If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, James Broom, at the David Broome Event Centre on 01291 420778, or
charlotte@theshowground.com

> Indoor Driving Finals - two weeks today (29th & 30th March at Keysoe, Beds) and we will know the winners of this year's Indoor Driving Championships. Despite the weather causing some cancellations this season looks as though there will have been record entries well in excess of 1200 in all classes with a particular pleasing increase in the junior ranks. Amanda Nisbet (Saville) set the trend for junior classes at the 'final's' but now there are strong junior entries in most of the regions. At the other end of the scale, this year's Veteran Class looks like being a tough one to win with both Di Hayes and Barbara Nadin going head to head. Watch this space for updates before the final    

> Nigel Rice - long serving steward on the National, Club, and Indoor scene, Nigel Rice, has lost his mum who passed away last week just 2 weeks shy of her 85th birthday. We want to take this opportunity to thank Nigel for his recent efforts in helping with Indoor Driving events in the SW region during a difficult few months 

> Jill Roberts - secretary of the White Horse Harness Club was the victim of a freak accident last week. Jill was taking her horse out of a horse walker when something spooked the animal. She was holding the halter rope as the horse ran; Jill was knocked to the ground, her arm was pulled out of its socket and she was kicked on the chin resulting in a severe cut.....but there was some good news; by chance when she was being treated in hospital a plastic surgeon was on duty and was able to give Jill the best possible treatment    

> Lynn Gross - our best wishes to Lynn and her family as she recovers from her recent illness. We were shocked to hear she was taken ill so suddenly as we were only talking to her last Sunday at Ardingly

> Dinosaur Companies - paying too much for equine products - this morning we received a notice from one of our suppliers asking us to co-operate with them in their quest to stop people selling their goods at discounted prices through e-bay. They did have the grace to admit they can't enforce a policy of selling goods at RRP. What a mentality that a company wants to protect its profits thru' restrictive trade practices...!!! This company is itself a distributor and not a manufacturer. It has long been my view that the equine trade is stuck in the past by sticking to a channel-to-market policy of the end customer having to pay for a channel consisting of manufacturer, wholesaler, distributor, and retailer. Each element in the chain expects to maintain its margin and the end customer pays for it all 

> Di Hayes is a Granny - as of Friday morning 12th January, Di became Granny to Poppy. Poppy is the daughter of Di & Peter's daughter Jo and her partner Tim. New parents and grandparents are delighted and Poppy is healthy. No pictures yet

> Service from our insurance brokers? - I don't think so! Given how often we are told that we are all paying for a professional and comprehensive insurance service and that the cost of insurance is a key factor in the sport, take a good look at the letter which we received the other day. This letter came as a result of having to submit an accident report following Shirley Wasbrook's accident at hand EC. You would think that at the very least they could get Shirley's and Barbara's names correct. The grammar and spelling issues are common practice these days (unfortunately) but the typos show a carelessness not expected from a 'professional (and expensive) insurance service'

click on picture to enlarge

> Shirley Washbrook says thank you - Shirley and her family have asked us to thank everyone who sent her flowers, cards and good wishes for her speedy recovery - which seems to be going very well. She would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and hopes to be an indoor spectator in the New Year

> Hand EC Indoor Event 9th Dec cancelled - a number of people have already cancelled their entries for this event and given the weather forecast for the 9th - high winds and heavy rain - it has been decided to cancel this event as the organisers feel it unreasonable to travel horses if the gales materialise as forecast

> Shirley Washbrook - update - just two weeks after fracturing her pelvis in 5 (yes five) places Shirley is out of hospital and recovering at home. Hopefully, she will heed the advice of the doctors and nurses and will actually take the appropriate rest - she is thinking of visiting Hand EC (only a mile from her home) for an hour this weekend...DON'T DO IT

We wish Shirley a full recovery and hope Paul (her husband) is making an equally speedy recovery from his many bruises.

> Mobile Phone Scam -  update - "If you have received an E-mail sent out by PC Corris warning over mobile
phones please note that this was a genuine message originally circulated in good faith some months ago but which has since turned out to be a 'hoax'.
With apologies, please ignore the content."

