NEWSLETTER January 2006

A number of items are worthy of note going into the New Year and congratulations are due to a few people in the equestrian world. Unfortunately no equestrian was mentioned in the New Years Honours List this time – may be next year!

The competitive season is going very well with the National Equestrian Centre being a hive of activity on most weekends. The drivers seem to be able to capture some good publicity with excellent crowds turning our for some exciting racing in a happy family atmosphere. The track record has been broken or equaled again, and the holiday season saw some visitors from Indiana trying out the track. The weather has been mostly good with not too many postponements due to rain.

The main ring has seen some good competitions and extensive work has improved the surface. However more needs to be done in the collecting ring.

Getting sufficient competent and willing volunteers to help at shows is an ongoing problem, the answer to which is difficult to find. However without volunteers there will be no shows. Competitors and family members must do all they can to ensure that there is sufficient encouragement given to anyone willing to assist in what is a very time consuming but rewarding sport.

Not many riders will make it to the top but there is a lot of fun and good experiences to be had on the way there and representing one’s country in your chosen sport at whatever level is well worth the effort.

Congratulations to Jefferson Sousa and Sousa’s Landscaping Company for placing first in the Commercial Division Western Area in the Festival of Light competition held just before Christmas. Jefferson’s favourite charity BEF Ltd. was the beneficiary of the $1,000.00 prize money. Many thanks.

Congratulations to Heidi Mello who has recently been promoted to FEI International Course Designer following a course at Aachen School of Design. Heidi is probably the youngest person to gain this status and joins an elite band of only 23 ladies with this qualification, another being our own Judy Hagen. Heidi traveled to Manila in November to assist at the South East Asia Games and has returned there this month for another competition and to be the official farrier, a position she hopes to have with teams at the World Cup Jumping Final in Kuala Lumpur in May. Well done Heidi.

Congratulations also to our riders in the FEI World Dressage Challenge held last year, especially our four in the children’s test when they finisher 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th out of 29 riders in our group. They were Jennifer Howard, 68.40%, Jenny Schroder 60.20%, Cori Williams 67.20% and Stephanie Kemp 67.20%. Very well done. All of the results are on the BEF website. Jenn Howard very much appreciates the good wishes of all BEF members during her hospitalization.

In the FEI World Jumping Challenge Bermuda finished second in Category A and first in Category B with Melody Moran being the only rider with 4 clear rounds in Category B.

Both Jumping and Dressage competitions will be held in March this year so please check the BEF Calendar.

Watch out for the Government Sports Awards on February 16^th as there were some equestrian nominations.

The CEA Junior Jumping Competition starts this year in Cayman in January, but Bermuda will not be involved until February in Barbados. Applications have been requested by email to BEF Members with a deadline to respond before 20^th January.

Applications are also being sought for the Junior Athlete Sponsorship Programme, the recipient in 2005 being Kelby Lusher who spent the summer competing in Canada. Kelby was also the best placed Bermuda rider in the FEI A competition finishing second overall in our group. Well done Kelby.

The BEF is organizing an FEI Stewards course together with an FEI Level Two coaches course hopefully the second week in September. These will be regional courses so we will have participants from overseas as well as local participation. More information to follow as soon as confirmed.

Our riders and coaches continue to benefit from the expertise of visiting clinicians some of which we manage to get support for from a small Government grant. We are hoping to bring in a jumper clinician in the near future.

The Annual Agricultural Exhibition is scheduled for April 20^th, 21^st, and 22^nd and once again the BEF will be assisting with the Horse Show part and volunteers will again be needed. Let’s hope for good weather again as it appears that the grandstand and stable area will again be under tents as work on re-building has not yet started. We will hopefully be running a canteen so will be looking for volunteers in that area also.

Newsletters have not been very frequent lately and if you getting this one by ‘snail mail’ and have an email address please let us know.

Overseas our riders continue to represent their country in Show Jumping and eventing. Jillian Terceira now based in Holland is attempting to qualify for World Equestrian Games 2006 to be held in Aachen in Germany and which will be attended by a number of people from Bermuda. Tim Collins also based in Holland and Mary Jane Tumbridge based in England have reached the WEG qualifying in eventing, but need to ensure their horses get early season exposure.

Patrick Nisbett based in England will be going on the Sunshine Tour next month with his Show Jumping horses where he will be joined by Tim Collins.

Michael Cherry

President,

Bermuda Equestrian Federation.


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