Welcome

The Witheridge Riding Club web site is your main source of information for events and people.

 

Details of locations and schedules for events for 2008 are available on the Events page and schedules will be added as soon as they are available. This website was last updated 26th August 2008.

RESULTS FOR THE ONE DAY EVENT ON SUNDAY 29TH JULY ARE ON THE EVENTS PAGE

Visit the News and views section for up to the minute news about the club, events organised by other clubs and members views and comments about anything related to the club, including reports on recent successes by our teams.  Read about our recent visit to Mary King's event yard, and our success at the Novice Indoor Team show Jumping and see the photo of the recent Adult camp at Stockland Lovell PLUS REPORT, POEM AND PHOTOS JUST ARRIVED!

 In the Committee section you can find out who runs this club and how to get in touch with them. (Updated 20th Feb 07)

--> Check out our new Market Place page for horses and items for sale or loan. <--

For the event entry form and membership form please go to the forms pages.

If you have any comments about this web site please contact the webmaster by email at sarah_home@midwinterkoval.co.uk

A Brief Club History

Witheridge Riding club was formed in the Summer of 1987 by Jessie Morton BHSAI, of Foxdon Farm, Witheridge, with Vanessa Cheffings, BHSAI of Downe Farm, Witheridge & the late Sandy Blight BHSAI of Rackenford.   By the autumn, the club had grown to 50 members and applied in the summer of 1988 to become affiliated to the British Riding Clubs, Stoneleigh, part of the British Horse Society.  This went through in the autumn of that year, by which time the club membership had reached 75. 

The club’s first open event was a One Day Event in 1987, followed by a Summer Show in 1989 and Hunter Trial in 1991.  All these events, with others, are now run on an annual basis and open to everyone.  We hold “closed” events for members only early in the season, which are informal and low key, to get everyone off to a good start!  Our members come from all over Devon & parts of Somerset, and from all walks of life, from the professional rider to the weekend hobby rider.  

In the summer of 1989 the club purchased its first set of show jumps, and has steadily continued to purchase more equipment ever since, with funds raised from our events, together with several grants which we have been lucky enough to obtain.   In 2001, we obtained a National Lottery grant under the Awards for All / Sport England scheme, which enabled us to buy new PA & timing equipment, cross-country bibs and two Portaloos! 

Although the club has no facilities of its own, Committee meetings are held in members’ houses, & members kindly lend their own private facilities for training, events, and the all-important storage of equipment.  We also hire venues for some of our competitions.  This does mean that the committee & some kind members spend a considerable amount of time on the road each summer, transporting equipment from place to place & setting up for events, not to mention clearing up, but we hope that we manage to provide a good & varied programme of events with a friendly atmosphere. 

Witheridge is part of Area 12 of the Riding Clubs movement, which is the largest area, covering Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset & Bath.   Membership now stands at about 140 and we regularly participate in Area events; we have qualified for the National Championships in various disciplines on a number of occasions, and have frequently been placed.  In 2000, our Novice outdoor show jumping team won the Championship at Malvern & we had a much prized half-page write-up in Horse & Hound magazine!  In 2001, because of Foot & Mouth, what would have been the Area Qualifier became Area Championships, held at Taunton, and Witheridge took first place in the Horse Trials,  and Novice & Senior show jumping.   We aim to enter teams in all disciples each year and hope to continue our success, although we are also pleased to welcome new members who wish to take a less competitive approach to their riding and just have some fun with their horses.  This year, our Novice indoor show jumping team have won the Area & Regional Championships, qualifying for the Regional final at Hartpury on 22nd April.  Click here for a full report.