Thanks to Mike Watts for this

> British Young Drivers on Foot at the Unicorn Trust - 23 young drivers from across the country came together for a weekend of classroom based mental stimulation. The programme consisted of competition psychology, Intelligent Horsemanship, dressage analysis and an indoor marathon Q&A.  We kicked off at 2 pm on Saturday with David McDonald of First Ascent who gave us and introduction to the first in series of sessions involving mental preparation and self awareness in a competition environment.  On Saturday evening we were introduced to the world of Intelligent Horsemanship by Nicole Golding and Adam Goodfellow. We started with a brief introduction before heading out into the main arena for a test of communication skills. Afterwards we moved onto a demonstration of join up which meant Nicole had to do a lot of running due to the huge arena at the Unicorn Trust. We also learnt some leading techniques and how our body language influences a pony. 

Sunday morning involved us being split into two groups. I started with indoor marathon Q & A kindly given to us by Sara Howe. We looked at the rules and penalties, and moved on to analysing a course that Carol Meredith designed specially for us. After a short break to discuss fundraising for the British Young Drivers expedition to Austria next year, my group then moved on to dressage analysis with international driver Anna Grayston.  We brought in videos of our latest indoor dressage test and analysed them looking for impulsion, roundness and straightness.  The exercise allowed us to hone our analytical skills and spot areas for improvement. 

It was a fun week end and a chance to catch up with friends and make plans for 2008, thanks to all those involved.

Frank Campbell

> Mobile Phone Scam - If the following is true, and we have no reason to doubt the info, then it is worth being aware of it

If you receive a 'phone call on your mobile from any person saying that he/she is a company engineer, or that they are checking your mobile line, and ask you to press #90 or #09 or any other number, end the call immediately without pressing any numbers.

There is a company fraudulently using a device that can access your SIM card once you press #90 etc. They can then make calls at your expense

From Phil Corris, PC/ Crime Prevention Officer 01524 596696. email PhilCorris@lancashire.pnn.police.uk

>This concerns ALL interested Pony People - please go to the BHDTA web site www.horsedrivingtrials.co.uk to download and complete the questionnaire

> Shirley Washbrook update - it's looking better for Shirley as the latest report says she has 5 fractures of the pelvis but they are all healing well and she will not need to go to Frenchay Hospital for surgery. In fact she could be on her feet next week - not walking of course - and with a bit of luck she could be discharged to spend her bed rest time at home...here's hoping!!

> Shirley Washbrook - following an accident at the Indoor Driving event held at Hand EC, Bristol, on Sunday last Shirley is currently in Bristol Royal Infirmary, Ward 14. However, she will most likely be moving to Bristol Frenchay Hospital in the next few days. As soon as we know the details we will post them on this site.

Shirley has a broken pelvis and her husband Paul who was on the backstep was released from hospital on Sunday evening but is still very battered and bruised. Tal, the horse, following a vet inspection, is also bruised but otherwise OK.

Fortunately the workers of Bristol can rest easy as Shirley's Burger business is being taken over by her daughter.

We wish Shirley as speedy a recovery as is possible but it looks like Christmas in hospital.

>This concerns ALL interested Pony People, - Nationals Advanced, Open, Intermediate;  Club Open, Intermediate, National Novice Qualifiers, Novice, Pre Novice; Grooms, Supporters, Spectators etc

All National Pony drivers are invited to put forward positive or constructive points of view that they would like to have discussed at a forthcoming washup/where do we go from here meeting, soon to be arranged.

From your views we will be putting together a questionnaire within the next 14 days so that we can form a strong and positive consensus from which we can work, so that meetings are held that are constructive and conclusive with a united front from us all.

Please send your questions, views points and ideas to all/some/either of the following:

Jo Rennison:- jo.rennison@btopenworld.com 
Minta Winn:- aramintawinn@btinternet.com
Julie Hoskyns:- oswald@hoskyns.freeserve.co.uk


BY TUESDAY 13/11/07
 

> To the Manor Born - 25 years on and Cricket St Thomas (home to Mr Blobby) nr Chard in Somerset once again played host to the filming of the series which was so popular in the 80s. This one off episode which was filmed last Wednesday had a carriage driving presence and content. The presence was provided by members of the Old Somerset DC, Three Counties DC and Indoor Driving South West who all provided extras who at least looked as though they knew what they were doing

The horses shown below with Peter Bowles and Penelope Keith belong to Ben Ford Ltd (Anne Marie Bissett) and were originally owned by Emilio Gamba in Italy. The horses have been Italian Pairs Champions.

