Endurance Magazine Summer 2022

Lavenham Ride 2022 Lavenham flies high in 2022 see all the results and stories inside.

My Endurance Story Izzy Rowlands story of success, lead-rein to 25kms in 18 months

Summer 2022

Official members' publication for Endurance GB

In this

Volume 19 – Issue 2

issue

Endurance GB Office Administration Endurance GB Office, Abbey Park, Stareton, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2RP t: 02475 313353 e: enquiries@endurancegb.co.uk Publisher

Unit C, Northfield Point, Cunliffe Drive, Kettering, Northants, NN16 9QJ t: 01536 527297 e: info@matrixprint.com Designed by Matrix Print Consultants Ltd Interim Production Editor Matrix Print Consultants Ltd Andy Etherton t: 01536 527 297 e: andy@matrixprint.com Advertising Sales Manager Matrix Print Consultants Ltd Andy Etherton t: 01536 527 297 e: andy@matrixprint.com Deadlines Copy Dates to Editor for future issues of Endurance: Autumn 22 copy deadline is 14th July. The views and opinions of the writers are not necessarily those of the editor, Matrix Print Consultants Ltd or Endurance GB. Endurance magazine is fully protected by copyright and nothing may be reproduced wholly or in part without the permission of Endurance GB and/or Matrix Print Consultants Ltd.

22

6

Endurance GB 6

King's Forest

12

Lavenham Ride Review

22

Photographers' Focus

38

Endurance with Bella Rose

39

Upcoming National Rides

40

Obituaries

42

Awards Dinner 2022

34

Features Cover Photo Anna Kidd riding Whippletree Kray Jellyaby in the 80km CER at Lavenham

Photo courtesy of David Saunders

Follow us

8

Endurance GB abroad

14

Recovery for the endurance athlete

16

My Endurance Story by Izzy Rowland

18

When Dreams Come True Ann Jobson

26

38

Regulars 10

Vet's Viewpoint

Towing with Electric Vehicles

20

Sponsor Focus

28

Trailer Law Update

33

View from the Office

30

Hydration for Endurance

34

SERC

@EnduranceGB EnduranceGB @endurancegbinsta

ISSN 2516-2349

contents

3

Ultimate strength and performance from £6,999 APOLLO from £59.98 a month* Unrivalled for its strength and performance, the Apollo has an unladen weight of 850kg and a gross weight of 2000kg. It is also available in a 2600kg gross weight chassis upgrade for a class leading payload of 1750kg. The wood free, lightweight model combines strength with functionality putting horse welfare and safety at the forefront of its design.

01 1 4 28 8 441 1

•

s a les @ equ i - t re k . c o m

•

w w w. e q u i - t re k . c o m

*Quotation based on a cash price of £6,999 OTR, less a deposit of £1,954 leaving a balance to finance of £5,045 over 120 months at £59.98 per month, with an Option to Purchase Fee of £10.00 collected with the final payment. APR 7.8%. Total amount payable £9151.60. All figures are subject to credit approval with the rates being quoted being subject to revision should there be any change in prevailing interest rates or existing monetary conditions. Financial information may be required for credit assessment. This is an indication of terms provided for discussion purposes only. It shall have no contractual effect and is not binding upon you or us. E&OE. Equi-Trek Limited are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Please see our website for full terms and conditions. Trailer shown may have optional extras not included at advertised price.

Future

Endurance GB Board of Directors

focus

Chairman and Sponsorship Director PHIL NUNNERLEY T: 07860 323968 / 01761 221561 E: philnunnerley@endurancegb.co.uk

Phil Nunnerley | Chair of Endurance GB

Vice Chair, Operations and IT Director ESTHER YOUNG T: 07454 929919 E: estheryoung@endurancegb.co.uk Finance Director CHRIS WRAY T: 07856 500519 / 01600 860938 E: chriswray@endurancegb.co.uk H&S and Safeguarding Director AMANDA WOOLCOMBE T: 07771 362105 E: amandawoolcombe@endurancegb.co.uk Welfare & Disciplinary Director ANTONIA MILNER-MATTHEWS T: 07712 559256 E: antoniamilner-matthews@endurancegb.co.uk International, Young Riders, Para Riders, and Coaching Director ROSEMARY ATTFIELD T: 07810 580880 / 01403 822567 E: rosemaryattfield@endurancegb.co.uk Sustainability Director and SERC nominee ALISON SEGGIE T: 07875 408915 E: Alison.seggie@btinternet.com PR & Comms Director HEATHER GILES T: 01308 867754 E: heathergiles@endurancegb.co.uk Groups, Volunteering and Office Director SHELLEY BATES T: 07760 264619 E: shelleybates@endurancegb.co.uk Governance Director & Company Secretary LOUISE MCCANN T: 07785 246929 E: louisemccann@endurancegb.co.uk Directors of Endurance GB are volunteers, so please be patient and considerate with any queries. Most Directors work full time elsewhere and are not always available during working hours. No calls before 9am or after 9pm please.

Dear Members, The ride season is in full swing and the feedback I am receiving is of the pleasure everyone is getting from just being able to get back in the saddle and ride around the countryside again.

Whilst for some the limited rides in 2020 and 2021 has meant their horses will take time to build to full fitness, results from longer rides have nevertheless been encouraging. At Hayward Oaks, congratulations to Sally McIlwaine, Georgina Vaughan, Nicola Chappell, Fiona Griffiths and Kirsty Wiscombe for completing the 100km FEI1* and Keighley Pomeroy for completing the YR 100km 1*. At King's Forest Spring congratulations to Fiona Griffiths and Linda Cowperthwaite for their excellent performance in the 160km FEI3*, Sophie Moorhouse in the 120km FEI2*, and Carri Ann Dark, Laurence Ridgeway, and Nicky Thorne in the 100km FEI 1*.

This augurs well as the International Committee casts its eyes over combinations who will be qualified for selection for the World Championships in Verona in October.

The new rule around Performance Formula has introduced added competition which I know has been welcomed by many members. We do recognise the need to review feedback from all interested parties, not just riders, but ride organisers and technical stewards, who have had to implement the rule change.

We depend on these volunteers and the implications for them must be considered as part of the review as we can ill afford to lose any of them. Equally, we must continue to encourage more members to step up and consider sharing these responsibilities as some of our current Ride Organisers and Technical Stewards are not getting any younger!

There remains an exciting ride programme for the rest of the season. Do please support all the rides – it is the least we can do to thank our wonderful volunteers for all their hard work.

Phil

5

King's Forest

The Queen

of King's

The Queen of King's Written by Fiona Griffiths

T

here’s a point on any 160km endurance ride when you question your sanity, and at this year’s King's Forest Ride, that moment came on the 4th loop. 110k in and we – me and Goofy, my 16-year-old Anglo-Arab – were both feeling the strain, with the hardest 30km loop ahead of us and then another 20km to go.

The long journey to King's, coupled with very little sleep and a freezing pre-dawn start had taken their toll. On top of that, nerves and a churning stomach over the first two loops meant I hadn’t eaten properly, so I was struggling. That’s when you need a good crew, and fortunately mine are the best. Sam, my daughter, manages the horse’s welfare, and my good friend June Davis looks after me, with my grand-daughter Alex, 12, doing all the fetching and carrying. “Pull yourself together and eat something!” they all yelled. That little dose of tough love was exactly what I needed. I wanted this, and with Goofy flagging, I knew it was up to me to motivate us both. Gotta suck it up, buttercup!

6

king's forest

A happy coincidence

I stumbled into endurance more by accident than design. My father was horse-mad, so I can’t remember a time when I couldn’t ride. I got my first pony when I was three, and for the past 34 years I’ve run my own small riding school, with Sam joining me 20 years ago.

For many years I competed in eventing, along with dressage and show-jumping. But then there came a point when I lost my nerve over the jumps, and I wasn’t really enjoying it. Then, in 2005, I bought a new horse for the school. Toby was a former pacer, and I quickly realised he couldn’t canter circles, which ruled him out for dressage and meant he wasn’t ideal for the school. I’ve never been very good at selling horses on, so I had to find him a job.

By happy coincidence, our equine vet was Rod Fisher who, at the time, was also vet for the GB endurance team and hearing him talk about the sport sparked my interest. I’ve always been competitive, but I was fascinated by the qualification process and rules, and I wanted to see how far Toby and I could get.

Our first graded ride was the Forest of Dean 40km. Over the lower distances Toby was fine: he

had a very good heart rate and we always graded well, so it was a complete shock to discover at 80km that he had a heart problem and would never do a race ride. I retired him as a ‘happy hacker’, and for me it was back to square one.

Next came Angel, a superb grey Arab, full of spirit, but she couldn’t get beyond 120km. Then there was Oli, a coloured cob and a big surprise!

He always wanted to go around the next corner, and in 2014 we completed two 160m rides – Rambouillet (in France) and King's Forest – qualifying us for the European Championships in Slovakia the following year.

Highs and lows

That was a real high point and over the following months we worked incredibly hard to be on form for the Championships. However, after driving all the way to Slovakia, I slipped off the trailer ramp the night before the race and badly twisted my ankle. We set off the next morning, me dosed up with painkillers, but because I couldn’t stand evenly in the stirrups it really unsettled Oli and we were vetted out after 80km. It was a massive blow – and no-one to blame but myself. We retired Oli soon after – he’s 22 now, and still working in the school and show jumping with Alex.

endurance | endurancegb.co.uk

the World Championships makes it even more of an achievement.

Proving a point

People sometimes ask me why I do endurance riding, and I do ask myself the same question – because it means having no social life, no money and going out in the driving wind and rain all through winter to train Goofy and the three other horses I’m bringing on. I think the answer is sheer bloody-mindedness. I want to prove that you don’t have to be super-rich, super-thin or super-young to compete at this level.

The big challenge now is working out how we’ll get to Verona for the Championships. I’d like to think we’ll be in the top half of the field, but given that only 40% will complete, just finishing is a good day. And I’m also really looking forward to getting Hope, my homebred ¾ Arab, qualified. She’s one of the last foals sired by Lesley Dunn’s Chatanz, and we’ve lost two years due to Covid. But I think she’s going to be very special.

My next horse, Five, was another Arab, but he couldn’t go the distance, and then along came Goofy and Ghost, a pair of Anglo-Arabs that we bought as four-year-olds. I weigh 86kg so I needed something a bit bigger and stronger than a pure-bred, and on paper this pair looked rock solid. But Goofy developed navicular in his novice year and while Ghost went on to do the Novice championship, she could only ever get to 80k.

King's 2022 was a milestone for me and Goofy.

As always, it was brilliantly organised by Dianne Luke and her team – and we’re all grateful for the generous support of the sponsors who make this madness possible. And of course, we – that’s Goofy and me – couldn’t have done it without the help of our crew, so a very big thanks to Sam, June and Alex – and to my husband Brian, who keeps things on track at home while I’m off playing ponies.

I’m lucky that horses are my day job, so if they can’t do the work I want, I can find them another life. Ghost is now successfully eventing and showjumping with Alex, and Goofy has turned into a real all-rounder, doing endurance with me, eventing and dressage with Sam, and Pony Club with Alex.

I’ve learned the hard way that not all horses like or are capable of doing endurance, and that it takes a long time to condition a horse to perform at distances over 80km. We brought Goofy back to fitness slowly through dressage before attempting endurance again – and it seems to have worked.

But he is a bit of a drama queen, so we’ve had some wonderful rides, and then not made it to others.

Going to plan

Fortunately, though, this year’s King's went exactly to plan. We set off in the dark at 5.30am, with the frost so thick we couldn’t see the white markers.

Three of us rode the first loop together, but one of Goofy’s big advantages is that his heart rate goes down very quickly, so we vetted first and got away a full five minutes ahead of the other two riders. We kept the same pace over the next 40km loop, and on into the first 30km loop, feeling a bit lonely but building our lead each time.

But we both hit the wall in that second 30k loop – maybe I just hadn’t done enough preparation – and it meant both of us had to dig deep. Usually

we can vet in under 90 seconds but, at the end of this loop, Goofy needed to drink, so it was three minutes before we presented and then – oh my god - Sam was asked to re-trot him? I swear my heart stopped at that point, but the second trot was fab, thank goodness, and I could breathe again.

By now we were a full 20 minutes ahead – but setting out alone again on that final 20k was the hardest thing ever as we were both feeling tired.

Someone suggested that I should sing to Goofy to keep him alert, but he made it quite clear that he didn’t appreciate my efforts so I chatted to him instead. The miles crawled by and it seemed to take forever but we somehow held our speed, even with longer crew breaks.

