Riding Association

Clearing the water run-offs on the trails in Hodgemoor Woods

Marcus Bicknell

On Friday 13th October 2023 our friend Frank Everest will be using one of his mini-diggers under Forestry England supervision to clear the silt and debris from about 50 grips along the trails in Hodgemoor Woods. Thank you Frank

    1. A grip is what Forestry England call a water run-off, that is a hollow in the earth next to the trail into which rainwater can flow. Why are they important? If water lies on the trail then the passage of cyclists and especially horses turns the surface into mud and breaks up the hardcore hoggin if which the surface is made. Such degradation massively shortens the life of the trails on which the Hodgemoor Riding Association has spent over £250,000. You can see the detail of these sums on our web site at HodgemoorRidingAssociation_21year_income_deployed
    2. With the passage of time silt and debrtis runs off the trails and fills up the grips, rendering them useless. See the four images at the bottom of this page. Regular emptying of the grips is therefore essential. We will be giving attention to those on the steep parts of the trail, notably at the Mount, where diagonal channels lead rushing rainwater away from the path. The places where work is needed have been indcated with yellow marker on 10 October (right).
    3. We can remind members that at the request of Forestry England cyclists have been permitted to use the horse trails, without contributing money, since 2017. Cyclists are not allowed anywhere else in Hodgemoor, neither on the footpaths nor free-riding.
    4. The minutes of our last AGM recorded “370 metres of trail repairs were done in October 2019 at a total cost was for £29,800 to which the Association contributed £15,300, about half. Forestry England agreed to pay half this time because of new regs imposing on us a contractor which was more expensive than our regular one. You can see a map at https://hodgemoor.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/hodgemoor_trail_works_2019_map.pdf · With income of about 5,000 p.a., the Association would by 2024 have about £28 ,000 available with which we could rebuild 350 metres if the rate is still £80/metre (if FE do not contribute). Forestry England would prefer to wait till 2024 and do more metrage as the last works were disruptive. With that in mind, the the Chairman and Secretary proposed next works in 2024, for economies of scale. The meeting agreed.”
    5. How are we doing with trail repairs? We request members (and walkers and cyclists) to let us know where you think work is needed. Susie and Marcus are compiling a list which will be submitted to Forestry ENgland shortly after the AGM of Monday 20th November. Speak now! Your help is much appreciated (and of course useless if after Nvember!). If a member would like to suggest expenditure of club funds ouside Hodgemoor then please do so. We do have reserves, as published on https://hodgemoor.org.uk/downloads/, Treasurer’s Reports

The Hodgemoor Wildlife Junior Photography Award

Marcus Bicknell

The Hodgemoor Wildlife Junior Photography Award at the Chalfont St Giles Show.

The Hodgemoor Riding Association and its 300 members sponsor an annual cup and a cash prize in the Junior Photography Section. Since 1999 the Association has raised over £240,000 for the renovation and maintenance of the 6km of horse-riding trails in the woods and nearby, improving this popular amenity for all users, whether walkers, cyclists or horse-riders. The winner each year keeps this engraved one-pint glass tankard, £20 from the Hodgemoor Riding Association (attached to this certificate) and a voucher from Southbank Photography in St Giles for framing of the winning entry or £20 off any order.

To be awarded today 2nd Sept 2023 at the Chalfont St Giles Show.

 

Hodgemoor Trec 30 April 2023 results

Hodgemoor Trec 30 April 2023 results

Marcus Bicknell

Delighted to report that 26 happy riders and their horses competed in the Hodgemoor Trec today, sunny in the morning, overcast but warm in the afternoon. No-one got lost in the wood doing the Orienteering Phase! Thanks to the recently-engaged ebulliently-happy camera-hotshot Alice Bicknell, we present a complete set of photos in high resolution free-of-charge. Definitely worth looking through every one rather than ego-surfing; some wonderful studies in equine and human body language. https://photos.app.goo.gl/eZgR4MKJ1PoSfWS88
This album is open to anyone with the link. Pass it on and enjoy.

There were half a dozen superb performances, maybe the best we have ever seen in the Hodgemoor Trec. In phase 1, those fifteen obstacles requiring control, Maggie Miodek on Phoenix and Coleen Douglas on Indie scored 145 and 144 respectvely out of a maximum available of 150. Amazing. Well done. Katherine Kennedy, Kelly Stokes and Melanie Ralph all got 138. Phase 2 Control of Paces was a tie between Kelly Stokes on Otis and Francesca Jones on Buffy with 48 points out of 60. 15 riders embarked on Phase 3 Orienteering; Laura Newton on Mayday and Sara Caley on Jack got all ten clues correct, all times neatly written, in a total time within 2 minutes of bogie time for 225 out of 240. They were riding as a pair and so lost 10% of their score, otherwise it would have been perfect. And they had fun.

