Looking back, but moving forward: 2013 review

What a year it has been in the equestrian world. With lots of firsts, triumphs, thrills and spills across British equestrian sport and disciplines with Team GB leading the forefront of the equine success story. This success has meant British equestrian sport is now not just internationally recognised, but internationally honoured and respected with leading competitors in dressage, show jumping, eventing and Paralympic events. This drive to get equestrian sport out there is something that has been reflected in the student population of De Montfort University, who have been determined to push equestrian sport at university to the front of sporting disciplines. The committee for DMU Equestrian have worked hard this year to set in stone the importance and value of this amazing sport and have had the best success ever so far this year. With a record number of sign ups at the freshers fair kicking things off, the number of rider's who signed to tryout was also the best that DMU has ever seen with lots of positive engagement from the students and other sports teams at the university.

Some of the DMU team rider's at the christmas gymkhana games

The club have worked on developing the number of rider's who come to Witham Villa by holding events for beginners such as the very successful horse care day, that allowed beginner rider's to take part and learn basic horse care skills. Dressage demonstration from Verity Saul, the yard owner and dressage rider at Witham Villa was something that inspired all of our team rider's to get back into the saddle and take the reins to do their very best in the dressage discipline. The fun gymkhana day at the end of term was an alternative way for the team rider's to let off some steam after a successful season competing so far this year. The commitment to training for the competitive teams has been improved by the generous funding from Fidelity Group who have sponsored the BUCS teams in their fight to push for bigger, better results. Alongside this, the society have created their most successful naked charity calendar to date, with a record number of sales and the most exciting and adventurous photos ever seen. The club hosted a 'Night at the Races' charity launch night for the calendar at Bowstring bar in Leicester with horse and dog races, student drinks with donations to charity and calendar sales. The night was a huge success with a great turnout from other societies, sports teams and students who all dressed to impress in order to help support the RDA, a fantastic local group Kimberley House who support and improve the lives of people living with disability through horse riding care and therapy.

The 2013/2014 Committee at the Naked Calendar Launch

The support has been continued through the award winning student media, 'The Demon', with the radio and newspaper offering their full support to the equestrian's with regular features to allow them to promote their sport and keep the student population up to date on their activities. The integration of the sport into different areas of the university has been key to the success they have achieved so far this year, as well as the development and support of their home yard and the trainers and staff working with them. With two home competitions under their belt and lots of positive individual results, the team is positively engaging with the desire to achieve the best results possible to make equestrian sport at DMU better than ever. With 2014 just around the corner, DMU Equestrian have already got their competition preparations in place for next year with some equi-pilates classes set for January to get the team fighting fit for the next set of fixtures. The development of their BUCS rider's will be focussed on in preparations for this year's Varsity match against Leicester university as DMU fight to get the best team ready to go and compete in the biggest event of the year and get the best results possible.

It's safe to say that Equestrian is not just a developing sport at DMU, but the fastest expanding sport in Britain with more and more people getting involved in all things horse in sport. This success can be measured by the amazing triumph of none other, than the leading lady herself, Charlotte Dujardin. The double Olympic champion and her prolific partner, Valegro gained the biggest success of their career at the 2013 Olympia dressage freestyle championships. The 28 year old achieved a record breaking 93.975% in her last ever performance of the dressage test that grasped her gold in 2012. Dujardin is a reflection of the true hard work and dedication that the sport requires, her near perfect score at yesterday's Olympia freestyle signifies a key moment in equestrian history for Britain, and a well earned achievement for both horse and rider. As Olympia continues, Team GB look for more success stories with the puissance and show jumping just around the corner. Who will win the Christmas Cracker? I know DMU Equestrian will be watching to make sure they find out first.

