Chris's Blog - The Blog of Talygarn Equestrian Centre: Horse Riding in South Wales

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Mini Buses leaving Talygarn Sunday at 12.15pm for Polo Match 6 days ago
2nd practice for Musical ride, going surprisingly well 1 week ago
Well done Amelia on passing your PTT 2 weeks ago
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June 30, 2009

Polo Match, Fonmon Castle

Filed under: Home — Chris Rogers @ 1:41 am

Several weeks ago it was suggested I organise a trip to The Polo Match at Fonmon Castle, Barry. Sheena Davies offered to organise it for me and an excellent job she did of it. On the day 21 of us attended the Match, Sheena organised a lovely buffet from Marks and Spencer and we all took our own drinks. Its traditional to dress up for Polo and as most of us only see each other at the riding school it was quite funny to see everyone in dresses and heels. We arrived at the grounds of Fonmon Castle at 1pm travelling in two mini buses from Mike at the Hand and Squirrel Talbot Green and found our Marquee. As we were going to be there from 1pm till 8pm I thought Pimms and plenty of lemonade might be more advisable than Vodka. Laura and I had a couple of bottles of Pimms, lemonade, Fruit and ice. So armed with our plastic jug and glasses we were set for the day. Unfortunately just before the match it started to rain. None of us new the rules so we didn’t really have a clue what was going on but it looked good anyway. After the match there was a disco in the hospitality marquee. Despite the afternoon shower it was a lovely day, maybe we should make it an annual event. Photos are on the Talygarn Equestrian Centre website on the Gallery

June 22, 2009

BSJA Area 35 Summer Show

Filed under: Home, Shows — Chris Rogers @ 2:09 am

On Saturday Amelia took Destiny to the David Broome Event Centre in Chepstow to jump at the BSJA Area 35 Summer Show. The week before Amelia won the Discovery at the same venue with 50 competitors in the class as we were jumping the Newcomers this week which was the third class we thought it wouldn’t start before lunchtime if we were lucky. Arriving at the show at around 11am we discovered that the Newcomers was nearly finished. I think they were so short of competitors they were quite happy to wait so after rushing to tack her up and a quick warm up Amelia was in the ring having had no time to walk the course. Which was just as well as it was 1metre 10 in the first round with some fairly wide spreads. Destiny has not jumped Newcomers before and our intention was to go for a double clear if possible but not to win. Difficult though as only one other person left all the fences up. Destiny jumped clear in the first round and the jump off although Amelia took it nice and steady she still came 2nd. The rest of the classes that day were pretty poor entries wise and so were the pony classes on the Sunday. Several months ago I wrote a blog complaining about the lack of BSJA events in Wales so I thought we should support the Area 35 show, its a shame other people didn’t think the same, having said that I can also understand why they didn’t. Several comments I heard on the day were ‘Most of the committee haven’t bothered turning up’ ‘There is no incentive for people to come’ ‘The rosettes are a disgrace’ ‘There was no advertising’ I can’t say whether these comments are correct but I didn’t see any of the committee that I know and the rosettes were about the cheapest you could get. What I did find shocking was the T Shirts given out to the kids on Sunday for the Junior BSJA. They had Junior Academy under 11’s 2008 printed on them. Most of the kids that received them were over 11 and were quick to point out that its actually 2009. Some people complained about the venue saying that the BSJA had been shoved in a field out of the way but I think the venue is great there are lots of facilities there and the field wasn’t that far away it just needed promoting more. On the plus side the people that were there running it were lovely and very helpful. But come on Area 35 lets up the game if we are to encourage more people into BSJA in Wales which I heard was the plan it could have been done a lot better than that and if people are going to join a committee at least commit yourself to your only summer show and not leave it to the few that worked very hard for probably very little thanks.

June 15, 2009

Talygarn Equestrian Centre

Filed under: College, Home, Horses, Riding School, Shows — Chris Rogers @ 12:08 am

Well as you have probably noticed the site has been off line for a few days due to a virus attacking the main servers which apparently affected many websites ours included but I’m assured its all sorted now, fingers crossed and we are back on line. The last week has been rather hectic Paris and Jennifer passed their BHS Stage 1. Jess Brodie took her Riding and Road Safety exam and passed and Amelia took her BHS PTT last tuesday, still awaiting results on that one. Amelia won the BSJA Discovery on Destiny last week with over 50 in the class and has qualified for the Scope Festival in Staffordshire in August. We had a college inspection last week and I’m pleased to say we received a glowing report from the external inspector who was very impressed with our student training, portfolios and achievements. Last Wednesday I drove Jennifer to Exter as she had an interview for the Disney Cruise ship, she wasn’t to pleased with the interview so we will have to see what happens I was fancying a cruise from Florida around the Bahamas though. Jennifer also had a modelling shoot in Cardiff on Thursday afternoon so I spent a couple of hours in town and I have bought my dress for the Polo Match at Fonmon Castle on the 28th June there are 25 of us going and we have 3 spaces left so if your interested let me know. I had a new horse arrive yesterday on trial for myself, well it might be if I like it, I haven’t ridden it yet, too busy today. It’s approx 15.3hh, Coloured (dark bay and White) thoroughbred X. Today we held a Mini Hunter Trial competition and the weather was kind to us yet again. I decided to make less salad rolls this time as we had quite a few left over last time and today we sold out by lunchtime. We were busy today though with a good turn out of competitors. Everyone seemed to do very well and I only saw two falls one being Meg off Storm and the other Zoe off Eric again. I think it must be Zoe’s mission on Eric to be able to complete the course without falling off. I have to say I think Angharad and Sid were the stars of the day. Angharad has been through a rough time with Sid and has lost a lot of confidence. A couple of months ago things were at an all time low, Amelia suggested she schooled the pony for a couple of weeks and then taught Angharad and Sid in private lessons, over the space of a few of weeks they have changed completely. Today it was hard to believe that the same child who could barely get round a 1ft 9 show jumping course indoors completed the cross country course on Sid. Well done Angharad. Once again thanks to all that helped out we couldn’t do it without you. Tomorrow is the BHS Horse Owners Exams – Good luck to everyone sitting the exam and also we have the first musical ride practice tomorrow evening for the summer Open Day and BBQ which is 1pm Sunday July 12th this year. Tickets will be available this week.