It was a bit scary watching them filming the actual driving. Not for the BBC horses and carriages but 4 x 4 Pick-up and carriage. Yes they hitched the carriage to a truck and stuck the actors on board and set off at great speed. Ignorance is bliss!!

 

> Congratulations Andrew Williams & Sara-Jane Cook - well what a weekend we had in Leicestershire. We were delighted to be invited to the Christening of Charlotte Grace who turned out to be the most perfectly behaved baby you could ever imagine. Even the vicar who carried out the baptism was heard to say..."I wish to C***** they were all like that"

And as if you need any further confirmation take a look at these pictures:

Afterwards we all went back to Rolleston and fed ourselves, to the point of bursting, on a superb feast of meats, cheeses, sandwiches, cakes, and puddings provided courtesy of Sara's mum, dad, and other members of both families.

AND...as if that wasn't enough for one weekend...Andrew asked Sara to marry him. After a discrete and appropriate hesitation, Sara accepted...AS IF she wouldn't.

PS I can't wait to be a bridesmaid...Charlotte Grace

> Get your 15 minutes of fame - the BBC are filming an episode of 'To The Manor Born' (those of you of a certain age will remember when this was a top TV show, starring Peter Bowles) at Cricket St Thomas near Chard in Somerset on the 24th October 2007. The story line features a 'charity' carriage driving event and whilst equity members must be seen to be driving, the BBC want unpaid extras (people who know what they are doing) to be loading and unloading equines, walking obstacles, gossiping (no problem there then) in other words look as though you are at an event. Start time is 09.00 on the 24th and it will require an all day involvement. No Pay, but free breakfast and lunch - on film sets food is usually of good quality and of generous portion. If you are going to attend, and to help keep a track on numbers, please let Barbara know on 01823 400123

> Southern Area Championships - regrettably Foot & Mouth, or at least the threat of it, has put paid to this year's championships which were to have been held at Rockbourne, Nr Salisbury this coming weekend. The WHHC web site will no doubt clarify any admin and logistical issues arising from this decision. All that we have heard is that Julia Crockford is hopeful of running the event early next season

> Our wedding anniversary - Barbara & Phil have been married (to each other) for 16 years today. Expressions of surprise, disbelief, and admiration gratefully received...notes of sympathy to Phil only....but please don't quote me 

> National Championships find new venue - well it's good news that the National Finals may run after all - subject to no more outbreaks of F & M or DEFRA restrictions. New dates are 21 - 23 September at Catton Park on the Derbyshire Staffordshire border.

Ain't it ironic that a venue which staged a superb World Pony Combined Championships in 2005 didn't make the 'Premier' list of National venues for this season.....yet can now stage the National Finals....I love it!!!

> Southern Area Championships going ahead - this event organised by the WHHC and scheduled to take place at Rockbourne, Nr Salisbury on 29th/30th September is still going ahead subject to any further restrictions which may be imposed by DEFRA. The only competitors that can't be accepted are thos efrom within the current DEFRA exclusion zone

Schedules available from Julia Crockford 01264 730261

> National Championships Cancelled - because of an outbreak of Foot & Mouth at Egham, very close to Windsor, and the fact that the Crown Estates have cloven hoofed animals on the Windsor Park Estate, the 2007 Championships have been cancelled

> BHS petition calls for bigger say for equestrians in access law-making

> Hospitality @ Windsor Championships and 'End of Season Party' - During the Windsor National Championships - 14 to 16th September - there will be a Long Walk Dinner in the hospitality marquee nr the marathon on the Saturday night, tickets at £35 each must be booked and paid for by 1st September. Cheques etc to Jill Holah, Dykelands Farm, Whenby, York YO61 4SF. Full details of the championships on www.windsordriving.co.uk

'End of Season' party - Champagne reception, 4 course dinner, Awards & Disco - will be held on Saturday 20th October at Best Western Premier Yew Lodge Hotel, Packington Hill, Kegworth, Derby DE74 2DF. Tickets are £40 adult & £25 junior; bookable table for 8 - 12 people. Cheques, payable to the Combined Pony Fund, should be sent to Sally Moreton, Campney Grange Farm, Bucknall, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire LN10 5DX