When you add the three phases together and divide the riders into their classes, the results are as follows:

Class 1: 2 Phases: Obstacles and Control of Gaits. Beginners.
Vicki Barras
Clemmie Cullen
Sophia Evans

Class 2: 2 phases: Obstacles and Control of Gaits. Open
Mary Doherty
Alice Labed
Francesca Jones
Kayleigh Dear

Class 3: Obstacles, Control of Gaits, Orienteering. Beginners
Katherine Kennedy
Sarah Staines
Kelly Stokes
Coleen Douglas
Cara Foster

Class 4: Obstacles, Control of Gaits, Orienteering. Open
Sara Caley
Laura Newton
Alison Cheetham

You can download and peruse the full spreadsheet of the results by phase and by class with the link below. To see the results by phase you need to click on the Tabs at the bottom of the screen. Let me know please if there is anything you do not understand. Results with small corrections are below, posted 5 May 2023 MB. Mary Doherty Obstacle 8 should be 5 3 not 5 36,  and for Katherine Kennedy Obstacle 3 should be 7 3 not 78 3. Apologies for the typos. Everyone has their rosettes!

hodgemoor_trec_results_2023

 

 

 

 

 

Concussion… how to spot it and what to do

Concussion… how to spot it and what to do

Marcus Bicknell
 
This month British Equestrian released new concussion guidelines which will be adopted across all the riding disciplines in order to ensure a shared plan with regard to anyone who unfortunately suffers concussion as a result of a horse-related accident.
 
The guidelines are just that, guidelines, but it has been mooted that it would be good that all disciplines including grassroots competitors should be made aware of them as a huge amount of investigation has been undertaken to provide the best advice.
 
We are therefore sharing this document with all members, will have it available on our webiste in permanence and wil put a copy into the Health & Safety folder that is taken to all our events.  With our forthcoming Le Trec event on Easter Saturday 8th April it is good to be ahead of the curve and get this information out there…
 
 
Do please read it through; you could be the person who saves a riders life or saves them from long-term brain damage.
 
With thanks to Dawn Fleming for the heads-up and the advice.

Hodgemoor Le Trec, Easter Saturday 8 April 2023

Marcus Bicknell

Hodgemoor Riding Association: Le Trec
Homefarm Orchard, Kirby Close, Chalfont St Giles HP8. Easter Saturday 8 April, 2023. 10am to 1 pm

Le Trec will be on Easter Saturday this year. Those who want to do the West Wycombe ride on Easter Monday can do both.

Come and enjoy yourself at Le Trec, the competition which demands a calm horse and skillful handling. Competitors enter singly but can go round with a friend. The Hodgemoor Trec, which has been running since 2009 on the same site on the Bicknells’ fields between the White Hart in St Giles and Hodgemoor Woods, is warmly informal and so is an ideal opportunity for beginners to have a go. You can do the first two phases (obstacles and the control of gaits) or all three (those plus the orienteering which usually takes you round a course in the woods and small lanes of an hour to an hour-and-a-half). You can also compete as a beginner or “open” and there are rosettes for the leading placings in both. The obstacle course will be emailed to entrants so they can learn the route which saves time on the day. Entries close Monday 3rd April.

Funds raised from the event go to maintaining the horse trails in the woods and around Hodgemoor. Our website is at www.hodgemoor.org.uk

Download the schedule and entry form in MS Word here…

hodgemoor_trec_entry_form_8_april_2023

 

The Hodgemoor Wildlife Junior Photography Award 2022

The Hodgemoor Wildlife Junior Photography Award 2022

Marcus Bicknell

The Hodgemoor Wildlife Junior Photography Award. The Hodgemoor Riding Association and its 300 members are sponsoring an annual cup and a cash prize in the Junior Photography Section of the Chalfont St Giles Show on Saturday 3rd September 2022. Since 1999 the Association has raised over £250,000 for the renovation and maintenance of the 6km of horse-riding trails in the woods, improving this popular amenity for all users, whether walkers, cyclists or horse-riders. Entries for the Hodgemoor Wildlife Junior Photography Award may be of a horse or horses but must have a significant wildlife feature in the photo, i.e. not just a portrait of the horse. Photos of “wild life” will be preferred by the judges. If you would like some inspiration then take a loook at the 2017 compilation by 15-year-old Harry Whiting of Chalfont St Giles at https://hodgemoor.org.uk/walkers/nature-videos-and-photos/.

