs.

Wishing you all sound and healthy horses and a Very Happy and Successful New Year

Your Committee

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Main Club Contacts:

• Chairman: Ed Hobbs – 07968 628 169
• Margaret Peverley – 01935 473 188
• Marian Draper – 01458 241 506 / 07885 301 898
• Treasurer: Julia Down – 01373 461 807
• Membership: Carolyn Edwards – 07786 553 765
• Facebook / e-mail programmes: Alex Green – 01460 281 032 / 07766 885 965
• Website: Jade Forbes – msridingclub@gmail.com

Our Team Managers are:

• Dressage: Carol Plested – 07973 360 968
• Horse Trials / Show Jumping / Combined Training: Martin Boreham – 07813 132 949

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DON’T FORGET! IF YOU HAVEN’T YET RENEWED YOUR MEMBERSHIP THIS IS THE LAST COMMUNICATION YOU WILL RECEIVE!!

STOP PRESS!!!!

There will be no Annual Show this year but we have booked Wincanton Racecourse on May 25th and will be running a competition – possibly combined training – so please put this date into your diary!

On a personal note I would like to thank everyone who has helped me so much following my accident – both the practical help and the kind messages and cards. I have been very grateful.

Also my thanks to the unknown people who were instrumental in my receiving a British Riding Club’s Award of Merit. It is a huge honour and I cannot believe that you could keep a secret!!!

Marian