Novice Challenge Championships - Cheshire 2002

Wow - what fun!

We were asked to put teams forward for the Novice Challenge Championships in Cheshire - a Dressage and an Event team.

Our teams all ran very well at Kelso over a very strong course, so we were hopeful. But, trying to get a team together at short notice and with the schools having gone back was no easy task.
Jane Geddes and Bruno, Joanna Kerr and Suzie, Katie Malloch and Teco and Hannah Hunter and Witch all decided that they were
game.

Unfortunately, Jane's Bruno (on left) was kicked the day before we were due to leave.

Pressure or what? - A team of three! Jane still came down
as a supporter.

The atmosphere in Cheshire was tremendous. The sun shone. (We shot off and bought
cooling gel for the horses' legs.) The team spirit was brill, and the parents' spirit (out of a bottle) was fab.

Out of 27 teams in the dressage, Eglinton were 6th with only 3 members - what stars!

After the dressage they all did a round of show jumping to make it a combined training - and they won - what a magical day.

Off we went to walk the cross-country course for the one-day event the next day. It was fairly imposing and not at all straightforward.

Unfortunately, nerves played a big part the next day, but also none of the team members had had much training - as with everyone else in the West of Scotland this year, nearly everything had been cancelled.

Our team members all did their best, but circumstances were against them. But hey! what an experience and what a huge learning curve. Best of all, what a team. They kept smiling and managed to win themselves loads of goodies.

In 2003 we would like to start team training for the Novice Challenge Event Team by Easter. Anyone interested, please let us know as soon as poss.

Trish Hunter