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What the Hec is Trec!? - Read all about it here
Trec news is posted below with the most recent news item at the top.
The challenges of BHS TREC to reach new heights at the 2008 Welsh Championships Competitors can look forward to some new challenges at the BHS TREC Welsh Championships this year, especially in the Level 3 and 4 POR sections, which will include some work at higher altitude, with steep climbs and descents. Held in the Brecon Beacons National Park, the various stages of the competition have been specially designed to make the most of the natural challenges of the undulating landscape. It should produce a fascinating competition with the Welsh riders and their local knowledge pitched against the top BHS TREC competitors from the rest of the UK. One competitor who should be well-accustomed to the Brecon Beacons terrain is Hereford-based rider Maddy Jacob. Maddy recently won the Level 4 class at the BHS TREC Scottish Championships in Lanarkshire with her Welsh Section C pony, Taffechan Princess and will be hoping to repeat her success on what is almost 'home-ground’. Pauline Crossland and Theresa Nazer will also fancy their chances, the combination won the Level 2 Pairs title at the BHS TREC Welsh Championships in both 2006 and 2007 and will be going for a hat-trick. However, this year the pair are tackling the more challenging Level 3 Pairs class composing a longer and more complex orienteering phase and a more testing PTV obstacle section. The Championships, held on 19-20 July, will offer classes for Level 2 and 3 Individuals and Pairs, and Level 4 Individuals. Sharon Bruce, local organiser, said: “We are working hard to provide challenging and interesting riding routes to show off the Brecon Beacons to its best and are looking forward to welcoming everyone to Triley Fields” Triley Fields Equestrian Centre is situated in 380 acres of pastureland on the South Eastern edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, offering riders breathtaking views. Helen Owens, Senior Executive BHS Competitions said: “We are looking forward to utilising the excellent facilities available at Triley Fields. Competitors can expect some fantastic riding and scenery on the Welsh/English border.” The Championship schedule is now available to download from the BHS website, www.bhs.org.uk. Alternatively you can obtain one by contacting the BHS Competitions Office on 01926 707831 / 707740. For further information and pictures, please contact: Fiona Thurnell, The British Horse Society, 01926 707831 or f.thurnell@bhs.org.uk |
Above - Herefordshire's Maddy Jacob - Level 4 class at the BHS TREC Scottish Championships in Lanarkshire with her Welsh Section C pony, Taffechan Princess |
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Size did not matter for Herefordshire's Maddy Jacob at the BHS TREC Scottish Championships. Maddy proved bigger isn’t necessarily better by riding one of the smallest competing ponies to take the Level 4 Individual title at the 2008 BHS TREC Scottish Championships. Maddy and her 13.1hh Welsh Section C, Taffechan Princess, fought off competition from the likes of former World Champion David Hay-Thorburn to win the highest competition level in BHS TREC. Maddy said: "I was thrilled with Scotland! It certainly made the miles home much easier. It was a good one for Taffie as the going was favourable for her. She had an adventurous time in Scotland - I did fear on Friday that we had overdone it but she was fine for the vet and A1 at the start. She had been attacked by mad Highland ponies on Wednesday (they pack a serious punch) and gone belly deep in a bog on Thursday. Still, you can't wrap ponies in cotton wool even if they are competing in championships!" Read more here. More than 70 riders travelled to South Lanarkshire for the championships, which were hosted by Hyndshawland Farm Stables, a BHS approved centre set in breathtaking Lanarkshire countryside.Carolyn Macdonald, Chairman of the Scottish TREC Advisory Group (STAG) said: “We are fortunate to have been able to hold the Championships at such a beautiful venue, and we are grateful to Mike and Dot Still for being such gracious hosts”. Another great performance from reigning champion Alex Wells saw her regain her Level 3 Individual title with Thoroughbred, Toffee, while the Level 3 Pairs was won by husband and wife combination Sheila and Dave Rogerson riding Jakeal and Second Edition. The couple, who both work in education, had to rush up to the venue once school had finished for the weekend.A win in the Level 2 Individual Championship with Ramova was great consolation