And then suddenly the end was in sight. I tumbled out of the saddle exhausted, and from there Sam took over. Goofy was tired but Sam’s a pro, and he was able to present as soon as she had walked him back. A final trot for the vet, and we were home and dry – metaphorically at least.

Phew! This was our first win at King's, and I was elated. My aim is always to complete the ride, but winning is a very nice bonus – and qualifying for

Fiona’s Top Tips •

Train for the ride you’re going to do – research the course and train on similar terrain.

•

Ride your own ride - manage your pace according to the course, and how your horse is responding.

•

Have a plan – but don’t be afraid to change it if it’s not working.

•

Make lists – lots of lists – and make sure you have spares of everything – from horseshoes to riding boots.

•

Don’t become reliant on technology as it can let you down.

•

Make friends with the course farrier - you never know when you will need them.

•

Remember that even with all the preparation in the world, you still need a bit of luck.

king's forest

7

Riding at AlUla, Saudi Arabia

riders abroad

Riding in the desert at AlUla, Saudi Arabia Written by Maisie Raikes

M

y family and I moved to Brittany in France in 2002 as my parents wanted to offer us a different way of life and they thought that being bilingual would be such an advantage for us.

my qualifications and started doing competitive endurance at FEI level in 2019.

After two years of working for Klervi I decided I wanted a ‘normal’ job and started school again in business management. Catherine and Joel Gautier, who run a small stud located in Brittany called Elevage du Galen, were looking for a rider as their daughter didn’t want to ride any more so they offered me the opportunity of riding their horses.

I am aware of how fortunate I am to have met

them and for them to trust me with their horses, we have a lot of fun and get to see some great places.

So now I am lucky enough to have started a new course that enables me to ride evenings and weekends. I train my boyfriend’s horses and do the canter work for the horses I compete on at weekends. Thanks to my friends I have been able to compete a lot these last few years and at some of the most beautiful endurance rides in France.

Photo courtesy of Jérémy Cossette

I started riding at the age of three after begging my parents to get lessons and I haven’t stopped since. I started a new course in 2014 where I was two weeks at school and two weeks on work experience in an eventing yard, which is when I really learnt what riding was all about. On my last year of the three-year course in 2016 I had to change work experience, so I ended up in the Silfiac, Brittany yard of Klervi Lefevre – one of France’s top endurance trainers.

This was my first experience in endurance but I loved it straight away! With two lots of two hours each in the morning and two more lots in the afternoon, it was the most I had ever ridden!

I held on and finished school and then signed a contract and kept working for Klervi. I worked my way through the endurance levels and got all

8

riding at AlUla, Saudi Arabia

Photo courtesy of Eric Trescazes

Endurance GB

features | endurancegb.co.uk

At the moment I ride two FEI horses, Chadia a 10-year-old, qualified over 160km in Argentan last year and Alkan de By, a 12 year old, who has qualified twice over 120kms. My boyfriend also lends me Althea de Lanvaux, another 12-yearold, who we are hoping to qualify over 140kms this year. We have a 5-year-old to introduce to competitive endurance this year and two fouryear-olds to be backed. I also help and qualify younger horses at national races when needed for different friends and trainers in France.

As I work full-time the owners of the horses train them in the week and I do most of the canter work either on evenings or on weekends. In the week they normally do four days of mostly walking sessions for about 2 hours. We do canter work once a week, so we go to the beach and canter for 20-30 km depending on the race we are preparing for. With this type of training, they get at least 1-2 days off per week.

At the end of last year, I got an invitation to compete in AlUla, Saudi Arabia. The horses I normally ride were on rest at that time so Sue Sidebottom, who I met when working for Klervi, offered me Granada, one of her horses trained by Klervi. I competed him in his first 60km in France, so I already knew him quite well. The preparation involved a lot of planning and a lot of stress but soon I was on my way to Al Ula. I started my trip overnight on the 20th February 2022 by going to meet Sue in Dubai where she lives, but even on my way there I still couldn’t believe I was going! After a day of visiting, we both made our way to AlUla and landed there on the 22nd. As we got there before the horses there wasn’t much to do but get to know the other overseas riders. The horses arrived two days late as a lot of transport problems came up, but Granada finally got there on the 25th. He was very fresh considering the long hours of transport he had just gone through. His first day in Al Ula was spent hand-walking and recovering from the travelling. After that we began riding, walking in

the morning and training in the afternoon. This was my first time doing an endurance ride in the desert so having Sue there guiding me the whole way was a huge help as she has lots of experience.

Granada had travelled well and we were very happy with him as he was in good shape and not stressed at all. This was his first race so far from home and his first 120kms.

On the last days working up to the race we decided to drive to the crew points so I could have a look at the terrain and see how to compete on the day. Two days before the race Javie (Sue’s boyfriend and also a leading Spanish endurance rider) and Jairo (very big Spanish trainer) joined us and gave their advice on taking part in this quite technical endurance ride too. Let’s just say I was surrounded by a good team!

So, the actual race day came along and with 200 horses around us we had decided to start off with the other French riders as I knew they would go the same pace as us and not take any risks. We started off nice and calmly and it went great. I don’t think a first loop has ever gone by as quick as it did then, 37kms seemed like 10kms! There were the most beautiful views, it was breath-taking, and Granada was so easy and enjoyable to ride.

Photo courtesy of EricT

Maisie Raikes competing at Les Deux Jours de Montcuq.

we were off again for the next loop of 31kms which was a lot more difficult as there was a lot of deeper sand and hills, but he still went through easily. We were with fewer horses this time and I had stayed with Juma (a top-level Spanish trainer and rider who has taken part in numerous championships) and his riders. At this vet-gate we went to vet too quickly and Granada was a bit wound up and so I had to re-present. This meant that for my 3rd loop I was leaving behind Juma and his riders by a couple of minutes.

We caught them up after a couple of kilometres as at the beginning of the track is where there is a lot of deep sand and steep hills, so we kept going at the same speed, taking the hills at a slower pace, and cantering when on flat and firm ground. We didn’t want to take any chances at the next vetgate so made sure his heart rate was at least 62 before going in. After the re-present we decided to do the last loop at a quicker pace to finish on a good note as Granada was feeling good and going easily. We managed to do an average of 17.9 km/h on the last loop and 15.3km/k average. I never expected to finish 15th at this race especially as this was his first 120kms, I think this shows the quality of the horse to be able to do what he did.

We were all over the moon with the result and the way Granada tackled this very difficult race and I think the whole experience has made him mature a lot.

The horses left two days after the race so they could slowly make their way to the stables in Riyadh and rest some more there before flying back to Europe. This made time for us Europeans to visit AlUla like the tourists we were!

This was by far the most amazing experience I have ever had; it seems so surreal to have been given the opportunity to go. I am so grateful to Endurance GB to have offered me this opportunity and to Sue and Klervi for lending me Granada.

He recovered well at the first vet-gate and so

Riding abroad – how it works

On this occasion the AlUla ride was an invitation ride, and as such the organisers sent out their invitations to the foreign National Federations of which the BEF is one. As this was an endurance event the BEF passed the invitation onto EGB as the discipline National Governing Body [NGB].

On receipt the Endurance GB International Committee put out the information inviting Expressions of Interest [EOIs] from qualified combinations for the ride. For AlUla three EOIs were received and after due consideration the Selectors chose Maisie Raikes to represent GB at this ride.

riding at AIUIa

9

Vet's Viewpoint

How many riders is your

horse carrying

10

vet's viewpoint

regulars | endurancegb.co.uk

Kieran O’Brien MA MVB (Hons) PhD MRCVS is a well-known and popular vet on the endurance scene, particularly in the south-west of England. He spent many years as a lecturer and clinician at both Cambridge and Bristol universities before joining Penbode Equine Vets in Tavistock in 1998. He is a published author and recent columnist for Horse & Hound as well as breeding Connemara ponies.

I

n the autobiography of the celebrated racehorse trainer Martin Pipe, there is a telling statement: “If I cannot see three ribs behind the saddle cloth in a horse being led around the paddock, I know that horse won’t win the race”. When I went to vet at the legendary Tom Quilty Ride in South Australia in 2017, I was struck by how lean the horses looked.

All would have satisfied Martin Pipe’s dictum, and many would have caused raised eyebrows if they appeared at a UK ride.

In contrast, when working at a recent World Endurance Championship a foreign vet commented to me – “you can easily tell it’s a British horse. They are all so fat” – and he was right. One characteristic of the horses from the leading endurance nations was that they were all lean – in body condition score (which I now have rebranded the ‘fat score’, because that is what it is) 2 out of 5. The British horses were in score 3 or 3.5. At the last big National ride I worked at, many were in score 4 out of 5, in a 120km competition.

Why the difference? I think it is a combination of three factors. Firstly, it’s a question of perception.

What we perceive in the UK to be ‘normal’ has changed over the years. The picture of my grandfather hanging in my loo, at a hunt meet in the 1930s, shows him on a very lean, angular horse. If that horse was kept at livery in the present day the poor man would receive very stern looks indeed, and mutterings of ‘RSPCA’ would be heard in the tack room.

Secondly, our grass is too good, and there is too much of it. We rightly want to maximise turnout to keep our horses’ minds and bodies healthy. We cannot measure grass intake in a meaningful way and rely, for weight control, on restricting it in

Fat Horse some way, mainly by limiting grazing time. Several studies have shown how unreliable this is, due to the phenomenon of binge-eating. A hungry horse at grass for only a few hours a day will, literally, stuff his face. An obligate nose-breather, a horse doesn’t even need to stop to breathe.

Thirdly, we feed horses on an empirical basis based on instinct rather than science. Do I give half a scoop of that feed or a whole one? Do I mix three compound feeds - all designed for a different purpose - or four? Do I assume all hay or haylage is the same, although the calorie content per gram (dry weight) drops by 50% during the growing cycle?

You have a 400kg Arab horse of about 15 hands and you plan to have a busy endurance season and you want him on top form. After the winter he is now in condition score 3.5 out of 5 and he has a slight crest. You can feel his ribs, but they are covered by a layer of fat a few centimetres thick.

Everyone in the yard tells you he looks really well, because that is what every other horse in the yard

looks like. Your vet asks you what your plans for the endurance season are. She looks at the horse and says, ‘he’s a little bit overweight for an athlete – about 10%’.

What does this mean? 10% is 40kg – two bags of feed. Try holding a bag of feed under your arm – it feels really heavy. Now try a bag under each arm – that’s REALLY heavy. Imagine those two heavy bags of feed lying across your horse's back behind the saddle when you ride. Yes, that is what you are asking your overweight horse to carry, as well as you.

Forty kilograms is the average weight of a 12-year old child. So, when you compete your overweight horse, sitting behind you – in a manner of speaking – is a 12-year-old child that your horse is also carrying.

My conclusion? We work hard to get our horses fit. When we ask them to carry us for many hours, they don’t need that extra burden of weight we unconsciously ask them to carry. It makes them work harder, fatigue earlier, it delivers extra force to fragile feet and limbs increasing wear and tear, and the insulating effect of that layer of fat makes them sweat more and become dehydrated more quickly.

Fit Horse

So, act now. One rider is enough.

vet's viewpoint

11

Ride Review

flies high in 2022

Our Sponsors:

Lavenham Endurance Flies High In 2022

L

By Anna Bridges, Lavenham Ride Organiser and Lauren Hirst, Co-Organiser.

avenham Endurance took place on the 1st May in the beautiful village of Semer by kind permission of James Buckle and took in the beautiful headlands and tracks around Boyton Hall and the surrounding countryside. Lavenham Endurance was relaunched for 2022 with a new organising committee and featured distances from 20km through to 80km. Despite the lack of rain during the lead up to the event, the ground rode well and the very low attrition rate was testament to

12

ride review

considerate riding and careful route planning.

Lavenham Endurance’s flagship class, the Baileys Horse Feed 80km CER, saw a competitive line up with the field riding closely together throughout the day. The combinations arrived in to VG1 with the front runners hitting just shy of 17kph. A quick presentation by Lissie Reeves, partnering her Bransby Horses rescue Oakley, secured them 1st place heading out on to Loop 2. Both Anna Kidd with Whippletree Kray Jellyaby and John Black aboard CA Jalmeer succumbed to an initial high heart rate and had to represent losing them precious time. Despite their incredible performance at the 100km CER at King's Forest some weeks earlier, Altivo I and Martin Leonard

were sadly eliminated at the first Vet Gate. An efficient 4-minute presentation for Katie Bedwin and Omar El Nazeer meant they too remained close to the pack heading out on to Loop 2 just 8 minutes behind.