> Trog is still with us - I wrote an obituary for Trog as Katie Eyres told us last week that he was to be put to sleep at the beginning of this week at the age of 24. Troggie, as ever, had his own views on this subject. After being drugged to alleviate his pain he has gained a new lease of life; first to eat up in the morning, and banging the stable door to be let out with his mates has given him a reprieve. He's now enjoying a few more days in the Kent countryside. Katie said this morning - Tues 21st - he'll tell me when he's ready as he always had the last word!!! ....... Barbara Nadin 

> Southern Area Championships - An OPEN event for all drivers; White Horse Harness Club 2 day event & Southern Area Championships 29th & 30th  September 2007 at Tenantry Farm, Rockbourne, Nr Salisbury, 5 section marathon set over 18km of beautiful flat countryside with six exceptional obstacles, including water and banks. Saturday evening disco and Bar-B-Q party Sponsored prizes from: Equifor; Bellcrown; Carriage House Insurance;  Bennington Carriages; Pixelphotoz.com;  Carriage Driving; In Harness; Scats;  

Rosettes in all classes to 6th place; dressage and marathon rosettes and cones class  winners, trophies for all WHHC Championship winners and Southern Area Class winners. Event open to ALL members from any club Qualifiers for Southern Area Champs from WHHC; Great Western HC; Three Counties; Forest of Dean; Windsor Park  & Brockham HC.

Some stables available on site although electric fenced small paddocks are permitted.

Contact: Julia Crockford 01264 730261 for further details Stewards needed so please contact us asap.

THIS SHOULD BE A BIG EVENT ON A GREAT PIECE OF LAND - A CHALK BASE MEANS SUPERB GOING FOR THE HORSES & PONIES

Guaranteed good weather !!! - well it's near Stonehenge and the Druids have been at work...so it will be a weekend of driving heaven !!! 

> Pleasure drive @ Windsor - Julian Burleton is organising a 'Pleasure Drive'at Windsor Park this weekend.  ie A marathon round the park but without obstacles.  For information please phone him direct after 8pm on 01628 624640

> Borde Hill Event - URGENT MESSAGE FROM BROCKHAM HARNESS CLUB. 

Due to the current outbreak of foot and mouth disease, the club’s two day event at Borde Hill has been cancelled. The Borde Hill estate is surrounded by three farms and includes cattle units. We use much of their land for the event. It is vital that we do not put the farmers at any risk. Sara, our competition secretary, works for Defra and is currently working flat out in the disease control centre. Andrew our course builder is a farmer who would be put at risk moving from farm to farm. The club has made arrangements with the BHDTA for Normanhurst to take the novice qualifiers and the organisers there are holding open entries for anyone wishing to enter the club event –a schedule can be found on our website –www.brockhamharnessclub.co.uk. The club is very sorry to cancel at this late stage and would like to thank everybody for their understanding and support.

Nigel Dipple Chairman Brockham Harness Club 10-August-2007

> Borde Hill Event - because of the current Foot & Mouth scare, a decision will be taken as to whether the Borde Hill Event can take place. Unless confirmation is given that the outbreak is contained, it is unlikely that the event will proceed.

> Pony World Champs - well it didn't go to plan for Team GB and it was a very close call between Germany and Netherlands - the difference (just 1.0 penalty point) and the fact that Yvonne de Ruyter's score didn't count probably was the deciding factor. Nothing in sport is ever predictable but success comes from ability, basic skills' training, and attitude/motivation and the correct mind set on the day. The old sporting adage says "the harder I practice, the luckier I get"  

The marathon phase in carriage driving is a bit of a lottery but you can train for, and achieve, more predictable scores in dressage and cones. These are the two elements that the Americans did best in and is a pattern they reproduce in many of their sports. How about Miranda (Randy) Cadwell winning the pony pair class with Trevor Kimber's old ponies, Toby and Topaz. They actually won the marathon phase. Surely we can claim some success for Britain in this result, even if only by association.