Prizes will be awarded as follows: 1st Prize £3.00, 2nd Prize £2.00, 3rd Prize £1.00. The winner will also receive an engraved tankard to keep. Southbank Photography in St Giles is offering framing of the winning entry or a £20 voucher.

For this award, “Junior” means you must be under 18 years old on the day of the show. Work that has been done at school or at outside activities may be entered, as well as that produced at home. Your birthdate must be entered on your entry form, and all work submitted must be entirely the Junior’s own work. The deadline for the return of paper entry forms is SATURDAY 27th AUGUST 2022, at 12 NOON, unless otherwise indicated in the class. The entry form ONLY may be handed in to one of the show agents (please do not leave exhibits at the agent’s shops).

Common Buzzard: note the rounded tail

Online entries must be received by midnight on Sunday 28th August 2022. Please note: your entry will only have been logged by our system if you receive a confirmation email to the email address specified. Check your spam box if you are unsure or check with the competitions manager, Christine Drury 07747 867879. On Show Day, we advise that your finished photo, in paper form not digital, should be brought well before 9.15am. It is easy to underestimate the time needed to locate the classes (especially if you have more than entry in the show) and display exhibits. All photographs may be colour or black and white. They may be digitally enhanced but not manipulated in any way. All photographs may be up to 10” x 8” (25cm x 20cm) excluding mount if used and can be taken using any device. eg Camera, smart phone etc. The photograph(s) exhibited must NOT have been shown at a previous Chalfont St Giles Show.

We would like to encourage you to enter competitions through our online entry system, which will be available on our website at www.csgshow.org during the summer. Online entries must be received before midnight on Sunday 28th August 2022. The link to the photo and details of the entrants’ names and ages should be emailed to competitions@csgshow.org and to chairman@hodgemoor.org.uk by the deadline for online entries which is midnight on Sunday 28th August 2022

#csgshow
facebook.com/ChalfontStGilesShow/
http://www.csgshow.org/
www.hodgemoor.org.uk

Dressage at Widmer 1 May 2022 – results and series standings

Dressage at Widmer 1 May 2022 – results and series standings

Marcus Bicknell

Here are the results for today’s Hodgemoor Winter Dressage 2021-2022 round 7 (the last) at Widmer on Sunday 1st May 2022. We had 26 entrants, 3 of which could not participate because of illness, and a very relaxed but proficient atmoshere. Susie and Marcus Bicknell and the whole of the Hodgemoor Riding Association thank Dawn Fleming for judging, Francesca Jones for organising, Rachel and her mum Julie Smith for scoring and all those who wrote, read and otherwise helped. Click on the link just below.

widmer_results_1may2022

In the Novice class, our hostess Francesca Jones on Otto won her section A as the only entrant but also got a better score than series organisers Marcus Bicknell on Prince (first in section B) and Susie Bicknell on Blueby (2nd in section B). Section A beginners, B experienced.

In Intro, Charlotte Bodega on Maesteg Nancy won section A, from Eleni Antoniou on Impossivel and Adrian Scott on Tai. In Section B, Francesca Jones rode to victory on a different horse, Sandy, followed by Alana Brown on Patrick and Sarah Martin-Keyte on Story Tale. Jessica West on Foxy won the Youth class (11 and under)  and Charlotte Bodega, of course, the Teen class (12-16 years).

In Prelim, Charlotte Bodega on Maesteg Nancy triumphed over the adults again in section A over Sara Caley on the imposing Jack and Pasha Allam on Otto. Section B was won by Czech stable lady at Widmer Lucie Vendlova who sat on Eric for the first time on Friday. Sarah Martin-Keyte on Story Tale was 2nd and Vicky Smalley on Jumping 4 Joy 3rd.

Charlotte Bodega on Maesteg Nancy won the Teen class with Alana Brown on Patrick and Sienna Chambers on Derrinduff 2nd and 3rd.

The quality of riding was very high throughout. The little ponies and the BIG horses (notably Geoff Gudgion on Ida and Sara Caley on Jack) were a joy to watch. Thank you to all competitors for coming.

