Archive

Archive for the ‘Country Sports’ Category

Carriage Driving Accident At Bury St Edmunds Rally

June 19th, 2011

About eighty people were injured after a horse and cart got loose at a carriage driving rally event in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Suffolk Police said it appeared that several people had been run over at the town’s Nowton Park, with one person potentially in a critical condition.

The police said that up to another 10 people may have been injured, many with back or abdominal injuries.

They are now appealing for witnesses.

The police said that the person most seriously injured was a woman thought to be in her 40s.

They added that she “is believed to have sustained life threatening injuries”, and is being taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.

Seven other injured people have been taken to West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds.

The police added that the up to 10 other people who were injured may have made their own way to hospital.

source: bbc

Country Sports ,

Three-legged border collie is NFU farm dog of the year

May 5th, 2011

A sheepdog who is still working despite losing a leg has rounded up an award as farm dog of the year.

Jack lost his rear right leg in an accident last year but still pulls his weight on Ian and Ruth Rees’s Powys farm.

They entered him in the canine competition run by the National Farmers Union (NFU).

NFU Cymru president Ed Bailey said the judges were impressed by Jack’s tenacity and battle against adversity.

The Rees family sent in a photo of Jack and explained in 150 words why Jack should be named top dog in the competition.

They told how Jack has suffered a serious leg injury last year resulting in the amputation but had recovered well enough to carry on working.

source/full story: bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-13287982

Country Sports

British Driving Society Spring Show – Hampton Court Herefordshire

May 1st, 2011

Bess pulling a carriage and two riders
The annual British Driving Society Spring Show will take place at Hampton Court in Herefordshire on Sunday, the 8th of May 2011.
This is an event not to be missed; lovers of horses and carriage driving will be entertained by a great variety of imaculate turn-outs who compete against each other in various classes. There will be stalls with equestrian products to purchase and stalls selling food and drink.

The venue is beautiful, set in glorious countryside in the grounds of Hampton Court, near Leomister an old castle with expansive gardens worth meandering in.  Weather permitting it will be a great day out for all the family.

You can find out more information about Herefordshire and Distric Driving Group by visiting their website. A full schedue of events at the spring show can be viewed here.

Country Sports , , , , ,

Badminton Horse Trials 2011

April 22nd, 2011

Thursday
Mitsubishi’s badminton horse trials is one of the greatest three day events around. The competition took place from the 21st April 2011 till 25th April.
The first day (Thursday) is the grassroots event, on Friday and Saturday dressage will take place, Easter Sunday will be cross contry and the final will be on on Monday in the form of show jumping.
Badminton is not usually held on Easter weekend but this year organizers ensured that the event was not held at the same time as the American equivalent in Kentucky.

17:39

Marina Kohncke and Calma Schelly have succeeded in overtaking Laura Collet and pushing her to 2nd . Sam Griffiths is sitting in 3rd . Niklas Lindback is T 4th.Andrew Nicholson is currently in fifth and Fox-Pitt and Navigator have navigated their way off the top five.

Tomorrow the show jumping will decide all. Who will win the gruelling challenges of badminton, and go home £60,000 richer?
Last year, in 2010 Paul Tapner took the lead and after the show jumping it was established that he was the winner, with Inonnothing. This year, he’s back with kilfinnie II because last year he was on the Australian WEG team and Inonothing was injured during the cross country phase. He had a chipped patella, but is expected to recover fully.

This year, between 80 and 100 competitors are riding, but some horses will be withdrawn if they suffer an injury, or turn out stiff during the trot – up, and there will be some falls during the cross country so by the end of it the numbers will have dwindled.

FRIDAY/SATURDAY
These two days are dressage. The arena is 20 x 60 metres and riders must perform a seven and a half minute long test. The percentage is good marks and the penalty points are bad marks. Penalty points are awarded for movements that are not performed, or performed insufficiently. Each movement is given marks out of 10.
0. not performed
1. very bad
2. bad
3. fairly bad
4. insufficient
5. sufficient
6. satisfactory
7. fairly good
8. good
9. very good
10. excellent

The first dressage day is over, some riders still have a test to do, but the riders who went yesterday can only look at the leader board and wish that the were at the top. The delighted laura collet is now leading, on her horse Rayef. Tomorrow Laura collet will be uner extrsa pressure to keep the top spot. If she can thrive, and perform well under this pressure, the win of £60,000 could be hers.

23rd April 2011
Ruth Edge snatches the lead with Two Thyme, Piggy French slots in behind her and pushes the young woman who was so hopeful this morning into 3rd place.

Not all is lost, Collet can still win, if she can beat Edge, French and all other up and coming competitors during the cross country, and keep that lead during the show jumping.

Ruth Edge and her horse have a very good score of 33.3 penalties in their dressage test and are currently carrying the largest chance in the cross country tomorrow..
Pippa Funnel has withdrawn Redesigned and and Oliver Townend originally entered four horses, but only one, Ashdale Cruise Master, is still in the competition.

11:30

The three time badminton winner Pippa Funnel has withdrawn her second horse. She withdrew Mirage D’Elle because she had her doubts about running the less experienced horse after having to withdraw Redesigned due to him not being 100% sound.

About half an hour to go till the start of the cross country!!
13:09 Laura Collet and Rayef are back on top! Andrew Nicholson, who was the first to go has been pushed to 2nd place while William Fox-Pitt and Navigator have not succeeded in navigating to top spot, but are sitting in a fairly promising 3rd.

Monday

07:55
Ruth Edge and Two Thyme, who were in such a promising place at one point have been eliminated after the cross country.

Mark Todd has taken the lead leaving

Marina Kohncke in 2nd

Nicola Wilson is 3rd

Andrew Nicholson is now 4th and

Piggy French lies 5th

16:45

Results 2011

NZB Land Vision has carried Todd to success!!!

Mark Todd is the winner of Mitsubishi’s Badminton horse trials!!!

2nd Piggy french- Jakata

3rd Mary King  – Imperial Cavalier

4th Sam Griffiths -Happy Times

5th Niklas Lindback- Mister Pooh

6th Caroline Powell -Lenamore

7th Nicola Wilson  -Opposition Buzz

8th Laura Collett -Rayef

9th Marina Kohncke -Calma Schelly

10th Andrew Nicholson – Avebury

Country Sports , , ,

Fox Hunting Ban Overturned Unlikely – No Support from New Conservative MPs

October 30th, 2010

Fox Hunting Picture  by Owain Davis
Any hope of the promise by the Conservative party to overturn the controversial foxhunting ban legislation passed by the Labour government in 2002 appears to be fading. According to animal right campaigners, if a legislation to overturn the foxhunting ban in presented to the house of commons in this parliament, it is unlikely to get the required majority. It was said that at least 20 MP (and probably more) from the new crop of conservative MPs recently elected to the house common will not support a repeal of the law.

During the debate of the hunting foxes with hound bill of 2002, almost half a million people marched from countryside allover UK to Westminster to register their protest against the bill. Though the bill eventually became law in 2004 but not until over 600 hours of parliamentary time was spend on debating it.

Hunting is a uniquely countryside sport and and industry that keeps thousands of rural dweller in jobs.

Country Sports , ,