The weather conditions were near perfect as the day unfolded and positions in the 80km CER remained unchanged throughout the course of the event. However, excitement was high when just over 30 minutes separated all four combinations heading out on to the last loop. The final 20km loop took the riders to the western side of the venue and around the beautiful grounds of Boyton Hall. A softer track with wide, rolling margins meant there was plenty of opportunity for any

features | endurancegb.co.uk

All photos courtesy of David Saunders

Lavenham Endurance

Hotchberry Abi. The pair won a bag of Topspec feed donated by Team H Endurance.

of the riders to make their move. The Ride Organisers received the call from Raynet that the leading horses were through the final checkpoint and on their way back to the venue just as their crews were arriving to see them over the line.

But it was the smiling faces of Young Rider Lissie Reeves and the striking 11 year old gelding that came calmly over the brow of the hill to secure their second top placing at Lavenham, having also won the 100km CER back in 2020. John Black and the ever brilliant ‘Jam’ took second place bringing his total CER podium placings to 9 over the course of his career to date. Third place went to Anna Kidd with her 12 year old chestnut gelding and 8-year old Omar El Nazeer, ridden by Katie Bedwin, picking up fourth place.

Newberrys Ditto with Linda Cowperthwaite and finally Adams Glory and Rosemary Granger took fifth position.

The 80km GER had five entrants and a 100% success rate! With a wide range of experience across the entrants, places were awarded using the relatively newly adopted Performance Formula system. First place went to the exciting stallion Nicsar Diamond Jubilee, debuting at this distance and successfully piloted by Young Rider Sophie Moorhouse - a combination to be watched!

Trained by Andy Simpson, he said that ‘the day went better than expected and that Jasper was an absolute star’. Fresh off the back of a very successful King's Forest event, Ella Pomroy and Cloverleas Mantillah took second place with a brilliant comeback from Penny Clawd, ridden by Belinda Stewart, scooping third. Fourth place went to another distance debutant in the form of

Further special awards were made to Newberrys Ditto who was deemed ‘Best Shod’ by event farrier Sam Rust. A beautiful, one-off award, expertly crafted by Sam was presented to an emotional Linda during the feature prize giving who later told us she had ‘one happy farrier receiving such recognition’. Zilco also sponsored a 'Best Turned Out' award, judged by the Vet Gate stewards, and this was won by Zoe Thompson and Mercedes who were taking part in their first ever competitive EGB class. Alongside her beautiful prizes from Zilco, she took home a Grade 4 in the 25km Novice Foundation class.

Finally, a special request from the veterinary panel, to award ‘Best Trot Up’ to the youngest competitor Amelia Baker with her beautiful pony

Lavenham Endurance also proudly presented Best Condition prizes, kindly sponsored by Spillers, for both 80km classes. The much coveted awards of Spillers Best Condition were judged by the extremely experienced veterinary panel made up of Tom Eaton-Evans, Rod Fisher and Hannah Kelly. Penny Clawd was deemed to be the worthy winner in the 80km GER with the 80km CER winner Oakley also being crowned Best Condition in his class. This made a memorable hat trick for Team Reeves who also scooped ‘Best Crew’ sponsored by Zilco!

Lavenham Endurance was also the closing leg to the Enduro Equine Suffolk Spring Challenge, an Individual and a Team Competition where Endurance GB Trophy Points earned by combinations at King's Forest Spring and Lavenham Endurance were utilised to determine the most successful combinations across both events. Following their Grade 2 at the King's Forest 80km and a Grade 1 in the same class at Lavenham Endurance, Ella Pomroy and Cloverleas Mantillah stormed to victory in the individual competition winning themselves a brand new Enduro Equine Fitness Tracker. Ella’s success continued in the team competition where, alongside team mates Keighley Pomroy (with Pheenix), Gemma Conn (with Hugo) and Emma Pleasance (with Florence), she formed part of the winning ‘GEEKs’ team.

Due to the incredible sponsorship from so many supportive companies, Lavenham Endurance were able to offer a wide variety of prizes across all classes alongside an exciting feature raffle with such brilliant gifts. Despite not having the result he’d been after, Martin Leonard’s day cheered up considerably when he was drawn first in the raffle and he scooped up an enormous fresh cream cake kindly donated by Jessica Grace Bakes!

A triumphant event all round with amazing feedback from riders, crews and officials led to an exciting atmosphere, great success and brilliant sportsmanship. Huge congratulations to all riders who looked after their horses superbly, a success rate of 95% across the competitive classes is a testament to horse welfare coming first and foremost, undoubtedly the most important element of our sport. The Lavenham Endurance organising committee are hugely grateful to the incredible support received from the sponsors, officials and volunteers, without whom this ride could not have gone ahead. And so on to 2023, just read the reports and reviews - you know you want this to become a firm favourite in your endurance calendar!

Full results are available on www. lavenhamendurance.com or via the EGB Clubhouse website.

ride review

13

Recovery for endurance

Recovery for the

endurance athlete Recovery in Endurance Horses

By Dr Tom Shurlock of The Golden Paste Company

D

r Tom Shurlock of The Golden Paste Company gives us an insight into the workings of an endurance athlete. He explains how recovery works, the benefits it can have and how to speed up the recovery process.

The effects of hard exercise

Biologically, hard exercise is designed as a shortterm measure mainly associated with evasion or mating. Training and diet can condition the body

14

recovery for endurance

The loss of salts and minerals is well documented, and there are many electrolyte supplements that are given to replace their loss, although they can be rapidly replaced by the body’s reserves, so don’t impact performance greatly. What is less well known is the impact on the muscles themselves.

reserves to energise them; slow twitch provide sustainable action and can utilise both glycogen and the slow-release volatile fatty acids. Obviously both types are active during exercise and the endurance horse is more efficient at using slow twitch function. However, using glycogen as an energy source has a major drawback. As it is metabolised, rapidly releasing energy, there is a build up of lactic acid which leads to the sensation of aching muscles.

There are several muscle fibre types in the horse. These fibres range from the Type I, slow twitch, through Type IIa to Type IIx & IIb, fast twitch and are characterised by their ability to metabolise various energy sources. Fast twitch fibres, responsible for power, depend on glycogen

At the same time, hard exercise has an impact on the actual protein structure of the muscle fibres.

During exercise there is a solubilisation of protein, in effect the protein structure breaks down and some individual amino acids are lost to the system.

This manifests as an increasing feeling of weakness

to optimise its ability to improve and extend but it does come with a cost!

features | endurancegb.co.uk

"TurmerAid is a supplement that, although based on turmeric, has other supportive bioactives" in the muscles and the eventual need to slow down and stop.

Whilst this is happening the body also releases a range of pro-inflammatory factors & neutrophils; these migrate to the sites of muscle breakdown where they both mop up damaged debris but also promote further protein solubilisation. The systemic inflammatories, the cytokines IL-1 and TNF, also feed into the oxidation cycles causing oxidative stress, free radical release and reinforcing further releases of pro-inflammatory factors.

Although appearing damaging, these events are the body’s defence against over activity causing permanent damage.

The recovery process

During rest, recovery begins. Lactic acid is removed from the muscle or converted back to

glycogen, protein recombination starts although certain components – such as arginine and the branched chain amino acids – are needed to expedite this.

Both these major recovery mechanisms are moderated by the action of insulin and insulinlike growth factors (IGF) that support muscle regeneration and glycogen storage, as well as the provision of antioxidants. The actions of insulin on glucose transport and conversion to glycogen is well documented, as well as its role in lactic acid reconstitution, so improvements in its efficiency will speed recovery. Similarly the interaction between insulin and amino acid metabolism also will have an effect on the speed of recovery.

Antioxidants impact on oxidative stress that interacts with the release of anti-inflammatory factors, reducing protein solubilisation and helping the muscles to revert to recovery.

Speeding up the recovery of the endurance horse

"Turmeric contains many bioactive substances including terpenoids and the flavonoid curcumin which, through slightly different pathways, mops up free radicals and interacts with the production of pro- and antioxidative enzymes"

Over time – and this period depends on the fitness and nutritional status of the horse – recovery is assured but minimising the period is obviously beneficial. Certainly, with endurance horses, any accelerated recovery during competition rest times – along with rehydration, electrolyte supplementation etc. – is the aim of the owner, and specific supplements may hold the key. Although supplementation throughout the horse’s competitive life can help build background “resistance” to muscle fatigue and damage, additional nutrients could be useful.

The role of bioactives have a relevance that can aid in the enhancement of both muscle and energy recovery in the endurance horse. Turmeric is an example of this.

Turmeric contains many bioactive substances including terpenoids and the flavonoid curcumin which, through slightly different pathways, mops up free radicals and interacts with the production of pro- and anti-oxidative enzymes, reducing oxidative stress and so inflammatory markers.

At the same time curcumin has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity which has an important role in stimulating muscle recovery. Curcumin also appears to interact with PGE2 production, which helps reduce pro-inflammatory factors.

TurmerAid is a supplement that, although based on turmeric, has other supportive bioactives.

The combination of piperine from pepper and quercetin from apple cider vinegar, enhances bioavailability and its period of action, whilst the combination of inherent Omega-3 fatty acids and yucca emulsifiers improve the overall digestibility of the product. This means that a relatively low amount of TurmerAid can supply significant support from turmeric over an extended time frame. Turmeric, in line with most bioactive substances has a relatively short life in the body before it is excreted and so regular feeding of TurmerAid can keep the activity of turmeric at reasonable levels. It also means that a boost from post exercise feeding – during the rest period – can enhance the efficacy, providing both insulin mediated action and added antioxidative activity during the initiation of recovery. Coupled with those actives from the other ingredients, TurmerAid can have a positive effect in helping improve recovery time, when incorporated alongside existing recovery regimes.

Rehydration, electrolytes and TurmerAid can all play a part in the recovery of endurance horses after exercise.

recovery for endurance

15

Izzy Rowland

Novice to endurance

in 18 months

From lead-rein to 25kms in 18 months

J

9 years old, I did not listen and in the words of my brother I learnt how to fly! I was in the manege, and my Grandma had come to watch, and I had made my Mum leave the arena, which was a bad idea! I kicked him on so much he broke into canter and at this point I didn’t have a clue how to sit to Shadow’s bouncy canter and, because I screamed very loudly, he dropped a shoulder and in my brother’s words “I flew through the air!”

This set me back to the stage where I refused to trot.

The previous owner warned me not to go off the lead rein until I got to know him but because I was

My Mum had to lead-rein me again and it took a very long time to get back off the lead-rein even with my Mum walking beside me. Eventually, I got to the stage that my Mum was allowed to ride alongside me but still with me on the lead-rein. It

by Izzy Rowland

ust before the December lockdown 2020, my Mum chose to buy me a pony to keep me occupied. Shadow was the second out of two ponies I viewed in the October half term that year and at first my Mum thought he was ugly! We chose him because he was older, stockier and hopefully wiser than the fine section-B mare we viewed at first.

16

Izzy Rowland

was very difficult because of Mum’s crazy Arabs (btw not all Arabs are crazy) because they would spin around and they got tangled in the lead rein a lot.

February 2021, I entered the Snowdrop Ride, and my Mum was allowed to walk alongside me if I was off the lead rope - this was a big ask and there were a few tears, but I managed to complete 7km.

This was the start to my endurance riding bug because even through the tears I enjoyed it very much and the views were gorgeous! This was the moment I realised why my Mum enjoyed it so much.

Summer 2021, I went for a lesson to ‘canter camp’ at the local stables. The first day there I rode their

regulars | endurancegb.co.uk

school horse Bagatta, she was very tall for me but also acted like an angel, as riding school horses are meant to. Bagatta gave me a beautiful canter the first day, on the second day I brought Shadow to the lesson to learn how to ride his bouncy canter.

The instructor told me to use the safety strap on the saddle rather than the reins (don’t do that) and Shadow didn’t have a clue what I wanted so when he got to the back of the ride he slammed on the brakes and sent me flying again! This set me back again, but thankfully not to the point I wouldn’t trot.

I joined the Royal Artillery Pony Club, and they helped me with jumping, walking and trotting but they also didn’t understand why I wasn’t willing to canter. However, they have helped me a lot and I also made a few friends along the way, and one is coming to my school in Year 7!

with my Mum off the lead-rein at walk and trot, but I wouldn’t canter at all. My Mum motivated me into trying to canter again but this time back on a lead-rein with her on horse-back next to me because she couldn’t run that fast. I did this many times, each time with me getting more balanced on his canter. Then we went to see Amanda Barton, to ride her mechanical horse Tallulah, to get to feel what a controlled canter felt like. She taught me how to get better balance on horseback. We then took Shadow down to see her for a lesson and she boosted my confidence a lot … and she also told my Mum to stop nagging me to canter! However, within a week I did my first off the lead-rein canter out on Salisbury Plain!