World number 1, Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro @Olympia

Acknowledgements 

A final massive thank you to Witham Villa and all of the staff and horses who have supported us and are helping every single rider reach their own individual goals and achieve their equestrian dreams. To our sponsors, Fidelity Group for helpign us to achieve this by sponsoring our BUCS team rider's allowing them to work towards a positive future. A final thank you to everyone who has supported us with our riding, competitions, photography, charity work and society, we are ever anticipating the start of 2014!

Keep up to date with us via Twitter @DMUEquestrian and let us know all your horsey happenings over the Christmas period!

Trotting to the top - BUCS A Team Match Review

As the first term comes to a close for De Montfort, Wednesday 4th of December saw the last of the A team fixtures at Witham Villa Riding Centre with DMU Equestrian finishing, what has already been a successful year on home ground. With dressage and show jumping training now happening every week, the team were anxious to get out there and show off all their hard work over the past few months, since their victorious success at Sheffield University just a few weeks ago.

Jenny Walker and Monty

The team to represent DMU at home comprised of four top rider's; Jenny Walker, Clare Wilyman, Gemma Elliott and Georgia Aston who at their recent BUCS competition came back with some fantastic individual and team results for De Montfort. The team were hoping for the same successful streak to follow them back home to compete with some never before seen horses being used for the first time in BUCS for De Montfort. Judge of the day Richard Baldwin, a regular dressage judge at Witham Villa anticipated a great day of showing ahead for all the teams competing in the university league and was excited to be working alongside the university rider's for the day

Georgia Aston and Todd

The teams competing included some of the top British universities for equestrian sport with Loughborough, Nottingham and Nottingham Trent all part of the big BUCS league alongside De Montfort. With the regularity of training and focus dedicated to improving upon individual needs and goals, De Montfort were in for a promising day to gain some high scores and top results with the standard of riding higher than ever before. The dressage set for the day included some of Witham's top dressage horses, some that have competed up to medium regional level, a standard of exceptional dressage performance.

Clare Wilyman and Dexter

Monty- A stunning, 16.2hh bay gelding bred right on Witham's doorstep. Monty has qualified for the British Dressage summer regionals at Preliminary level and currently competes BD novice and elementary level dressage.
Victor- One of De Montfort's favourite dressage boys, the gorgeous 16.1hh gelding, Victor. Imported from Holland in 2012, Victor has competed in all disciplines and is being schooled currently to further his dressage. Victor qualified for the Preliminary senior regionals with Jenny Walker and is set to have a bright and promising dressage career ahead of him!
Todd- A lovely 15.2hh bay gelding, also imported from Holland. Todd has evented prior to coming to Witham and this was to be his first ever BUCS competition.
Dexter- 15.2hh Irish sport, the cheeky chestnut gelding Dexter is a horse who has competed in numerous BUCS competitions over the past 2 years. He has competed in Prelim and Novice level dressage never gaining less than 60% in all of his tests. A stunning horse with some impressive paces, one to watch for in the future.

The dressage commenced at 10am, with some fabulous and accurate tests displayed from all the teams, with De Montfort gaining some very impressive scores. Savvy show jumper, Gemma Elliott rode Victor and trotted out of the arena with 72.8%, a massive achievement for both horse and rider who were ecstatic with the result.

Gemma Elliott and Victor

With the sunshine continuing into the afternoon, the show jumping phase was ready to commence at 1pm. Some of the horses from the B team home competition including; Harrison, Ben and Caesar were to compete again with the new addition of Benji, the bold, bay thoroughbred who has competed in numerous university competitions and finished in 3rd place at the BHS Riding Schools Final in 2013.

The course comprised of 8 fences including; a dog leg, double, related distance and two spreads all set at 90cm BUCS league match height. There were some impressive and clear rounds displayed from all the teams, and the day finished on a high for everyone involved, after an intense few weeks of training by all who took part, finally paying off in the end with the rosette ceremony highlighting some of the highest scores of the season so far.

With the season coming to a close, DMU Equestrian set their sights to next year and the start of the 2014 BUCS matches. A huge improvement has been displayed from all the rider's and the promise of more individual and higher team placings is still the aim for all of our BUCS competitors. A massive congratulations to all the A team rider's for their achievement at their home yard as we continue to see them grow and develop more positively as a team.