The final series champions across seven events are as follows:

HODGEMOOR RIDING ASSOCIATION
WINTER DRESSAGE – SEVEN EVENTS
SERIES POINTS CHAMPIONS 2021-2022
FINAL RESULTS – PROVISIONAL UNTIL 15 May

Intro Section A Beginners Charlotte Bodega, Measteg Nancy
Intro Section B Experienced Claire James, Cookie
Intro Section A Teen 12 to 16 years Charlotte Bodega, Measteg Nancy
Intro Section B Teen 12 to 16 years no entries
Intro Section A Youth 11 and under Sadie Braybrook, Honey Dew
Intro Section B Youth 11 and under Grace Braybrook, Marshmallow

Prelim Section A Beginners Charlotte Bodega, Measteg Nancy
Prelim Section B Experienced Georgie Gammage, Fred
Prelim Section A Teen 12 to 16 years Charlotte Bodega, Measteg Nancy
Prelim Section B Teen 12 to 16 years no entries
Prelim Section A Youth 11 and under Sadie Braybrook, Honey Dew
Prelim Section B Youth 11 and under Holly Delport, Foxhey

Novice Section A Beginners Lucy Butler, Ollie
Novice Section B Experienced Diana Barham, Mole
Novice Section A Teen 12 to 16 years no entries
Novice Section B Teen 12 to 16 years no entries
Novice Section A Youth 11 and under Lucy Butler, Ollie
Novice Section B Youth 11 and under no entries

Series points, any class or section Georgie Gammage, Fred

Download the complete series points table here.

 

Action photos from Marcus’s camera are available free of charge on Google drive https://drive.google.com/…/187OEivAg83BLlFasDVAAP9GKkLo…
Marcus thanks Francesca’s neice Amelia for taking the photos on it when he was competing and hacking home. Apologies to Adrian Scott who might be the only person of whom we have no photos… if anyone has some please do send them to me marcus@bicknell.com or post in comments.

 

Sacha Hamilton at work

Dressage at Austens 11 April 2022 – results and series standings

Marcus Bicknell
Hodgemoor Winter Dressage event at Austens, Twitchells Lane, Jordans, on Sunday 11th April 2022.
I stole this pic off Georgie’s Facebook, thanks! Olivia Warner, Sienna Chambers, Georgie Anne Gammage and Sara Caley (pictured here at Austens) hacked from Dibden Hill which is off Narcot Lane between St Giles and St Peter.
 
We had 16 riders for the winter dressage on Sunday, nice competition weather. Those that hacked from other yards were pleased to see “SLOW – Horse Event Today” signs down Twitchells Lane and cars did seem to be going quite considerately. Everyone remained very jolly and the riding standards were high. Teenager Eleni Antoniou on Impossivel was unbeatable in Intro Class A with 73.5%, well done. Claire James won class B. In Prelim another teenager Sienna Chambers won Section A and Monique Millington Section B for experienced riders. In Novice, it was a stitch-up for the Bicknells, the only entrants, with Marcus pipping Susie for the first time. Thank you so much to Sacha Hamilton and her band of helpers for organising and for judging, to Jane Braithwaite for writing and to Kevin Malyon for scoring. The updated series points table, with one event to go, is also posted below
 
 
Sacha Hamilton at workThe image on the right is of Sacha Hamilton in competition, but not in the Hodgemoor event! She was the judge for us.
 
I have updated the series standings and you can see them at here.   Percentage marks from each of the Winter Dressage events are averaged (plus a % point to encourage participation at many of the 7 events) to give a series champion in each class and section. In the Intro Walk-Trot class, teenager Eleni Antoniou has jumped into the lead of Section A thanks to her excellent marks at Austens, and Sheila Grimshaw into third. Charlotte Bodega is bumped into second. Similarly in the Section B for experienced riders Nicky West has been toppled by Claire James who hacked over an hour each way to come and compete. In Prelim Charlotte Bodega on Measteg Nancy keeps her place at the top of the less experienced leader board Section A, from Mia Okuyama and Sadie Braybrook, while Georgie Gammage on Fred jumps into the lead of Section B ahead of Delia Gomez Dominguez and Jaimi Roehrig. In the Novice class, Lucy Butler still leads Nozomi Okuyama and Kim Dudko in the less-experienced riders Section A while in the Open section B there is no change; Diana Barham on Mole is in the lead from Delia Gomez Dominguez and Charlotte Fleming. One event to come in this series.
 
The series trophies and sponsor’s prizes will be awarded early on the evening of the Hodgemoor 21st birthday party on 9th July.
 
 
Just one more winter dressage event now,
Sunday 24th April at Widmer Livery Stables, Rawlings Lane, Seer Green.