In March 2022 my Mum booked me into no less than three Endurance GB rides! My first ride this year was the 14km PR at Bibury and my Mum escorted me and my Pony Club friend Olivia Lewis (on her Mum’s huge Welsh cob). It was very cold on the ride, but we enjoyed it a lot. Then my Mum had a very clever idea to put me in for a 20km Graded ride at Breamore! It was faster than I was used to, and I found the last 4km very hard because I had blisters on my hands (tip: always wear gloves!). In this ride I got a Grade 3 and Shadow felt fit enough to do it all over again. We

gave him a hunter clip for a pleasure ride at the Stourton Snowdrop ride. We’d entered the 7km ride but quickly asked to upgrade and go a tiny bit further after our success at Breamore. It was a lovely ride and I felt more than ready to upgrade to 25km GER at Hardy’s Ride.

At Hardy’s we were blessed with the sunshine again, I cannot imagine riding that distance in the pouring rain yet. The views were amazing at the top of the first hill, but the climb took all the energy out of the ponies, so we struggled to average 7kph for most of the first half of the ride and my Mum was getting worried. Luckily the second half of the ride was good going and although I was tired by now, I did some long stretches of canter and even a bit of gallop! My Mum was a bit surprised when we turned the corner on the new route and we were at the venue, and then there was a tiny mistake on our finish card time so we presented ten minutes early, so we finished with only completions, but I was glad I got my rosette and our Master Card pass which my Mum reassured me is what counts.

So, I have gone from the stage of not being able to go off the lead-rein to doing endurance in under 18 months and, if I can do it, then anyone can!

So, it is now autumn 2021 and I am happily riding

"I have gone from the stage of not being able to go off the lead rein to doing endurance in under 18 months"

Izzy Rowland

17

Ann Jobson

When dreams really

When Dreams Really Come True: the story of Ann Jobson & Samson

I

by Ann Jobson

can remember from the age of three longing to learn to ride, however it wasn’t until much later that I got the opportunity and ended up helping Gill Smedley, an international endurance rider in the 90s, with her Suffolk Punch x TB, Charlie. This was my introduction to the sport of endurance which was to become a huge part of my life.

18

Ann Jobson

One day I went with Gill to a local market, and I saw this little pink foal all on his own and I knew I had to have him as he looked so small and scared.

When he arrived home we put him in a stable and I sat down with him until he came over to me and that was when our magical bond, that would see us through the years to come, was formed. Gill bought him for me for £400 with the agreement that I would buy him from her when I could.

I had no idea at that time that Sammy, who is of indeterminate breeding - possibly a bit of Connemara in there somewhere – would become

Photo courtesy of Eric G Jones

come true the superstar that he is.

At 5 years old Sammy was ready to start his endurance career with a 20-mile set speed ride on Bodmin Moor followed by rides getting progressively longer in distance until we ‘went for it’ and entered our first race ride (now CER).

To my amazement and delight we came an easy second. In those days there were many entries in the ‘race rides’ and I was so excited and impressed with Sammy. However, after the ride, vet Kieran O’Brien came over to me “you should have won that race, get your vet gate sorted out.” was my

regulars | endurancegb.co.uk

"This was the most exciting experience of our partnership.

Setting off in the dark with 159 other horses, some going nuts, on a horse that felt like an unexploded bomb" instruction. I never forgot Kieran’s words.

The following season I entered a 75-mile (120km) FEI ride at Cirencester and the day before, Kieran popped his head over the stable door, looked at Sammy and said “you’re going to win tomorrow.”

– and we did and this was when I really thought we could make the big league.

Photo courtesy of Neale & Neale

Our first 100 mile (160km) was again at Cirencester. Sammy sailed through but not without incident, however we came home in 2nd place and won the coveted Best Condition award the following morning. Now to the FEI 160km where I was hoping to complete so that I could get one step closer to our dream of selection for the British team. Success! With only my partner Pete to crew us we actually won! I was overwhelmed at being selected for the team to go to the World Equestrian Games in Aachen: my childhood dream had come true.

Photo courtesy of David Saunders Photography

Picture the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany 21st August 2006

“This was the most exciting experience of our partnership. Setting off in the dark with 159 other horses, some going nuts, on a horse that felt like an unexploded bomb, was at once both exhilarating and terrifying. I am grateful to Sally Hall for guiding us through the early stages of the race which passed in a bit of a blur. I remember going out on the last loop all on our own, the rain had been terrible, knocking out the computers at one point. We chugged around that loop and, when we came finally back into the stadium, tears were rolling down my face and there were lots of people cheering for us. It was so wet but we did a very collected canter round the stadium field to cross the line. My crew were there with team vet and Chef d’equipe, all crying. We had been the

total under-dogs all the way through our career, but we had done it - a pony from Bodmin Moor competing with the ‘best’ endurance athletes in the world.”

Sammy is my hero. He saved me at a time when I was struggling to find reasons to live when my youngest daughter died aged nine years old in 1994. Sammy aided my healing and he was always there. I could go and hug him in the field, and he would just stand, seeming to understand and stay there as long as I needed him to. Sammy is my childhood story-book horse, dapple grey, cheeky, and clever, pinching the apples off the orchard tree. This is not the end of our story as we continue to make memories together.

Ann Jobson

19

Sponsor focus

Sponsorship

Sponsor focus

Performance Equestrian

I

n this edition of Endurance GB magazine we focus our attention on Performance Equestrian. Another one of the great sponsors that support Endurance GB.

In the beginning

Performance Equestrian was started in 2000 as a mail order distributor, borne out of the frustration of not being able to find products and equipment to stand up to the rigours and environments experienced on an endurance ride. It was conceived one day over a cup of coffee in June 2000 but being in full-time employment meant that the plans and ideas had to be put on hold. Then fate took over, by the end of the month a departmental closure meant a period of time on ‘garden leave’ allowing time to focus on putting together the first catalogue.

Our philosophy has always been to test our products in the field before adding them to our range, so we set about sourcing products from manufacturers worldwide who had experience in manufacturing riding equipment for different

20

sponsor focus

challenging environments.

Initially our goal was to be the ‘one stop shop’ for everything related to endurance riding, but over the years many of our manufacturers have changed their distribution policies or ceased trading, and new equestrian sports have come along that has meant our range has had to change to reflect this. One such example is our water repellent riding tights, which we started manufacturing when the US owners of Carousel decided to retire.

Sponsorship has always been an important part of our marketing strategy and over the years this has been quite varied, from the supplying of branded clothing and riding tack for teams competing internationally, the sponsoring of classes at major rides such as Golden Horseshoe, Lindum, Red Dragon and Cirencester Park and providing prizes and vouchers for specific events both nationally and at a local group levels. Sponsorship, often linked with a Trade Stand presence, allows us to keep in contact with our customers on a regular basis and to discuss new ideas we may have and to listen to some of the challenges customers face with their existing riding equipment.

Sponsorship has also taken us into new equestrian markets that share the same challenges as endurance riding, namely the need for lightweight, easy to clean, highly visible riding equipment that is comfortable for both horse and rider.

Looking to the future

Over the past 22 years Performance Equestrian has faced a variety of set-backs from Foot and Mouth Disease in the early years to the recent pandemic and lockdowns, and we have had to adapt to these changing situations.

Today our focus is now on providing innovative, often individually customised, quality products that are UK manufactured by ourselves to a wider market via our own website and other global product based websites under our own registered trade name of “Perfeq” Our current range includes a full range of synthetic bitted and bitless bridles (or combinations of both), for horses of all shapes, colours and sizes as well as head collars, breastplates, reins, martingales, stirrup leathers and bridle accessories and our water-repellent riding tights available in both plain and padded seat versions.

For further information see our website at www.performance-equestrian.com or call us on 01568 750000.

features | endurancegb.co.uk

Photographers' Focus

Favourite Photo I arrived at the venue field early to prepare for the day ahead & there was a lady letting her horse graze. The light was amazing & I couldn't get my camera out quick enough! To this day I don’t know who it is, but feel it really captured a seldom seen moment.

David Saunders Photography

Photographer: David Saunders I began photographing horses in 1999 with the Young Riders team in Germany. Some of my images were published & I was then asked to photograph a ride & things moved on from there. We now live in the glorious countryside of Shropshire, but I cover rides all over the country & have done for many years, from Exmoor with the Iconic Golden Horseshoe, East Anglia with Kings Forest & Euston Park, to Builth Wells with the incredible Red Dragon. Although I do tend to cover a lot of the bigger rides, I love a local group social ride, as that's the grass roots of the sport, so it's great to see new faces beginning their

Endurance journey. After all these years, I still absolutely love it, regardless of what the weather can throw at us! I'm one of the few Endurance photographers who offers onsite printing, which does add its complexities & isn't suitable for all events, but where suitable, adds another dimension & a real buzz being able to provide prints before the riders have even left the venue.

Phone: 07989 042361 Email: david@saundersphotography.co.uk Website: www.saundersphotography.co.uk Socials: instagram.com/saundersphoto Favourite Photo I've always thought this image coveys what endurance is about. Whether its the conditions, the terrain or the environment, there is nearly always a stunning view and a smiling rider

Farlap Photography

Photographer: Sam Clark I started as a professional photographer with a local paper and photo agency in the early 1990s but after five years I decided to freelance, and set up Farlap in 1991, (named after the famous horse but with a slightly different spelling as its also my bloodhound kennel name) and focused on my passions of Horses, Dogs, Country Life and Agriculture. I have been photographing Endurance for 25 years, since the mid 1990’s, when the JIGSAW ride was introduced down in Cornwall. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of covering EGB rides across Devon, Cornwall and Dorset, and have made some great friends in the process. When I first started covering Endurance it was of course, all "on film" and I can remember we used to print B/W contact pages in the dark

22

photographers' focus

room, and cut up the tiny proofs and send them in the post to every rider....... it was a whole different ball game back then! I've had horses all my life, and have competed in several disciplines, and although I no longer ride, due to injury, I do still enjoy my two Shetlands that I show in hand and drive, although most of my spare time is spent with my team of working bloodhounds. Most of my photographic work is now editorial, and I travel all over the UK and Europe, working with many of the top breeders and owners of horses, dogs and livestock. I always enjoy covering the Endurance events for their friendliness. I think this is something that is very often noted by those new to the sport, and probably one of the reasons it attracts such a diverse range of competitors. Everyone seems to help everyone else, and there are always smiling faces. Long may it stay this way.

Phone: 07721597926 Email: sam@samfarlap.com Website: www.farlap-photography.com Socials: facebook.com/farlapequestrian

features | endurancegb.co.uk

Favourite Photo After the problems brought by Covid with lockdowns and isolation, this image for us shows friendship and hope for the future. No more words are needed; the image says it all.

LRG Photography Ltd

Photographers: Luke, Robert & Sally Gee LRG Photography is a small family business started 14 years ago when Luke was seventeen and is managed

by Luke Gee and his mother Sally Gee. Photographers include Luke's wife Hannah, his Dad Robert Gee and good friend Leigh Smith along with several freelance photographers. LRG covers a full range of equestrian events including Show Jumping, Dressage, Cross Country, ODE's, Showing Shows, American Quarter Horse, camps, fun rides, Endurance and photoshoots, in fact anything involving a horse. As a family we only now have one retired 26-year-old part bred Arab, but for several years we all had horses and rode regularly across the South Downs in West Sussex.

Our photographers are also horse people and have a great idea of what horse people are looking for in an image. Luke, Rob and Sally normally cover the

Endurance Rides, it’s a favourite with Rob and Sally and now What/three/words is available Luke has relaxed about getting lost and is also enjoying the atmosphere.

We find the Endurance Riders particularly friendly and welcoming, and Rob is pleased when they shout out ‘Hello Rob’ instead of ‘Where is Luke’ which is normal with the showing shows etc. Leigh apparently gets ‘where is the Boss Man today’. We are looking forward to our booked Endurance rides this summer and hope to see some of you out on the course. We always aim to get a good range of images of everyone but sometimes that can be tricky when riders come along in groups. We only have a short time to take photos and if you are behind or alongside another horse, shots of you can be limited. Of course, we never mind you turning back and coming past again or asking for us to take more or posing for us.

