BRC Championships 2004, Offchurch, Warwickshire

Report by Julia Kennedy

This is the third consecutive year Ayr Riding Club have qualified for the championships at Offchurch.

Hank and Steel know their way around by now!

They were joined this year by Charlie, owned and ridden by Elizabeth Muirhead, and Billy, Alison Morrisay’s faithful old hunter.

We travelled down on Thursday, allowing the horses to settle for a day, before the two-day competition began on Saturday.

As usual the weather was sunny and temperatures were around 30 degrees. The electrolytes ensured the horses kept drinking and they all began the competition fit and well.

Amanda Fergusson made the lengthy journey once again and helped us to produce respectable dressage tests.

In the show jumping Hank was on great form and jumped clear while Steel and Billy each added 4 faults and Charlie added 12 to his very good dressage.

Team spirits were high as we prepared to go cross-country on Sunday!

The championships offer riding club members the chance to experience roads and tracks and steeplechase as well as a technically challenging cross-county course, which is up to height.

Coming from the north of the country our horses also have to deal with the added pressure of the considerable heat, so fitness is very important!

Elizabeth was first on and made the time for Phase A easily, riding an ex point-to-pointer her steeplechase phase was very comfortable and she completed the cross- country with just two stops ( although she had to sacrifice a contact lens at the coffin!)

I was next and Steel, having spent last week at boot camp in Kilmaurs, was feeling so fit that she nearly bucked me off before the steeplechase  - it is amazing how they know what’s coming next!

She went really well cross-county, although we picked up 20 penalties at fence 12 not very sure why! Did the jockey slow her down too much??

Billy flew round to finish on the best score of the day.

Hank amazed the vet by arriving at the 10 minute box with a heart rate of just 57 beats per minute! He also went superbly cross-country although a senior moment at the penultimate fence caused 20 penalties to be added.

Thanks go to Kimberley Valence and Fiona Rawson who accompanied us and offered practical and moral support and Fiona Boyne ( ex- Montgomerie employee now Jenny Lorriston Clark’s girl friday) who manned the 10 minute box so effectively that on-lookers came up to congratulate her,  and of course Amanda Fergusson who is so game and gives up so much of her time for the good of the club.

The standard at the championships is high and so we didn’t win a prize but all enjoyed the experience and came home safe and sound.