CONGRATULATIONS TO DMU A TEAM:

Jenny Walker

Gemma Elliott

Clare Wilyman 

Georgia Aston

Clare Wilyman and Harrison

Georgia Aston and Benji

Don't forget to keep up with all the latest horsey happenings on Twitter @DMUEquestrian and via our Facebook page 'DMU Equestrian Society'

BUCS B Team saddle up for the season at home

Becky Shraga and Willow

Wednesday 27th of November saw De Montfort Equestrian Team host the first home competition of the year at Witham Villa Riding School and the first league match for the BUCS B Team universities. De Montfort have been training hard in preparation for the day with the A Team BUCS home match to be closely followed on the 4th of December.

Gabbi Berrill and Breeze

The team competing on the day comprised of  four of DMU's top rider's who have all been working hard at home to ensure the best results possible. The team is headed by none other than DMU Equestrian's, Becky Shraga, a committee member for the past two years, and fierce competitor who has watched DMU Equestrian grow and develop as a successful society in the last three years. Becky has been working hard all summer competing in British Dressage at home to enable her to come back ready to push her team into action for the BUCS season ahead. Helen Whittle was the first fresher to join the B team this year hoping to build upon her dressage skills and represent DMU by competing for the university. The bold blondie was extremely enthusiastic about joining the team after competing on her own horse in various show jumping disciplines prior to coming to De Montfort, and has found herself to be right at home with the girls at DMU Equestrian. The second fresher to join B team is Lizzie Mole, who has been an avid equestrian her whole life with her own horses at home, but was out to try something new and gain some extra experience in both dressage and show jumping to further herself in the competitive equestrian world. The final team member was Gabbi Berrill, also a committee member who rode alongside Becky Shraga on the C team last year both acting as true examples of the progress and success equestrian can offer riders who want to get themselves back into competing but in a totally new environment and style.

With a solid team ready to go, DMU Equestrian were raring to start off the season at their home yard, competing alongside some of the top universities for equestrian sport in the country including; Loughborough, The University of Leicester and The University of Nottingham.

B Team Captain Becky Shraga and Willow

With the weather on their side, a perfect sunny morning saw the dressage commence from 9.30am with some top horses in use including;
Spider, the chestnut gelding schoolmaster who has competed up to elementary level dressage.
Breeze, a stunning bay gelding and one of Witham's newest horses and a firm favourite amongst the DMU rider's who competes in all Pony Club and Prelim Dressage activities currently.
Willow, a striking Welsh section D black mare, who has competed at Witham Villa in various dressage competitions and is being schooled to further her jumping.
Dexter, a lovely chestnut gelding who has competed in dressage with yard manager Alison West and is becoming a regular horse used for team training with DMU Equestrian since coming back into work.

B team all rode extremely well in the dressage with some pleasing rounds and very high collective marks displayed from all! All of the rider's beat their team tryout scores showing a definite improvement in the regularity of team training occurring once a week now as a result of the generosity of Fidelity Group's sponsorship. Becky Shraga took the leading score for DMU with an impressive 66.4% on Willow, a very positive result for both horse and rider.

Gabbi Berrill and Harrison

After a short break for lunch, the horses for the jumping phase were shown around the course which included a dog leg, double, two spreads and a related distance to challenge the rider's ability to the max. The horses used for jumping were a mixture of 16hh thoroughbreds right through to 14hh ponies.
Ben, a 16.2hh bay gelding, imported form Holland who has competed in affiliated dressage, pony club activities, cross country and BHS Riding School registered competitions.
Harrison, a dark bay gelding who is a definite favourite for DMU Equestrian, competing in dressage and show jumping disciplines since coming to Witham Villa.
Preston, a super pony who competes regularly in pony club activities and dressage, who is always eager to please all who ride him.
Caesar, a 16.2hh bay gelding, who has competed at Witham alongside DMU for a number of years, as well as in affiliated dressage and all pony club/ show jumping activities.

