Gorley Vale Riding Club Newsletter
September 2015
Back to school, college, work, normality!! Hopefully everyone has had a lovely summer, autumn is definitely in the air,
leaves will be changing colour, cooler evenings and nights drawing in.
Brenda and I would just like to say a big Thank you to everyone that came to the weekend fun camp and the last quiz, we
raised £95 for GVRC and a brilliant £670 for the Worldwide Veterinary Service, which is based in Cranborne.
Well worth taking a look at their website to see what they do. They currently have
a team in Goa on a massive rabies vaccination programme, aiming to vaccinate
70% of Goa’s canines.
Brenda and I dropping off the funds raised to the team at the WVS..
Stuff that’s happened…..
Gorley Vale Riding Club show
Was held on Sunday 16 August 2015 Rowan has kindly done a write up –
This was a very successful day with 91 horses entered; the best yet.
Thank you to Lucie for all the work she put in, to everyone who attended, the judges, stewards and the husbands doing
the car parking. Without the help from non-members we would struggle to run the show.
The first aid team thankfully did not need to come to anybody’s rescue even with the wasps around.
The weather was kind to us with a drop of rain during the week to soften the very hard ground but not too much to make
the ground slippery.
Dressage was well supported this year without too many horses/ponies freaking
out at the chickens. Judy and Joules juggled the entrants with clashing classes.
Show jumping not quite as popular as in the past good entries though, Sarah kept
this running without a hitch, the Scouts did a sterling job in putting the jumps back
up.
Handy horse/pony this proved popular and could have run for longer, Brenda and
Tina took charge setting the challenges for both horse and rider.
Showing - the morning saw the in-hand classes, Lucie stewarding for the ring.
Most of the classes had a good turnout. The afternoon saw the ridden classes
again a few classes with two entries only. The Championship for both in-hand
and ridden took place
Xander Shadbolt & Scoot
Working Hunter - this was popular, entrants were encouraged to ride around the ring to let the horses/ponies see all the
scary monsters (sheep) next door. The sheep were sat under the oak tree in the shade and sometimes, not every time, a
horse went by some would get up and run away.
The Supreme championship was won by Jane Place on Oakfield Magnum receiving £25 and sash congratulations to her
on her successful day at the show.
1st Poulner Scouts provided the food and drink for attendees, a massive thankyou to them. For some strange reason the
wasps were out in force, there must be a nest nearby, they did like the cakes on display.
Fotofabulous took photos in each discipline with some lovely ad hoc shots of people watching and dogs.
The show saw some regular competitors and many new ones, with
positive feedback on how well the show is run. I received a lot of
membership enquires on the day so will wait and see what next year
brings.
The working parties for setting up and putting away made short work of
the job, thank you to those that helped.
Esther Lea with Ridmore Aramis
It sounds as if it was a very successful day, and a big thank you must go to Jackie Haugh and Ray and Rowan Lockyer for
generously donating the use of the land without which the show couldn’t take place.
New Stuff coming up…
Puzzle Ride - Sunday 25th October
This will be a mapped and marked out route starting at Moyles Court and finishing at Highwood Farm (BH24 3LG) for
soup and refreshments. Collecting clues and answering questions along the ride; can you can work out the answer? This
is a ride of approx. an hour and a half across the open Forest and through Forestry Commission enclosures at a lovely
time of year. It is for Members only and limited to 20 so please book early to avoid disappointment (please book by 21st
October) £6 each to include food. Please ride in pairs or small groups. Also, if you can ride to the start at Moyles Court
that would be a great help as it would avoid there being too many vehicles parked at the start.
Club member Lucie Rowe is running this event so please contact Lucie to book your place or for more details on 02380
849473 or via e-mail at lucie.rowe@btinternet.com
Anna’s Grid Work Session 31st October
Another date for your diary – Anna is running a grid work session for all levels at the
Fortune Centre on the 31st of October. Well worth doing, Anna is cheerful and
encouraging, and don’t worry the jumps are less imposing than the one Anna is
jumping here… Entry forms are available on the GV FB
page.
Skittles Evening 13th November
Godshill Village Hall. 7pm
Tina is organising a jolly social evening. Come along and have a fun few hours of skittles and chatting, bring a plate of
food to go on the ‘sharing table’ and your favourite tipple.
£5 adults, Cider punch included. £2.50 for children
Please let Tina know if you are coming. tinawhittet@btinternet.com 07791 483506
Me and my Horse…….
This month we hear from Daphne…
I was taken to school at nearly 5 years old, and my first friend there said “I’ve got a pony”. I went home that afternoon and
told my Dad, and being a spoilt brat, I soon had one too.
