the Beaufort. Foul weather conditions and a lack of scent contributed to an unmemorable morning. However, the mood of the field was lightened by the sight of Captain Bavister being deposited in a very full stream by the winter trainer’s old faithful, Bovington. A gap in the calendar after The State Opening of Parliament allowed a number of soldiers to attend a winter camp run from Melton Mowbray. This was a highly successful three weeks. The ‘Welsh equine’ CoH Griffiths took the lessons and Captain McCarter escorted a dozen troopers on their first day’s trail hunting. A memorable morning was had over the Burton Wolds with Trooper Archer and McGrath (both RHG/D) having their nerve significantly tested by some very stiff hedges. The camp achieved its aim of improving soldiers’ equine knowledge and allowing them to see what fun can be had on a horse when you are not riding backwards and forwards to Horse Guards. As stated above, about twenty days trail hunting has been enjoyed so far this season. Whilst scent has been indifferent, everyone who has come up has been able to enjoy some fun over the Leicestershire countryside particularly Major Speers
Capt McCarter team chasing and lost.
who has been improving his ‘stickability’ and Lieutenant R J Spiller who has been largely out of control. The ‘winter training troop officer’ can often be seen two fields in front of the field master ‘schooling’ young horses. ’Unting is all that’s worth living for - all time is lost wot is not spent in ‘unting - it
is like the hair we breathe - if we have it not we die - it’s the sport of kings, the image of war without its guilt, and only five-and-twenty per cent of its danger.” Perhaps a little extreme but the opportunity remains for the beginner and thruster alike to enjoy an experience like nothing else, love it or hate it at least say you have done it!
Equitation he rise and fall of any domination whether in sport, politics or regimes is always fascinating to observe. History has time and again kept in unison with Sir Isaacs’s law of gravity; what goes up must come down, and the Mounted Regiment’s domination over!!! The Royal Windsor Horse Show this year saw competitive performances in the Services jumping, however the spoils were not to end up in the hands of the Mounted Regiment. Three teams entered the jump-off on clear rounds, three teams finished the jump off with clear rounds, but however, the spoils went to our arch rivals, The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery. The Mounted Regiment needed, therefore, to assert its dominance once again; the next duel would be the Royal Tournament show jumping held at the Defence Animal Centre. Was this going to be our chance to settle the score? The going was rather like hunting on a ploughed field in January, but the experience of the Blue Mafia in such bad conditions was to eclipse the King’s Troop’s efforts. Not only did the Mounted Regiment keep the Troop at bay but we won two of the major classes, both with the author riding The Queen’s Peter Pan. Of the eight riders to qualify to jump at the Services final at Olympia in December, four of them were
T
from the Mounted Regiment and none from the Troop. Normal service had been resumed; domination had again been reestablished. The Pageant, I am sure, will feature in many parts of the text in this journal. Apart from the history making event, no one should overlook the 1932 hours Household Cavalry Sweep Stakes which consisted of the Boer War re-enactment. The Royals rode on to the parade ground, dismounted, engaged the Boers and then remounted to gallop after them which saw Captain N K Twumasi-Ankrah (T-A) RHG/D give a fine demonstration of horsemanship when he vaulted on to his horse and was subsequently taken off at a flat out gallop; arms, legs and stirrups flapping in the wind. He disappeared out of the arena with the remainder of The Royals trailing in his wake. He certainly lead by example and only managed to pull up at the stable lines some 500m to the rear - for a rank outsider, the man did well. Maybe the Grand Military next year! Two years ago, the Riding Staff started a tradition of holding an annual lunch for members of the Staff including those at ERE posts. The idea of the lunch, apart
from putting the world to rights at the bar afterwards, serves as a way of keeping those at ERE up to date with new events and helps to keep them part of the fold. In addition to the lunch, it was decided to hold a reunion biannual dinner for past and present members of the Staff. The first dinner was held in March 2007 and was deemed a great success with over 95 attendees. It was great to see the likes of Steve Hague, Chris Webb and Barry Mckie (a previous Riding Master) to name but a few. Barry had not set his feet
SCpl Hackman takes the cross country seriously.
Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment
51