DMU Equestrian rode positively with lots of clear rounds in the show jumping, with top score for DMU coming from Gabbi Berrill on Harrison closely followed by her team mates who all beat their tryout scores again! Despite coming team 4th place, the B team girls did a fantastic job at representing DMU and have all had personal bests and successes of their own for the day. As the first competition of the year, the team couldn't have done DMU Equestrian prouder with a solid set of results displayed at the end of the day from all. The team carry on their hard work and training in preparation for their next competition at The University of Nottingham in a few weeks time.

CONGRATULATIONS AND WELL DONE AGAIN TO DMU EQUESTRIAN BUCS B TEAM;

BECKY SHRAGA (Captain) 

GABBI BERRILL

LIZZIE MOLE

HELEN WHITTLE

A massive thank you to everyone who came and supported on the day as well as all the committee members and Witham Villa for being fabulous hosts as always. Another huge thank you to Fletch Photography who captured the day for DMU Equestrian with lots of stunning photos of our rider's and horses.

Photography Copyright of @FletchPhotography

Lizzie Mole and Ben

Helen Whittle and Preston

A Team success at Sheffield BUCS match

Friday 22nd of November saw De Montfort's A team head off to Sheffield University to compete in the first BUCS fixture of the season! The match was against Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham University and Sheffield University with a very, very early start for De Montfort who trekked their way up the M1 to Sheffield's home yard for what was set to be a very exciting day for all. With weekly training occurring at Witham Villa on a Wednesday, DMU A team have been working hard the past few weeks to enable them to be as prepared as possible for the first lot of fixtures this term.

A Team; Jenny Walker, Georgia Aston, Clare Wilyman
and Gemma Elliott

The team that represented De Montfort comprised of Jenny Walker, A team Captain and Chairperson for DMU Equestrian who has been pushing all of the girls at training this year to ensure the best results possible. Gemma Elliott, the feisty show jumper from Northern Ireland whose usual duties include giving the girls at DMU Equestrian a top night out as social secretary for the club. Clare Wilyman, Kit Officer and Treasurer on the committee who has been working hard all summer with her own horses at home to train for the high standard of riding displayed from the participating universities as she previously competed on the A team last year. Last, but by no means least, Georgia Aston, one of DMU Equestrian's newest members who has owned horses and competed at home prior to joining the team, but this was to be her first ever competition in BUCS!

As to be expected, nerves were high and the pressure was on to gain DMU some valuable points on that BUCS score board. The morning commenced with the dressage phase and all of the rider's drew their horses and got ready to complete their Prelim standard test after only 7 minutes to get to grips with their ride. A difficult and challenging ask for all who rode with little time to work their horse before entering the arena. A very solid set of scores from our A team rider's but the tough competition meant De Montfort were placed last after the Dressage phase and knew they all had to fight for that win back with their jumping rounds giving them more drive than ever to bring it back.

Gemma Elliott gained an impressive 8th
individual place at Sheffield University.

The jumping commenced in the afternoon with DMU determined to gain back their rightful place and pull some top scores out. With lots of 8s, 9s, and 10s being awarded the fight for places and top marks was to be the biggest challenge yet for A team. Gemma Elliott and Jenny Walker however, gained astonishing marks with 211 out of 220 for Jenny, and 209 out of 220 for Gemma in the jump phase. A fabulous display of jumping by all meant De Montfort secured themselves a 3rd place Team win! A fantastic result of all the hard work and training put in by the team in the past few weeks, beating the prestigious Nottingham University by 15 points. Not only was this a massive achievement, but the girls gained two individual placings of 6th and 8th, from two of our committee members, who were delighted with the day.

