Hereford Carriage Driving Spring Show at Hampton Court

On Sunday, the 9th of March 2010 the annual Carriage Driving Spring Show organised by the Hereford District Driving Group (HDDG) took place at Hampton Court in Hope under Dinmore in Herefordshire.
Set against a scenic backdrop of lush countryside and beautiful rolling hills about 20 turnouts were competing in the show ring in various different classes.
Gleaming horses and Ponies, meticulously scrubbed and painted carriages and immaculately dressed whips and grooms as well as the spectators enjoyed a sunny day. Cows and their calves were grazing in the adjoining field, curiously observing the spectacle which was a test of nerves for some of the more flighty horses.
The judges had a hard job awarding Rosettes and cups, as all the turnouts were stunning in their own right. Two of the participants brought their Dalmation dogs along into the show ring to run next to or under the carriage at the back of the vehicle. This breed of dogs was traditionally used to accompany carriages for their protection, especially at night.

Show Schedule

The show schedule was made up of the following classes:

1. Novice and disabled whips
2. Veteran classes
3. Ride and drive (part one)
4. Pure bred registered Welsh
5. Ride and drive (part two)
6. Concour d’Elegance
7. Junior driver
8. Exercise vehicle up to 13.2hh
9. Exercises vehicle over 13.2hh
10.Coloured horses and ponies
11.Private driving

For those spectators wishing to have a break from watching horses and ponies there was the option of strolling over to Hampton Court Castle or visiting the magnificent gardens surrounding the castle.
Overall the event was a very enjoyable day out for all the family and certainly something I will look forward to doing again next year.

Country Sports hampton court gardens, HDDG, Hereford Carriage Driving

Billed as one of the most exciting and most difficult horse trials in the world, the four star rated Badminton Horse Trials in Badminton, Gloucestershire is not just the oldest of the six horse trials events in the world but one of the most difficult to qualify for and certainly one of the most to take a trophy home from. More than 150 horse and rider from 15 countries entered the event.

The 3-day event sponsored by Mitsubishi motors puts bother horses and riders through their paces in three different events including cross country, dressage and show jumping. The event attracts eventers from allover the world. The 2010 Badminton horse trials expects participants such as two-time Olympic gold medallist and 3 times Badminton winner Mark Todd of New Zealand and his compatriot Andrew Nicholson.

Badminton horse trials starts with dressage, followed by cross country and concluded with showjumping.

You can find more information about the event at Badminton Horse Trials homepage.

Country Sports badminton horse trials, cross country, dressage, eventers, show jumping

In the first article of Horse Riding Basics we looked at how to choose a riding school that suits your needs. In this article we  examine what you need to do and how to prepare for your first riding lesson, including basic safety tips, what to wear, how to prepare for the lesson and other tips to make you first horse or pony riding lesson a pleasant experience.

Preparing for your first lesson
You should get to the riding school at least half an hour before you are due to start, you should consider booking your lessons in such a way that you are not the first pupil of the day, getting there half an hour early would probably mean that you will see the student before you still riding, watch other riders riding and listening to the instruction the instructor is giving usually help calm and prepare novice riders.

What to wear to your first riding lesson
You will find a list of the clothing and footwear you need for your first riding lesson below. You should not rush out to your nearest tack shop and buy all the equitment until you are absolutely certain you want to continue with horse riding, if you buy the equipment and clothing and then discontinue learning to ride a horse, you would have wasted a lot of money so it may be advisable to hire or borrow some or most of the clothing and equipment for a few lessons, once you are certain riding is for you, you can then buy your own clothing and equipment.

Riding hat: Just like cyclist and motocyclist wear crash helments when riding, horse riders must wear a riding hat when riding to protect their head in case of an accident. The riding hat you buy or borrow must conform to current British Horse Society (bhs) standards such as BS EN1384.
For young riders, buying a second hand riding hat could be an option, because children outgrow riding hat and other equipment quickly, you may find some quality second-hand riding hats for children. But some people say it is unadvisable for any body buy second hand riding hats as they may be be broken inside.