for Marie Metcalf after the disappointment of having to withdraw from this class last year . Heather Adam took second place, securing the STAG Trophy donated by the STAG committee members for the highest score achieved by a Scottish-born rider, resident in Scotland. The Level 2 Pairs was won by Julia Izzard and Clare Reynolds, justifying their lengthy trip up from Kent! For the first time at a Championship, Level 1 classes were included. These proved to be a resounding success and included competitors who had never before competed in BHS REC. At just 16 years of age, Level 1 Individual winner Jade Peace riding Breeze, looks to be a really promising hope for the future. In the pairs, the honours went to Susan Clarke and Janey Rorison riding Cayman and Buddy despite the fact that this was Susan’s first attempt at BHS TREC! Helen Owens, Senior Executive, BHS Competitions said: “There was such a great buzz surrounding this Championship. I was very impressed with the level of competition – well done to all the prize winners. We would like to thank the STAG committee for their hard work and all the judges and volunteers that helped to make the Championship such a great success.”The event was kindly supported by The Worshipful Company of Saddlers, Performance Equestrian, Argyll Trail Riding, Making Strides, Exactive Limited, JG Machinery, Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Scott Rose (Farrier) and The Pony Riders Association. A full list of results are now available on the competitions and events section of the BHS website www.bhs.org.uk |
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Chevron BHS TREC Welsh Championships to take place in Pembrokeshire
Local and International riders will contest the Chevron BHS TREC Welsh Championships at Cott Farm in Pembrokeshire on the 16-17 June 2007.
Situated near Narberth, Cott Farm offers competitors the chance to ride in stunning scenery, across tranquil farmland and through the quiet wooded valleys surrounding the Eastern Cleddau estuary, with its views of the Preseli Mountains and the sea.
The sport of BHS TREC challenges the partnership of horse and rider across a broad range of skills including orienteering on the first day, when competitors can be out for six or seven hours using all their map reading abilities to correctly follow a set route of up to 45 kilometres in length tackling varied terrain.
The emphasis on day two is on the riding skills of the competitor and the versatility of the horse as they negotiate varied obstacles around a challenging course at the venue, and show off their control of paces. Sunday is an ideal spectator day and admission is free.
Classes at BHS TREC Championships start at Level 2, catering for riders new to the sport, competing either as pairs or individually. Classes continue up to Level 4 for the most advanced competitors, testing the ability and fitness of both horse and rider.
BHS TREC competitions place a strong emphasis on having fun in a friendly atmosphere, while still being highly competitive.
Helen Owens, BHS Competitions and Tourism Senior Executive, said: “Being Pembrokeshire born and bred I am delighted that the 2007 BHS TREC Championships will kick off at Cott Farm in Pembrokeshire, which is a wonderful venue with picturesque surroundings which the competitors are sure to enjoy.”
The event is kindly supported by Chevron, South Essex Insurance Brokers, Performance Equestrian, Pembrokeshire Equestrian, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Pembrokeshire County Council, Haverfordwest Town & Country Stores, Coastal Cottages of Pembrokeshire and the Worshipful Company of Saddlers.
For further information, please contact: Fiona Thurnell, BHS Competitions Department, on 01926 70 7831 / 7740 or email competitions@bhs.org.uk
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Local TREC participants were selected for last year's (2006) European Championships, held on Exmoor .
The British team of four were drawn from the squad below and the remaining eight competed as individuals. Madeleine Jacob, Fownhope, Herefordshire (photo: right)
Paul Turner, Brecon, Powys
Caroline Brammer, Shrewsbury
Hilary Barnard, from Bristol Julian Brown, Bury St Edmunds
Jennie Free, Micheldever, Hampshire
David Hay-Thorburn, Argyll
Lorna Holden, Isle of Mull
Anthea Kendrick, Windermere
Deborah Swan, Blackfield, Hampshire |
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Nations entered for the championships were Great Britain, Holland, Portugal, France, Eire, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Spain, plus non-European entries in the Open class from Canada and the USA.
