endurance history
30 YEARS OF HEXHAM A little history of endurance rides taking in Hexhamshire Common; the winners, the venues and the organisers, as the ride reaches it’s 30th anniversary. Words By Eileen Charlton I have compiled below dates and information, to the best of my knowledge and information available, showing just how the Hexham Ride has evolved. I have listed the highest distance class for each ride but all these have supporting classes.
1987 – Hexham Racecourse - Trial run for the Summer Soltice. 80km ER – won by Christine Hull on Daisy. There were 4 starters including Lesley Smith on her first endurance horse, Firefox. 1988 – Hexham Racecourse - Summer Solstice 160km. This was also the National Championships and the selection ride for the 1988 World Championships to be held in the United States. There were 35 starters in the 160km class and it was won by Val Long and Tarim with Candy Cameron on White Trooper coming 2nd. 1990 – Hexham Racecourse - 2 day 134km ER - won by Lucy Helme on Hammadat and Fiona Henderson (SERC) on Autumn Fern taking 2nd place 1991 – Hexham Racecourse – 2 day 134km ER - won by Lyne Garner on Linota Cannabina with Lesley Smith on Rzar coming 2nd 1992 – Hexham Racecourse – 2 day 134km ER - won by Candy Cameron on White Trooper with Lucy Helme on Siberia coming 2nd
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1993 – Gair Shield Farm – organised by Lesley Smith. This was a Northern Championships ride but there was no ER run.
1997 – Linnel Wood Ride - 65km Graded Ride - Having done competitive rides for the last 4 years I wanted to bring a competitive ride back to Hexham. I had the opportunity to use my place of Livery at the time, Linnel Wood, but because it is quite a distance from Hexhamshire Common I could only use a small section on the eastern perimeter. 1998 – Cooks House Farm – 42km Graded Ride -Janet Lennard, as organiser, did a trial run from this new venue with a view to make it into a bigger ride. 1999 – Cooks House Farm 83km ER.. The previous year’s ride had been a success so, keen on Hexham becoming an ER ride again, Janet and I joined forces as organisers and the Hexhamshire Trophy Ride (as we still know it now) came into being. The venue lent itself to a great ER finish and Mike and Sally Bell of Border Trails Endurance gave us their support and supplied the Trophy which was won in a great racing finish by Anne Turnbull on Filthy Rich with Sandra Hunt on Martini Moonlight coming 2nd. The ER class had 13 starters
2000 – Cooks House Farm – 80km ER – won by Helen McFarland on Ykara beating Liz Dentice on Nickitta in another racing finish. There were 10 starters this year. Helen just made it back to Northern Ireland as a fuel strike in England started. 2001 – Cancelled due to Foot and Mouth which devastated this area 2002 – Hexham Racecourse – After being held on the North Yorkshire Moors for quite a number of years the Northern Championships returned to Hexham. Janet and I formed a committee to help take on the extra work involved. Old hands Sue Rogers and Lesley Smith joined us and gave their very valuable input and we decided to return to the racecourse for a venue. Because the Hexhamshire Trophy ER class was established as an 80km we needed to put on a longer distance for the Northern Champs trophy. This was a 123km ER and was won easily by Audrey Clark from Scotland on Silver Mercury with Liz Dentice and Nickitta taking 2nd place. There were 10 starters. The 85km ER had 12 starters and was won by Karen Greenwood on North Island Bill with Jo Gibson on Folly’s Serenade taking 2nd place.