Captain, Jenny Walker was ecstatic with the results and commented saying;

"The whole team rode so well in both the dressage and jumping phases. The competition was really high (and so were the nerves!) but all our riders upped their game and rode the best I have ever seen them so far this year! Gaining 3rd team place and two individuals is a positive reflection of all the hard work and dedication of the team so far, we hope to continue to bring good results back and carry on doing De Montfort proud."

Georgia Aston, the only fresher joining the A team had this to say;

"As the only fresher on the A Team, I was very nervous of taking part in our first competition. Initially I was worried that there would be a lot of pressure to perform, however my team mates were fantastic and very relaxed about the whole day, helping me out every step of the way. We had a positive attitude towards the whole competition and had a fantastic day. The experience was made even better by coming away with a good dressage score and a brilliant clear round in the jumping as well as team 3rd for DMU and two individual placings! I can now look forward to our upcoming home competition and hopefully another good result for the A team."

DMU Equestrian are definitely proving themselves to be one to watch out for this year, with the A team success only reinforcing this further. At the forefront of sport at De Montfort, Equestrian are looking forward to the up coming B team home competition and the launch of the naked calendar in the next few weeks hoping to gain more success for both competitors and charity.

A special thanks to Fidelity Group, who sponsor our weekly team training sessions, and also Witham Villa Riding Centre who continue to work with us pushing for the best results possible. The committee are working hard to ensure a successful BUCS season and that results are continually improving and Equestrian is striving to be the best they can be in all disciplines. The team were all proudly representing De Montfort in their DMU red and black stocks that gained a very positive reception from the opposing teams.

CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO A TEAM:
GEMMA ELLIOTT
GEORGIA ASTON
JENNY WALKER and
CLARE WILYMAN

Tweet us @DMUEquestrian and keep up with the latest Equestrian gossip at DMU.

Georgia Aston

Gemma Elliott

Jenny Walker

Clare Wilyman

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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@DMUEquestrian
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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.

Don't forget to keep up to date with us via Twitter @DMUEquestrian

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.

Keep up to date and Tweet us @DMUEquestrian

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
Facebook DMU Equestrian Society

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

Freshers Week!

So it begins... week one for DMU Equestrian back at De Montfort University and what a week it has been! 

This week has kicked off with the Freshers Fair at De Montfort outside the Students Union on Thursday the 26th of September with a very early start for all involved. With a record number of signups the day was extremely exciting and very promising for DMU Equestrian starting the year off in the best way anyone could've hoped for! 

Interest from students was very positive indeed, with everyone on campus talking about us and interested in finding out more about our amazing society and what we do. The most insightful part of the day was our society being approached by a drama lecturer who works alongside Arden RDA, who had heard about us on campus and has asked for our help in volunteering for Riding for the Disabled. This is an opportunity that we could only have dreamed for as being a small society, to be able to have such a positive impact upon the community within our sport is what DMU Equestrian is all about. 

We were joined this year by a new, up and coming society, DMU Polo Team, who also gained some promising interest at this years Fresher's fair and we look forward to working with them this year to boost the Equestrian sport profile at DMU even more. 

The day ended with DMU Equestrian heading out for the Bonkerz Bar Crawl and showing everyone how we work hard, and definitely play even harder! This week we begin our year with the Meet and Greet session on Monday 30th September at 7.30pm and our Taster session running on Wednesday 2nd October at Witham Villa Riding Centre. Until then, feel free to contact us and ask any questions you may have! 

TWITTER- @DMUEquestrian

FACEBOOK- LIKE 'DMU Equestrian Society'

Left to Right
Gemma Elliott- Social Sec. Jenny Walker- Chairperson. Clare Wilyman- Treasurer and Kit Officer.
Gabbi Berrill- Secretary & Becky Shraga - Health and Safety.

Horsey Harmonies

Being on a DMU Equestrian team requires riders to be skilled in two disciplines; dressage and show jumping.

