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Latest News!

We have received the following message and would appreciate it if as many people as possible could respond to this as it could make the Forest of Dean rides even better!  We suggest that you tick the 'Riding Club' option under 'Membership' on the attached form.

IF YOU LIVE IN THE FOREST OF DEAN AREA THIS MESSAGE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. PLEASE READ AND THEN OPEN AND COMPLETE THE SUPPORT DOCUMENT ATTACHED. PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE ONTO ANYONE ELSE YOU KNOW WHO LIVES OR RIDES IN THE FOREST OF DEAN AREA.  

Local bridleways group, The Forest of Dean Riders and Carriage Drivers Association, have been working very hard behind the scenes bidding for funding to create a network of long-distance and local, circular routes across the Forest of Dean District.  

The great news is that our application has cleared the first hurdle and we now need to add some more details to our final bid. We need to show just how many people would appreciate a "joined-up" network of bridleways. As riders and carriage drivers there are obvious benefits to us in creating new paths, and especially linking some of the areas that are currently inaccessible due to busy road crossings or lack of connecting bridleways.

By incorporating options for long-distance rides from Dymock in the north to Tiddenham in the south, there will be business opportunities for pubs and B&Bs en route to enjoy the custom of both local riders and tourists. On top of this the value of equestrianism to the local economy is worth £millions!  That's farriers, tack shops, livery yards, feed and bedding suppliers, instructors, vets etc.... Everyone's a winner!  

So please show your support for a new bridleway network, and ask every one of those people who will also benefit, by filling in the attached form and returning as soon as possible (this week would be really helpful) by email (address is on the form) or hard copy to Jenny Carling, Standfast Annexe, Kilcot Hill, Kilcot, Glos GL18 1NJ. And if you can copy this to friends and service providers as well, that would be great!  

This is a fantastic opportunity and all you need to do is show that you care.  

Thank you  

Nikki Moore On behalf of The Forest of Dean Riders and Carriage Drivers Association

 

Weren't we lucky to have had dry weather last week? 10 days ago the venue was under water & we were panicking about being able to use it, but it was dry & perfect on Sunday.  This years ride was a real 'organisation by committee', Judy Taylor kindly agreed to be organiser on the day so we could all ride our horses & loads of people chipped in to help beforehand.  Entries were much lower than normal, probably due to the fact that people just haven't been able to get their horses fit.  The longer classes in particular had only a third of the usual numbers. 

The new parts of the route rode especially well & there were some lovely views. Carolyn had a lovely ride round with Margaret McKiddie & Bonnie Anne for company, after a very shaky start to the day, when her trailer wheel jammed.  She had to beg a lift from Sue Loveridge in her trailer.  Patches had never travelled with another horse before and never loaded on the left, but she went in after a little persuasion and really enjoyed having a travelling companion.

Thanks to all the volunteers helpers on the day. It was lovely sunny day, but cold if you were standing around.

Carolyn's crew even managed to see some of the Sculpture Trail in between looking after both her and Margaret's horses!  

Forest of Dean March Hares 2010 Ride

Class 1 Intro A (Walk and trot)

Class 2 Prelim 7

Offa’s Dyke Group EGB members and associate members only

Special rule: Normal endurance tack and clothing allowed. We hope this will encourage people to have a go, who may normally be put off by having to wear the correct ‘dressage’ outfit and tack.

Facilities; we have use of the outdoor school to work in and the indoor school with judges box and public viewing gallery for the competition. Fiona will call your test if you like. This can be very helpful if you have trouble memorizing the test! We also have use of the office to deal with entries and hand out results & rosettes to 6th place. The car park is hard standing, but due to numbers we will have to park very tidily and close to fit everyone in. Be prepared for a bit of a wait if you enter both classes.

You will be given times for your tests in advance (see below) and these will be strictly adhered to, so please be on time and ready for the steward to call you to the indoor school. Tests will be judged by Carole Broad and you will be given a copy of your test results with her comments at the end of the competition, along with your rosette if you’re placed. If you can’t wait until the end to get your result, please leave a large SAE at the office for us to post it on to you.

Entry fee £7.50 per class. (Concessionary entry fee £5 per class for those who’ve attended this winter’s schooling lessons subsidised by profit from lessons). Cheques payable to Offa’s Dyke Group of EGB

Entry numbers are strictly limited. Closing date 28 February, but it is already filling fast. Entries on Offa’s Dyke Social Ride entry form (available to download from the ‘forms’ page of the website. Please note on the entry form which classes you wish to enter. Also note if you need Fiona to send you a copy of the dressage tests enclosing an SAE.

To Fiona Griffiths Ty Mawr Farm, Bwlch, Brecon, LD3 7NX.

Any questions tel 01874730987 or Email: info@golden-castle.co.uk

Phone for times on the Friday eve 6pm to 9pm

A volunteer is still needed to help everyone park tidily. Please contact Fiona. This will count as helping for your Trophy card!!

Sorry that there has been no news for a month, it has all been a bit hectic with the weather conditions and getting ready for the March Hares ride.  You would think that getting maps onto the web site would be easy but it still took the webmaster some time to get there!

