TAUNTON VALE HARRIERS Branch of The Pony Club
Spring 2011
President Neil McLean, Bubhayne Farm, Hemyock, Devon EX15 3RR
District Commissioner Mary Bere, Chilworthy Farmhouse, Chilworthy, Chard, Somerset TA20 3BH Tel: 01460 62533 07764 150656 [email protected]
Secretary Jenny Parsons, Regency House, Hemyock, Cullompton, Devon EX15 3RQ Tel: 01823 680238 [email protected]
Treasurer Jane Clarkson, South Hill Farm, Staple Fitzpaine, Taunton TA3 5SH Tel: 01460 234126 07970 775727 [email protected]
Committee Sally Leaney, Heale Farm, Corfe, Taunton, Somerset TA3 7BE Tel: 01823 421645 [email protected]
Wendy Firman, Stone Barn Farm, Appley, Stawley, Wellington TA21 0HJ Tel: 01823 673287 07732 254957 [email protected]
Di Berry, 2 Scott’s Shute, Beacon Hill, Culmstock, Devon EX15 3HP Tel: 01884 840081 [email protected]
Hazel Buttle, Robins Wood, Wrangway, Wellington, TA21 9QF Tel: 01823 662972 [email protected]
Alison Tomlinson, 56 Queen’s Drive, Taunton TA1 4XD Tel: 01823 259740 07712 764761 [email protected]
Vicky Stilton, Summerhayes, Buttles Lane, Churchinford, Taunton TA3 7PS Tel: 07974 765123 [email protected]
TEAMS If you are interested in team competitions, these Sweatshirts are available from are the people to contact… Mary Bere or Jenny Parsons (the Show Jumping box tends to move around!)
(seniors) Kim Sweetland 01823 680087 (juniors) Ann Loarridge 01823 666009 Ties, Badges & Medical (minis) Liz Williams 01884 849159 Armbands contact Jenny Parsons Tetrathlon Teams Caroline Moore 01984 667696 Hat Tagging contact Di Berry Shooting Jerry Minchin 01823 480690 or Mary Bere Swimming Jo Maunder 01823 681148 Pony Register email Shooting practice - ring Jerry Minchin for more info on this. [email protected] Swimming training takes place on Tuesdays 7 - 8pm at Taunton with an advert for any ponies for School at a cost of £3 per session. sale, for loan or wanted within the
Polo enthusiasts - contact Serena Kerr 01404 861727 TVH. Closing What & Where Contact Cost Date
Hunting appointments Please ring the secretaries for details of meets not listed here Taunton Vale Harriers Hon. Sec. Andrea Lane 01823 680473 Taunton Vale Foxhounds Hon. Secs Alison Brown 01823 480441 Malcolm Hayes 01823 663047 Tiverton Foxhounds Hon. Sec. Jill Witcombe 01363 866442 Charlotte Rhoderick-Jones 01884 266253 Herepath Ride 11am Meet at Staple Hill car park; I will arrange to get Sunday the barrier lifted for trailers and lorries. Jenny Parsons as soon as th - February 13 01823 680238 possible Food available at The Farmers Inn, West Hatch, half way round.
Road Rider Achievement Badge Rally (part 1) at Goodleigh Farmhouse 10 – 11.30 by kind invitation of Richard and Jo Maunder
The first of two 1½ hour practical, mounted rallies aimed at preparing for the Road Rider Achievement Badge, obligatory before C, C+ and B Tests.
BOTH PARTS 1 & 2 MUST BE ATTENDED or the Road Rider Achievement Badge Test cannot be Rally booking taken. forms in by
Sunday Di Berry th £15 February 13 There is also a Road Safety DVD to see at some 01884 840081 Saturday th stage – this will be organised for you. Feb 12
You have two chances to attend two of these rallies as a second pair has been arranged on 27/3 and 17/4 – see below
Please try very hard to attend a pair of these rallies or you will not be allowed to take your C or C+ later in the year.
The £15 cost includes a Hi-Vis vest, a copy of the Highway Code and the PC Road Rider booklet.
