THE Shakhoora Riding Stables Show Jumping Training Day took place on Friday. Its team constructed a show jumping course and invited all local stables to come along and participate.

There were no prizes, it was as it said on the tin, basically a training day so that both horses and riders could be reminded of how much fun it is to visit other stables to compete.

It also gave visitors a chance to get used to the paddocks, different fences, and to acquaint them with the stable.

After all, as a result of the outbreak of equine disease glanders, which has now been officially eradicated, no one had been to visit for some considerable time.

The morning, started innocuously enough, however, there were many of us that found the initial journey to the stable far more challenging than the actual riding, with the whole of the Saar area a no-go zone.

If you didn’t happen to live in Saar, getting to your horse to the event was certainly a test of dexterity. Suffice to say some riders were unable to attend.

For those lucky enough to make it, this was about going round the show jumping course and gaining confidence for both horse and rider. 

Riders could enter as many times in the same class on the same horse as they wished, they just had to pay BD1 each time for the pleasure.

The fences in the first class were set at 60cms and the course was colourful with a variety of different fences starting with a cross poles, followed immediately by yellow/red oxer. The turns to fences three and four, both uprights, was followed by a tight turn into what for many was the first ‘scary’ fence of the day, a bright red skinny ascending oxer.

Once that was negotiated it was on to the planks – a jump that can be a challenge to horses if they are not used to seeing them. After the planks it was round to another oxer.

Next up there was a steep left turn to a single pole upright, which was followed by the penultimate fence – a bright blue/white oxer.

Whilst all of this sounds simple enough, when you take into consideration the new surroundings, it has the potential for the normal to be quite terrifying and fences that horses would normally not blink at to suddenly becoming menacing! 

However, it would appear that on Friday, all the horses were just very happy to be out, all jumping exceptionally well.

Both young Luna Dreyer and Bella Rushton put the training class to good use, both riding Red excellently round the course. Bella also rode a lovely round on Eid, and Luna with Fine Art.

The older girls also participated with their horses.Mariella Forward astride Mandella, Lucy Lunt Bell rode her first round on a Rakard, their second round was much improved. Manon Cote with Sirocco completed the course beautifully.

Lydia Martin also found the training useful while riding Woody, a lovely jumper who took reassurance from his rider. The pair went a second time and the round was executed with pizazz. Keshia Smith carefully guided Breeze and Virginie Dreyer took to the arena with Athos on their external show jumping debut.

The majority of riders in the first class also went on to participate in the second, moving up to the 80cms class. The course remained the same, the fences were raised, the blue/white oxer became a ‘Liverpool’ jump with a ditch or water tray underneath it.

This class definitely proved a bit more of a challenge for even some of the hardened show jumping horses.

This was a debut round for Luna Dreyer who had not jumped a course of this height before. Riding Fine Art the pair rode superbly, most definitely show jumping stars of the future.

Of the many riding this course Jerri Taylor, one of the organisers of the days event, dexterously steered one of her mounts of the day Tornado around.

The final class of the morning was a course of 100cms jumps. Riders in this class included Stephane Dreyer riding Angel, Kate Addison riding The Chief, Debbie Kamal riding Aztec, Helen Blake riding Loki, Sarah Al Mutawa riding Bart, Ashraf Atabani with Uno Van De Zannehoeve and Jerri Taylor now riding Airforce One. Probably the best round of the morning came from young Rania Hanbali riding Bingo, the pair gave a faultless display. 

After a wonderful morning all that remained was to thank the hosts of the event. It was a brilliant morning, with just about everyone going home with smiles on their faces.
Shakhoora Riding Stables, will be holding a show jumping competition in December, as soon as we can give you more information we will do so.

For details, contact the stable on 17591103.


*Twin Palms Riding Centre (TPRC) is all set for a marathon weekend, firstly their equestrian based marathon relay team will take to the roads on Friday.

On Saturday, there will be another show jumping event . The event will start at 9am, with the following classes: Clear Round for Beginners, Green Horse/Rider with fences at 40cms, followed by another Clear Round class open to all at 60cms.
 
Class 3 will be one round, fences standing at up to 80cms. The final class of the morning is an accumulator with varying fences up to 100cms, and an optional joker.

For details, call 39566809 or email Twin.Palms.Riding.School@hotmail.com