Hello August! Welcome to your bumper update for this month. As well as listing a small selection of upcoming clinics and competitions, we've also decided to include a few reports from recent events so everyone can hear about what all our members have been up to. We hope you enjoy it!
Please remember that full clinic listings and bookings are all on Webcollect and if you're on Facebook there's plenty of updates getting added all the time so please check these sites regularly.
I hope to see you all out and about soon!

Jo
WBRC Chair

Helpers needed
We've had a wonderful response from members when we've sent out pleas for help, and you'll be happy to know there are still plenty of opportunities for you all to get involved! It may seem like a long way away but we need helpers on Sunday 6th October to help out at the London & Southeast Championships being held at Snowball Farm, Burnham Beeches. WBRC are organising the XC for the Horse Trials so as well as the usual fence judges we need people to cover a whole range of other roles too - these include score runners (both mounted and unmounted), catering runners and scorers. If you're interested in helping out and trying your hand at one of these roles for a few hours (no experience necessary, briefings will be given!) then please reply to this email and put your name forward! By doing so your name will be put into the helpers prize draw being held at the WBRC AGM in January (see below for details)!

Helpers rewards
We've been banging on about helpers a lot recently and even though it's a condition of everyone's membership to help out each year, your committee would like to thank you for all your effort. Therefore at this year's AGM we will be holding the first WBRC helpers prize draw. For every half day you help out at an event in 2019, your name will be placed into a draw to win a variety of prizes (and don't worry, even if you've already helped out this year that will count too).

What's coming up?

Franklin Method for Equestrians with Nicky Clarke - Heckfield Village Hall - Friday eves
Nicky Clarke is a certified Franklin Method Equestrian Trainer and Equestrian Pilates Teacher. Come and learn how to use Franklin balls and bands to help your riding.
Unmounted session in groups (choice of dates) can be followed up by mounted session (pairs). To improve balance, biomechanics, breathing, use of core, feel of contact and many other areas.
Unmounted sessions £10 per person on Friday evenings at Heckfield Village Hall, mounted sessions will be held at a local school and are available to those who have done an unmounted session.
Bookings on WebCollect are now open for the three unmounted dates, with the first mounted date open to those who have attended one of these evening sessions.

Jamie Wright - XC Clinic - Mini Mattingley - Saturday 17th August
Many of you will know Jamie as one of our camp instructors.  Jamie is a very experienced eventing coach and British Eventing competitor and caters to all levels. He is fantastic at encouraging nervous riders & is very approachable.
Mini Mattingley have a wide range of professionally built smaller fences (60cm to BE novice height), including water drops, sunken road, ditches, etc.
You must ensure your horse has had their 6 month booster vaccination, please bring your passports with you.
Cost is £25 with max 4 riders for 1.5 hours for tuition. XC hire is to be paid on the day direct to the venue. It will be £20 if we have 5 riders or £25 if we only have one group. PM sessions only. Any questions please contact Amy (see WebCollect).

Bruce Haskell - SJ Clinic - JAC (Binfield) - Monday 19th August - afternoon/evening
Bruce is an International Event Rider, having competed up to 4* with experienced coaching for BE and producing his own youngsters to the top level.
Show jump lessons on surface for all heights and levels - private, shared and groups.
Horses must have 6 month flu jab.

Colleen Hoekstra-Knox - clinics - Bramshill (or at your own yard by arrangement) -
Wednesday 7th August PM, Saturday 7th Sept
Colleen is an international Grand Prix competitor and qualified judge in the USA. She has vast experience training horses from youngsters to the top levels, and has been riding at FEI for over 20 years. In addition to dressage, she has a background in natural horsemanship and grew up in warmblood breeding industry through her family. Through the study of biomechanics, horse behaviour and rider psychology, Colleen particularly focuses on back-to-front connection, classical riding, building confidence, and producing horses who are happy and relaxed in their work - which enables both horse and rider to achieve their full potential and have fun in the process!

Area Arena Eventing Qualifier - Cherwell Competition Centre
Course of SJ immediately followed by XC jumps with water splash followed by a joker fence set 10cms higher than maximum height.
70-100, junior & senior (70 & 100 mixed).  We will endeavour to send teams rather than individuals. Qualifier for national championship @ Aston Le Walls early March 2020.

Reports (click on links)
Summer SJ Qualifier
BRC National Horse Trials
Summer Camp 2019

With a total of 31 entries from WBRC we most definitely had a presence at the summer SJ qualifier at BCA and although we had numerous time changes from the organisers all our riders were in the right place at the right time. Lisa Oram was SJ team manager in the morning and then Lesley Burgess took over for the afternoon. WBRC smashed it again and it got quite embarrassing having to go and collect more rosettes for the club.

The following have all qualified for the Lincoln National Championships:
110 Mixed Team 1st - Leah McCrady (Ind 1st), Ian Spalding, Sophie Royall (Ind 4th) and Angela Sumner (Ind 3rd)
80 Senior team 1st - Jo Ridgley, Florence Holdforth, Sarah Gee and Annie Haigh
80 Individual 1st - Annie Haigh
70 Individual 1st - Liz Ruffler
Junior Style - Lola Dance Ind 1st & Louise Murphy Ind 3rd
Senior Style - Abbie Francis Ind 2nd
London and South East team qualified for champs at Snowball - Lesley Burgess, Teri Gray, Jo Ridgley and Annie Haigh - Team 4th

Also congratulations to:
Senior style team - Sarah Gee, Amy Dale, Jane Moore and Abbie Francis - Team 2nd
Senior Style Ind - Amy Dale 2nd and Sarah Gee 3rd
Senior 90 team - Sarah Gee, Trudi Fearnley (Ind 5th), Chesnee Edwards-Drew & Harriet Nice - Team 4th
Senior 100 - Lauren Huddy Ind 4th

We cannot thank our helpers enough as without you we would not be able to compete. It's a great day (although a bit hot) and get well looked after. If you haven't volunteered please do so as you don't need previous experience!

