Keeping In Touch No. 9 14 May 2020

Welcome to “Keeping in Touch No. 9!

The sun is still mostly shining on us when we go for our walks or into our gardens but it is a bit chillier – brrrr! But life goes on and we have people you know Shouting Out to you this week. One of the many things we have missed this year is but we have lovely photos to remind you of the thrills of the competition. Did you know that as a sport was started in Gloucestershire? That was at Badminton in 1949.

Pete suggested we look at yoga as a way of keeping us supple for when we get to ride again, and there is training for those Proficiency Tests which you can do online. That will help you pass them when it’s your turn!

So with a Word Search and a Quiz on Badminton, and an appeal for you to nominate CRDA for a charity grant there are things you can do to pass the time, all in this newsletter. And for those who are thinking of entering the Regional Art and Writing Competition now is the time to get those entries sent off. The entry form is at the bottom of this newsletter. Would be great if there was a CRDA member among the prizewinners, how we’d cheer!

s (Fergus appears by kind permission of Jean Abernethy – you can follow him here www.FergusTheHorse.com)

v2 14 May 2020 Did you know…

Badminton Horse Trials

The first week in May means just one thing to so many horsey people – Badminton Horse Trials. Of course this year it has all been cancelled. Just to keep it in mind for us, here is a short explanation of eventing and Badminton Horse Trials - the pinnacle of international eventing. We have a little quiz for you as well to make you delve into your memory banks about Badminton’s past. It is also worth a look at the Badminton website where they have all sort of videos of key moments over the years: Badminton Horse Trials

The Competition

Badminton Horse Trials is one of the toughest and most exciting equestrian events – the pinnacle of the worldwide horse trials calendar. Horses and riders complete the competition over four days, each day consisting of a different discipline.

Horses and riders must first complete a dressage test on day 1 or 2 (the dressage is spread over two days in order to be able to accommodate all the entries), demonstrating Obedience, Discipline, Accuracy and Elegance.

On day 3 they need to prove their fitness, athleticism and stamina by tackling a 4-mile cross-country course, jumping solid man-made and natural obstacles within a set time.

v2 14 May 2020 Finally, on day 4, the competitors must complete a course of show jumps designed to test their agility and accuracy, again within a given time, to demonstrate soundness and the ability to recover.

Competition Level

International horse trials are given a star grading according to their level of difficulty. The higher the grade, or number of stars, the more complex and physically demanding the competition becomes. Badminton is a 5 star event, the highest grade and one of only six such events in the world. Badminton is the oldest (1949) and is generally regarded as the most prestigious event. Both horses and riders must qualify in order to compete at Badminton. Qualification can take a number of years to achieve.

(All photos from Badminton Horse Trials website, subject to copyright)

Quiz

1. There are seven 5* FEI events (all were scheduled to run in 2020)- name them and the countries they are in? 2. Where was the 1948 Olympics three-day event course? 3. When was the first Badminton Three Day Event held (extra ‘points’ for actual dates)? Which combination won and how old was the horse? 4. Who is the youngest rider ever to win Badminton? How old was the rider? Year of winning? Name and breed of the horse? 5. What do riders receive when they have completed Badminton five times? 6. Two members of the same family have been Individual European Eventing Champions – name them, their horses, the years in which they won and the venues. 7. Three combinations have won back-to-back Badmintons – name them and the years in which they won. 8. One male rider has won Luhmuhlen twice in the last six years – who is he, which years did he win and on what horses and which country does he come from? His wife has also won once in the last six years – name her, the horse she rode and the year in which she won. 9. In which month is the Australian International held?

(Answers are at the end of this newsletter. Thanks to Jane Ogle of the Area 9 Pony Club)

v2 14 May 2020 SHOUT OUT! from your friends at CRDA

Hi all Monday’s gang! How are you all and how is everyone else at RDA? I miss you all and wonder how you are all passing the time during these difficult weeks/months. We have a big veg garden so this year I have gone to town! I am very lucky to have a great greenhouse so I have grown almost everything from seed. Some good, some not so! We have always had a veg garden; I find it very good for the soul. Christopher and I appreciate how lucky we are to live here with a big garden and walks on our doorstep. I am still hoping we can have a big tea party in the garden in the summer; then we can all catch up. Till then, keep safe and well.

