Festival Highlights

Heavy Horses

The Festival is delighted to host the strong and majestic heavy horses in the Heavy Horse village. Come along and meet the gentle giants in the village and learn about all the equipment and watch them harness up for their musical ride. Make sure you take your seat in the stadium in time to watch their heavy horse musical drive, taking place at 12 noon on Friday, 17.40 on Saturday and 17.15 on Sunday in the main stadium.

Six heavy horse teams will be present at the Festival and participating in the musical drive. We would like to thank John Goodwin, David Curtis, Lucy Blain, R J Hiscock, David Mouland and Mike Millington for their time and hard work to bring the musical drive to the Festival.

Polocrosse

Polocrosse is a fast paced and exciting horse sport which is great to both play and watch. The sport is easiest to describe as lacrosse on horseback. Two teams, of three players, compete for the possession of a ball in order to score goals.

The ball is picked up off the ground and carried by the players in racquets consisting of a handle with a net on the end (similar to a lacrosse racquet). Players tackle each other by using their racquet to knock the ball out of their opponents’ racquets. Goals are scored by shooting the ball between two goal posts, with one set positioned at each end of the pitch.

Polocrosse is very much a family sport, with people of all ages and abilities playing and spectating. In polocrosse, unlike in polo, players can only use one horse for each tournament, which makes it much more affordable.

Come along and watch the UK polocrosse team show you how it is done in the main Stadium on Saturday 10th July at 11.30 and 16.30. For more information about Polocrosse visit www.polocrosse.org.uk

National Farriery Competitions

The British Farriers and Blacksmiths Association (BFBA) will be running their National Farriery Competitions at the Royal Festival of the Horse.

Festival visitors are invited along to the forge (located near rings C and D) to watch over 400 of the UK’s top farriers fighting it out to win the national title. A wide range of competitions will take place during the Festival including apprentice classes, shoeing of heavy horses on Friday and hunters on Saturday in order to qualify for Sunday and compete for the title of national champion and a £1000 cheque.

The Parelli method allows horse lovers at all levels and disciplines to achieve success without force, partnership without dominance, teamwork without fear, willingness without intimidation, and harmony without coercion. The Parelli programme combines common sense psychology and communication. The Parelli method teaches the human, not the horse.

Come along to the Parelli Pavilion at the Festival, open to all Festival visitors on Friday and Saturday. The Parelli Pavilion allows you a chance to find out more about natural horsemanship. Why not treat yourself on Friday or Saturday night to one of the evening gala performances when Pat and Linda will be sharing their valuable experiences. For more information about Parelli visit www.parelli.com

Osborne Refrigerators Double Harness Scurry

Scurry driving is ranked high amongst the most exciting and thrilling of equestrian sports for both participant and spectator; indeed it could be described as the Formula 1 of equestrian sports. Drivers drive their pairs of ponies who ‘scurry’ round a twisting course of pairs of cones pulling custom-built carriages at top speed providing edge of the seat excitement for competitors and spectators alike!

Ponies are no higher than 14.2hh and vehicles are custom built with a low centre of gravity, allowing them to maintain their balance better around the corners. It is also the job of the groom to act as ballast by moving from one side of the vehicle to the other, often leaning right out to maintain balance around the corners. The ponies, may not always be matching in size or colour but they are carefully selected for speed, manoeuverability, temperament and compatibility with each other.

Rules are simple. Each pair must navigate the course of cones around the arena without knocking off any of the balls. Throughout there is just a 20cm margin to spare on each side so accuracy is essential. If a ball falls there is a four second penalty. The fastest overall time wins.

To learn more about the exciting world of scurry driving visit www.osborne-ref.co.uk

Pony Club Musical Ride Competition

This is an exciting new competition for Pony Club branches to demonstrate their creative flair and teamwork to produce an 8 minute musical ride to thrill Festival visitors.

Each team must consist of a minimum of 8 riders and a maximum of 12 riders. Music is compulsory but fancy dress optional. Branches and centres were invited to apply, being whittled down to the final 16 teams invited to the Festival. Coming from across the country, eight teams will compete each day for the title of Pony Club Musical Ride Champions.

The teams competing at the Festival are:

• Cheshire Hunt North
• Chiddingfold Farmers
• Derwent Hunt
• East Hertfordshire Hunt
• Heart of England
• Ivel Valley
• Lancaster & District
• Ludlow Hunt
• Newcastle & North Durham
• North Warwickshire
• Ryburn Valley
• South & West Wilts Hunt
• Vale of Aylesbury Hunt
• West Kent Hunt (Meopham)
• West Lancashire County

Pony Club Tableau

Celebrating their 80th anniversary, members of the Cheshire Hunt North Branch of the Pony Club will be joined by members from Mobberley Riding School Pony Club centre to offer an insight into Pony Club life.

This mounted extravaganza will perform a whistle stop tour of Pony Club life, showcasing the variety of disciplines on offer in the Pony Club today, from Mounted Games to Pony Racing! It will truly be a celebration of "All things Pony Club", finishing with a grand musical finale.

The young riders range from 3 years of age to 24 years of age and will amaze and inform you of the wonders of the Pony Club, one of the largest voluntary organisations in the world. There are around 350 Branches and 550 Centres in the UK alone and The Pony Club has been the starting point for a large majority of equestrian team members and medal winners.

You do not have to own a horse or pony to join The Pony Club! If you own a horse or pony, you can join a Pony Club Branch. If you don’t own a horse or pony, you can join a Pony Club Centre.

Find out more about The Pony Club by making sure you take your seat in the stadium to watch the Pony Club Tableau at 11.50 on Saturday and 14.30 on Sunday or by visiting their website www.pcuk.org

Representing Cheshire Hunt North branch of the Pony Club are: Sarah Gilsenan 24, Ki Ashmore 17, Hilary Secker 15, Imogen Sherry 14, Hannah Pedley 7, Kate Pedley, 8, Lucy Pedley 10, Zoe Hill 4, Alex Vickers 11, Lucy Burrows 10, Maia Hodgson 10, Sharna McClellan 14, Kiana Winsor 3, Eleanor Hazelwood 11, Katherine Smith 10, Lydia Whittaker 12, Hannah Fallon 11, Jessica Lee 12, Georgina Blackshaw 14, Victoria Jones 14, Sophie Spencer 15 and Daisy Such 6.

Centre members from Mobberley Riding School Pony Club Centre include Claudia Ryan, Hanja Dickinson and Ben Webb.

Equestrian Vaulting

Equestrian Vaulting is best described as ‘gymnastics on horseback’ and if you haven’t seen vaulting before you do not want to miss their display in the main stadium on Friday.

A vaulting team consists of one large horse, a lunger who controls the horse and six to eight vaulters. The horse wears a specially designed roller with two large handles and a large pad on which the vaulters perform their gymnastic moves.

There can be up to three vaulters on the horse at any one time and most movements are performed in canter, although usually practiced in walk many times first!

Competitive vaulting requires outstanding physical condition from the vaulter and a harmonious relationship with the horse if a display of coordination, rhythm, strength, suppleness and balance is to be achieved.