Report from EGB SE Region Awards 2002

This was the inaugural year for Endurance GB and saw for the first time in the South East an amalgamation of the two regional groups trophies and awards schemes into one, and included Endurance horses from Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hants, Berkshire and parts of London. With the South East being by far the largest of the regional Endurance groups, well over 60 horses managed the qualifying number of rides to take part in the regional scheme and all categories were very well supported showing a truly healthy status for the sport within the region.

The highest kilometre distance in one season was awarded to Saqi – a purebred Arab owned and ridden by Leo Davenport from East Sussex who completed over 855km. Top Honours went to rising star Joanne Carter from Chichester with her mare Autumn, who took high point Champion Horse and Champion Rider trophies along with a very special rug donated by Paul Ewing from Surrey and Sussex based Horse Health Products UK Ltd. Paul kindly sponsored this years regional awards and as a new Endurance enthusiast he is keen to continue his sponsorship with the South East Group.

Junior and Young riders are encouraged into the sport and this year saw an experienced Junior rider Fiona Hamilton from Horsham take the award for the third consecutive year, with newcomer 12 year old Stuart Miles hard on Fiona’s heels in second place, riding his mother’s pure Arab mare El Kharah Nejmet.

Other riders who fared well in the trophies were Tunbridge Wells based rider Claudia Christopher with Cobweb who finished reserve Top Rider, Erica McQuillan and Moonlight Rhapsody who took the Graded class trophy as well as the South Downs Rider trophy. The Novice Champion horse was Cardinal Panache, a pure bred Arab by Manichee, ridden by Julia Harman from Folkestone in Kent, who is looking forward to a bright future in the sport.

Most of these riders also scored highly in the National Endurance awards held recently in Coventry.

South East Awards co-ordinator Andrea Baker said “Since there is now one true awards ceremony for all Endurance riders in the region, these trophies really are hotly contested and really worth winning. They must surely server as an indicator of the up and coming horses and riders who will soon be competing and winning at National and International level.”

Andrea Baker.

Report ends.

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