Lots of love Sara X

Hi to all the Tuesday volunteers and Monday and Tuesday after school volunteers. Hope you are all well but I expect like me, you are longing to get back to volunteering. I have been trying to keep fit by doing exercises everyday, hula-hooping and gardening. My garden has never looked so good! I would love to hear from any of you and to hear what you have been doing. If you have any ideas for lessons for when we get back, I would love to hear them Take care, miss you all Gill x

Debbie, who knows all the riders and volunteers, wrote in: “We miss all you riders and volunteers and cannot wait to see you all again. We love hearing your stories and what you are doing in lockdown, so please keep in touch. Take care and stay safe and we’ll see you when we reopen. XXX”

v2 14 May 2020 Dan has sent us this Wordsearch – thanks Dan!

v2 14 May 2020 Things to do in L CKD WN

We were pleased to receive this email from Peter:

As I was on my exercise walk today I was thinking about missing the horses and riding in particular. After several months of not riding I think getting back in the saddle could present two problems, confidence being the first, but then I thought of just the physicality of it.

It struck me that there might be some tips and suggestions you could include for simple stretches and exercises that some of us and our riders could perhaps try, to help with poise, balance and flexibility?

Peter

We’re glad you asked! Here are a few online resources we have come across which might be of interest.

We know of some dressage riders who use “Yoga with Adriene”: – her YouTube channel is here: Yoga with Adriene

“Dressage Rider Training” has a lot of exercises for flexibility, mobility, core strength and more – the YouTube channel is here: Dressage Rider Training

“Form and Function Equine” on Facebook tailors yoga and Pilates to the needs of the rider. The Facebook page is here: Form and Function Equine

(Now for the small print: CRDA does not endorse or recommend any of these programmes. The links are provided for general information only and you use the programmes at your own risk. It is good practice to consult a sports or medical professional before starting any programme of exercise.)

And finally – some people involve their horse in their yoga practice. Do not try this at home – or at CRDA!!

v2 14 May 2020 Please nominate Cotswold!

Here’s a fantastic chance to win £1000 for CRDA – but we need your nomination!

Just go to Movement for Good, scroll down and click “Nominate a charity now”. Enter our charity number 1160676 and the rest of the required details and click “Submit”.

Your nomination could be the one that helps us win! Fifteen very special ponies are at the heart of what we do and £1000 would pay for the average costs of a pony for 6 months.

Your nomination really counts. £1000 could make a real difference to the work with disabled adults and children.

The more nominations we get, the greater our chance of winning, so please spread the word. Thank you! We’re very grateful to Ecclesiastical for this opportunity.

ONLINE TRAINING

A very helpful RDA Coach, Lizzie Bennett from Cambridgeshire College RDA, has devised a quiz to help riders prepare for each of the RDA proficiency tests 1 - 3. You can find these by following the links below: Grade 1: RDA Quiz Grade 1 Grade 2: RDA Quiz Grade 2 Grade 3: RDA Quiz Grade 3 Lizzie gives you great photos of RDA riders in action with a circle around the part of the horse she wants you to identify and multiple choice answers to choose from, for example:

Which part of the horse is indicated here?

• frog • muzzle • wall of hoof • elbow • sole • fetlock • dock • crest • flank

v2 14 May 2020 LAST CHANCE! RDA Mid-West Regional Art and Writing Competition

The closing date for entries to the RDA Mid-West competition is this Friday 15 May so if there is anyone else who would like to submit a 500 word story, a poem or a drawing, you’d better be quick! It is a competition for everyone, rider or volunteer, child or adult. Punctuation, spellings and grammar etc are not as important as the content and imagination of the actual story, which must have a horse theme. Let your imaginations run wild and/or just re-live your childhood dreams and let us have a read. You can find the entry form at the end of this newsletter. Don’t forget the deadline: Entries to arrive no later than Friday 15th May 2020 Entries can be sent by email to [email protected] or posted to R Vaughan-Johns, Durlett Farm House, Durlett, Bromham, Wiltshire, SN15 2HY

WE’RE HERE FOR YOU, HOWEVER LONG THIS SHUTDOWN TAKES.

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!

Badminton Quiz Answers

1. Badminton Horse Trials (U.K.), (U.K.), Kentucky Three Day Event (U.S.A.), Luhmuhlen (Germany), Les Etoiles de Pau (France), Australian International in Adelaide, Fair Hill International at Maryland (U.S.A.) 2. Aldershot 3. 20th – 22nd April 1949. John Sheddon on Golden Willow, who was 6 years old ( I believe that horses must now be at least 8 years old ) 4. 1969. Richard Walker who was 18 years old on Pasha who was an Anglo-Arab 5. Armada Dish 6. British Royal Family: 1971 Princess Anne on Doublet at Burghley. 2005 Zara Phillips on at Blenheim 7. 1958 & 1959 – Sheila Wilcox on High and Mighty, 1977 & 1972 – on Great Ovation, 2002 & 2003 – on Supreme Rock 8. on Wesko (2014) and Ascona M (2019) New Zealand. on Faerie Dianimo in 2018. 9. November v2 14 May 2020 v2 14 May 2020