BHS TREC Championships
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Siân makes a big impression in Brecon at the BHS TREC Championships
Siân Gibbon from Cardiff won the hotly contested Performance Equestrian Individual Level 2 class at the BHS TREC Championships of Great Britain, at Cantref Riding Centre, Brecon, Powys, over the weekend of 3-4 September.
Siân rode Welsh Cob Tyn y Rheol Copper King and fought off determined challenges from Rachael Wilmot and Tot Wall with just four points separating the three riders after three phases of competition that tested orienteering and riding skills.
The beautiful and unique environment of the Brecon Beacons National Park provided the ideal terrain for the first day of the event, organised by The British Horse Society, as 100 riders covered orienteering routes amounting to nearly 100km, leaving from Cantref early on Saturday with some returning from the south more than seven hours later, down the old roman road from Taf Fechan Forest.
Day Two saw Siân score a valuable 23 points in the Control of Paces section, and clock up a tidy 110 in the PTV obstacle phase to finish just one crucial point ahead of Nottinghamshire's Rachael Wilmot and her Fell pony Grindle, with Tot Wall from Bromyard third, riding Oakridge County.
Siân was quite overcome at the prize-giving, as it had been her first attempt at a Championship. In the equivalent Pairs class, reigning Welsh Champions Sarah Sneyd (Gizmo) and Lis Rowe (Mulligan) managed a more comfortable win ahead of Rachel Thomas from Pembroke and Molly Watts from Narbeth.
Maggie and Dave Longley from Lancashire were right on their heels in third. Lis and Sarah were said to have "floated home" to Worcestershire, so delighted were they with this success.
In the Team Challenge, the Welsh contingent of Paul Turner from Trans Wales Trails at Cwmfforest, Phil Weaver, Sarah Derby and Mike Myers saw off the TREC Southwest Team, with the Scottish White Knuckle Riders team in third.
Lorna Holden, from the White Knuckle Riders, became the first recipient of the Anne Williamson Memorial Trophy for the highest second day score by a Scottish resident, and Paula Goodwin-Bary from Belgium won the best overseas rider prize.
The Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, who had been instrumental in attracting this event to the National Park and supporting it throughout, were delighted to see so many horse riders impressed with what the park had to offer.
Councillor Mrs Margaret Morris, Chairman of the National Park, warmly congratulated all the riders and invited them to come back to Wales.
The excellent facilities and superb organisation at the venue, Colin and Mrs Evans' Cantref Riding and Trekking Centre, made a major contribution to the success of the weekend.
Results:
Level 2 Pairs:
British Champions (BHS TREC Trophy) - Sarah Sneyd & Lis Rowe, 2nd Rachel Thomas & Molly Watts, 3rd Maggie & David Longley.
Performance Equestrian Level 2 Individual:
British Champion (BHS TREC Trophy) - Siân Gibbon, 2nd Rachael Wilmot, 3rd Tot Wall.
Level 3 Pairs:
British Champions (Hardy Souls Tankards) - Julie Joseph & Claire Bedell, 2nd Sheila & Dave Rogerson, 3rd Ian Macalindin & Nigel Robinson
Level 3 Individual:
British Champion (BHS TREC Trophy) - Alison Elmer, 2nd Phil Weaver, 3rd Sue Perks.
Compass Point Level 4
British Champion (Argyll Trail Riding Trophy) - Caroline Brammer, 2nd Maddy Jacob, 3rd - Mike Myers.
Nations Cup winners - ENGLAND (Di Hawkins, Kay Newman, Anthea Kendrick, Hilary Barnard, Nigel Robinson and Rachael Wilmot, Chef d'Equipe - Judith Viola).
2nd SCOTLAND (Lorna Holden, Alex Wells, Ian Macalindin, Wendy Taylor, Karen Waite, Chef d'Equipe - Tove Gray Stephens) 3rd WALES (Claire Caldow, Carolyn Thomas, Ann Weaver, Judy Clark, Rachel Thomas, Molly Watts, Polly Lloyd Owen, Chris Paine, Cath Cromarty, Jane Anscombe, Chef d'Equipe - Lorraine Owens).
BHS TREC Advisory Group Horsemanship Prize - Lisa Geer, Paula Goodwin-Bary Cwmfforest Riding Centre Best Hired Horse - Claire Bedell, Lorna Holden, Wendy Taylor, Fiona Griffiths, Sarah Andrews Best Overseas Rider - Paula Goodwin-Bary Anne Williamson Memorial Trophy - Lorna Holden Team Challenge Winners - Three Welsh Wizards and One Witch (Paul Turner, Phil Weaver, Sarah Derby, Mike Myers), 2nd TREC South West (Di Banks, Louise Banks, Julie Joseph, Claire Bedell), 3rd White Knuckle Riders (Lorna Holden, Julian Brown, Alex Wells, Wendy Taylor).
Pony Riders Association Rosettes to: Level 4 - Maddy Jacob, Level 3 - Sarah Thurnell, Julie Joseph, Level 2 - Siân Gibbon, Sarah Sneyd, Lis Rowe.
For photographs of the event, go to: http://www.everybodysmile.biz/naturalexpressionsphotography/evnts
For further information on this event or up-and-coming BHS TREC events, please contact Fiona Thurnell, Competitions Department, The British Horse Society. Stoneleigh Deer Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2XZ, 01926 70781, or email: f.thurnell@bhs.org.uk or visit our website: www.bhs.org.uk
