DMU Equestrian 2014 Naked Charity Calendar

Kimberley House RDA is DMU
Equestrian's nominated charity
for calendar proceeds.

They say that charity begins at home, and home for De Montfort University Equestrian Team begins at their nominated training yard Witham Villa Riding Centre in Broughton Astley. The ever growing society decided that once again they were going to ‘bare’ all in the name of charity to produce yet another naked calendar for 2014.

The charity chosen for proceeds to be donated towards is the RDA, the ‘Riding for the Disabled Association.’ Kimberley House RDA is a group that runs every week at Witham Villa Riding Centre changing the lives of people living with disability and really making a difference in their mental and physical well being. This great cause is held very close to home for some of our equestrian team members who have volunteered and worked alongside this charity both at home and at university, so the drive for sales is greater than ever.

The calendar first of all needed photographers and DMU Equestrian is extremely lucky to have two of De Montfort’s top photography students working alongside them for the year. Keegan Rigby and Zoe Nickola Walker had their cameras at the ready to shoot the calendar for our budding Equestrians. The 2013/2014 DMU Equestrian Committee were the first to be shot with some exciting dressage and show jumping photos to be taken, riding the horses that the teams train on every week allowing this years calendar to be the most personable and adventurous ever!

The number of girls who volunteered to do this years calendar was the biggest turnout ever with a mix of our top team riders, committee members and also our beginner group and social members. This reflects how much the society has grown and developed in the last few years with more and more people getting involved with Equestrian sport at De Montfort University. The day was a huge success and every single girl who took part left the yard with a smile on her face knowing that they have helped a really good cause. 

The calendar offered a good volunteering opportunity for the students and was also a chance for our society members to bond and have an inspiring day out doing something unique and for a good cause. Becky Shraga, one of the DMU Equestrian committee members said it was a “Fabulous day out for all with a lovely group of girls battling against the weather getting their kit off, all in the name of charity, a true display of teamwork from all.”

The society is hoping to sell a record number of calendars to make sure the charity benefits to the absolute maximum with calendars to go on sale for £5.00 each at Witham Villa, the DSU shop and through all of our Equestrian members. The true stars of the day were the DMU Equestrian girls who took part and their dedication and bravery to the charity sending a positive and empowering message to all young women about body image and being truly comfortable in your own skin. This is yet another inspiring impact of producing the calendar and DMU Equestrian are only too excited to reveal it in the coming weeks.

DMU Equestrian Promo at Witham Villa Riding Centre
Photography by Keegan Rigby and Zoe Walker

Check out our promo via Twitter and Facebook and please share and like to spread the word for this amazing cause!

@DMUEquestrian

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Horse Care Day 2013

As many avid Equestrian's will already appreciate, owning your own horse is no easy task, however rewarding it may be. On Thursday 7th of November 8 of DMU Equestrian's newest members and beginner rider's travelled up to yard for an alternative experience for a day of horse care and stable management. At DMU Equestrian the focus isn't just on riding, but also on the care and management of the horses and ponies we ride, with a lot to learn the day was to be a first for some who came with no prior knowledge of horse care at all!

Sarah Churchill with instructor Chan Martin
riding Breeze

The day started with some top demonstrations from the committee on how to groom including what brushes to use and how to safely put on a head collar and rug. The members paired up and were given a 30 minute grooming session to perfect and pretty up their ponies before riding later in the day showing off all the skills they have learnt. With four super groomed and turned out ponies, Chairperson Jenny Walker then gave two intriguing talks about feed and how to keep your horse or pony super healthy with a trip to the tack room to talk about all the equipment needed to ride!

The groups were then taken to have a 45 minute lesson with some excellent progress being shown by our weekly beginner rider's who are aiming to achieve their stages in the rainbow award scheme ran at Witham Villa. With some brilliant independent trot and walk work demonstrated by our new riders they all untacked independently and put some of the skills they acquired from the day to good use.

Amy Wright showing off her tack checking
skills with Suski

The team all got their hands dirty mucking out the ponies and haying them all in the afternoon, learning that having your own horse or pony is all about hard work in order to get all the rewards of riding. With the hard work all over and the day coming to a close, the rider's all went and had a well earned cup of tea before the award ceremony at the end of the day. The group were each given a certificate stating their completion of the horse care day with De Montfort as well as a red rosette to celebrate their hard work and development as equestrian enthusiasts!


