Just to say a
really big thank you to everyone who helped over the last couple of days, absolutely fantastic support from everyone and it was because of that the whole day went as well as we could have expected for a first time event.
Equiped with our Hi-Viz jackets and walkie talkies, donated by Barnstaple Rotary Club, we all ended up a little wind swept!! and whilst I had hopefully thought of most things I had not planned on having a gale on the day, so when the marquee decided to see if it could fly, everyone helped to quickly get our entries moved into my horse trailer. Not finished with us yet the wind then turned its attention to the show jumps!!!!. but not to be beaten we quickly fetched 40 sand bags from B&Q with which we anchored the jumps so we could start our show jumping.
There are so many people to thank that is is difficult to remember everyone, but here we go. For everyone who helped on the set up day, Stephanie & Dominic and your daughter, Louise and your daughter for your stone picking skills, to Suzie, Freya, Alf and Hayley for setting up the dressage arenas and to Kate,Charlotte and Dave & Chris whom we put to work in sorting out some ground work that needed doing and to Zoe & Jade for all the signs, ropes and cones and to Sarah, Rachael and Becky.
On the day we had Jade, Zoe and Lianne doing a fab job on scoring and on the entries, the presentations, draw as well as helping with the break down. Thank you to Jackie, Ross, Cathy and Lucy for helping on entries and loads of other jobs. To Gilly & Gordon, Vicky & Otis for a brilliant job with the clear round jumping, we had several people comment on how encouraging and friendly you were and you helped to raise £56 for the club in just 2 hours.
To all our dressage judges and writers, Vicci our dressage steward, I hear you had some interesting spectators who thought dressage was a spectators sport! To run two rings and up to 50 riders is no mean feat, well done.
To Kim Parker and your team of helpers, for the loan of the jumps, it was great that you were able to benefit from Mike on the gate. Also a big thank you to Nancy & Ally Hutchings and their team of helpers in the two jumping arenas, which all worked brilliantly, indeed the feedback from Nancy & Ally was how efficient and friendly everyone was in the collecting rings and what a great job you all did in putting up the jumps, she says see you next year!!
It is also worth mentioning that it is only with the help of all our sponsors that we were able to hold the event, with Charter Vets our major sponsor, it was great to see Paul Jarvis coming home with some rosettes. Also to all these who donated prizes, including Tracey Stentisford from Express Embroidery who presented a luxury fleece rug to the lucky winner of our 2'6 Cricklands Qualifier and to John from The North Devon Sports Injury Clinic, with Natalie Wood winning a free consultation. This is something we would like to develop for next year with prizes for all our lucky winners.
Also thank you to Clive Ley who was our farrier for the day and to the St John Ambulance who both had a very quiet day, I am pleased to say. Not to mention to Carmen for your wonderful selection of food for us all.
To all those who brought donations to the draw and to those who helped to sell draw tickets we all helped to raise a further £102.00 for the North Devon Hospice and it was great to see that Heather Andrew won the lovely box of fruit kindly donated by Simmons the Greengrocers. (Heather and John came and enjoyed our event set in their wonderful venue). The whole event would have helped raise £400.00 which will go to The North Devon Hospice.
With Kate, Dave, Vicci, Jaye and Helen’s help we loaded the last jump on the trailer by 7.30 and headed home to collapse. I have been out to the venue today just to check it over and you couldn’t tell we had even been there, a reflection on what a great job everyone had done in tidying up.
DRESSAGE QUALIFIERS
SWDDC to be held at Stockland Lovell Manor, Bridgwater on Sunday 9 October, 2011.
Novice: Kim Parker on Muffalump, Emma Hewitt on Milo and Felicity Springett on Tizzy Dore is reserve.
Prelim: Paul Jarvis on Wicklow Lass, Kim Parker on Muffalump and Rachel Forster on Tonlyn Locomoation is reserve.
Good luck in October!
AFTER THE SUCCESS OF THE LAST SJ FUN 
S ON THE GROUND UP TO 3FT