Phone: 07834467987 Email: lrgphotography@btinternet.com Website: www.lrg-photography.co.uk Socials: facebook.com/lrgphotography

Favourite Photo This group went round the route together the whole way and seemed to enjoy playing in the surf.

John & Barbara Austin

Photographers: John & Barbara Austin We are both amateur photographers with a passion for all things equestrian.

Barbara is a member of EGB Northumberland and Tyneside and is currently bringing on a young horse to start Endurance next season. John is the crew when Barbara is competing and "general dog's body" for the Group's Hexham Ride!

Barbara is one of the organising committee for the Hexham ride. We look to support the group by asking for donations in return for high resolution

images. We try to capure different images when possible as can be seen in our favourite image from one of the Druridge Bay rides last season.

When John is required to carry out crew duties he still captures images but they tend to be candid shots of the crewing process. Last season we acted as photographers at 5 EGB N&T rides.

Phone: 07881900138 Email: johnaustin.fourways@gmail.com Socials: instagram.com/john.austin.5454

photographers' focus

23

Favourite Photo I personally like my Dalby Dash image as I remember on the ride that the track was hard and stoney and didn't think that any riders would be passing at speed and was looking for more than just passing walking shots of the riders. Whilst moving around the course I saw the opening in the trees and waited for riders to arrive. The sedate pace helped with focusing at a distance.

I am always most proud of images I create that meet what I envisaged in my head, and this was the case with this shot.

Marimages

Photographer: Andrew Ray I started photographing endurance riders around 2010, and fell into it quite by accident, My wife had started endurance riding in North & East Yorkshire EGB group and I was crewing for her, having a few hours to spare while she was out riding and new to digital photography, I started to walk around the countryside with the aim of capturing my wife out riding.

I am a self taught photographer only getting my first compact digital camera in 2008. When photographing a ride I like to enjoy as much of the route as possible and can easily walk upwards of 14km tracking the riders. I now regularly shoot rides for North & East Yorkshire EGB, Durham & Teeside EGB and Notts EGB. I enjoy taking these photos and showing them as I love the variety of horses and people that

take part, plus I get to see parts of the country I would never think of going to, thanks to the great work done by the organisers of the rides. I like to challenge myself at the rides as moving around so much I may not always be in the best location, but still try to make a visually acceptable image where ever I happen to be. Starting up Marimages has been a very steep learning curve for me, but a gratifying one as it has given me more confidence, pride and belief in myself.

Phone: 07809 123091 Email: andrewrayphotography@gmail.com Website: www.marimages.co.uk Favourite Photo I feel this photo sums up the happiness of all endurance riders and also represents that EGB rides are welcoming for all horses and riders.

True To You Photography

Photographer: Caitlin Backhouse Photography has been a hobby of mine for many years now and it is a dream come true to now be making a living by doing a job I love. I live in Wiltshire but travel throughout the surrounding counties offering pet photoshoots, event & wedding photography. I have ridden horses for as long as I can remember and currently share a lovely coloured horse named Marmite. I also own a liver cocker spaniel, called Rolo, and a black moggy called Mushu. My love for all kinds of animals certainly spurred my interest in pet photography. The first-ever endurance event I covered was the Snowdrop ride in 2017 and I still cover this ride every year, alongside many more local

24

photographers' focus

rides. Everyone is always so lovely to me and my team at events, which is one of the many reasons I have stayed working with the various endurance groups all these years. I am delighted to have recently been awarded 2nd place for the 2022 Wiltshire Life awards in the Young Entrepreneur category! I was very taken aback by this as there are so many fabulous young businessmen/women out there and it's an honour to have my business recognised countywide.

Phone: 07395 581159 Email: ttyphotography@hotmail.com Website: www.farlap-photography.com Socials: facebook.com/ttyphotography instagram.com/ttyphotography

features | endurancegb.co.uk

Favourite Photo

West End Photography

Photographers: Chris & Caroline Cole My love of photography began at a very early age, and I’ve been involved in the photographic industry for all my working life. Along with Caroline’s background in breeding, training and riding horses, taking over West End Photography in 2000 seemed like the ideal business opportunity for us. To say our first season was easy would be a lie; Foot and Mouth disease made sure of that! I began my professional life as a photographic technician and printer in commercial photo labs, but quickly moved into management and then onto many types of event photography, including traveling the world as a ship’s photographer. Caroline’s interest in photography is focused around her love of natural history and wildlife. In 1992 we both decided to leave the workplace and go back to university to study our respective, yet slightly different degrees in photography. Mine being Photographic Science and Caroline’s being Biological Imaging. We are based in North Yorkshire and over the years have had the pleasure of being able to cover endurance events all around the UK. In the early years we were out most weekends and had very full-on seasons, covering many of the bigger rides on the circuit. These included Red Dragon, Lindum Spirit, Kings Forest, Euston Park and the Northern and Scottish Championships. One of the reasons we love endurance, is because it allows us to visit some incredible locations and take our trusty 4x4 off road to some stunning photographic backdrops that we wouldn’t normally get to. It allows

It was very hard for us to choose from so many photographs over so many years, but this picture embodies everything we like about endurance.

The horse and rider are moving beautifully, with the sunlight picking them out from the equally stunning background.

us to be out in the fresh air, enjoying the ‘great’ British weather and seeing the many smiling faces of the riders passing us by. Our favourite photos are action shots, and we always try to find the best spots on the route that let the riders really show us what they’ve got. We began our business when photography was still on film and moved into digital in 2004. This gave us the opportunity to offer on-site printing at Lindum and a few other events, which went down well with the riders. Being able to see people’s reactions to their photos adds something special to the job for us. We also take great pride in the fact that we produce all prints ourselves at our ‘in house’ photo lab. We are grateful to have had some of our images published in magazines and news articles, and there is no nicer feeling than seeing our work in print.

Phone: 01423 548554 Email: info@west-end-photography.co.uk Website: www.west-end-photography.co.uk Socials: facebook.com/west.end.photography

Favourite Photo This is probably a really strange photo to pick as my favourite, but I love it because it isn't a typical Endurance photo, Christine is the Ride Organiser, but she also makes sure she has the time to also ride the route, so despite a long stressful and busy few days she's still out there riding and having fun with her horse, and keeping me on my toes!

IndiePics Photography

Photographer: Ruth Saunby I've been running IndiePics Photography for 10 years now, starting off part time alongside my day job, but for the last 4 years this has been my full time profession, we're based in the Midlands although travel all over the country to various Events.

I specialise in Event Photography and Equine Portraits and I love my job, I've also met so many lovely people through my work with Endurance GB who have become good friends over the years.

My partner Ian has been my rock since the very beginning and has supported me no matter what, and sometimes covers events for me, or helps out at the venue when he can.

I've grown up around horses and we also have two horses of our own, and have a lovely circle of horsey friends who we've met through the horse endurance community.

Phone: 07530140032 Email: indiepics10@gmail.com Website: www.indiepics.co.uk Socials: facebook.com/indiepics

photographers' focus

25

Towing with electric

Where Are We With Electric

Cars That Can Tow?

W

ith the 2030 UK ban on new petrol and diesel car sales, the number of electric cars sold in the UK is increasing year on year. While I truly believe electric cars will be the ultimate tow vehicles, we are not there yet. So let’s look at the benefits but also the challenges with electric tow cars.

The Benefits Electric Tow Cars Present

Ultimately electric cars will represent an

26

towing with electric

improvement over petrol/diesel vehicles in all regards. For instance, a key attribute of electric motors is exceptionally high torque (pulling power) from 0 RPM. In other words, when it comes to a source of propulsion for moving a trailer/caravan, there is no better option than an electric motor.

Electric cars, due to the battery, are generally significantly heavier than similarly sized petrol or diesel vehicles. While there are continued efforts to reduce the weight of the battery to aid

efficiency, when it comes to towing, this weight is actually a benefit that assists with stable towing.

Other associated benefits of electric tow cars include reduced parts wear. For instance, towing puts more load on the brakes of the vehicle, accelerating wear. An electric vehicle can place some of that load on the electric motor through regenerative braking, recouping some of the energy while at the same time extending the life of the vehicle's brakes.

regulars | endurancegb.co.uk

to recharge between 10% to 80% in 18 minutes under ideal conditions at a suitably rated rapid charger.

The Hyundai IONIQ 5 or KIA EV6 also have a maximum towing capacity of 1,600kg, starting from just over £40,000. Hence, they are capable of towing a typical fully laden horse trailer.

Are There PHEVs That Can Tow?

Due to towing range of the current generation EVs and the challenges of rapid charging at motorway service stations as stated above, for the moment a PHEV maybe the more appropriate choice for towing over 100 miles.

The Challenges Electric Tow Cars Face

While electric tow cars will ultimately be the superior solution to ICE vehicles, there are several challenges that will need to be addressed for their full potential to be realised.

As a general rule, when towing, an electric tow car owner should expect around a 50% reduction in range compared to the vehicle's range when not towing. However, in a worst case scenario situation, the range could be reduced further: for instance, towing a heavy boxy trailer with a poor aerodynamic profile uphill into a headwind in rain/ snow in cold weather.

With an electric car higher speeds accelerate range reduction. The same is true but even more so for an electric car towing. As a result, towing on the motorway here in the UK over 100 miles will likely require a stop at a service station to rapid charge.

Many service stations are now fitted with rapid

chargers, and more are coming. However, currently, the biggest challenge for an electric car towing is not finding rapid chargers, it’s getting access to use them.

PHEV stands for Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle which does have electric motors and a battery which can be charged by the mains. However, it also still features an internal combustion engine.

Charging While Towing – The Biggest Challenge

The electric range of many current-generation PHEVs is arguably very limited and impractical.

However, there are new examples such as the Toyota RAV4 PHEV with an electric range of 46 miles and a towing capacity of 1,500kg.

In January 2022, I contacted the four largest UK motorway service station operators with regard to their rapid charging infrastructure and provision for electric cars towing trailers/caravans.

I was not surprised to learn that no UK motorway service stations currently have rapid chargers where cars towing have to park, typically in the HGV/lorry parking area. However, the key issue is that while in some cases it’s possible to unhitch the trailer/caravan and drive over to the rapid chargers, that’s not currently the case at all service stations.

NB Obviously when towing a horse trailer with a horse inside it's not possible to unhitch and take the tow vehicle to the charging point!

For obvious safety reasons, many service stations are designed around a one-way system. Hence, as there has not previously been the need to drive from the HGV parking area to the car parking area (where the rapid chargers are), there is no means to safely do so. Attempts to do so would be greeted via no-entry signs.

While new electric charging forecourts (eg GridServe, Braintree) are designed around pullthrough charging bays which are suitable for electric cars towing, such pull-through rapid charging bays are currently few and far between.

So Where Do Electric Tow Cars Currently Stand?

There is already a wide selection of electric tow cars currently on the market, and more are coming soon with practical towing capacities.

Charging speeds are also rapidly accelerating, with the likes of the Hyundai IONIQ 5 & KIA EV6 able

Hence, most of the time the RAV4 PHEV can be driven around on electrical energy alone (as long as its plugged in). However, for longer trips and when towing the engine comes into play.

About the author

Chris Scott is the owner of a small caravan site in the Staffordshire Moorlands (Horton Common). He has first-hand experience discussing electric tow cars with caravan owners with a mixture of responses from enthusiasm to apprehension. Therefore, he set up a website called www.electrictowcars.co.uk to show which electric cars can tow and their typical real-world ranges. Guides/articles also discuss associated topics such as the aerodynamic drag of trailers/caravans and the impact on range.

As a related item there is a government website https://www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones which lists the current cities where clean air zones are in operation or are planned. Presently they are in place in Bath, Birmingham, and Portsmouthand a low emission zone in both Brighton and London. Zones are planned for Greater Manchester in May, in Bradford later in year, and potentially in Bristol also later in year. A number of others were planned and either have been abandoned for the time being or implementation has not yet been determined.

The Scottish cities are not listed on that website but are in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.

towing with electric

27

Trailer Focus

Trailer focus

Equi- Trek

T

om Janion, managing director of EquiTrek gives us a run down of the latest changes to the towing laws, his tips on travel and saftey, associated health risks and how to choose the right trailer.

How the law has changed and what you need to know.

The law has changed and people who have not completed training and testing (previously a legal requirement for anyone who passed the driving test after 1 January 1997) are now able to tow

28

trailer focus

Robinson Animal Healthcare is a long established manufacturer of animal first aid woundcare and absorbents. This article was supplied and written by Lindsay Hall Product Manager for Robinson Animal Healthcare a trailer up to 3.5T maximum authorised mass (MAM). However, Equi-Trek strongly recommends professional training before towing to ensure it is done safely and that the requirements of maintaining and using a trailer correctly are met.