But back to the Brits...special congrats. are due to Sarah Howe and Julie Camm, 3rd and 4th places respectively in the overall competition. Julie had an unfortunate incident on the Friday evening when she was out exercising and her pony was apparently stung. The result was a 'tip-up' which must have been worrying to all concerned. Team tactics and support kept Julie going and she completed the marathon phase, delivered a good cones score and finished with a very creditable team and personal contribution. 

Safe journey home to everyone and maybe in one form you did at least 'bring home the bacon'  

> Update from Pony World Champs in Denmark - Can you believe it!!...all is well in the state of Denmark...in fact it is sunny and warm, or at least it was on Wednesday. Most of the factual stuff is well covered by the BHDTA site but we do have some alternative insights. Our 'single girls', Julie Camm and Sarah Howe are in 3rd and 9th respectively after dressage. Some strong variation in judging when Sarah was placed in the top 10 by 3 judges and 12th and 25th by two others. The USA is in the lead with their girls in 2nd Rochelle Temple, and 4th Suzy Stafford (defending champion)

At the time of writing this update (11.10am on 20th) the pairs are doing their dressage. Currently Rachel Stevens in in 6th place and Julie Hoskins in 12th. But it's another good day for Team USA with Tracey Morgan in 2nd place and Miranda Cadwell in 5th.

The 'incident' of the event so far is that Yvonne de Ruyter from the Netherlands and dressage winner at Catton in 2005 has had to withdraw even though her dressage was scored. Apparently some of the judges thought the pony was unsound and now the Dutch team can only count one dressage score towards the team score. Arjo van Kekem in 5th is the sole single pony team member. In the pars Karel van Kekem is the best placed Dutch competitor currently lying in 7th.

Team scores to date are Denmark in GOLD, USA in SILVER, and GB in BRONZE...but as they say in all sports "it over yet"...good luck team GB you've made a great start.    

> A Euro view on Equine Transportation - the police in Italy are asking to see the license as it is yet another EU directive.

..who says so? our man in Italy, Emilio Gamba

> Saved from legislation - Martyn Willis should work for the Daily Mail as a 'legislation smasher', he has successfully blown apart the report below entitled 'Yet more legislation'

Martyn writes that the DEFRA web site www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/welfare/farmed/transport/pdf/watoguidance191206.pdf tries to differentiate between 'professional' transporters, i.e. those who make their living from horses either as trainers, instructors, livery yard owners etc and anyone being paid to take someone else's horse to a show.

Then the act lists a whole load of exceptions which cover many of the conditions in which equine owners go about their normal leisure riding and driving

The ultimate get out may be those competing with registered horses are exempt from Compliance with Annex II journey log provisions; use of a navigation system and the keeping of records obtained from it; and journey times, water feed and rest intervals

Many thanks to Martyn for taking the time to research and report on the implications of the act and as he says the DEFRA site says it will be up to the courts to interpret the liability of any cases brought before them.

> Yet more legislation - apparently from the 5th January 2008 it will be necessary to achieve a 'Certificate in Equine Transport' or the 'Advanced Certificate in Equine Transport' if you transport equines with the potential for 'economic gain'.

That won't affect me I can hear you say.....well it might, 'cos the definition of economic gain includes, sponsorhip, the buying and selling of equines and winning prize money....so that means it won't affect carriage drivers, then.

Watch out from next year; driving your horse box/trailer could present you with another opportunity to be fined and/or prosecuted

> Brits beware - apparently Randy (Miranda) Cadwell who will drive pony pairs (Trevor Kimber's old ponies) in Denmark for the USA recorded some very fast obstacle times; 46 seconds compared to the 53 second mark for the best of the Brits in one of the obstacles. Like in all sports, what is achieved one day can't necessarily be achieved on the next.  

> Winner of Equifor Harness Draw - each year we run a prize draw open to all purchasers of Webster harness. We ask customers to submit pictures of their animals in the new harness and one of the prizes is for the chosen picture to be featured on the front cover of our brochure. For the next 12 months Penny Bragg from Devon will be featured with her pair of Welsh ponies. 

> Ashfields events and Junior clinics - if your planning to be in Essex in July then there are some dates to be aware of. There will be a two day event on 28th and 29th - entries close on Tuesday 10th July and to enter contact Jacqui Clarke 01702 510077 (evenings only) - and a Junior Clinic on 24,25,26 July followed by Junior Scholarship Championship on 28 and 29 entries to tendemtmail-juniors07@yahoo.co.uk.