Offa's Dyke members Sara and  Rachael Rogerson have an exciting new blog – both of these top International Riders are now featured on the Horse and Rider website and will be in the next issue of the Horse and Rider magazine – go to http://www.horseandrideruk.com/article.php?id=814 to see their first blog.

The January Newsletter is now available for down-load and has been mailed out.  This includes an additional note regarding the dates of the Bluebell Rides which have had to go back a week due to a clash of events in the Forest of Dean.  The Pleasure Ride will be on the 24th April and the National CR will be on the 25th April.

The newsletter refers to two additional files on the web site.

Click here for the photos of Sarah and Rachel  from 'A Most Satisfying Year!'

Click here for the photos of Margaret McKiddie's 'Ride Across the Andes'

The first Committee Meeting of 2010 (due 14/01/10) has been cancelled due to continuing problems with snow and ice.  As there were a few items on the Agenda that would have been reported in the Newsletter, we have decided to delay it publication a few days while the Committee details can be sorted outside of a formal meeting.  We hope that you will understand the newsletter's delay and look forward to its publication.

The 2010 Ride Schedule has been loaded onto the EGB website.  However, we have noticed that two rides; Wentwood on 21st February, and Mynydd Machen on 9th May have been attributed to Offa's Dyke in error.  Whilst this has now been corrected, it is possible that the error will appear in the published schedule.  Please note that these rides are organised by our neighbouring group De Cymru.

Belinda, the ride organiser has made the very difficult decision to cancel the Christmas Cracker ride due this Sunday.  She went to inspect the venue at Staunton this afternoon & there is still a lot of snow round the entrance to the forestry & along the track so she decided there & then to cancel the ride.  With more freezing weather on the way during the next few nights it will be lethal & she (quite sensibly) is not prepared to take any risks – it only takes one disaster to spoil the day.  We hope that you won't be too disappointed and will look forward to Maryland in February. 

Please let us know if you got anything horsey for Christmas that is new, novel or interesting that other members should know about.  We will add an item to the web site or include them in the next newsletter.

Our Secretary, Rachel Williams, is completing the final year of an Equine Sports Massage course and she is doing a project on arthritis supplements.  She would like to know what members use or have used in the past, and what they think about the product.  She would be very grateful for your help.  She has so far looked into Cortaflex, Superflex by NAF and Reflex by Hilton Herbs.  If you have tried these, she would like to know what you thought.  She is also keen on hearing about other products.  Please her with any information or questions.

Monmouthshire trails project

Adventa and Monmouthshire County Council Countryside Service, are developing a number of multi-purpose Tourism Trail routes for horse riders, cyclists, walkers and disabled users. We are currently trying to establish circular riding route in Monmouthshire which will appeal to horse riders who wish to bring their own horses and ponies to ride and possibly stay in the area.   

They are keen to hear from anyone who would be interested in the project - whether they have a business which would benefit from the establishment of this trail, if they can offer horse B&B / a field for overnight stays / or other horse-related services, or if they can help as volunteers for particular stretches of the route, or offer any other assistance.    

One proposed route will run through the Wye Valley, a second shorter route, upgrading the Kings Wood Riding Route at Wonastow/ Dingestow is also being considered and a third route through Wentwood Forest.   The next stage will be to call a meeting of interested parties.

If you would like to attend a meeting in the future, find out more about the proposed route, or get involved in the project, or if you can offer help and advice please contact at Adventa on 01873 736035,  or at MCC Countryside Service on 07917597793.

Twins Sarah and Rachael have both been sitting their final year at University, so mum Mary has played a crucial role in keeping all three of their horses fit. Rachel and Gryphon are this year’s EGB national champions, having won the 160km Solstice ER at Cirencester and then capped the season by coming a very close second in the Arab Marathon.  

Sarah being crewed at Sherwood

Sarah has also had some fantastic ER results and is now in California working for international endurance rider Dom Freeman – maybe we should get her to talk to us about her experience when she comes home!   We asked proud dad Steve to give us a brief reminder of the families’ successes in 2009.

For his report and photos click here

We have received the following request to Margaret McKiddie from the wife of the landowner who so very kindly provides the Cranham ride venue:

Dear Margaret,

I wondered if you knew anyone who is looking for a horse to ride, or whether there is an endurance newsletter/email list that I could advertise on  as I really need to find someone locally to exercise my "foster" horse? My little grey mare is back in work and seems to be holding up so I just don't have the time for two. Doods is 15.2hh, Chestnut, Arab and 9 years old but hasn't done anything but hack around since he was backed. He needs a competent rider with a sense of humour and adventure as he is very green in many ways and  hasn't done much in the last 2 years but he is a very kind and fun horse who just wants to get out and do something. The only conditions are that he has to stay here are Overtown and his owner, who is in Israel, is prepared to pay for his livery because of this so the loanee would only be responsible for insurance and day to day costs. He lives out so work is minimal and as I have to be here to do my two horses anyway I check/feed him at the same time so in effect, all someone has to do is turn up a few times a week and ride! I can pass on further details/photos etc if required. If you can help that would be wonderful as he is bored and fat and that's not a good combination for an Arab! 

Many thanks, Pauhla Whitaker     

Overtown Farm, Cranham, Glos, GL4 8HQ, Tel: 01452 864 723

 

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