The Championships were organised by a local committee on behalf of the British Horse Society. For more information, visit www.equinetourism.co.uk and www.eurotrec.com
Hot competition at the BHS TREC Welsh Championships
The sun blazed down on more than 100 riders who competed in the BHS TREC Welsh Championships, held at Tregoyd Mountain Riding Holidays on 17-18 June.
Scorching weather matched the hot competition with locally based Paul Turner taking the testing Level 4 Individual class and advertising his claim for a place in the British team at the European TREC Championships at Exmoor in September.
Paul rode his home-bred part-Welsh Cob, Magic, to victory, with Deborah Swan from Hampshire (Henley’s Rocket) coming in second and 2005 winner Hilary Barnard (Rhinefield Impulse) from Bristol in third place.
The first day’s mounted orienteering saw competitors tackling up to 40km of testing Black Mountain terrain in breathtaking scenery.
Tot Wall, Chef d’Equipe of the Senior British TREC Team, took the Level 3 Individual title riding Oakridge County, fending off Winchester-based Jennie Free (Samiracle) by one point and Jocelyn Templeman (Tamarisk) from Sussex who came third. Tot’s excellent second day performance in the Control of Paces and PTV obstacle phases saw her climb up the order to top the leader board.
Derbyshire’s Ian Macalindin (Connie) retained the Level 3 Pairs title he won in 2005 (with Nigel Robinson) with new riding partner Sheila Roberts from North Yorkshire and her veteran mare Hannah. Rachel Thomas (Woody) and Molly Watts (Crugmellyn Ben) from Pembroke were runners-up. Jane Anscombe (Miller) and Julie Joseph (Brimble) took third, and were part of the winning South West ‘Cream Teas’ Team with Paul Hardiman and Hilary Barnard.
Di Skippon, from East Sussex, the first to arrive on Thursday evening, saw her enthusiasm pay off as she took the Performance Equestrian Level 2 Individual title with her American Quarter Horse, Cherie. Relative newcomer to BHS TREC, Isobel Thomas (Moon River) from Swansea made her mark in second place, with Ali Large from West Sussex and her handsome grey Irish Draught/Thoroughbred Paramount in third.
The Level 2 Pairs title went to the ‘Lady and the Tramp’ team from South Wales, Pauline Crossland (Foxy Lady) and Theresa Nazer (Ripple) ahead of Jane Chivers (Alice) and Tom Rolfe (Seren), and third-placed Jacqui Mitchell (Charlie) and Danielle Connolly (Ruby).
The British Horse Society would like to thank Mr Hayden Jones and Messrs Evans-Bevans for their support for the event, and for the outstanding welcome at Tregoyd Mountain Riding Holidays.
Rob Jones, Senior Executive Competitions Department, said: “Tregoyd Mountain Riding Holidays and the Brecon Beacons National Park supplied the perfect setting for this premier event.
“The competitors tackled every problem that was presented to them with great skill, and the level of performance bodes well for our chances in the European Championships on Exmoor in September.”
Cllr Mrs Margaret Morris, former Chairman of the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, was there to present the prizes. She said: “Brecon Beacons National Park has gained an outstanding reputation for having the perfect terrain to host top class riding events.
“The nature of our terrain, the quality of our bridleways and the spectacular scenery makes it an ideal location as a horse riding destination.
“We are very fortunate to have the ongoing support of BHS TREC and we certainly look forward to hosting future riding events like this one here in the National Park.”
Results for the Championships can be found on the BHS website www.bhs.org.uk
Photos of the event can be found on the Natural Expressions website www.naturalexpressions.co.uk
For further information on BHS TREC contact the BHS Competitions Department on 01926 707831 or email: competitions@bhs.org.uk
1. The British Horse Society is the largest equestrian charity in the UK and also a membership organisation. For information on joining, call the Membership Hotline: 08701 201900.
