AREA 22
2012
Julie Lea is the Chef D'Equipe. Mobile no: 078899 15858.
Area 22 are Riding Club competitions which are open to all riding club members junior and seniors.
All ages and abilities can be involved. Horse Trials, Dressage, Dressage to Music and Showjumping are all disciplines that are open to team or individual participants. Qualifiers usually take place May-July and are held in various grounds annually, hosted by the Riding Club of the particular location. Those that qualify go onto the finals held in Lincoln in September 2012, or other Championship locations depending on which discipline qualified for.
These competitions are brilliant fun and full of training opportunities and strong team spirit.
Anyone interested
in participating in Area 22 Competitions 2012 please get in touch with
Morven on 07771751285 or our Chef D'Equipe Julie Lea on 078899 15858 .
2011:
A lovely tribute from member and competitor Mandy Sall:
Memories of 1500 miles to England on behalf of Ladyleys Riding club!
How well Ladyleys members did at the Riding Club Area dressage competition in July. We wiped the board in Fife and with great excitement everyone started planning how they would get to the Championships in September.
That in itself was enough reason for our tireless Chef d'equipe to do a runner but instead she rallied and started to organise 10 members entry forms, team entries, rules, regulations and blood, sweat and tears to get to Lincoln. Plus one very pleased geriatric member to get to Aintree as well!! Julie, you were absolutely the best and thankyou for all that hard work, without your efforts I think we would have all given up!
Until you have been part of a Team representing your Club (and Scotland) at the National Championships and seen just how enormous the event is it is hard to understand the pride and team spirit that takes over. Anyone who competes knows that so much can go wrong, horses are unpredictable and great levellers too. I felt so sorry for 2 of our team members who had to pull out at the last minute due to lameness and virus infections. (remember there is always next year though.) Just to be competing at Lincoln was a huge achievement for all of us and there was always someone on hand to calm frayed nerves, give advice when needed, carry tons of equipment miles from the lorry park to the stables, (that's a lesson learnt if I go again, take a wheelbarrow, only enough food and hay necessary for 4 days, and a bike, and more wine)!
Apart from the nerves because I was first on at 9.00, which meant a wake up of 5.30, my poor long suffering husband putting up with me droning through my 3 tests, again and again and again! It was fantastic - Ladyleys supporters on hand to cheer once the test was over, our wonderful Instructor to calm and reassure me that I still could walk, trot and canter competently through a test without falling off, my husband videoing - rather shakily - I don't think he reckoned I would remember where I was going, and my little horse trying so hard to be good and not worry about the wind, open spaces and nervous rider on his back - what a wonderful experience and such fun too.
Ok we didn't come back with any team rosettes, but we certainly did not disgrace the Club. We were the furthest travelled Club, riding against the best in the whole of the UK, our horses had to cope with ground conditions that we rarely see up here in the north, rock hard ground, a motorway with traffic thundering by beside the arenas, 13 (yes 13) arenas all side by side. Our scores were all very respectable, some of us getting individual place rosettes in our arenas. That is such a huge achievement .
I would just like to say a huge Thank you to all who gave so generously during our recent fundraising endeavours.
Some of you may be aware that we have been busy this summer with the Teams and Individuals following a very successful British Riding Club championship area qualifier down in Fife back in July against very stiff competition from all over Scotland.
It was quite an achievement for us to have so many members qualify for the finals. So the success means a lot for those fortunate enough to receive the invite letter to attend the championships in Lincoln.
This has been our most successful year to date and there is a lot of planning, preparation and training goes on to enable the lucky few make the trip,
Last Thursday ten members of the original twelve (two had to withdraw due to injury) set off on the long trek to the championships which are quite unlike anything they or their horses would have experienced in the past.
I am delighted to say that against competition from all over the UK they may not have come away with any silverware, they did however, manage to come home with a few rosettes the experience which will be valuable to all, for future years and competitions and memories that will last a lifetime.
I was really disappointed I was unable to attend and support, due to work commitments, hopefully I will get an opportunity in the future to experience such a competition as the British Riding club championships?
I would just like to say again a huge Thank You again to all who contributed.
Julie Lea