>Simon Baker sudden death - Simon, owner of the Millennium Coach which was built by Mark Broadbent, died during the BDS Annual Show held on 24th June at Smiths Lawn, Windsor. Apparently Simon was driving at the time when he suddenly collapsed and died. No further information is available at this time.

> Neil Swanson Funeral - the service for Neil will be held at the Kingswood Crematorium, Swindon, on Friday 22nd June at 2.30pm. Karin has requested that there should be no flowers, other than from family, and that any donations be sent to the RNLI and/or Battersea Dogs Home

> USA Pony Team Update -

Suzy Stafford the current Pony World Champion, who won her title at Catton in 2005, will be defending it in Denmark driving the same pony, Bouncer, which is owned by Sybil & Wayne Humphrey. Suzy will be joined in the singles by Shelly Temple driving her Morgan pony, Cooper.

In the pairs class, Tracey Morgan will be representing the USA for the third time with her Dartmoor ponies and she will be joined by Randy Cadwell who will be driving Trevor Kimber's old ponies, Toby and Topaz...how old are they now?

Lisa Stroud will once again be driving her Connemara four-in-hand team and will be joined by new team member, Laurie Astengiano, who lives in France and is well used to European competition.

> Good News and Sad News - James Broome is the proud new dad of a daughter born last week. David and Liz (the grandparents) are reported to be besotted as the Broome family have had boys for generations. Hopefully some pictures will follow.

And now to the Sad News - Last Thursday Neil Swanson passed away. Neil was a carriage driver from the inception of the sport and had an exceptional career as a scurry driver. He was also founder President of the White Horse Harness Club. Neil's death was so sudden that the cause is not absolutely certain but early indications, following a post-mortem examination, indicate some form of virulent infection resulting from a cut finger in contact with cow dung. An inquest is to be held shortly. As soon as funeral and memorial service arrangements are known I will publish details on this page

> Club Class @ Farleigh Steve Lucas writes, - there WILL be a Club Class at Farleigh HDT (near Basingstoke) on Fri 8th - Sun 10th June incl.  Dressage Friday; Marathon (Sec E only) and cones on Sunday. Closing Date 30th May, and Entry Forms are available from D Lucas, 62 Oakgrove Road, Eastleigh, Hants, SO50 6LN .... STAMPED ADDRESSED REPLY ENVELOPES ESSENTIAL.

> Mark Broadbent success at International Windsor - congratulations to mark who won both the Coaching Show Class and the overall Coaching Championship at this prestigious event.

> World Class dressage from David Matthews - in the opinion of one judge at Brighton this last weekend, David Matthews, driving in the Horse Pairs class, drove a 'world class' dressage test. He was placed first by all three judges and his final score of 29.01 certainly reflected this collective opinion

Unfortunately, for a number of competitors the new dressage tests caused confusion. No doubt practise will make perfect eventually!!

> Congratulations to Julie Camm - Julie Camm has won the single pony class at a CIA-A international event at Conty in France. Other Brit pack competitors at the same event were James Broome, Robert Buck, Sue Corlett, Jo Rennison, Minta Winn, Julia Hoskyns and John Attenborough. It's good to see that Brits are getting themseklves international experience and it is hope the pony drivers will benefit from the experience at this year's World Championships in Denmark

> Important issues affecting carriage insurance - part of a letter clarifying points arising from a carriage theft claim. The claim was disputed because the carriage was in the yard awaiting loading

'...............I think your idea is a good one and I have put the following together about the main things to think about with theft cover. I would like people to be made aware of this as it gets people thinking and looking at their circumstances and cover. I want to be able to pay claims for people quickly and efficiently if I can, so if people are more aware of their responsibilities then it should make any future claims easier all round!

Re; Carriage security - points for people to be aware of:

As a normal condition of our policies, carriages and harness have to be kept in a securely locked building/premises when unattended unless agreed otherwise by ourselves. When we agree otherwise this can be that they are chained & locked to something immovable. Effectively this means that for a theft to be covered there has to be forcible & violent entry or exit from the building or breaking of the chains & locks. This is a standard definition as established by The Theft Act.

