2010 News
Times for the Kelly Marks Winter Series BHS Trec competition are here. There is another competition at Sandyflat on 28th March (postponed from the January freeze) and an entry form is available by clicking here.
BHS Trec at the Scottish National Equestrian Centre, Oatridge, West Lothian
Rhoda is training at Oatridge on Friday 30th April, and running a short format competition (CoP and PTV) there on Saturday 15th May. Clck on the dates for more details.
Kelly Marks Trec Competitions 5th, 6th and 7th December 2009
Results from Logie, Brodie and Borlum - well done to all who took part!
Fizz on a winter hack - December 09
Results from Kelly Marks Winter Series 2009 - Sandyflat Saturday 17th October
Forthcoming First Aid Courses - 26 October (refresher) in Drumnadrochit, and 3-4 November (Hayfield, Aberdeen) and 14-15 November in Newtonmore (2 day initial course). Book via www.bhsscotland.org.uk.
Rhoda is running a training course and British Equestrian Tourism exam at Newtonmore Riding Centre early in September, together with First Aid Training in Dunblane on the 8th and 9th of September. (4.9.09 Update - congratulations to all eight candidates as they all passed their exam on the 3rd This was a great group to work with, and Newtonmore Riding Centre excelled on its first examination course and day. It's a great place for a holiday too, and you can bring your own horse!) Trec Training is on offer at Sandyflat RDA in Glasgow on Saturday 26th September, in preparation for Kelly Marks Winter Indoor Competitions on the 17th of October, the 23rd of January and the 14th of March.
Sandyflat Training Form Sandyflat October Entry Form
August 21st to 23rd 2009 !! BRITISH TREC CHAMPIONSHIP WIN !!
Rhoda and Fizz were absolutely delighted when they won at the British Trec Championships at West Linton this weekend. The Level 2 Individual competition is always the biggest class and there were many top combinations there. This was Fizz's fourth competition, third win and first attempt at the Championship. To win was amazing. Fizz proved her fitness by climbing a 1754ft hill as part of the orienteering section on Saturday, covering 21.4km in 3.5 hours (although Rhoda led Fizz part of the way up the hill as it was VERY steep as you can see from the photo!) Sunday's PTV was a demanding, galloping course. The first obstacle on the PTV was a staircase, pictured below, proving her versatily, and Fizz took the other obstacles like the water, bridge, bending and ditch in her stride.
August 1st and 2nd 2009
Rhoda drove five hours' south for a wonderful Yorkshire welcome at the Skipton Trec Level 2 competition and was thrilled that Fizz finished fourth. Galloping the low branches on a curve was definitely a highlight! Can you wear too much fluorescent??
July 25th 2009
30 riders enjoyed wonderful weather, a large variety of obstacles, CoP practice, and a 12km orienteering route through the Queen Elzabeth Forest Park on Saturday. Drymen Showfield proved to be an ideal venue, and most riders mastered the Maypole!
June 2009
HORSE TRANSPORT NOW AVAILABLE
If you want transport to an event, or just down the road to the Vet School, then Rhoda McVey may be able to help you. She is now fully accredited to transport horses, licenced and insured in her own Renault Master two-horse lorry. It takes up to two 16.2hh horses, travelling rear facing. Prices on request to rhoda@makingstrides.co.uk or phone 07770 427502.
The Hyndshawland Trec competition took place in the Scottish Borders on the 6th and 7th of June. Fizz and Rhoda won the Level 2 Individual class, dropping just five points on the Orienteering Section, and getting their best scores so far in both the Control of Paces and the PTV phases.
Rhoda is teaching an Equine Specific First Aid Course at Drumnadrochit Village Hall for BHS Scotland - the refresher is on the 1st and the Two Day Initial is on the 2nd and 3rd. Full details and information on booking on www.bhsscotland.org.uk. If anyone wants to get a group of 8 to 12 people together, then we can plan a course specifically in your area.
24 May 2009
BHS Ayrshire are running a TREC training day with Rhoda McVey instructing - full details and information on booking on www.bhsscotland.org.uk.
16/17 May 2009
The Brenfield TREC qualifier managed to have good weather all weekend for the second qualifier of the year for the British Championships. Rhoda and Fizz paired with Katja and Shadow in the Level 2 Pairs class, and won. Rhoda was particularly delighted with Fizz's way of going and getting 10 for Brenfield's version of the Hickstead Derby Bank!
10 May 2009
Fizz is now fully recovered and as you can see from the photo - is the picture of health out on a hack today. Roll on Friday as she is off to Brenfield for the TREC qualifier for the British Champs.
29 April 2009
Fizz out grazing in hand, with her poultice boot and her Bioflow tendon wraps to aid healing - as happens with horses, she got a bruised sole at a Trec competition with Julia Hach, so is on box rest, but she'll be fine for the Brenfield TREC in the middle of May when Rhoda will be riding her.
