Warwick Riding Club impress at Coventry

The Warwick Riding Club recently competed in their first away competition, hosted by Varsity rivals Coventry. Team members Will Jebb, Hannah Lambert, Emily Wright and Eleanor Newton polished their boots and put on fancy stocks in anticipation of success.

The team recorded some impressive results, finishing third overall. The impressive Will Jebb, also captain of the first team performed well in the individual rankings, as he jumped to second place. Elsewhere, the second team captain Lizzy Robertson, will also be leading her team on Wednesday in Week 10 to their first away BUCS competition.

University team competition riding is very different to both individual equestrian competition and other University team disciplines. Warwick have two teams in the BUCS league and one friendly team. Each team has three or four league competitions, with one team from each league qualifying for the Regionals. The same applies in qualifying for the Nationals from the Regionals.

At competitions there are four horses, provided by the home competitors’ stables, in both disciplines (dressage and show jumping). Each horse has to be ridden by one team member from each team. The team have a chance to see the horses being warmed up before each phase prior to the horse and rider combination being selected randomly.

Each competitor has seven minutes to warm up for dressage and up to four practise jumps before the actual show jump. The scores are marked against other riders riding the same horse. The rider and team with the lowest overall penalties will win the competition.

The three team squads have been chosen for this year, with first and second teams actively training at the Radway Riding School for further matches in the BUCS Equestrian League. The third team is also preparing for their inevitable friendly competition victories.

Away from competitive riding the club also encourages lessons for anyone, ranging from complete beginners to experienced riders. The charitable aspect of the club has also been highlighted recently, raising money for their Charity of the Year SPEAR (the Sue Pike Equine and Animal Rescue Centre.)

This ranged from selling mince pies at their festive event on Wednesday to helping out at SPEAR’s Christmas Open Day on the 27th of November.

Along with many other Warwick sports clubs, the Riding Club’s fundraising efforts went one step further as fifteen riders spent an afternoon one very chilly day in November at President Emma Homer’s stable yard in Kenilworth getting their kit off for a Naked Calendar photo shoot (out week ten), with all proceeds once again going to SPEAR.

_The Riding club runs beginners, intermediate and advanced lessons on a Sunday with new lessons also taking place on Monday evenings. Find us on Facebook at UWRC 2011-12, or go to: www.warwickriding.moonfruit.co.uk for more info._