This was a first for the committee who have never ran a horse care day before and judging by the smiles and satisfaction of the beginners who took part, it was a huge success. A special thanks as always to Witham Villa and the amazing staff including Chan Martin and Sarah Frisby who taught both groups on the day and are helping them on their way to becoming top riders.

Equestrian is a sport that has many highs and lows and requires a level of determination that cannot be taught simply through riding school tuition. It is the ability to be able to pick yourself up and carry on no matter what, without letting something as simple as falling off to get you down. Unlike most sports, Equestrian's rely upon a strong mental as well as physical capacity in order to help them progress as individuals. With high hopes for our beginner rider's DMU Equestrian is hoping to see them all progressing as much as possible with some potential team rider's for next year!

The successful team of the day with their well earned
certificates and rosettes.

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British Dressage Prelim

Today took a different turn for DMU Equestrian as two riders went off to compete in the unaffiliated British Dressage Preliminary classes at Witham Villa Riding Centre. Becky Shraga competed in the Prelim 18 with Willow and Jenny Walker in the Prelim 13 with Victor. The class includes the riding school horses from Witham Villa as well as local riders who travel in with their own horses to compete in the classes aswell.

An early start for all taking part as the preparations for dressage are rigorous with lots of plaiting, grooming and tack cleaning to make sure the horses are in tip top condition and look as smart as the riders competing. There was a varying numbers of competitors in each class with junior and senior classes taking place as well as affiliated and British Riding Club riders taking part throughout the day. As a registered British Dressage yard DMU Equestrian are very lucky to be able to compete at Witham Villa and two of our riders used their dressage horses to do their tests.

Becky Shraga and Willow in Prelim 18

Becky Shraga was the first rider for DMU to take part representing the university team in her DMU colours stock on Willow, a striking black Welsh Section D mare who is part of the riding school horses used at Witham. Her Prelim was the 18 test with lots of bending and serpentines to really test the fluidity and accuracy of both horse and rider with a soft contact to be maintained throughout. A lovely accurate test rode by both who are currently preparing for DMU Equestrian B Team home competition in just 3 weeks time at Witham Villa.

Jenny Walker and Victor in Prelim 13

Jenny Walker competed in the Prelim 13 with Victor, a Dutch Warmblood who has competed in Dressage in Holland. Jenny has rode Victor in various University BUCS competitions and today was her first British Dressage ride on him, a new experience for both parties. As a keen dressage rider, Jenny rode a very positive and accurate test, carrying Victor forward in all paces with a soft contact maintained throughout. This test included a give and re take of the reins as well as quick walk trot transitions meaning a strong forward leg is required to keep the fluidity and consistency within the horse throughout. A surprise was however gained as a result of her hard work and harmony with this charming gelding as she gained a fabulous 66.25% which pushed her to achieve the red ribbon coming first in the class.

As the last of the British Dressage competitions come to a close, February will see some more of our riders at DMU taking part in the Prelim and Novice classes hoping to gain some more confidence and success to lead into the BUCS season!

Captain's Log

A crucial aspect of being involved with BUCS Equestrian matches is the importance of organising home competitions which take place at Witham Villa Riding Centre, DMU Equestrian's nominated training yard. The role of sorting out these home competitions and fixtures lies with the team Captain and it is their primary job to ensure matches run smoothly and they support not just their own team, but the guest teams to the yard. Captain job roles include; sorting score sheets, ordering rosettes, catering for the other teams and finding an appropriate listed judge to score for the day.

DMU Equestrian are very lucky to have three full teams competing in BUCS and friendly matches this year along with three new Captains all raring to get out and start the season! Becky Shraga, Captain of the BUCS B Team this year is preparing for the start of her team's training, with their home competition just around the corner. Have a listen to her interview in the video link below to find out what DMU Equestrian have been up to and more about competing in the BUCS league.