We have a responsibility to ourselves, our horses and to all other road users to tow as safely as possible.

Also, with the rising costs of living, running a horsebox is no longer affordable for some people

regulars | endurancegb.co.uk

so trailers are becoming more popular as people swap their motorised horsebox for one.

Choosing a trailer that your horse travels well in can significantly reduce stress when travelling.

Safety First

How do I choose the right trailer?

Become methodical about hitching up and unhitching so that you do not forget anything.

Make sure you make regular checks to lights, tyres, brake cable, flooring, jockey wheel, coupling etc. and always have your trailer serviced in line with the manufacturer’s guidance.

What are the equine health risks associated with travel?

Travelling is a regular occurrence for endurance horses which hopefully means most travel relatively well. It is important to be aware of the body’s response to travelling and to understand the impact the type of transport used can have, along with other external factors.

Travel can result in dehydration, increased stress responses, weight loss, respiratory and gastrointestinal issues. It is generally considered that any journey under three hours long will be unlikely to affect performance and carries a small risk to health.

It is important that the vehicle you use to pull your trailer is adequate for the job; check that the Trailer Gross Weight does not exceed the Towing Capacity of the Towing vehicle.

It may seem obvious but any form of transport must be suitable for your individual horse (horse’s size, weight, loading behaviour and preference for orientation must all be considered).

Whether you are looking for a standard trailer for two horses or one with extensive living, you really need to think about what your requirements are on a regular basis.

Many endurance riders who compete at rides all around the country look for a trailer with living accommodation as this means they are on hand overnight to look after their horses and ponies, and also it cuts down on hotel or B&B costs.

Equi-Trek recommends always choosing a trailer with aluminium flooring and a wood free structure for safety and longevity.

New from Equi-Trek…

Leaders in innovative horse transport, Equi-Trek launched the Apollo following demand for a great value trailer that combines strength with functionality and puts horse welfare and safety at the forefront of its design.

The Apollo underwent rigorous testing in Germany which included simulating a full life cycle of being driven. The durability and strength is outstanding and the result of the engineering and design is one of the strongest trailers on the market.

The eye-catching aerodynamic trailer creates a spacious and light horse area with exceptional headroom to accommodate horses up to 18hh.

Horses travel forward facing and are unloaded with ease using the extra wide front ramp.

Featuring aluminium flooring and ramps with a durable rubber finish, the hard-wearing trailer maintains the popular Equi-Trek aesthetic to ensure the Apollo stands out.

Both the rear and front ramp are easy to operate thanks to their lightweight design and the closing fixtures that glide securely into place. Available with a window on each side of the trailer to provide excellent ventilation and top doors that can be fixed back securely when opened.

The Apollo has removable breast bars which can also be collapsed from the outside of the trailer in case of an emergency, a strong central partition and removable breech bars. The back portion of the partition can be moved for loading giving the horse a wide and inviting space to move into.

trailer focus

29

Hydration

Helping hydration

during the summer

K

eeping horses hydrated is important all year round, but during the summer months, when temperatures are higher and horses are travelling and competing more, ensuring they consume sufficient water is vital for maintaining good health and maximising performance. Joanna Palmer, Nutritionist at Allen & Page Horse Feeds offers advice on ensuring your endurance horse’s water needs are met and how feeding a soaked feed can be an important source of water for your horse this summer.

30

hydration

Joanna Palmer, nutritionist at Allen & Page Horse Feeds looks at how best to feed these equine athletes to match their energy needs, whatever their workloads this winter.

To look at your horse you may be surprised to know that around 60% of him is water! Water is vital for every process within the horse’s body and is lost in their sweat, urine, faeces and breath.

If horses do not replace this lost water they can very quickly become dehydrated, particularly in

the case of endurance horses, who can lose 10-12 litres of sweat each hour when competing in hot and humid conditions.

Water, water and more water!

An average horse will consume between 20 and

features | endurancegb.co.uk

adding something tempting, such as apple juice or mint flavouring. Always familiarise your horse with any additions to his water bucket in the weeks leading up to travelling so that you find a flavour he relishes and is happy to drink any water it is added to. Using water buckets your horse is familiar with is also a good idea – it may look nice to have shiny new buckets to go away with, but that “new” smell might just be enough to put your horse off drinking from them!

Contrary to the old wives tale of not letting a hot horse drink, research has shown that allowing and encouraging horses to drink at every opportunity during and after prolonged exercise will not cause colic or other problems, in fact withholding water is more likely to cause the horse significant health problems from over-heating and dehydration.

For instance, when a horse loses large amounts of water through sweating, water is drawn from the hind gut. This part of the digestive system normally holds a lot of water, but when this volume has reduced the function of the gut is affected, which increases the risk of impaction colic occurring.

55 litres of water a day and considerably more when competing over long distances and sweating profusely for many hours. Water consumption can vary hugely between individuals and is dependent upon many factors, including: time spent grazing, type of forage and feed fed, environmental temperature and level of exercise. A horse living out on good spring grazing (which can have a high water content of over 80%) may only drink a few litres of water from the trough as he will have consumed such a large amount of water from grazing. The same horse stabled overnight and fed dry hay, then taken out to an event and competing for several hours in warm weather will need to physically drink almost all of their water

requirement to prevent dehydration Carefully monitor what is normal consumption for your horse at home and during training as this will give you an idea of whether he is drinking enough while away from home and competing. Some horses can be fussy with their water and will not drink water from a different source when away from home. The easiest way to ensure your horse will drink as much water as he needs to when travelling and competing, is to take their normal water with you. Although this may be possible for local events, it may not be practically possible for events further afield and you may need to make the water at the venue more appealing to him by

Your horse should be encouraged to drink before travelling and during the journey, depending on its duration, so that he arrives well hydrated at the event. Water should be offered again before the start of the ride and every effort should be made to encourage your horse to drink at every stop. Your horse may be more inclined to drink if there are other horses nearby also drinking and if you hold the bucket up off the ground so that he hasn’t got to put himself in a vulnerable position with his head down to drink.

Soaked feeds for hydration

The moisture content of a horse feed straight from its bag is around 13%, when compared to the moisture content of spring grass of 80% or more it’s easy to see that adding water to feeds is much more in keeping with a horse’s natural, high moisture diet. Whilst it is always recommended to add water to all bucket feeds, like chaff, nuts and mix, nowadays there are carefully formulated soaked feeds that have become invaluable in the diets of many horses, including those competing at the highest levels.

As a pioneer of soaked feeds, Allen & Page has a range of tasty, versatile feeds that are designed to be fed as a mash but can all be soaked with considerably more water to produce a soup consistency that the horse can then drink.

Long days spent training, competing and travelling over long distances, often in warm temperatures, will increase the risk of a horse becoming dehydrated, which can have serious effects on health and performance. We’ve all been in situations where we offer water to a thirsty horse,

hydration

31

Hydration but they show no interest – quite literally ‘you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink’!

However, offer a horse a bucket of their normal soaked feed and they will usually tuck in happily. A soaked feed made ‘soupy’ with more water than feed is an ideal way of getting extra water into your horse to aid rehydration and recovery. A soaked low energy feed like Fast Fibre combines the two most important nutrients for horses – fibre and water and is ideal for offering to your horse at any time to top up his fibre and water intakes, particularly at times when he is showing little interest in drinking or eating forage.

Feeding a daily soaked feed that contains all the essential vitamins and minerals is an easy way to ensure your endurance horse receives a balanced diet. With feeds available from low energy to high energy there is a soaked feed to suit every workload and temperament. High energy feeds that are ideal for endurance horses include Calm & Condition and Soothe & Gain, which is also recommended for horses prone to Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS). These feeds will not cause excitable behaviour as they are high in fibre and oil which provides stamina giving energy to fuel long distance exercise and maintain an ideal body condition, all with the benefit of an additional supply of essential water.

Don’t be tempted to just add a soaked feed to your horse’s diet when out competing, a horse’s digestive system is particularly sensitive to nutritional changes and it is important not to make any sudden changes or additions to his diet.

Including a soaked feed in his every day diet will mean that his digestive system is accustomed to the feed and you can then safely raise and lower the amounts fed to suit individual needs before, during and after competing.

Electrolytes

At rest or in light work, most horses will receive all the vitamins and minerals they need from their forage and the provision of a high-quality balanced feed, fed at the recommended amounts for the horse’s size and work load. In addition, all horses should have free access to a salt lick in their field and stable so they can take what they need. However, for horses that are working hard and sweating on a daily basis, the provision of an electrolyte supplement is beneficial.

Electrolytes are the minerals sodium, chloride, calcium, potassium and magnesium that are lost by the horse in his sweat and urine – the more the horse sweats the more electrolytes he will lose and it is important to replenish these lost minerals to restore the correct balance within the horse’s body. An electrolyte supplement will not only replace the lost salt and other minerals, it also stimulates the horse’s thirst response, encouraging

32

hydration

him to drink and therefore helping to prevent dehydration.

If you use an in feed or syringe electrolyte supplement ensure your horse has free access to water that you know he is happy to drink.

Ingesting large amounts of electrolytes without adequate water intake can increase dehydration and cause dangerous metabolic disturbances due to electrolyte concentrations in the blood becoming too high. Similarly, if using electrolytes dissolved in water it is important that your horse has additional plain water available too.

Feeding your endurance horse a balanced diet is vital for success, but it is important to include water and additional electrolytes within this careful balance to ensure he receives everything he needs to meet the physical demands of long distance exercise and fuel a successful performance and recovery.

"Contrary to the old wives tale of not letting a hot horse drink, research has shown that allowing and encouraging horses to drink at every opportunity during and after prolonged exercise will not cause colic or other problems"

features | endurancegb.co.uk

Office update

An update

from the office

H

ello again from the office! It has been an extremely busy start to the year in the office which bodes so well for the sport. I am at the forefront of the queries and questions from new members and old and it is nice to be back into the swing of things after a quiet two years.

Clubhouse and Results

The IT team have been busy evolving Clubhouse to make it more functional and that means lots of updates for me to learn so that I can process entries, results, merchandise orders etc much more easily. I have regular training sessions and recently learned how to add the ride results sent in by the Technical Stewards. Areas such as Performance Formula took a while to get my head round but I now understand it. The new process is so much quicker, and it allows me to process upgrades for horse and rider at the same time. This means you’ll receive your certificates and medals within the same week. Certainly, much quicker, and easier than manually entering results from vet sheets! However, if you think you have found an issue with your results, please email results@endurancegb.co.uk and I’ll look into it.

Magazines

A recent project has been to add all past issues of Endurance GB magazine to our website.

These now date back to 2013 and are available to view online free of charge under the News section on Clubhouse. We have a range of ‘actual’ magazines available to purchase through the shop if you would like a hard copy. Electronic copies of future magazines will be added a month after their release so the back catalogue will always be available.

Ride Organisers

I have been supporting a number of Ride Organisers with producing certificates for their Performance Formula Classes – I hope those who have received them like them as a small memento

endurancegb.co.uk | regulars

of your success. If any other ROs would like certificates produced for their rides please let me know before your ride takes place and I can then schedule it in to reduce delay sending them out.

Alternatively I can send you the template for you to adjust to match your ride scheme and hand out on the day.

Office Changes

You’ll know now that I have moved office and am a lot more accessible as I’m right by reception in the BHS building. This week we have had the window decal updated so Endurance GB will be one of the first things people see as they walk through the door. The office is now fully set up to be a smart and inviting work environment and I am enjoying being back in full time.

Don’t forget, if you need to contact the office, we have a new telephone number – 024 7531 3354. You can also email me at darrenbutler@ endurancegb.co.uk

Memories

Night as it takes a lot of planning. This is the 22nd year of Endurance GB and as I have been sorting through our storage area, I came across lots of old photos. I thought it would be nice to display them at the AGM (we have even got a perfect room for it!) so if you have any memorabilia or photographs that you would like to either loan to us for the event or donate, please contact the office. We would love to get an array of memories together to help celebrate the past 22 years.

Annual Leave

Please note that I will be on annual leave from the 25th – 29th July. The office will be closed and there may not be anyone to answer the telephone, however if you require assistance, please email clubhouse@endurancegb.co.uk or Shelley Bates at shelleybates@endurancegb.co.uk and you will be helped.

I hope you all enjoy your summer of riding and best of luck in achieving your goals this year!