BUCS University level dressage is a Preliminary test standard that consists of basic walk, trot and canter transitions with circles, serpentines, loops and rein changes throughout. Training for dressage differs from show jumping as it requires a more concentrated focus on rounding the horse and following an accurate, forward test. Riders are marked out of 10 for their ability to complete a set exercise within the test for each transition, and collective marks are then given for effective use of aids, responsiveness of horse, rider position and overall style.

Warming up the horse is extremely important, and doing this correctly can affect marks and the grading of your test. A focus should be on getting the horse to respond to your aids and be forward off the leg from the word go, so no room for error can occur. Transitions are significant in helping both horse and rider to quickly get adjusted to one another and will allow the rider to figure out the manner of the horse which they are riding (whether they are forward or perhaps need more of a push on!) Getting the most out of the horse in a short amount of time is the key to BUCS dressage riding, and gaining a sense of how to ride your test interdependently on the horse you a given is probably the hardest skill to learn!

Gaining suppleness and flexion in the horse is something that comes from learning the art of dressage, getting them to round and soften for you without a fight and carry themselves forward in any medium. A secure position with correct leg, supple hands, deep seat and balance is key to mastering a dressage test of any level. Judges will look for a harmony between rider and horse and an acceptance of the horse to ride forward, with the bit and not fighting against the rider's aids as this creates a messy test and loss of precious marks!

This is why our A, B and C teams train every week on different horses to get to grips with riding different horses and getting the most out of them in a short space of time.

Here are some of our riders in action at Varsity 2013, riding horses from Witham Villa Riding Centre.

Charlotte Foxell on Spider

Clare Wilyman and Dexter

Gabbi Berrill and Preston

Gemma Elliott and Jay

Hannah Slinn and Willow

Jenny Walker and Victor

Been there... Jumped that.

So, getting more and more exciting news every single day at DMU Equestrian and some fanstastic new partners and sponsors have been gained for next year joining us on our horsey journey! 

Feeling optimistic is something that we Equestrians are only far too familiar with, as every single feeling and impulse the rider has travels down those reins to your horse. A positive rider and a positive attitude makes for a comfortable and happy horse, and from previous experience, it is the most valuable lesson I have learned to gain the trust of a horse/ pony. This is only too significant when show jumping, as the horse relies upon you as much as you do them when approaching that fence and without a forward, fresh and focussed approach success is even more difficult to reach.

The key elements to make a successful show jumping round are mainly to do with the rider and their mental and physical approach to the challenge ahead. You should prepare your horse by warming him/her up in a balanced manner to ensure the best chance of manoeuvring around those tricky corners, especially if you end up in a jump off situation where accuracy is just as important as speed. Transitions are extremely vital to get your horse/pony listening to your aids and to gain the best response from them, a firm and consistent leg is required at all times, not just for rider benefit but so your horse/ pony knows what you are asking from them. A fence should be approached independently, with a straight line, accurate stride and forward jump position over to allow your horse to lengthen and stretch, with the hocks engaged fully over the fence. Landing requires preparation from both rider and horse as the rider must adopt a deeper seat once over the fence and direct their horse forward nice and firmly, with the correct canter lead taken to approach the next fence on the course.

So show jumping is a discipline that must be taken as seriously as any other, as it requires just as much mental preparation and planning as a dressage test, with the added adrenalin of jumping those fences! At DMU Equestrian we have had a fantastic year of jumping, with some of our riders managing to beat even their own expectations and surprising everyone with bigger, and better jump rounds! So here are a few cheeky snaps of our riders in action at this years varsity against Leicester University and some of the fabulous ponies and horses we get to ride. They vary from 15hh cheeky cobs to 16.2hh thoroughbred eventers imported specially from Holland and yet they all look absolutely amazing proving that with hard work and dedication, any horse can be a BUCS league champion!

Becky Shraga with Preston

Gabbi Berrill and Charm

Clare Wilyman and Benji

Gemma Elliott and Jay

Hannah Slinn and Harrison

Jenny Walker and Ben