Riding: Hickstead NSEA Championships
28th- 30th May
With great excitement the riding squad of Henry, Fenella, George, Will, Molly and Lily left Sandroyd on Friday of half term in convoy of horse lorry, trailer and cars to go to the NSEA championships at Hickstead which had been postponed from last October.
We arrived at Hickstead 4hrs later and put the ponies in their stables once they had been bedded down. Then it was time to set up camp. Unfortunately the bell tent couldn’t be used as someone forgot the main centre pole!! Luckily Mums were prepared and a selection of small tents were erected for the children with the adults sleeping in the lorries.
Early next morning, ponies were fed at 6am in the rain!! The JWS team of Henry, Will, George and Fenella were due to ride in the Championship class at 9.30am so we walked the course at 7.30am to refresh their minds as they had walked in the night before. It was a course of 17 fences, the first 5 were showjumps and then 6 to the end was cross country. This competition was judged on style so they had to show a difference in riding a show jump course and then cross country. All four riders attacked the course and rode very well getting a good rhythm especially on the cross country phase. As it was live scoring we then sat and watched the other teams and started to get excited with one team left to go and we were in first place. After a tense 10 mins the scores of the last team came up and it was confirmed that Sandroyd had won!! Our first NSEA Championship.
Celebrations had to wait though as there was a course walk for the mini SJ qualifier and the team of Fenella, Will, Lily and Molly had to learn a course and get on board as they were near the beginning of the class. This was first time at this level for Lily and Molly and both rode well. With Fenella and Will riding well too, we finished with a team score of 4 over a complicated course. Ponies then went back to the stables and it was photo time to display their Champions sashes and rugs.
The next class was the 80/85cm SJ qualifier which wasn’t starting till after 2pm so time for lunch and letting the ponies rest. Heading back to the arenas after lunch the mini SJ was just finishing and Sandroyd was 5th which was great for our newer team members. We then had to walk the novice, the course was big with wide spreads. The team of Henry, Will, Fenella and Molly were a bit apprehensive but they all had a go at it. They all rode forward to get the energy for the wide spreads and we ended up with a team score of 0!! There was then another 2 hrs before the end of this class so the lorries were packed up, ponies loaded and we left to come home as it was now after 5pm. The children kept an eye on the live scores (modern technology has some uses) and half way home the texts started from each other and they were again 5th out of 22 schools. This class was for 19yrs and under so they held their own against the senior schools.
Everyone enjoyed the experience of a championship. The ponies went well and coped with the travel and the heat and all were back home and back in their fields by 10pm on Saturday night. We look forward to the next one!