18 April 2009
Fizz took part in her first ever dressage test - at Sandyflat Glasgow, and was fourth in a class of 13 with 70%. She will be unrecognisable to her Trec buddies and Rhoda is even wearing a hacking jacket!
Easter Weekend 2009
What a wonderful weekend. Just finished a BHS ESFAC (Equine Specific First Aid Course). Lovely people with the common interest of horses, and wanting to be well-prepared for any eventuality. Contact Rhoda if you have a group of 8 who want to do this course.
April 2009
Fizz won the recent Kelly Marks BHS Trec Newcomers competition at Borlum Farm, Drumnadrochit with Julia Hach - with an excellent score giving her 5th place in the UK Winter League. She was 2nd in the Open Competition with Rhoda.
January 2009
Rhoda has recently bought Making Strides Fizzical Presence - or Fizz to her friends - and plans to compete her this year at four full trec competitions, with the goal of competing at the British Championships at West Linton in August. Fizz was bred by the Haddows, well known in the eventing world, and is by Liz and Pat Rennie's Thoroughbred stallion, Shantamar. See www.lomondsidestud.com for a picture. Fizz's great great great great great grandad won the Derby (Mahmoud) so she is fast!
Rhoda is organising a qualifier for the British TREC Championships at Borlum Farm, Drumnadrochit (23/25 April) and there are other qualifiers at Brenfield (15/17 May) and Barstobrick (3/5 July). Barstobrick is also the Scottish Championship this year. Kelly Marks Winter Series competitions are being organised by Rhoda at Sandyflat, Glasgow, on 22nd March, at Glenferness, Nairn, on 28th March and at Borlum Farm, Drumnadrochit, on 29th March.
2008 Trec News
BHS TREC - PTV OBSTACLES AND CONTROL OF PACES TRAINING Sunday 28th December - 2pm to 4pm Saturday 10th January - 12noon At Sandyflat RDA, Summerston, Glasgow These sessions will last an hour and will be held in the indoor school with a maximum of 5 riders per session. TREC obstacles will be set up, and Rhoda McVey BA BHSAI (rgd) BETRL UKCC2 will explain the second and third phases of a TREC competition. Instructions will be given on how to ride the set-up obstacles and CoP, and each rider will be timed on the CoP section. The cost is £15 per rider. Spectators are very welcome. Training for the first phase of the competition (orienteering) can be provided at another time. The Kelly Marks BHS Trec Winter Series is being held at Sandyflat on 8th Feb and 22nd March, comprising the second and third phases only. Contact Rhoda on 07770 427502 for details.
We've just had a very successful BHS Trec competition in Drumnadrochit in September 2008 - congratulations to Katja Voigt and Christine Fletcher who won the Level 3a pairs, to Jacquie Muirhead who won the Level 3a individual, to Karen Waite who won the Level 2 Individual and to Jenny Herd and Simon Jacyna who won the Level 2 pairs at their very first competition!
Photo by Pam Scott Photography
Rhoda McVey was one of three riders taking part in the BHS Trec demo at Blair Castle Horse Trials in August 2008, again on Carolyn MacDonald's lovely grey mare, Corrie. There was a great deal of interest in BHS Trec and the demos went extremely well - and the rain stayed off too!
Rhoda paired with German rider, Katja Voigt, for the BHS Trec British Championships on the 16th and 17th of August in Derbyshire, this time riding on borrowed horses from Trans-Wales Trails - the pair were a creditable 10th out of 22 pairs. Sheila Watson from Scotland won the Level Three individual competition, and David Hay-Thorburn from Brenfield won the Level 4 British Championship on his wonderful coloured mare, Brenfield Mhairi. Photos can be seen on British Championships photo link
Rhoda competed in the BHS Trec Scottish Championships in June on Carolyn MacDonald's lovely grey mare, Corrie. This time Rhoda paired with a local teenager, Heather Urquhart, giving Heather her first experience of Level 3 competition. And they were fourth!
Rhoda McVey and Lorna Holden ran the first weekend competition of the year at Mundole in May, with great entries and great weather. The next competition is at Drumnadrochit on the 27th and 28th of September 2008. Please e-mail rhoda@makingstrides.co.uk for information.
Caledonian Riding Club news
Hannah Bain from Tore has just been awarded the Caledonian Riding Club's trophy for most improved rider in the 2007 season. Hannah has been taught by Rhoda McVey since April 2007 and Rhoda has been delighted with Hannah's progress. Hannah is a keen member of Ross-shire Pony Club and competes regularly in a variety of disciplines.