Despite it being early in the year, my thoughts are already turning to the AGM and Awards Dinner

office update

33

Scottish Championships

Horse country, the

best of the borders

Distances will span a range from the flagship twoday 160k class to Pleasure classes each day. There will be camping/corralling/stables on site together with showers, and a super large marquee for socialising. Kris Clay, our photographer, will be in attendance from Friday to Sunday snapping away, at the venue and out on route, so you can retain a memory from the weekend. We look forward to welcoming you all, members and non-members alike, for what will be a wonderful weekend with

All photos courtesy of Kris Clay, TopGearPhotos

T

he Scottish Championships are being held at Longnewton in the Scottish Borders on the 9th, 10th and 11th September incorporating the Home International Teams. Preparations are well underway; we are planning a wonderful weekend and we hope to see you all there. Not only will there be some glorious riding routes, but there will be suppers catered for on Saturday evening and Sunday evening and a catering van available on site during the day right through the weekend.

Prizegiving on the Sunday evening will be followed by supper and a time to relax, or dance, to some great music.

prizes galore for not just the riders but non-riders too, so come along, enjoy your ride, and help for half a day/a day/two days/the weekend. We need helpers to enable the event to function - you are so important so please sign up on Clubhouse and join the fun and camaraderie.

If you want to find Longnewton on the map, it’s a couple of minutes south of St Boswells on the A68, so very easy access (NT 588272 on the OS map). There’s plenty to do and see in the area if you want to extend the weekend into a proper break – see visitscotland.com. Don’t miss out, entries open on 9th July via SERC Clubhouse.

Denise Murrow and Nicky Allan are our Route Organisers and here is a little insight from Denise of what is in store for the weekend riders: ‘Being one of the Route Organisers for the Scottish Championships feels like a privilege. We are very lucky in the Scottish Borders to have such amazing countryside to ride around and even luckier to have such helpful farmers who go out of their way to make it possible. The 2021 Championships felt like a comeback after everything being cancelled in 2020. For many, it was the first time they saw old friends and got a chance to socialise. The food was good, the

34

serc

company great and, hopefully, everyone found the routes to be enjoyable. One 30k loop takes you over to the tracks around Penielheugh and the Waterloo Monument with the most amazing views to the Cheviots. We are hoping to use some uphill stubble fields which would put the Cheviots behind riders as they canter up the hills and make our photographer Kris Clay very happy, with stunning photo opportunities.

‘Another 30k loop goes over to Friarshawmuir and Riddell Estate. A mixture of endriggs, tracks and fields, a bit of everything. We were so lucky last year with our army of helpers and had most gates covered, and our fantastic farmers pretty much told us to leave the rest of them open, moving stock to accommodate. The last 30k loop takes in the area around Pinnacle and Belses, endriggs galore, lots of canter opportunities and beautiful countryside. The Pleasure loops are mostly around these endriggs and the longer distances also have a remote vet gate.

‘We had two entries for the two-day 160km in 2021: Fionnghuala Paterson went the full distance with her horse Tannasg Psyonny, winning the £100 prize voucher of her choice and the Cup. This class will again be sponsored by Murrow

features | endurancegb.co.uk

Janette

Wealth Management with £100 prize voucher of the winner’s choice. This year we would be delighted to have many more entries given we are hosting the Home International - and I for one cannot wait to see everyone’s happy faces after successfully completing their own chosen distance.

That’s what I remember most about 2021, people smiling and being happy getting back out on their horses, doing what they love, riding around amazing and, hopefully, well-marked routes. Let’s aim for 2022 to be even bigger and better.’

Home International 2022

‘We in Scotland are delighted to be the hosts for the 2022 Home International event. We have a big welcome planned for all the riders, helpers and crews from England, Ireland and Wales who will be joining the Scottish team people at Longnewton. The Home International event is being held concurrently with the Scottish Championships, with a venue and routes tried and tested last year, so a fantastic atmosphere is anticipated. It is always thrilling to see the flags of all four nations flying high, and the party after the Sunday prizegiving is something not to be

"I’ve only ridden at the Scottish Champs twice and both times I felt it was a great opportunity to spend the weekend riding my pony and catching up with friends. I love camping in a field with my pony corralled nearby, eagerly awaiting the next day’s ride. Champs 2022 is at the same venue as last year and the riding was fantastic so I’m looking forward to riding there again"

Fionnghuala

missed. Just ask anyone who was at Cropton last year! Time will fly past now the endurance season is started. Write the dates in your diary, contact your own nation’s Chef d’Equipe for further information and plan which class you wish to enter. There are prizes and rosettes galore on offer and no one will go home without something.

We look forward to seeing you all there. Roll on September!’ writes Nancy Murdoch, Chair of International Selection Committee.

"I had an incredible ride, and topped off what has definitely been the season of my endurance career! This was definitely added to by the incredibly supportive atmosphere - the smiles, additional sloshes, and cheerful comments along the way really added to my enjoyment of the event"

Liz

"Brilliant venue, great routes, fab food, and lovely company"

Jessica

Thanks very much to Denise for the update so far on routes and to Nancy for contributing details of the Home International 2022.

"SERC are such a lovely welcoming bunch of people. We had a brilliant weekend and loved it"

written by Sheila Bruce Championships Committee Chair

"What a weekend! A crazy and exhausting Saturday and then we got the pleasure of riding the beautiful Borders countryside on Sunday!"

Bethany

Jacqui

"Only did one ride on Sunday at the Champs but the atmosphere made me want to aim for more.

Everyone from helpers and organisers to riders and vets all seemed to have enjoyed themselves and despite it being day three had time for chat with a smile! Great riding and lots of options!"

Nikki

"Thank you so much to all those involved in the organisation and smooth running of such a wonderful weekend… I had a great time away, it reminded me why I love this sport so much"

serc

35

B

Scottish Endurance

ack in the dark days of the pandemic, as we emerged blinking from the first lockdown with podgy, unfit horses and riders much the same, SERC’s PR Group (having spent a couple of months devising online puzzles and quizzes to keep members engaged) pooled its collective brain and came up with an eight-week programme to help riders and horses regain fitness, called Plan Restart.

The idea, adapted from a German programme called Plan D, was to complete 160kms in chunks over the eight weeks, gaining points for mileage achieved, with additional Trec-style tasks to accrue bonus points. Riders were allocated randomly to teams of four, with the idea being to rekindle connections throughout the Club that had been in suspension throughout lockdown. Individual winners and winning teams were rewarded with Pleasure ride tokens.

Just under 150 members signed up for the Plan, which ran throughout June and July 2020. As our rides did not recommence until the autumn – and even then in very restricted form – the Plan was a welcome distraction with the added bonus of getting out and about to some degree, and the Trec-style challenges introduced many horses to new experiences – lungeing, long-reining, some basic flatwork, a little bit of jumping. There was also a class for those who wanted to do the programme in-hand.

The Club was delighted with the success of Plan Restart, but to be honest we put it behind us as 2021 approached, in the expectation of a better, more normal, ride season to come. Then of course we went into Lockdown 2…

Getting

fit to start

36

serc

Photos courtesy of Fiona McQueen and Ali McCrickard

After several more weeks of online puzzles, quizzes and map challenges, the PR Group (now only half-jokingly thought of as Pleasure & Recreation) dusted off Plan Restart, tweaked it, pruned it, added some new ideas, consulted SERC’s then team physio Robyn Dunn – and came up with Fit to Start. Another eight-week programme, with four classes, a mind-bending points system that needed spreadsheet skills, and this time a strong emphasis on polework.

Fit to Start launched on 14 March 2021 and ran through to early May, by which time a few rides had been held. Again, just under 150 members took part, allocated randomly to teams if they wished. The four classes covered 100% inhand, a combined class of 50% in-hand/50% ridden, and two ridden classes with different maximum distance and speed targets. The inhand classes tackled weekly polework exercises designed to engage the horse mentally as well as physically, encouraging flexibility, agility, enhanced proprioception (the body’s ability to sense

features | endurancegb.co.uk

movement, action and location). In addition, the in-hand contingent got to grips with practising trot-ups, lungeing, bending and lateral work. The ridden classes were also encouraged to undertake the polework exercises for bonus points.

You might be wondering how all this activity was assessed and proved. Most participants managed to submit screenshots from apps such as EquiLab and Strava, and from Garmins, as well as videos of the polework and in-hand exercises, many of which also popped up on the Club’s Facebook page. But it’s not always easy to manage a video if you’re on your own, or your partner/child isn’t adept at keeping the focus on the horse!

So we accepted ‘honesty’ submissions from the outset. There was also an allowances system to take account of bad weather/lameness/illness preventing the achievement of a particular week’s target.

Such was the success of Fit to Start that it was launched again in February this year, this time with a snazzy update to the title – Fit2Start (well, we liked it), and another few tweaks to the format.

This time we opened the programme to nonmembers for payment of a small fee, and 12 signed

up, joining the 150 members who took part. In an attempt to reduce the workload a little for the data handlers, there were no teams, just individual entries. Quite a few riders found that Storms Arwen, Dudley and Eunice had severely hampered the availability of hacking routes – current estimates are that 16 million trees have been lost across Scotland from Arwen alone – but most were able to achieve the programme targets.

Putting on Fit2Start has been hard work but very rewarding for the PR Group, and hopefully rewarding for the participants too. The last words should go to some of them: ‘Thank you for putting on this challenge as it has certainly made me get on and ride when I might otherwise have wimped out.’

‘Thank you so much for all your work sorting this it’s been fun and a great incentive.’

‘Have loved the challenge both ridden and polework. Thank you to everyone who put it together.’

interesting.’

‘I enjoyed these exercises and seemed to get even more out of them than last year.’

‘Fit2Start has been great as it’s helped me get back in the saddle after a year and a half off, so I’m happy to even just be riding the polework now.’

‘Have really enjoyed taking part in class one of Fit2Start with my youngster. Great motivation each week and new skills to practise. He is definitely much more careful about placing his feet after all the polework and that has really helped in our ridden work too.’

‘Thanks Fit2Start - you provide real motivation and it is fun to do something new every week!’

‘Fit2Start was yet again fantastic. Just the motivation I needed coming out of winter to start working the youngster again and get us both fitter. It has really helped in our ridden work. We effortlessly sidestepped round a gate today while out hacking. Could not have done that before Fit2Start.’

‘I’ve found the SERC Fit2Start really helpful and

serc

37

Weybridge Ride

Endurance with

Bella Rose & Blondie Endurance adventures with Bella Rose & Blondie

by Charlie Bennett

B

ella Rose is our beautiful 18.1hh sixyear-old black and white full Shire mare who came from Derbyshire.

We have owned Bella Rose since she was three months old but we had another Shire on loan when I was younger and the power behind this breed is amazing! They’re so willing, they want to please and they want to be worked all day every day.

38

ride review

Photo courtesy of John Hudson

Our journey with Bella started on December 1st 2016 when Bella arrived at 6 months old. We introduced Bella to our other horse, Blondie (who also takes part in endurance alongside Bella) and we put Bella in her own paddock to start with, but five minutes later she went straight through the fence to Blondie and they have been together ever since - best of friends.

features | endurancegb.co.uk

can do more with Bella than everybody thinks!”

Shires can’t do everything, but Bella can, she loves her work and seeing the countryside as well as being with her best friend Blondie. We also go cross country training with them both to use the water, step ups and have a good canter and I find this really good for them before going along to a ride with other horses.

So how did we get to do endurance?

I took Blondie to take part in the Boconnoc endurance ride, only the Pleasure ride to start with it but he loved it and I loved the way the horses were put first with a check over by the vet before and after. I was made to feel very welcome. That’s what made me start endurance as my horses are so important to me. We did a few more fun rides over the winter with them as find it really helps improve their work in other areas, so Bella and Blondie do British dressage and I’m hoping to do British eventing with Blondie eventually - it helps their fitness as well as their minds and they are more willing.

We gave her a couple of months to become comfortable with the day-to-day routine. Having two large horses you do need to make sure they are getting enough fibre and I have given them both hard feed from day one, as well as plenty of oil, for a balanced diet.

Our next move was to get her out walking inhand to show her the world, and we are lucky enough to live right next to the moor and the trails are a nice safe place to take a baby for a walk. We also started setting up objects in their field to get them both used to new things, placing food around these objects so that instead of them backing off they would come forward to have a look. Since Bella is a bare foot and a Shire she does need foot care every six weeks as well as feather care. We have done this from the very start with Bella to make sure her feet were always in the very best condition.

Endurance wasn’t our first plan with Bella, we started showing her as a two-year old and we decided to take part in the Royal Cornwall show.