Saturday Taunton Vale Foxhounds
February 19th Manor Farm, Cricket Malherbie – Childrens Meet
Monday Taunton Vale Harriers
February 21st Rull Farm, Ashill - Childrens Meet Pony Care Morning 10 – 12 noon at The Old Rectory, Stawley, Wellington TA21 0HP Rally booking by kind invitation of Michael and Judy Milne forms in by
Tuesday Di Berry nd £6 February 22 D & D+ level (others welcome) 01884 840081 Monday Stable Management rally with the opportunity to do th Feb 14 one or two achievement badges – followed by hot chocolate Thursday Taunton Vale Harriers
February 24th Rewe Farm, Thorne St Margaret - Childrens Meet Road Rider Achievement Badge Rally (part 2) at Pitt Farm, Uffculme EX15 3BY 10 – 11.30 by kind invitation of John and Liz Dorse Rally booking forms in by Sunday Di Berry th Part 2 of the first pair of 1½ hour, mounted rallies £15 February 27 01884 840081 Saturday aimed at preparing for the Road Rider th Achievement Badge Feb 12
See Feb 13th for more details Road Rider MINI Achievement Badge Tests at Pitt Farm, Uffculme EX15 3BY 10 - 12 Ring by Sunday by kind invitation of John and Liz Dorse Di Berry th - March 6 01884 840081 Monday especially for those D and D+ members who didn't Feb 28th get to do it at Mini camp
Area Squad Rallies (two) 10.30 onwards Flatwork at Westwoods Farm, Shillingford, Tiverton EX16 9BX by kind invitation of Dan and Amanda Watt Amanda Watt Rally booking 07801 813839 forms in by Sunday and Goodleigh Farmhouse, Blackborough, £7.50 March 20th Cullompton EX15 2JA Jo Maunder Friday th by kind invitation of Richard and Jo Maunder 07770 474760 March 11
to be run simultaneously - hourly sessions (max. four per group)
NEON DISCO 7.30 – 9.30pm at Trull Village Hall (Rally) booking Disco, bubble and snow machine, party games Alison Saturday forms in by Tomlinson £5 March 26th to include limbo dancing, space hoppers and 07712 764761 lots more. Open to all – bring a friend from Monday March 19th school if you would like to. Alison needs to know numbers a week beforehand Road Rider Achievement Badge Rally (part 1) Rally booking forms in by Sunday at Pitt Farm, Uffculme EX15 3BY 10 – 11.30 Di Berry by kind invitation of John and Liz Dorse £15 March 27th 01884 840081 Monday th th details as for February 13 March 14 Cross Country Rally 10.30 – 12.30 at Cuckoos Nest, Uplowman EX16 7LX Levels 1 & 2 Ready to ride by 10.15 please DON’T FORGET BACK PROTECTORS Rally booking for those capable of jumping 0.60m (2ft) Sally and Alice Monday forms in by Groups split according to ability Leaney £16 April 11th Good parking in the field 01823 421645 March 30th
There is may be a Hunter Trial there the following weekend so this is a good chance for a bit of practice…..
This rally is being subsidised out of branch funds Area Squad Rally 10.30 – 12.30 Rally booking forms in by Wednesday Cross Country at Bicton Jo Maunder th £20 April 13 Bring a picnic for afterwards if the weather is looks 07770 474760 Monday good March 28th D and D+ Test Day 10 - 2pm Ring by at Higher Ruggin Farm, West Buckland TA21 9CC Thursday by kind invitation of Nick and Sally Moore Hazel Buttle th Monday - April 14 01823 662972 th April 4 D Tests will be done in the morning, D+ in the
afternoon
Rally booking Area Squad Rally 10 – 2.30 forms in by Friday Amanda Watt Show Jumping at Pontispool £12 April 15th 07801 813839 1½ hour sessions Monday April 4th
Rally booking Road Rider Achievement Badge Rally (part 2) forms in by Tuesday at Goodleigh Farmhouse 10 - 11.30 Di Berry th £15 April 19 by kind invitation of Richard and Jo Maunder 01884 840081 Monday th details as for February 27 March 14th
Easter Egg Hunt & Games 11 – 12 noon at Heale Farm, Corfe TA3 7BE by kind invitation of Duncan and Sally Leaney Ring by Sally & Alice Wednesday sign-posted off the B3170 and very near the Leaney none April 20th Friday racecourse – plenty of parking room in the field 01823 421645 April 15th (weather permitting)
9 years and under – Real beginners only
Area Squad Rally 10.30 onwards Rally booking Flatwork at Westwoods Farm forms in by Wednesday Amanda Watt by kind invitation of Dan and Amanda Watt £7.50 April 20th 07801 813839 Friday th Details as for March 20th April 8
Road Rider Achievement Badge Test Day venue and times to be advised. Rally booking The test can only be taken if you have attended forms in by Tuesday Di Berry th two of the preparation rallies. - April 26 01884 840081 Monday
th It is very important that Di knows numbers in good time as this April 11 is a complicated day to organise Please send booking forms in good time
Rally booking Area Squad Rally 5pm onwards forms in by Wednesday Show Jumping Evening Rally Jo Maunder th £7.50 May 18 at Goodleigh Farmhouse 07770 474760 Friday Hourly sessions (max. four per group) May 6th
Rally booking Area Squad Rally 5pm onwards forms in by Wednesday Show Jumping Evening Rally Jo Maunder th £7.50 May 25 at Goodleigh Farmhouse 5pmHourly sessions 07770 474760 Friday (max. four per group) May 13th Thursday Area Team Combined Training Day Further details to follow on the website June 2nd at Westwoods Farm
Rally booking forms in by Sunday Area Team Cross Country Rally 10.30 – 12.30 Jo Maunder rd £20 July 3 at Bicton 07770 474760 Friday June 17th
Those of you wishing to take tests should contact Di Berry or for B Test - Mary Bere
Again could I remind you to look at the test page on the national pony club website http://www.pcuk.org/Tests- Achievements/ which has a pdf file of ‘The Pony Club Test Training System’ showing which tests are compulsory, TESTS which are optional and the order in which they must be taken. HAVE A LOOK AT IT – it might help you understand the order of all the tests.