2. The sport of TREC (Techniques de Randonnee Equestre de Competition) was brought to the UK by The British Horse Society in 1998
3. TREC originates in France and was developed nearly 30 years ago as a way to train and assess the competence and ability of professional horse riding guides
4. The British Horse Society is the governing body for the sport in the UK
Results:
Level 4 Individual:
1st place: Paul Turner (Magic), Brecon, Powys
2nd place: Deborah Swan (Henley’s Rocket), Hampshire
3rd place: Hilary Barnard (Rhinefield Impulse), Bristol
Level 3 Individual
1st place: Tot Wall (Oakridge County), Herefordshire
2nd place: Jennie Free (Samiracle), Hampshire
3rd place: Jocelyn Templeman (Tamarisk), West Sussex
Level 3 Pairs
1st place: Ian Macalindin (Connie), Derbyshire, and Sheila Roberts (Hannah), North Yorkshire
2nd place: Rachel Thomas (Woody), Pembrokeshire and Molly Watts (Crugmelyn Ben), Narbeth
3rd place: Jane Anscombe (Miller) and Julie Joseph (Brimble), Devon
Level 2 Pairs
1st place: Pauline Crossland (Foxy Lady), Swansea, and Theresa Nazer (Ripple), Carmarthenshire
2nd place: Jane Chivers (Alice), Gloucestershire, and Tom Rolfe (Seren), Powys
3rd place: Jacqui Mitchell (Charlie), Whitland and Danielle Connolly (Ruby), Camarthenshire
Performance Equestrian Level 2 Individual
1st place: Di Skippon (Cherie), East Sussex
2nd place: Isobel Thomas (Moon River), Swansea
3rd place: Ali Large (Paramount), West Sussex
Team Challenge
1st place: Jane Anscombe (Miller), Julie Joseph (Brimble), Hilary Barnard (Rhinefield Impulse), Paul Hardiman (Boris)
Downlands Equestrian to host the BHS TREC English Championships
Riders from all over Britain are setting their sights on Wiltshire for the BHS TREC English Championships, over the weekend of 14-16 July, where many will be vying for international selection and a place in the GBR TREC Team for the European Championships in the Autumn.
The event is taking place near Warminster, at Downlands Equestrian, a large professional livery yard and training centre, by kind permission of Mr V Sidford, and is one of the highlights of the BHS TREC calendar.
The competition starts on 14 July with a Pre-event vetting and competitor briefing. On Saturday 15 July, the riders face a challenging navigational test up to 45km long in the most senior class, but even riders on the shorter routes will have a chance to enjoy the superb scenery and terrain around the area.
The final day – 16 July - sees the Control of Paces and PTV taking place, where the focus moves from orienteering to concentrate on the skills of riders, and on the obedience and versatility of the horse.
Classes at BHS TREC Championships start at Level 2 and continue up to Level 4 for the most experienced individual competitors, testing the ability and fitness of both horse and rider. There is also a Team Challenge.
The Championship is also a European Cup Event and team selectors for the European TREC Championships will be present to eye up competitors eligible for both the Senior and the Young Rider Teams at the Championships being held on Exmoor later this year.
Rob Jones, Senior Executive from the Competitions Department, said: “We are expecting a record entry for this event, and I am confident that given the number of riders hoping to get noticed by the British Selectors, competition will be of a very high standard.”
For further information on the Championships or BHS TREC, contact the BHS Competitions Department on 01926 707831 / 7740 or email: competitions@bhs.org.uk or visit the website www.bhs.org.uk
1. The British Horse Society is the largest equestrian charity in the UK and also a membership organisation. For information on joining, call the Membership Hotline: 08701 201900.
2. The sport of TREC (Techniques de Randonnee Equestre de Competition) was brought to the UK by The British Horse Society in 1998.
3. TREC originates in France and was developed nearly 30 years ago as a way to train and assess the competence and ability of professional horse riding guides.
- The British Horse Society is the governing body for the sport in the UK.