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Tryouts 2013

What a busy, busy week for our Equestrian's! The start of the week beginning with our 2014 naked calendar shoot at Witham Villa with a very successful day for all and some very exciting photos to be revealed all in aid of Kimberley House RDA our nominated donor charity for the calendar proceeds. A promotion photo will be released very soon so keep an eye on all our pages for more info and calendars will be on sale as soon as they are ready for £5 each with half the proceeds going directly to our RDA group at Witham Villa.

The week came to head as the 2013 team tryouts were held on Wednesday 23rd of October with dressage and show jumping held in a BUCS competition style to put rider's to the ultimate test to see who would make it onto our DMU Equestrian A, B and C teams!

The dressage commenced at 9.30am (a very early start for everyone!) with rider's warming up to then go out and complete a 7 minute preliminary dressage test. The horses varied from 15hh cobs to 16.2 dutch warmbloods, a wide variety to suit all of our riders and test everyones ability to the max! Horses used included; Victor, Willow, Preston, Benji, Alice, Breeze and Holly B.The yard manager at Witham Villa, Verity Saul was the judge for the day and as a dressage expert was extremely pleased with the standard of riding displayed by all in the dressage phase of the competition.

The afternoon then started the show jumping round which consisted of 8 jumps varying from 90cm- 70cm in height depending on the team each rider was trying out for. The course had a double, spread, cross and straights with lots of corners and hard lines to ride with plenty of cantering also between fences ensuring a challenging ride for all involved. The horses used included; Harrison, Ben, Benji, Caesar and Breeze. Everyone excelled all expectations of both committee and yard staff as lots of clear rounds and high style marks were awarded across the board!

The day ended with Jenny Walker scoring highest in the dressage phase and Becky Shraga winning the jumping stage! After an exhausting day it was time for everyone to get their Troll hair sorted for our social in the evening at Bowstring, Marz Bar and the SU, with a good turnout from our team and social members. Looking forward to training commencing next week with the first B team competition just around the corner! A special thanks to Witham Villa for hosting our tryouts and giving us a fantastic day and Fidelity Group who have kindly sponsored our training this year. DMU Equestrian are hoping for some very promising results this year and are looking forward to the start of the season.

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Becky Shraga and Willow

Jenny Walker and Victor

Lorna Stahly and Alice

Clare Wilyman and Benji

Gabbi Berrill and Harrison

Gemma Elliott and Ben

DMU Equestrian Show Jumping Round

Gabbi Berrill & Harrison

BUCS BEGINS!

Getting closer and closer to the start of the season and rider's at DMU are raring to go with prospects of a very exciting BUCS year ahead of them. Training harder than ever this year to hopefully secure some top team and individual placings, DMU is ready to go with the biggest number of people trying out ever!

The BUCS competitions are something completely unique in the equestrian world of competing as riders do not compete on their own horses, but on riding school owned horses and ponies at different yards across the country. This eliminates one of the most controversial things to do with horse riding and competing, and this is the cost of competitions and having to own your own horse/ pony as within BUCS you HAVE to ride something different every single time! The competitions also run in teams of 4 with each university competing in a league against 3 other universities at every BUCS match. This is a great way to get to meet people who are fellow equestrian lovers from universities across the country, whilst getting to experience riding different horses at every yard.

Competition Basics

The matches consist of a preliminary standard dressage test; basic walk, trot, canter, circles, serpentines, change of rein, halt and loops. You are marked out of 10 for each movement performed and then collective marks are given for use of aids, rein, leg, transitions, balance, impulsion, suppleness etc. You draw the horse from a hat and are assigned a number as a rider, and then a letter for the horse, so you would be Rider 12 on Horse A for example. You are given 10 minutes for the first rider, and 7 minutes for the riders thereafter to warm up your horse in whichever manner you wish before going in to do your test. This requires riders to be confident in their ability to sit on any horse and perform the dressage, as well as a unique test of their independent riding skills.

The second phase is the show jumping which is drawn in the same manner with different horses who will all be shown around the course of jumps before being ridden by the BUCS competitors. Riders who go first have 7 minutes to warm up, and riders after have 5 minutes. The warm up will consist of 2 fences put to height that must be jumped a maximum of 4 times before beginning the show jumping round. Riders are marked on each fence out of 10, then on their use of rein, leg, aids, impulsion and suppleness in collective marks. Fences can include; dog legs, stiles, spread, cross poles, related distance, doubles and triples.

