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Reports

Coming up

Other news

Reports

We got married!

Utter self indulgence, but hey - it's my newsletter! Kay and I got married on June 18th, went to Texas on honeymoon and now we've come back to work. Many thanks to my family for keeping the course open for schooling while we were away.

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Open Day

9th July - another beautiful day and a long list of fantastic speakers. Heather Martin and Becky Sharples from East Devon Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic spoke about how a rider's posture and muscles work with a horse and how to keep your horse fit and supple. Then Anja Walker from Western Counties Equine Clinic told us how to give first aid to leg injuries.

After lunch, Ian Lewis explained equine dentistry and Karen Jones brought her Internation endurance horse Mellow Jazz to explain endurance, fitness and how to apply the techniques in getting horses fit to run 100miles to your own discipline. Jan van Lennop of Simple Systems Ltd finished the day with her entertaining talk "From Bucket To Barrow - the mystery of the equine digestive tract solved!" - if you knew what those nags go through to eat that handful of hay!

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British Eventing Horse Trials

We ran British Eventing affiliated horse trials on Bank Holiday Monday May 30th. The sun shone, the grass was green and everyone had a wonderful day.

Thanks to all the people that came to help, the day ran smoothly and simply and everyone seemed to be smiling. We couldn't have done it without the people that helped - there were, I believe 104 of them - who had a good time too.

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Cross Country Training with Michelle Matthews - Tuesday 9th August 6pm

These training sessions were very popular last year so we're going to run some more this summer. Lessons will last about 1.5-2 hours and be in groups of no more than 6. Call or email if you're interested and I'll try to make of groups of similar ability. Cost £22.

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BSJA Devon Area Show

July 24th will see the British Show Jumping Association come to the Blackdown Hills. Area 50 (Devon) is holding its Area Show with 2 rings and 12 classes ranging forom 11yrs 80cm to a 1.30m (4'3") Open with £100 first prize.

The show jumping will be in the Show Field where the Dressage section of horse trials is usually held. I have attached a schedule to this email or you can download a pdf here.

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Unaffiliated One Day Event - Sunday August 21st

We're running an unaffiliated one day event on Sunday August 21st. There will be two classes, a 2'6-2'9 course which will be straight forward and suitable for inexperienced horses and riders and an Advanced class which will be 3'-3'3 and similar to the British Eventing Pre Novice course used at our last horse trials.

There will be a restricted section in each class - for the Novice, the riders under 14 can compete seperately and in the Advanced, combinations where the horse has not competed at British Eventing Pre Novice or above can enter a seperate class.

I have attached a schedule or you can downlad a pdf here

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Advertise in this newsletter

We've now got a substantial circulation among Westcountry riders who are interested in cross country. There are two versions of this newsletter - a print version which is sent periodically to nearly 150 subscribers and an email version which is sent to over 500. Email subscribers get occasional Newsflashes in addition to the newsletter.

If you'd like to advertise to 650 like-minded people living near BHXC, send us your copy and a cheque. The cost - just £5 per issue for 25 words.

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Sponsors

We've been lucky to attract a good number of sponsors for our first full year of competition and training. They were at the BE Horse Trials and will be at the One Day Event in August and at the Inter schools cross country day in October. If you see their stands, please take a minute to go have a look.

Among our sponsors this year are:

• C J Keitch Engineering - all sorts of machinary including Tanco small bale haylage wrappers and paddock maintenance gear (01404 891796)
• Western Counties Equine Clinic - specialist equestrian vet (01884 841100)
• Accounts for Business - advisors helping UK owner managed businesses become successful and enjoyable to run
• Porter Dodson Solicitors - specialist advice on a friendly, personal and local basis with offices in Yeovil, Taunton, Wellington, Bridgwater, Dorchester and Sherbourne (01823 331293)
• Prettejohn, Paul - garden machinery, paddock maintenance, motor bikes, quads. Sales and service.
• THE Party Company - helping you celebrate (01404 812700)
• THE Marquee Company - Marquee and furniture hire (01404 812700)
• CattleController - simple cattle records software.

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Marquee for hire

We now have a 60x30' marquee - big enough to seat 120 people - which we have used to host the Blackdown Hills exhibit for Princess Anne's visit and will be using for sponsors and events throughout the year. If you would like to hire it for your party, just give us a call.

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Just for mums

I've had some interest in our Just for Mums programme but not enough to actually run it. We'd like to run monthly morning sessions for mums with young children who find it difficult to get time off for riding. They'd work like this - you arrive with child and horse/pony, drop the child into our creche staffed by registered child carers, have a cross country lesson with an instructor and then come back and have tea and cakes.

If you're tempted, please give us a call - we need at least 8 to make it work so call and show us that the demand is there.

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School holidays are upon us

Wea re thinking of organising daytime camps to include cross country, showjumping, dressage, stable management and include lunch for children aged 12-16.

Again, please let me me know if you'd be interested and I'll set it up.

Competition

Jill Headford won our T shirt competition with:

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Blackdown Hills Cross Country has been supported by:
     

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