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The British Driving Society
Devon BDS Area
Newsletters
December Newsletter 2009
2009 ended with a Fancy Dress Fun Day on December 5th which lived up to it’s name being very fancy and lots of fun, and our final event for the year the Annual Christmas Luncheon and Prizegiving. The main prizewinners were as follows:-
Turnout Jenny Watts
Attendance Vicki Haydon
Dressage Sandra Jacobs
Agility Kate Fincham-Powell
Cyril Smale Cup Michael Green
By the time you read this, we shall be well into our new year programme with plenty of interesting things in the pipeline for the spring and summer months. We hope to work to our mutual advantage with the Great Western Harness Club on training and fun activities as officials in both groups feel we would benefit from increased numbers at events, and some drivers belong to both groups anyway, and we all love our driving.
Here’s wishing you an enjoyable safe and successful driving year ahead.
Judy
September Newsletter 2009
The driving season is beginning to wind down with just a few events left in September except for those hardy souls in North Devon who want to keep driving in the winter months.
Over the summer we have had some excellent events. Sue Parrott took on the job of organising an excellent Fun Day at Broadhalls near Chagford on June 21st. Members had the opportunity to do dressage, cones and a whiz round some obstacles on the farm then go out for a short drive. They had the option of driving any combination of the above but I think almost everyone chose to do it all and really enjoyed it. Broadhalls is a lovely venue and we were blessed with sunny weather so I am sure we will be coming back here again in the future. Many thanks to Sue and her local helpers.
We had another lovely day for our Show in July with good entries in the non-traditional classes and the cones; it was just a shame that there were so few of the lovely show vehicles. I had some really nice comments from many of our members about the day, but as we made a considerable financial loss maybe we should think about doing things differently next year. I would love to have your feedback on that. My thanks go to all the people that helped with set-up and take-down and made the whole day run so smoothly especially those who assisted with the bolting horse, which could have been so much worse. You may have seen the write up about the show in the latest BDS Newsletter complete with some action shots. There are also more photos on our website of the show and TREC competition.
It was good to see some members, who are also Great Western Harness Club Members, taking part in the TREC competition at Hayes Barton, Jacobstowe. This was beautifully organised by Mike and Diana Stamp. Their lovely farm is just perfect for this type of event and the 10 turnouts enjoyed another day of brilliant sunshine. As well as the Inspection, Drive, and Skills, we added a popular Cones Course so everyone had a day full of activity. Marita Wakeham, Chairman of the GWHC, and I agreed that next year we must do more combined activities as she and I both feel that much more needs to be done for our grass roots members and that cooperation, not competition, is the way forward.
On 23rd August Brian Colebrook-Clark put on a 13 mile drive from the Village Inn at Ashwater where 10 turnouts took part. Quiet country lanes and a lovely stretch through part of Cookworthy forest. Pity about the drizzle but it wasn’t very wet rain. Thanks to Lisa and Paddy for coming to do the harness and safety inspection. As with all Brian’s drives it was excellently signed and stewarded. The cream tea at the pub afterwards was a treat and turned out to be very necessary for Michael and I as we broke down on the way home and did not get back until very late. Had it not been for a good friend who came to tow home the pony and trailer, which the RAC would not touch, we might still be there. Needless to say, we have learned our lesson and will be getting livestock rescue added to our cover. I hope you have this cover as there is nothing worse than being stuck on a dual carriageway on a damp evening with a tired pony who has finished all her hay to be told that you cannot be recovered because ‘they don’t touch livestock’.
When I took on this job I insisted that it would only be with the practical help of members to put on events, and as you can see from this piece that has worked out really well this year. However, I cannot be around on September 13th and nothing has surfaced for that date so our next meeting will be at Great Sloncombe Farm, Moretonhampstead for a Rally with Dressage, Cones and a short drive. Thanks to the Merchant family for hosting this one.
On October 18th Brian Colebrook-Clark has organised a Training Day with Linda Swain (Council member for the BDS Regions) and Brian Ball, DC for Cornwall, at Rowden Farm, North Devon. This will be a very valuable afternoon for those who are novice drivers or who want to take their road driving assessment. It is not often Linda is in this area so it is well worth going along to hear Linda and ask questions.
The visit arranged for October 31st to the Wheelwright (By Royal Appointment) in Colyton, East Devon, is one not to be missed. Please get your names in soon for this one as numbers may have to be limited. Friends and family are welcome and we will be following the visit with a pub lunch. Mr Rowland tells me that he is working on some heavy wheels for the Navy at present and can put on a show with sparks and steam in the tyre binding process.
I have decided against an Open Meeting immediately prior to the Christmas lunch as there will be visitors attending and time will be limited so please come along to the White Hart Hotel in the middle of Okehampton on 15th November (I’ve tried to make it a central as possible) where we can discuss, make plans, check finances and have tea. This will be an excellent opportunity to bring along any photos you may have taken of BDS activities during the year or any horse related items you might wish to sell.
Finally Brian has plans for a Fun Christmas Show which is still in the planning stage. Contact him for details on that one. The Annual Christmas Lunch with Prizegiving happens on December 13th and will not clash this year with either Cornwall or Somerset!
That’s 2009 – phew!
Judy
Irene Williamson
Those of you who know Gerald and Irene may have heard that over the summer Irene has been diagnosed with two completely separate types of cancer which naturally has been a huge worry for them. Irene has had one operation which was a total success and the other cancer is responding excellently to treatment. Gerald and Irene have been staunch supporters for many years of the BDS and I am sure you will join with me in wishing Irene a complete recovery.
Judy