Riders are scored against the other people who ride the same horse from different universities meaning the marks are given a collective negative for the difference between scores. If you perform the best on your horse then you will have no negatives and be given a mark of 0. Rosette placings for individuals range from 1st to 6th so a big chance to win is always there, with every team getting team placed rosettes also.

Competition Wear/ Etiquette 

The importance of riding at other yards is something that is unique to BUCS but also a privilege. Riders must comply with all yard rules at other stables and also any rules regarding the way fences are jumped, and whip length/ spur use on horses. At DMU Equestrian we pride ourselves on our conduct and manners at competitions and always help out at other yards wherever we can with the horses or riders to make sure everyone has a fantastic day! Riders must always salute their judge after dressage and before show jumping with a cheeky smile never going a miss from DMU Equestrian.

Competition wear is as follows; 

Our BUCS C Team at Loughborough representing
DMU Equestrian very smartly!

Riders should be very smartly dressed with either tweed, navy or black show jackets.
White shirts must be worn with a tie or stock.
Breeches/ Jodhpurs must be white, pale yellow or fawn in colour.
Plain black or brown long boots, or jodhpur boots with matching leather gaiters/ chaps NOT suede.
Gloves are compulsary for dressage but optional for show jumping.
All riders must wear hats approved PAS 015:1998 / B.S.EN 1384:1997 or ASTM F1163.
Long hair must be neatly secured for both dressage and show jumping.
It is recommended (but not necessary) for riders to wear body protectors for show jumping to a minimum of BETA 2000 safety level 3.
Whip length may be any for dressage but a maximum of 75cm for jumping.

Our brand new DMU Colours Riding
Competition Stocks and Badges!
ORDER with us now!

BUCS is an amazing experience for anyone who loves competing, loves horses and wants to try something new! We are looking forward to having some top riders join us at DMU Equestrian with tryouts just over a week away!

Keep in touch with us

Twitter @DMUEquestrian
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We always appreciate any feedback or questions you may have and look forward to having a great BUCS YEAR!

Horses cure hangovers.

What a busy, busy few weeks at DMU Equestrian! Lots of exciting new riders, training and socials have all been happening in preparation for the real hard work that comes at team tryouts next week!

The week kicked off with the taster session that ran at Witham Villa, with an amazing turnout from people who have never sat on a horse, to experienced riders who have owned their own horses and competed. A fantastic day was had by all and the staff, horses/ ponies and the committee worked hard all day to make sure everyone enjoyed their first experience of DMU Equestrian life. The dedication of Witham Villa is something that is definitely a central part of running the society and without their amazing horses, hospitality and motivated staff, the success of DMU Equestrian would not be where it is today.

The week then took a turn to looking at people for our university teams and the tryouts, with a large range of riders all hoping to secure a spot on one of our prestigious teams. The first lesson before tryouts was a swop round on the flat, to look at everyone for dressage abilities and to see how everyone got on with various horses at the yard. With the style of BUCS this has proved a challenge to some of our young riders, but like any good horseman or woman getting down to business is certainly something that our hopeful riders were more than capable of. In order to ride a successful dressage test, riders must ensure accuracy in all movements as well as suppleness and roundness of their horse achieving a soft, flexing contact with balance and harmony between horse and rider. The following week shall test riders on their jumping capabilities in preparation for the show jumping round of the tryout session where riders must complete a course of jumps including; dog legs, stiles, spreads, related distance, triples and cross poles.

LIFEGUARD SOCIAL

The first social of the week kicked off with DMU Equestrian going all out to save some student lives as they dressed up in true Baywatch style as LIFEGUARDS! With a fantastic turnout and a really good night had by all with the following week only to get better with more games, more rules and more fun! Second social consisted of the girls sporting the best ARMY gear as social secretary Gemma Elliott whipped them all into shape with some hilarious antics, and her brand new megaphone!

So proving that through hard work comes reward, the Equestrian's are on a mission to have more fun, more thrills and more riders striving more than ever to be the best that DMU Equestrian can be. Keep your eyes and ears open, as there are big things to come from the Equestrian team this year!

ARMY SOCIAL

ARMY SOCIAL