BHS Trec – Aviemore 27/28 October 07
This weekend saw the first two day TREC competition in the Highlands and good entries from as far afield as Yorkshire and Essex enjoyed a wonderful orienteering section by kind permission of Alvie Estate. Despite heavy rain on Saturday night, Sunday was a fabulous day for the second two phases and close competition saw three of the four classes being won by local competitors. The Kelly Marks winter series is a shorter version of the competition and the next date is Tuesday 27th November at Borlum Farm, Drumnadrochit at 7pm. Contact rhoda@makingstrides.co.uk or 07770 427502 for details.
Level 2 Pairs
1. Kate Adamson and Heather Urquhart 2. Christine Fletcher and Kate Ellistone 3. Katja Voigt and Laura Green
Level 2 Individual 1. Morven Sharp 2. Karen Waite (Fife) 3. Jeni Birks
Level 3 Pairs 1. Andrew Whittington-Davis (Drumnadrochit) and Julian Brown (London) 2. Ian Macalindon and Sheila Roberts (Yorkshire) 3. Rhoda McVey and Sonia Whittington
Level 3 Individual 1. Elanor McNamara (Eaglesham) 2. Wendy Taylor (Bo’ness) 3. Sue Perks (Yorks)
BHS Trec British Championships 2007
Four BHS Highland South members travelled to the British Championships at Rodbaston College in Staffordshire on the 1st and 2nd of September, a round trip of 900 miles. The competition (and the ground) was extremely hard but Lorna Holden finished 8th in the Level 4 on Brenfield Braggi, Sonia Whittington and Morven Sharp finished 6th in the Level 2 pairs, and Rhoda McVey finished 12th, and best Scottish Rider, in the Level 2 individual competition. Rhoda was kindly lent a lovely Connemara/TB mare called Corrie by Carolyn MacDonald from West Linton, and the pairing went extremely well together.
North of Scotland Highland Pony Show 2007
Rhoda McVey took King Schiehallion to this recent show and he finished Reserve Champion in the Part-Bred section. He is owned by Borlum Farm and used regularly in the riding school, but thoroughly enjoyed his day out competing in showing, dressage, jumping and even handy pony.
BHS Trec Scottish Championships 2007
Four BHS Highland South members travelled to the Scottish Championships at Oatridge on the 21st and 22nd of July and everyone came back with rosettes. Rhoda's ride, Borlum Farm's Teja was unable to travel at the last minute, so Karen Waite kindly loaned her own Arab/Connemara gelding, Maverick. Rhoda and Maverick thoroughly enjoyed the Level Two competion and finished a creditable fourth at Rhoda's first Championship competion. Jeni Birks and Morven Reid were also placed in the Level Two competion, and Lorna Holden was eighth in the Level Four Competion.
BHS Trec 2007
We had great fun this winter with the Kelly Marks Perfect Partners series - five of the BHS Highland (South) riders finished in the top 25 of the Newcomers league - out of a total of more than 500 riders - and Rhoda McVey was delighted to finish 4th overall with Borlum Farm's King Schiehallion. 'Hal' is a ten year old home bred, and used daily in the riding school.
BHS Trec Outdoor Competions 2007
BHS Highland (South) hosted our first outdoor Level 2 and 3 Trec competition on Saturday 19th May at Borlum Farm, Drumnadrochit. Caroline Clark won the Level 2 individual competition on Del Boy, and the Level 2 Pairs competition was won by Sonia Whittington-Davis on Llanidan Firefly and Morven Sharp on Joshua. The Level 3 competition was Rhoda McVey's first full competition and she was absolutely delighted that Borlum Farm's King Schiehallion (Hal) won the class against stiff opposition from as far afield as Derbyshire.
TREC European Championships
One of Rhoda's regular clients, Lorna Holden, represented Great Britain at the TREC European Championships in Exmoor in September 2006. It was a great honour for Lorna to make the squad in a sport that's growing rapidly in popularity. BHS TREC tests the partnership's ability to cope with an all-day ride across varied terrain, route finding, negotiating natural obstacles and hazards, while maintaining good basic flatwork, considering the welfare of the horse and respecting the countryside. Lorna rode Brenfield Bragi - a horse who regularly does trail rides with clients in the summer from the Argyll stables of Tove Gray Stevens and her son, David Hay Thorburn. David, who was World Champion in 2000, also competed at the Championships on Brenfield Mhairi, gaining top score in one section. Click here to see pictures from the event.
BHS Highland (South) ran a very successful Level 2 Trec competition in Drumnadrochit on the 21st of October 2006. Congratulations to Jeni Birks who won the individual competion, and Sonia and Andrew Whittington-Davis who won the pairs. Click here to see pictures from the event.
Highland Pony Show
At the recent Highland Pony Show in Inverness, Rhoda competed on King Shiehallion who is a part bred and belongs to the Highland Riding Centre at Drumnadrochit. 'Hal' was second in the Ridden Class, and won his Dressage class with 73%. Click here for photos of that show.
© Making Strides 2007
Rhoda McVey BHSAI (Rgd)
Click here to send an email