- The European Cup is aimed at encouraging individuals to compete across international boundaries.
- The European Cup is an annual league competition in which individual riders compete in up to four of the designated Cup events, with at least two contested outside the riders’ own country.
THE BRITISH HORSE SOCIETY NEWS:
Horse & Hound online: Britain's TREC riders announced
The website reports that The British Horse Society has drawn up a
long-list for this year's TREC European Championships. 28 riders have
been announced in preparation for the TREC European Championships (15-17
September 2006).
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/competitionnews/389/73315.html
The majority of the text appearing on this page comes
from a leaflet produced by the British Horse Society, titled 'Introduction
to BHS TREC'. The web address of the British Horse Society's own website
is : www.bhs.org.uk where
you can find out more.
Why try BHS TREC ?
BHS TREC appeals to all sorts of riders, with all sorts of horses. Basically, if you enjoy riding in attractive countryside, with a reasonable amount of challenge and a competitive element, you'll enjoy BHS TREC. It has many attractions and advantages over other forms of equestrian competitive sport.
1. It's fun - and you can push yourself as hard as you like, or take it easy and enjoy it.
2. It's inexpensive - and will be even less expensive as the number of events increases and there are more opportunities closer to home.
3. It doesn't require high quality horses, expensive clothes and tack - or a high level of fitness (of horse or rider) - to enjoy BHS TREC and to do well.4. You can compete in pairs - with a friend, a partner, or a child.
Each event uses local natural 'hazards' to test horses and riders.
What's Involved?
The usual event consists of three parts: (they are not always held in this
order)
Phase 1 - POR - is basically orienteering on horseback. ou start with a map and a record card and must find your way around the course, via a number of checkpoints, at pre-determined speeds. It is not a race, and the majority of the course (usually between 12 and 0 kms at the novice levels) is in walk and trot.
Phase 2 - Gaits - this phase is designed to demonstrate that the rider can exercise a degree of influence over the horse first in canter, then in walk, on a straight line course - usually 150 metres long and 2-2.2 metres wide. The concept is that the slower the horse travels in canter, and the faster in walk, the greater the marks awarded.
Phase 3 - the cross-country phase. Even at Championship level, the size of the jumps remains reasonable (2 ft. at the most novice level to a maximum of about 3ft 3 in. at Championship level, with a maximum length of about 5 km.) It also includes some exercises, mounted and dismounted, designed to test the horse/rider's suitability to cope with the obstacles and difficulties that might be encountered whilst riding n the countryside.
The scoring is based on accumulating the most points, and if a horse
or rider is unable to perform any part of the competition, they are not
eliminated - they merely lose points.
You will find the BHS TREC Rulebook very useful. To order a copy, please send
a cheque or postal order for £5 (includes postage), made payable to 'The
British Horse Society' to Competitions Office, The British Horse Society, Stoneleigh
Deer Park, Kenilworth CV8 2XZ. For queries about any aspect of BHS TREC please
email: competitions@bhs.org.uk
Competitors must be BHS Gold Members, or members of an Affiliated British Riding Club, otherwise they must submit documentary evidence with their entry that they hold suitable third party liability insurance.
This sport is accessible - not only to the leisure rider but to the
average pleasure horse. While the mainstream competitive disciplines
require well bred, expensive mounts, BHS TREC is very suitable for cobs,
working hunter types and and the native breeds of Britain. These animals
are hardy, cheaper to buy and look after, and often easier to ride.
BHS TREC - even at national and international level - is not limited to riders
of great expertise (or courage.)
A knowledge of terrain, and understanding of topography and map reading are important features of the sport, which provides access to excellent riding country and fosters a real understanding of the countryside. The competition is designed to test a horse/rider combination through a whole range of activities, combining the requirements of trail riding, with basic cross country jumping and flatwork. It tests the horse/rider’s ability to find their way across country using map reading skills and to show a safe degree of control and ability to deal with the sort of obstacles and problems that can be encountered by a rider on their own in the countryside.