May 31, 2009

BHS Stage 1 Dorset

Filed under: College, Home — Chris Rogers @ 3:03 am

‘Anyone wanna buy a Riding School’ I think I need a change of career. I took Jen and Paris down to Dorset on Thursday to take their BHS Stage 1 exam on Friday and we stayed over night in a B&B. So now I’m thinking this is the way to go, £60 a night for a double room with a bit of breakfat thrown in, in the morning, How hard can it be they don’t have to arrange lessons, organise pony club, train students, spend hours doing NVQ files, registers and other college pointless paperwork, organise and run competitions, print schedules, Sell useless horses, buy useless horses, ride useless horses, employ staff, get rid of staff, Feed and keep 33 horses and numerous other thankless tasks. As far as I can see, change the sheets, run the hoover round and a bog brush round the toilet cook the breakfast wash up and thats it ready for the next guests. Think I’ll be looking for a B&B. Jen and Paris took their exam at the RAC Saddle Club, Bovington, Dorset. Its a Military owned riding school which serves the public, It was very well run with 90 horses on the premises. The Military don’t actually ride at the riding school but train tank drivers there. Jen and Paris found it rather alarming to be riding in their Stage 1 and have tanks driving past and because they have a tank museum there Jen and Paris found themselves riding to the music from Phantom of the Opera during their exam. Not being able to observe any of the exam I don’t know how it went needless to say they both felt some parts went well and some parts didn’t go so well, we will have to wait a week for the results. I spent the morning in Weymouth which as a seaside resort was like a step back in time. The buildings, beach huts and railings on the beach front were very Victorian but the atmosphere reminded me of a miners trip to Barry island in the sixties – Candy floss, red white and blue beach huts, deckchairs, Punch and Judy, Open top Buses, and minature beach promenade train. Because the weather was hot the beach was packed by 10.30 with families marking out their 6ft square of sand and although quaint and intereesting for the day the thought of a weeks holiday there would be horrific. I managed a quick stop at Osmington to take a picture of the White Horse etched into the mountain and a short visit to Lulworth Castle before picking the girls up at 1pm. On the way back to the exam centre I found myself driving behind a tank with an L plate on which made me wonder what you do in a Tank driving test i.e roundabouts, traffic lights, 3 point turn, emergency stop or do you just have to prove you can drive over what ever is in front of you whilst firing a few rounds of ammunition. We left the exam centre at 1.15pm and arrived home at 7.15pm. 6 hours of being stuck in queues of holiday traffic I was not happy. That night we were invited to a birthday party, well 3 cans of lager and I fell asleep.

May 27, 2009

Countryside Alliance Point to point

Filed under: Home — Chris Rogers @ 1:37 am

I like to go to the local Point to Points but as they are usually on a Saturday its not always possible. The last one to be held in this area this year on Bank holiday Monday was the Countryside Alliance Point to Point, held at Bonvilston. Despite the ominous weather forecast after the lovely day we had on Sunday several of us decided to go, armed with coats and wellies, it wasn’t the nicest of days weather wise but at least the rain held off. We arrived just as the first race was finishing. I did my usual £1 each way on every race, managed to get a 2nd place in the second race and that was it. It always amazes me how people can gamble large amounts of money and by large I mean anything over a fiver. When I was about eight I put all my holiday money in the slot machines in an arcade on the first day of my holiday and lived to regret that decision when I had to spend the rest of the week penniless, so I think that cured any tendencies towards gambling at an early age. Sharon placed a £2 bet on the last race and won £20 although my horse was in the lead til the last 2 fences but then decided to walk home. We watched the first of the pony races before we left and Connor Flint won the 13.2 race followed by Oscar. Each time Ive been to a point to point this year Connor flint has won. Does anyone know if Oscar has ever beaten him? or if anyone has beaten Connor? Nice to see the kids doing so well though. I also thought the horses were in better condition this time than the previous point to point at Bonvilston, I don’t know whether this awful rain and wind we have been having had caused some severe weight loss but quite a few horses looked like dreadfully poor.