Our policy automatically makes an exception for when you are away from home competing as the Underwriters accept the carriages are kept by or in the lorries/stabling in a competition situation. So what does this actually mean: It means that you do have a responsibility to look after your own property as if you where uninsured and keep it as securely as you can. i.e. if you leave your carriage or harness in an open fronted building but don't actually secure the carriage itself by chains or appropriate measures, you won't be covered if it is stolen. There is no time limit on this, so effectively it could be a matter of minutes or it could be for 1hr etc or where the carriage is normally kept. So if you go for lunch, leaving your carriage ready to use when you get back and it goes, you have no cover. This doesn't preclude you from getting your horse ready, then getting your carriage out ready whilst you bring the horse round to put it to as the time scales are usually too small for a theft to take place. It really applies if the vehicle is left without anyone being in the area long enough for someone to see it and then have the necessary vehicle to take it away. Never under estimate the ingenuity of the carriage thief!

There are several important points of interest that people need to be aware of:

1) that gates don't constitute security as strong men can (have have been known to) lift carriages over gates/fences.
2) Horse boxes and trailers aren't secure buildings as both are moveable and it is not unknown for them to be stolen with the carriage inside.
3) Also mysterious disappearance is excluded under most policies because it doesn't constitute a theft.
4) Nor does giving your carriage on loan, or for pre-sale trial, to another person who refuses to return it.

So why insure for theft? Well most people do keep their carriages under lock and key, so most of the claims that are made for theft are easily sorted. It is a good idea to photograph any property damaged during the theft, so that you can prove this. Always get the police involved as you will need their details and a crime reference to make your claim.. You must also expect the insurance company to investigate any claim that doesn't fall within the normal cover and on occasions an assessor will visit you to go through what has happened in detail. If you are unsure if your carriage or harness is or can be covered against theft, please call your insurance company to establish that the measures that you take are acceptable to them.

Is this OK? I have tried to include occasions where I know claims have been declined as these give people things to be aware of. At the end of the day, it is much easier/quicker for us to deal with the straight forward theft involving forcible entry rather than one, such as yours, where  there is a question of is it covered or not. This is no disrespect but you have suffered the uncertainty and time delay because of this. So if people are aware of the conditions then everyone wins
because their claim will be settled quicker and we keep our costs down.

Anyway, it is worth bearing in mind all of these. I have known other companies not cover the carriage wheels when they have been stolen but the main body left behind - even though this was from a locked building! '

Kind regards
Fiona Gordon Clarke - Carriage House Insurance

(thanks to Julie Camm for sharing her unfortunate experience with us)

> Indoor Driving - National Championships 2007 - James Broome, in only his third year of driving, has become Indoor Driving's Supreme Champion for 2007 and also National Open Pony Champion. The finals were held at their seemingly permanent home of College Equestrian, Keysoe, and for once the weather was kind for the whole weekend. For the first time there was a Veteran Class for the over 60s and with about 12 competitors it was one of the most keenly contested. The eventual winner was Sarah Garnett with David Matthews closely behind. Watch out next year when Di Hayes and Barbara Nadin will be eligible to join.

Adversity can be inspirational at times and there are three examples worthy of note. Katie Eyres competed in the Pony Pairs class this year as she was unable to defend her Open Pony title with Trog. Katie has been ill for some time now and is about to go into hospital for another operation - hopefully this time the 'job' will be done - and she felt that she didn't have the strength to drive Trog safely. In spite of this she still managed to finish in second place in the pairs class just behind Amanda Nisbet (Saville). The second inspired performance came from Janet Doe who won the Novice Horse Class. Two years ago Janet qualified for the finals but couldn't compete because of personal reasons. This year she not only came and conquered but she also drove on her own on the M25 for the first time. A triumph for 'girl power'. And thirdly, Leonie Marshall who is in her 70s still managed a creditable 4th place in the Veteran Class despite having had an accident and hip replacement surgery.

Ironically, the Wessex region, which was unable to hold events this year because of difficulties in finding a venue, provided through its main club sponsor, the White Horse Harness Club, two class winners; Colin Wheeler, Novice Pony; Janet Doe, Novice Horse, and a third place for Jo Sore in the Pony Pairs Class.