Having never sat on a pony before it was interesting to say the least! I remember it being a grey which went like **** off a
shovel round the full size of the 10 acre field. That was my first bareback riding lesson – and boy did I hang on tight!
Since then I’ve had a few lessons, and have used a saddle, although I still enjoy riding bareback on my happy-go-lucky
Blackfoot. There have been other equine friends along the way, but Blackfoot does have a very special place in my heart..
We first met when he was 4 hours old. I had agreed to buy a mare (his mother) then she was found to be in foal, to a colt
which I had tried to purchase earlier but had developed stifle problems. It was agreed that if the foal was a filly it was not
for sale, but if it was a colt then it and the dam would be mine. (Thank the Man upstairs it was a colt!)
We have been together for just over 21 years now. Breaking was carried out with the mutual consent of both of us. If I
thought it, he did it – easy. He has never been lunged in his life, and will do whatever I ask if it’s possible. We have
hunted, show jumped, cross country, done Trec, and fun/sponsored rides with enthusiasm. We did the New Forest Pointto-Point about 10 years ago – he crossed line with his ears pricked, and a smile on my face. (I wouldn’t do it again though,
I value him far too much to risk it!) Dressage, well yes we have done some…. Not our strongest discipline. Schooling is
boring and we struggle to be on the bit at all, although I rather think these little problems may be down to Rider error. I’ve
never asked him to it before he was 15, so why would he want to start now? I understand his logic…
We have actually won a rosette for a Pony Club ODE at Tenantry when our SJ and XC were fantastic and made up for the
dressage score. As many of you will know we have been trying side-saddle for several years, which I enjoy
and he does because I want to, but he has less enthusiasm.
Blackfoot was even present at my wedding reception in
and brought me home across the Forest from The Royal
Fritham. Flowing cream culottes that day - nothing fazes
boy!
2006,
Oak at
the
He has never liked being loaded and at 7 days old it took
grown men to “encourage” him up the ramp to join his
in the box. He has not changed, and 20 years later he
objects to going up the ramp! I ride him up now – less
If you have “that Special Bond” with your horse, then
treasure it. I talk to him all the time when out riding. In a
Working Hunter class several years ago we completed
jumping section, clear of course, and rode over to salute
Judge. He was standing there with a huge smile on his
and said “Does he always slow down when you tell him
Errr, red faced Daphne said: Yes, and I can talk him
from a flat-out canter to a walk out hunting – no reins
required! I didn’t win the class but we were well placed.
2
mother
still
aggro.
My horse and I have a good relationship………. Long
may it continue…
The Tack Shop
the
the
face,
to?”
down
FOR SALE - Rob Roy (Robbie), gorgeous 12.2hh reg. Forest gelding, 9yrs old. Lovely lead rein pony or cracking second
pony for a competent little rider. Has been with us for 18 months, but now sadly outgrown.
Good to do in every way, very sweet natured, loving and cuddly. Handled by children and has done mini camp and all
pony club rallies, local shows (lots of ribbons!),loves doing the school run, and hacks out well.
Lives out 24/7 in a mixed herd, but equally happy to live in. Bare foot. Up to date with back, vacs, teeth, saddle etc.
Always sound, never sorry. Very good doer, but never obese or laminitic.
Very sad sale as dearly loved, but next pony has arrived and so Robbie is now without a rider. £1000 to include tack and
rugs.
5* home essential
Please contact Hannah Shadbolt – 07977 986644 hannah.shadbolt@btinternet.com
FOR SALE – Lennie; 15hh, thoroughbred x arab, bright bay
gelding. A beautiful well behaved little horse with excellent
stable manners and no vices. He is easy to box, clip, shoe,
etc… up to date with teeth and vaccinations. Lennie really is a
perfect horse. One that I have trusted to take care of my
children from ages 12 to 18. He has been fantastic to hunt,
competed at One Day Events, Hunter Trials and tetrathlons with
lovely paces and a fantastic jump. This lovely horse has been
part of the Pony Club where he has been to camp and lots of
PC rallies. He is also regularly hacked out on the open forest
alone and in company. He is 17 and has plently more to give.
Lennie has been a part of the family for 5 years so this is an
incredibly sad sale due to daughter going on her gap year and then off to uni. Happily lives in or out, in company or on his
own.
£2750 incl. all tack and rugs
Contact Ellen on ellendwns@btinternet.com
If you have anything horse related; tack, rugs, boots, trailers, ponies! that you want to sell/loan/buy let me know and it will
be included in the newsletter. If you can send me photos even better. –
Happy riding all…..
Tanya
email - sunshine.gardens@yahoo.co.uk