We put in four months of daily practice and even if it was just a couple trots in the field, she was taking it all in. On the day she smashed it, she listened to me the whole time and we were lucky enough to place 2nd two years in a row. She looked absolutely beautiful, but it took six hours to get her ready beforehand! She was also asked to lead our local carnival in front of the brass

endurancegb.co.uk | regulars

band, she loved all the attention but just walking was boring for Bella!

Next on our list was teaching Bella to accept a bit, we’d only ever shown her in a rope halter as she was never strong. Then we thought she was ready for the next step which was to start long reining her. I spent many months walking behind Bella, long-reining across the moor, as well as up and down the village, getting her to listen to me around the fields as I was planning to take part in some fun rides when Bella was backed. I wanted her to listen to me in a field and not to think it was any different than the school. While we waited for her fitted saddle to be made specially for Bella I carried on long reining and lunging as well as leaning on her bareback making sure she was balanced and ready for the saddle and could take the weight Once her gorgeous saddle arrived we were off, and luckily it just got to us before the first lockdown, so we got straight on with it and within two weeks we were off out hacking with Blondie, having an amazing time. Bella was quite fit at this stage, having been often long-reined over distances up to 12 miles she was ready to go, and after six weeks we were off to our first fun ride, a local one fifteen minutes down the road, which was all grass with no road work. She was amazing, we both loved every minute of it, alongside Blondie and then I thought to myself, “I

I need to add a little bit about Blondie! We bought him when he was five years old after he came over from Ireland where he was hunted.

He’s an Irish Draft cross 17.2hh Palomino and it took a while for us to bond together but we’re excelling with each other now. They are both my first owned horses and we’re really looking forward to trying to move up the levels in endurance, together with my lovely friend Amy Parkin who rides alongside me and Bella.

Endurance GB Rides

Major Endurance GB rides planned for 2022 include:

18th June Rushford Hall 1 18th June Dialstone Northern Championships

24th - 26th June King's Forest Endurance GB National Championships

8th -10th July Cirencester Inter-Regionals

30th July Rushford Hall 2 20th August Rushford Hall 3

ride review

39

Obituaries

Remembering those lost

along the way Arab HS Exile, known as Jack, and achieved a Gold award. For many years she competed as an Endurance GB Wessex member, taking part in rides from 32kms to 80kms on her horses Jack and Thistle (Thistledown).

There were other similar goals in her life. She and her son Jake cycled from John O’Groats to Land’s End in the late 1990s, riding for 17 days and taking scenic B roads down the country. She also ran two marathons, one in Loch Ness and the other in Ireland.

E

ndurance GB celebrates the lives of the inspirational stalwarts of our sport. These are the heart-warming remembrances of the people and horses we have lost and the feats they achieved in the world of endurance.

Judy Baynes 18/10/1952 – 1/03/2022

Brought up in Shepton Mallet, Judy had a great love of all things to do with horses – despite having a non-horsey family. As soon as she could, she joined Mrs Brunner at Laurel Farm in Priddy where she started full time work. It was there in Priddy that she met her future husband, Geoffrey, who ran the Queen Victoria Inn in the village. A very useful catch as there was land with the pub just perfect for horses!

For many years she was landlady of the Queen Victoria Inn, or the ‘Queen Vic’ as it is known to many. She was a proper ‘front of house’ lady, and great with all the customers, always having

40

obituaries

the time to chat. Truly the life and soul of the pub, she made many many friends and made everyone very welcome.

In between raising a family and running the pub she followed her love of horses, owning many over the years. This love of horses was extended to as many family members, friends and friends’ kids as she could. Many people have joined her hacking in the Mendips, on long distance rides, riding holidays or at events.

She tried her hand at a variety of equestrian sports, however her love for endurance riding was there a long time before she got to compete herself. Each year she and Geoffrey would go off to Exmoor to watch riders compete for the coveted Golden Horseshoe, the 100 mile ride over two days across the demanding Exmoor terrain. It was always her dream to achieve it – and she did! Starting with the lower distance classes she eventually realised her goal, in 2008, with her wonderful

One of her favourite holidays was to complete a long-distance horse ride, of which she did many.

They were holidays of adventure and she would be joined by whomever she could persuade, even Geoffrey on one occasion!

Playing cards, board games and watching quiz games were another love of Judy’s. Her favourite quiz show was Countdown. After many years of watching she had the courage to go on the show. Unluckily for her though, when her chance to appear on TV came, she was up against an undefeated Countdown ‘Octochamp’ and was defeated, despite her inspired six-letter word ‘bogies’!

Judy was also extremely good at Scrabble and would soundly beat any casual player. She played regularly at venues in Wells and Weston Super Mare and took part in competitions all over the country with breaks away.

A very full life – Judy will be enormously missed by friends and family. She leaves her husband, Geoffrey, two sons, a daughter, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

endurance | endurancegb.co.uk

Alan Brown

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Alan Brown after a stroke in 2020.

Alan worked for the Severn Trent River Authority as a senior engineer from 1975 until his retirement in 1994. He spent the last three years sharing his knowledge and supporting a Waste Water Programme for the Government of Flanders in Belgium.

However, Alan was a man of many talents. He first found his way into the sport of endurance by crewing his 13-year-old daughter Claire in 1983. Working at and helping to organise the Monks Kirby Ride soon followed, as did timekeeping at various events.

Involvement in organising grew, leading ultimately to founding the Cirencester Ride in 1988, with his wife Jacqui and two friends Sue Oakes and Brenda Campbell. He was also involved in the organisation of the Vyrnwy and White Rose Rides. Alan and Jacqui continued to help to run Cirencester for 30 years, before stepping back.

Alan’s contribution to endurance was far wider than that of running rides. He organised and managed the first vet-gate at the European

Sallie Dudley 23/08/1959- 25/04/2022

Sallie Dudley sadly passed away peacefully following complications from her Type 1 Diabetes. Sallie’s diabetes was triggered from a fall from a Shetland pony, aged two, so I guess that set the tone for her life-long passion for horses! A long-time endurance enthusiast, initially in the South East group, where she was organiser of Firle Park for a number of years, and then in Derbyshire, where she continued to be an active contributor, instigating a helpers award, and being an advocate for para endurance. She could always be relied on for knowledge, support and a considered

opinion on all matters equine, always reading and researching for new and better ways, Sallie was never one to believe she’d learned all she needed to know! I’ve had the privilege of her friendship from the early ‘90s and enjoyed many animated discussions on all sorts of subjects! She was an accomplished civil engineer in her working life, again her commitment to excellence ensured she thrived in this field.

Above all, I have witnessed first hand the absolute joy she got from her horses, Pharach Samantha, an Elite status mare, who she competed to high level including the elusive 100 miler (160kms) and her home-breds, Sheer Silk

Championships at Southall and was involved in the inaugural Young Riders European Championship, also at Cirencester. He took up the position of Midland Regional Director on the Board of The British Endurance Riding Association (BERA - a forerunner of EGB) in the 1990s, also serving on two Committees.

With the formation of Endurance GB in 2001, Alan chaired the Heart of England Group Committee for many years and subsequently held the position of honorary President until his untimely passing.

Alan’s service to the community did not end there. Alan and Jacqui were married in 1964 and moved to Monks Kirby. In 1970, Alan was elected to the Parish Council, taking on the role as Chair from 1974 until 1991. He was also a governor of a local school, a great lover of classical music and DIY, was an avid reader and photographer and loved his dogs.

Sailing was also a great passion, which resulted in keen support of the RNLI. Last, and most importantly of all, he was a generous and supportive husband, father, and grandfather, with a great sense of humour that never left him.

(Kiwi) and Sheer Bliss. Although Kiwi’s ridden life was hampered by an early injury, Bliss has fulfilled her breeder’s plan by continuing to achieve consistently good results with various riders in endurance. Latterly it has been Greenhill Grace, her charming Fell mare who has enabled her to continue with her passion despite her waning health, and many have been captivated following her Facebook progress and adventures.

Sallie was a good friend to many and will be missed by all.

RIP Sallie, reunited with Sam and Kiwi.

obituaries

41

AGM & Awards

Endurance GB

Annual General Meeting

and Awards Dinner

Leamington Christmas Market and Christmas Lights

Why not indulge in a spot of Christmas Shopping at the festive Christmas market held in the town centre. The whole of the parade is taken over with stalls selling a range of homemade and local gifts, a small fun fair, plus the usual high street shops. The Leamington Christmas Lights are a sight to behold, offering some of the best Christmas Lights in the Midlands. Leamington is only three miles away from the Delta Hotel.

Warwick Castle

I

t's official, on Saturday 26th November 2022 the Annual General Meeting and Awards Dinner Night will be held at the Delta Hotel in Warwick. Official notice of the AGM and timings will follow in due course.

The Awards Dinner Night

Timings: 6.30pm for pre-dinner drinks

7.00pm Dinner followed by Awards and Disco

The cost for the dinner will be £38 per person which includes an arrival drink.

Overnight Stays

The Delta Hotel, is a four-Star hotel located at junction 15 of the M40 and on the A46. It has a large car park with electric charging points available.

The hotel has recently been refurbished to a high standard, with plenty of public space to sit and relax. There is a bar and restaurant offering a range of food and drinks, plus a gym which is free for residents’ use.

1.00am Carriages We will enjoy a three-course meal in the Avon Suite whilst celebrating the successes of our riders, volunteers and crews. Once the formalities are over the floor will open for a disco and dancing for those who want to put their best foot forward.

This year we are taking full advantage of the major milestone of the year, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrating Her Majesty's 70 years on the Throne.

The Awards Dinner team will be going all out to create a Royal ball fit for a Queen with red, white and blue decorations, bunting and balloons! So dust off your best frocks and suits and be ready to impress! The paparazzi will be there!

There will also be a quiz, with prizes to the winning table, so make sure you swot up on your Royal knowledge!

42

AGM and awards

EGB have been allocated reduced rate rooms for our members which can be booked online (£94 for single occupancy and £99 for double occupancy).

Family rooms are also available at a £25 supplement and cater for 2 adults and 2 children. This includes breakfast in the main restaurant. Dogs are welcome, at a surcharge of £15. Maximum one pet per room.

A code will be available on Clubhouse to ensure you get the EGB discount on the rooms.

Why Not Make a Weekend of it?

There are plenty of things to see and do nearby, so why not make a weekend of it and visit some of the local tourist attractions, or take in the hustle and bustle and grab some Christmas gifts at the festive market.

Fancy a spot of history? Why not visit Warwick Castle. Located less than half a mile from the hotel, Warwick Castle is a spectacle owned by Merlin Entertainments. You can take a trip down the dungeons where you will meet some freaky friends, learn about the history of the Castle in the King Makers exhibit, or climb to the top of Guys Tower with panoramic views across Warwick, Leamington and the surrounding countryside. Booking advised on the Warwick Castle website.

Shakespeare's Stratford

Take a trip to the small town famous the world over for one of the best known playwriters the UK has produced, William Shakespeare. You can visit one of the many Shakespeare houses, including Shakespeare Birthplace, Ann Hathaway’s Cottage or The Other Place. The Butterfly Farm is a lovely place to see a range of butterflies and other creepy crawlies. You can also head up the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Tower for lovely panoramic views of the River Avon and surrounding countryside. Stratford is located seven miles south from the Delta Hotel.

Charlecote Park

Charlecote Park is a grand 16th-century country house owned by the National Trust, and is surrounded by its own deer park, on the banks of the River Avon in Charlecote, located three miles south of the Delta Hotel. Visit the country house, take a walk thought the ancient deer park, or enjoy an afternoon tea in their café.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Awards Dinner Night and hope that you will join us in the festivities and celebration of Endurance through 2022.

endurance | endurancegb.co.uk

Proudly celebrating 10 years of producing high quality, natural forage feeds for all your equine and grazing animal needs.

Feed as nature intended emeraldgreenfeeds.co.uk

Fast and slow release energy for sparkle and stamina!

WITH ADDED LINSEED

“He goes so nicely on it, and he always comes back full of energy” • A high energy feed – DE 12.8MJ/kg • Balanced with vitamins and minerals • Contains a probiotic and a blend of prebiotics for healthy digestion • Includes linseed – a good source of Omega 3

Merlin is very reactive to feed, but Power & Performance doesn’t make him fizzy. He goes so nicely on it, and he always comes back full of energy, even after 66km he looked fresh and ready to go out again!

– Gemma Grodkiewicz and Merlin

Contact our award-winning helpline nutritional advice 01362 822 902 | helpline@allenandpage.co.uk www.allenandpage.com