There will be more opportunities to take tests during 2011 but please be prepared to attend training sessions arranged for specific tests, especially those for the Road Rider Badges.
BOOKING FOR RALLIES st Subscriptions were due on January 1 It is imperative that you book for forms are on the website Rallies using the (website) rally form and get it to the rally organiser BY THE CLOSING DATE with a cheque. Please remember to sign both disclaimers,
‘Parental Consent’ and ‘Photographic Using Text messages and phone Rights’. calls to book rallies at the last moment is very inconsiderate. ONLY fully paid up members are allowed to
attend rallies from now on – for insurance Please make every effort to be as organised as the rally organisers. reasons.
Points of contact (there are more on the front of the programme) Something to ask – don’t know who to ask?
First Aid equipment Alison Tomlinson 01823 259740 Child Protection ‘officer’ Health & Safety ‘officer’ Mary Bere 01460 62533 Tests Road Rider Badges Di Berry 01884 840081 Achievement Badges Di Berry 01884 840081 Hat Tagging Mary Bere 01460 62533 Merchandise Website Jenny Parsons 01823 680238 Pony Register Equipment Instructors Vicky Stilton 07974 765123 Mini Camp Judy Milne 01823 672205 Junior Camp Sally Leaney 01823 421645 Jo Maunder 01823 681148 Area Squad Amanda Watt 01398 331560
TAUNTON VALE HARRIERS PONY CLUB NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2011
Dear All, children towards their D and C tests. After Easter Firstly my apologies for not sending out a we will hold some rallies aimed at C training and newsletter with the winter programme…I repeat C and D training later in the year. E tests promise to do better this time! What a cold will be covered at Mini Camp. If you have any winter – I do hope everyone has survived queries please do ring Di. the freezing temperatures, snow and ice. The weather has certainly affected pony club Pony Club Hockey activities this winter and of course the hunting programme. The snowdrops are The Harriers managed to organise at least four bravely starting to flower so perhaps warmer teams for the Pony Club hockey tournament at weather is on its way … Queens College in December, but yet again the weather caused the event to be cancelled which We hope you enjoy the activities listed in this was a pity as we had a group of very fit and willing programme but please do let us know if you children and a demon ‘all boys’ team who planned would like anything else included or if you to thrash the opposition. Better luck next year, would like to contribute to this newsletter. third time lucky! Thank you to all those who were willing to play. New Members
As usual we would like to welcome recent, Parents Evening new members to the club and they are Ben Early in the new year we held the parents evening and Tom Pepperell, Teddy and Jemima at The Catherine Wheel in Hemyock where we Hugh-Smith, Paige Allen and Grace Buttle. had a good turnout. Vicky Stilton organised a A very warm welcome to you all and we look brilliant quiz, which went at a cracking pace and forward to seeing more of you and your kept us all interested. The answers caused a little ponies in 2011. Membership numbers are friendly controversy but the clear winners were doing well with over 125 current members of ‘The Old Nags’, or in other words a group of pony the branch. club mums with a few bottles of wine for support (!) and the Champion family came second. Hunter Trial Jenny showed her superb DVD of Pontispool The Hunter Trial held at Pontispool in camp 2010, which was a great success and very October was a great success and made a amusing. At last we can prove that the boys did healthy profit for the club. Such events are enlist the help of the older girls for plaiting even vital for our finances and we are very though they strongly denied it during inspection grateful to everyone who helped on the day each morning. Now we have the evidence! I think and special thanks to Luke Compos-Martyn, Jenny should be awarded a PC Oscar! James and Mary Bere, Philip Kerr, Michael Milne, and Liz Dorse The family cup, which is awarded to the family who have contributed the most to the club over the Winter Rallies past twelve months, went to the Minchin family, a very popular result. Stop Press – and our Di Berry kindly arranged a series of winter distinguished winners are also featured on the rallies but numbers were affected by the front of ‘Somerset life’ this month. Congratulations. snow and ice but thanks to Liz Dorse, Jo Maunder and Emily Chambers for all their help and the venues. However for the next Enjoy your ponies and keep warm. series of rallies Di is planning changes so that the rallies will be more age specific with Sally Leaney more objective themes. For example, the next set of rallies will be aimed at D and D+ training and tests and the Road Rider Mini achievement and Road Rider achievement badges to help those