Every year the BRC national horse trials are held over 4 days for those who qualify at the Area 6 qualifier.

Last weekend we had success with our senior 100 team of Ian Spalding on Rockhill Girl, Sophie Royall on Phoenix 500 and Lauren Huddy on Prospector Charlie who were team 6th.   Lauren was also individual 3rd and Sophie individual 6th. They completed the three day event with trot up and dressage on Friday, Roads and tracks, steeplechase on Saturday, then another trot up for vet and all show jumped clear on the  Sunday. In the Junior 100 section Ele Sparkes rode Kazan as an individual with a great dressage score but this year unusually finished after three days just out of the rosettes.

We also had a junior 90 Area 6 team made up of Ele Sparkes on Birchills Speed Bonnie Boat and Annabelle Howie on Nimbus Nine, who were joined by Zahra Eisa on Spotty (Springer) from Welllington RC and Holly Martin on Canadian Skye from High Wycombe RC.  The juniors were all pleased with their dressage, with Ele and Austin leading their arena, Ele and Annabelle clear in SJ but total penalties after the long format over two days meant this year they were unplaced.

Such a great weekend with everyone working together and supporting each other. We had full catering in the WBRC gazebo and made some new friends with our Area 6 team mates. Thanks to all that were on helping duties and to Danny Oram for the great BBQ catering.

On 19thJuly 2019 Wokingham and Bearwood Riding Club headed out on a takeover of Boomerang Stables, Hungerford for our annual Summer Camp.

A total of 30 riders, 33 horses a handful of guests and a support troupe like no other attended on the Friday evening, while everyone sorted their stables and sleeping arrangements for the evening, the Chef (Dave Francis) was busy in the kitchen preparing the evening meal, the weather came on to rain but everyone had managed to sort their tents out before the downpour and headed into the canteen for dinner.

A quick welcome from the Camp Commanders, Leanne and Jo, including a special welcome to our 8 new attendees was first and then Pasta and salad was the order of the night with garlic bread that we couldn’t produce quick enough before it was gone!
With dinner out of the way and everyone in good spirits it was time to have a spot of fun…. When the words Beetle Drive was mentioned there were a lot of blank faces HOWEVER within a very short period of time we had some fast a furious dice throwing going on while everyone raced to draw a complete beetle and be the winner!  It proved to be a very funny and raucous game and as the winning people moved around the tables it meant everyone got to know people from other tables and was a great icebreaker!

Off to bed for everyone with a last quick check of the ponies.  An early start on the Saturday morning for some riders! 

The Saturday began at 8am which saw the first riders on board for the beginning of the dressage lessons with Kim Seaby one of our regular instructors for the club.  It was also the start of a busy day of showjumping and pole work lessons for the riders with Event Rider Bruce Haskell also a firm favourite in the riding club. The cross country also started at 8am with ever popular instructor and Event Rider Jamie Wright who was kept busy all day out in the Boomerang Jungle of the cross country course. The weather was kind to us with only a couple of showers of rain which didn’t dampen spirits at all! 

We had photographers on the cross country and showjumping courses in order to catch every moment of triumph and enjoyment. There were smiles everywhere from the campers and the support and camaraderie shown throughout was plain to see.

All the ponies were put to bed for a well earned rest on Saturday evening while the troops gathered outside the canteen for a wonderful BBQ provided by the chef and his team of helpers. There was salad, coleslaw, potato salad, burgers sausages, chicken, vegetarian options… something for everyone! Then came the puddings of cheesecake, profiteroles and gateaux… phew!

With everyone having refuelled and having satisfied tummies we all moved into the cookhouse with the log burner lit nice and cosy for a quiz. The team names caused a few giggles and everyone took part with great gusto, some even got dragged out of their beds to join in!

Off to bed just before midnight with the glass recycling bin jingling away ready for another full day of riding.

Up and at ‘em on the Sunday morning bright and breezy for the unlucky early riders. The dressage and showjumping arenas kicked off again at 8am with Kim and Jamie ready to put everyone through their paces. With Bruce out on the cross country this time at 830am... a cooked breakfast was supplied for everyone with eggs, omelettes, sausages and bacon in rolls which was much enjoyed by everyone.

Lunch was sandwiches with an array of fillings to keep everyone going throughout the day.  We had a very successful day until the last hour when we had 3 join the tumblers club and creating a small amount of paperwork however nothing serious and everyone got back up on board and continued the lessons… phew!

On the Sunday evening/late afternoon the annual Wokingham and Bearwood summer camp moved off “Wagons Roll” and left Boomerang for the final time this year. So many happy positive smiles and comments from everyone who attended.

The camp commanders decided to ask for some feedback from the campers so a few days later a survey was sent out to everyone who had attended to see if we could improve on any future camps... here is a little snapshot of some super positive feedback.

“Would it be possible to stay on the Sunday night too?”
“Nothing to improve”
“More quizzes”
“Just please do it again”
“Bring your own cutlery/cups/bottles to cut down on recycling”
“Quiet section of the camping area for the early bedders”
“Weigh bridge people back please”
“Disco on the Saturday night!”
“Safety netting and bean bags for when I bring the youngster”

We will take all of your comments into consideration for the next summer camp but all in all the feedback was hugely positive and everyone enjoyed themselves.
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Unfortunately due to logistics we are unable to hold an Autumn Camp this year but we have been organised and our Spring and Summer Dates are already in... so watch this space!

All that’s left is for us to say a huge thankyou to everyone who took part in the weekend…. Wagons Roll on to the next one keep an eye out for the Spring Camp in 2020.