Body protectors: While body protectors are not mandatory, it is advisable to wear one as it reduces the risk of serious injury should you fall during your riding lesson. For phases like cross country they are essential but your first lesson certainly will not involve cross country.

Riding trousers (Jodhpurs/breeches): Though Jodhpurs are the ideal riding trousers, any close-fitting trousers that allow you freedom of movement and protect your skin from getting sore from rubbing agains the saddle is adequate. Avoice trousers such as jogging bottoms or other material made from nylon or related materials.

Riding boots: You can choose the long knee lenght boots or jodhpur boots providers protection for the feet and ankle. As a beginner, you may also use any sturdy shooes with stout heels such as walking boots. The one pair of shoes you should not consider wearing for your riding lesson are trainers.

Country Sports Body protectors, breeches, BS EN1384, correct posture, first riding lesson, hat, heels down, horse riding basics, Jodhpurs, riding boots, saddle, sitting position, stirrup

One of the suggestions relationship counsellors tends to make to couples who are growing apart in their relationship is to do something they would both enjoy together. Relationship counsellors tends to suggest things like dancing, yoga and other new hobbies. One of the things that is not often suggested which couples that are growing apart could benefit from is learning to ride a horse.

Horse riding is one of the most exciting recreational sports you can think of, especially if you live in or near a rural area. Though couples who are growing apart from the complacency that tends to arise in a long term relationship would benefit from learning to ride together, couples who has just found love together (preferably via our site Horse Lovers Dating) should consider learning to ride horse together as well, it could help get the new relationship to a very Strong start from spending time together learning a new exciting pastime such as horse ridding.

This article will explore learning to ride a horse step-by-step beginning from the very first thing you need to do once you have both decided to take horse riding lessons together; choosing a ridding school.

You can find the nearest ridding school by doing a quick search on the Internet, you can also look in your local newspaper for the ridding school nearest to you. Haven identified the nearest ridding school, you need to find our if they offer lessons to complete beginners, availability of ridding instructors and prices. Usually when you book several lessons in advance you may get a discount. Group booking also tends to be cheaper than one to one tuition but you get much more out of one to one tuition than group lessons. The next article in this series will look into how to prepare for your first ridding lesson.

Country Sports adult rural craft, choosing a riding school, england, horse riding, learn to ride pony

Steeplechase and hurdle racing are some of the most exciting horse racing sports, quite popular in UK and many other countries. The adrenaline rush for the horse and rider are immense, so also is the risk of injury and possibilities of sudden death of either horse or ride or both.
Some animal welfare experts have long argued that it is a cruel sport, horses are said not to be keen about jumping. It has been demonstrated that wild horses rarely jump obstacles they come against. The argument against banning Steeplechase and hurdle racing has not succeeded until recently that it. For the first time anywhere in the world a state in Australia is banning Steeplechase and hurdle racing from 2010. The story is told much better by BBC, excerpt from BBC website follows:

The decision follows a comprehensive review of the sport and has been welcomed by animal welfare groups.

However, members of the racing industry have reacted with anger, calling it “unbelievable” and “appalling”.

Racing’s governing body in Victoria had conceded that the sport was in decline because of mounting safety concerns.

Furious response

Animal rights campaigners have described racing over hurdles and fences as not only shameful and barbaric but “morally wrong”.

An official review of the industry last year recommended a raft of new safety measures, all of which were adopted by authorities in Victoria.

Despite the changes, the fatalities have continued, with eight horses dying in races this season.

The deaths prompted an urgent investigation, which has resulted in the banning of the sport.

It has drawn a furious response from some owners, trainers and jockeys.

Steeplechase events in Victoria will go on for another year in an attempt to soften the impact of their abolition on those involved.

Neighbouring South Australia, the only other state in the country that allows jump racing, has said its programme will continue and hopes to attract trainers and horses from Victoria.

However, officials in South Australia are not celebrating and have expressed deep concerns about the long-term viability of their steeplechasing industry.

Country Sports Steeplechase and hurdle racing banned