The Interview - Sally Leaney
Although I do not ride now and am usually seen with a clip board in my hand I did start riding when I was three and grew up riding racehorses as we lived near Epsom. However, being run away with so many times knocked my confidence but was restored somewhat when I lived in Cornwall and rode a very handsome 17hand Irish Draft. I had no saddle to fit him and only a snaffle but we enjoyed wonderful times riding along the Cornish lanes and on the beaches around Crantock and Newquay. Perhaps if I continue to loose weight Alice might even give me a lesson …
Most Embarrassing PC Mum moment
Alice could probably produce a long list but one I remember occurred during the Mini ODE at Regency House, which Alice had entered for the first time on her lovely little pony ‘Toffee’. When the results were posted I was quick to be the dutiful, caring PC mother and comfort my daughter for coming last in her first event. Only of course to realise that her low score of 20 points placed her in first place and not last. Sorry Alice!
Second embarrassing moment was during camp one year when I and all the helpers slept in one of the Portakabins (an experience in itself!).Having wished everyone goodnight I fully expected to wake up with the same group next morning, only to discover that I was now alone – my snoring had driven away 5 other PC mums who could stand it no longer and had taken refuge in any portakabin that had space!
Worst PC Mum moment …
When I was fence judging a Team Chase at Pontispool one year I heard over the radio that competitor No 87, Alice Leaney, had fallen at the water … as I heard “ she has had a crashing fall, she is still on the ground and not moving. We need an ambulance immediately”. It’s at moments like this that you wish your daughter had taken up ballet!
Why it helps to live on a farm as a PC member…
If you have ever taken part in an event at Regency House you may know why it is a help to live on a farm as a member of the TVH pony club. Jenny usually has a group of snorting pigs next to the XC course which sends most ponies in the opposite direction in total fear but during the ODE dear Toffee cantered on undeterred as she lived and grazed at home with my pet pig, ‘Rasher’ and thought ‘home from home’.
Proudest moment as a PC Mum…
When Alice and the team qualified for both the XC and SJ events at the Area Championships in Shropshire. Duncan was equally proud until he discovered that it involved an 11 hour round trip, the whole weekend away and it took place during harvest. This was the event when we watched an official setting the heights for the show jumps and he actually walked under a fence. Only when he stood next to another official did we realise that he was a rather short man! Dates for your Diary
February 13th Triathlon at Taunton School - Cotley PC February 20th Team Eventers Jumping at Stockland Lovell - Polden Hills PC April 10th Triathlon at Sidcot School - Weston Harriers PC April 10th ODE at Bicton - Cotley PC April 17th Hunter Trial at Straitgate Farm, Ottery St Mary EX11 1LG - East. Devon PC April 30th/May 1st Triathlon at Cuckoos Nest - Tiverton PC May 14th Open Show, Bluehayes, Broadclyst EX5 3BA - East Devon PC May 29th Team Show Jumping at Stockland Lovell - Weston Harriers PC May 29 - 31st Mini Camp at Swallow’s Barn Farm, West Hatch May31st/June 1st Triathlon (Inter Area) at Bicton June 5th ODE at Pontispool - Silverton PC June 12th Team Show Jumping - Dulverton (North Molton) PC July 3rd ODE at Cuckoos Nest - Tiverton PC July 9th/10th Area Tetrathlon at Bicton July 23rd Area Horse Trials at Bicton July 27 -30th Camp at Pontispool July 28th Area Show Jumping at Moorend, Cannington, Bridgwater August 2nd Area Dressage at Taunton Racecourse August 16 - 19th PC Championships at Draycott, Derbyshire August 19 - 21st National Tetrathlon Championships at Hartpury College August 27 - 28th Novice Challenge - Cheshire August 19th - 21st 3 Day Rally at Regency House August 28th TVH Mini Novice ODE at Regency House September 4th Hunter Trial at Straitgate Farm, Ottery St Mary EX11 1LG - East Devon PC September 25th Hunter Trial at Southcott Farm, Winkleigh - Dulverton (NM) PC October 23rd TVH Hunter Trial at Pontispool