On a positive front, the Indoor Driving scene maintains its popularity and receives on-going sponsorship from Carriage House Insurance. The format of the one day driving events is affordable but there is a possible cloud forming on the  horizon; the cost and availability of suitable venues is causing problems in some areas and is proving to be a limiting factor to the growth of the sport. A related issue is that during the winter months it's tough to accommodate more than 25-30 competitors at a venue unless there is a suitable outdoor school for cones. Consequently, some thought is being given to running the indoor format at outdoor venues and creating a 'Summer Points League' which may allow qualification at the Indoor Finals. Some regions may trial this idea during this year's summer months.

Full results available now click here

> Carriage Driving loses a wonderful supporter - it is with the deepest regret that we report the death of Priscilla Maude of Manor Farm, West Overton, nr Marlborough. Priscilla and her husband, Michael, have allowed and encouraged the White Horse Harness Club to use their land for a number of years and the only reward they sought was that members enjoyed the use of the facilities. Priscilla was also Chairman of the Lackham RDA and allowed that club full use of the Manor Farm facilities. Both Michael and Priscilla gave of their time and resources so that others could participate in and enjoy carriage driving; their own reward came from seeing that enjoyment in others. Priscilla will be sadly missed by her family and friends.

> Forget rosettes; get a tattoo - reaching that certain age in life means bus passes, and free prescriptions but for one prominent international driver it has meant getting her first tattoo. Discretely placed on the shoulder and reflective of her interest in the Hackney Horse, Di Hayes has had a tattoo added to her collection of driving accolades and memorabilia.                                           

 > Stolen Vehicles & Harness - Thefts of driving 'tack' seems to be never ending. This time the victims are Mike & Trudi Lupton of Farringdon who can be contacted on 01367 820893 or 07831 641636 if anyone has any information. Lots of  items were taken but the main ones are listed below

	Hartland Micrasport 4 wheeled single pony carriage - metallic blue, cream coach lines, black shafts, black vinyl upholstery and spares bag Serial number:  GH011889 (marked on turntable)
(click on pictures to enlarge)	Tedman Firefly pony pairs harness.  Black leather with Brass fittings (this is unusual for Tedman and was a special order) Waffle pads on breast collars. One bridle has leather covered half-cup blinkers.  Cruppers are traditional Linseed filled leather and have white metal buckles.
	Hartland Micrasport 4 wheeled pony pairs carriage - dark metallic blue, silver coach lines, black vinyl upholstery and spares bag Serial number:  GH015025 (marked on turntable)
	Tedman Firefly single pony harness.  Black leather with white metal fittings. Quick release tugs. Tedman Turpin single pony harness.  Black leather/webbing.

> Driving accidents and liability - I was prompted, following the latest unfortunate accident involving Boyd Exell, to look at our liability policies and I may well be telling you something you already know...if so I apologise, but I had certainly misunderstood the meaning of 'liability' in the context of driving. I've now had the point explained to me and I thought I would share the information with you. Because this information prompts as many questions as it answers I would be interested to hear of any other interpretations or rulings you know about.

Apparently, when liability insurance is taken out within the context of carriage driving the equine is determined to be liable not the driver or the carriage. So, if you squeeze past a car and your carriage scratches or causes damage to the car then the equine is liable for the damage. Any ensuing claim is against the particular equine's liability insurance. I understand that the insurance provided through BHDTA membership covers equine liability. But if you drive different horses or other people's equines are you sure that each animal is covered by liability insurance. If you have separate carriage insurance this is irrelevant in the above example as the insurance industry assumes that a carriage cannot in its own right be liable for any damage.

However, if you are teaching someone to drive - whether you are being paid or not - such a transaction is deemed to be 'commercial' and the liability then becomes a personal liability.

Talking to the insurance industry it seems that each claim involving equines is treated on its own merits and to win a claim witnessed and supported evidence can be crucial to a successful result.

> Another Rolleston baby - forget IVF, if you want a baby go to live in Rolleston, Leicestershire. First Sara Jane Cook gave birth to a daughter (see below) and now Preetha Exell has given birth to a son - James Michael - on 10th January. Congratulations to Preetha and Boyd on this first addition to their family

> Harness stolen - again - I had my harness room broken into last night and they've stolen at least 2 Tedman style single horse harness; one pony, one horse team full collar brass set, and various riding bridles including a nice double and a couple with Myler bits on and who knows what else.