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Catriona Arres Memorial Training Grant
Jane Aitken was this year's proud recipient of the Catriona Arres Memorial Training Grant.
The grant is awarded to the EFRA member who has shown the most progress throughout the year, and is an appropriate
memory to Tutti who did so much for training club members, particularly those with young horses. Jane was presented
with the award at the club's annual 'Getogether' by Les Smith. Les ran a very successful Grasshopper's competition
in 2006, with the help of Ian Stark and Muriel Colquhoun, to fund the grant.
Jane's current equine partnership began at the end of 2005 when Jane bought The Rookie (AKA Roo) as a very green
five year old. The Rookie was locally bred by Fiona Walling and is by the late TB stallion Mutamarrid who stood
with Tony Hogarth at Mosshouses. Jane and The Rookie enjoyed early dressage success winning the Preliminary winter
league in 2006/07. Jane has had to work hard with Roo's jumping and it was great to see Jane's patience and dedication
really pay off in 2007 when they were part of the winning Style Jumping team at the Area qualifiers. They then
went onto to take a team 2nd at the British Riding Club Championships in Lincoln with a lovely clear round.
In particular, Jane says that she is very grateful for the training and support she has received from Anne Millar,
especially with the jumping.
Jane has also represented the club on the Novice Dressage and Riding Test teams in 2006 and the Open Dressage team
in 2007. Very recently, Jane and The Rookie were members of the winning EFRA dressage team competing in the winter
indoor dressage qualifier at Ingliston Equestrian Centre and taking an individual first in the team test.
Jane works as a shepherdess at Riddell Estate and says she is very fortunate to have such supportive employers
in Andrew and Virginia Grant. Jane will have to take time off from lambing to compete at the BRC Indoor Championships
at Hartpury in April.
Jane is an indispensable and very popular club member, attending many of the training sessions and club competitions
and of course is a keen team member. She is also a dedicated committee member, organising and helping at many
competitions.
Jane's hopes for 2008 are to continue to represent the club in the team competitions, which she enjoys immensely,
and to compete The Rookie at his first B.E Event. They have already benefited from attending a 2 day jumping clinic
taught by David Gatherer and hopes to take advantage of the many other excellent training opportunities offered
by the club throughout the year including dressage with Fiona Busby and Jane Rutherford and jumping with Anne Millar.
PHEW... WHAT
A DAY!! Augusta Greenlees' report of the Riding Club Winter Dressage Qualifiers
EFRA sent a team to the Riding Club Winter Dressage Qualifiers at Ingliston Equestrian Centre on 3rd March. The
night before with gale force winds it was doubtful the team would be able to go but after a sleepless night checking
the wind on an hourly basis Jane Aitken took an executive decision at 6.a.m. that she could drive up. So, 7a.m.
saw the first part of the team leave with two horses and everything bar the kitchen sink stuffed into Jane's trailer
and car.
We arrived at Ingilston in good time which was just as well as it was an awe inspiring place. Flags and flowers,
restaurants, and bars never mind the huge lorries, impressive horses and vast collecting rings. So with Claire
(Crichton) and Chocolate going first she got to the collecting ring in good time and settled into working her in
and keeping her chilled, then the test.... all went well no spooks, no leaving the ring and Claire said with Annie's
voice ringing in her ears she felt she had done her best.
Then back to the collecting ring to see how Jane and Rookie were warming up. Rookie's eyes had been on organ stops
but Jane had kept him calm and his eyes were now back in his head and he was ready to go. Again the test seemed
to go well despite Rookie thinking there were 15 dragons in one corner. Jane held him together and we all felt
all had gone well.
By now we had made contact with the 2nd lorry with
Sandra Grieve and Wendy Bell with their two horses. They hoped to be up to see Jane and Claire do their Team Test.
This was outside in a rather wind swept part, but with clear skies Jane and Claire warmed up well. Unfortunately,
both were on at the same time which made taking pics and watching for the Chef D'equippe a bit of a challenge!
On top of that the skies darkened and broke with a biting rain and gusts of wind just as they were called into
the arenas, but keeping their nerves and calming their horses they both did their very best . Wendy arrived just
at the end and said, as she came up to the arena she hoped those two lovely horses were the EFRA team as they both
looked like good tests.
Back to the trailer to a vast amount of polos for the two brilliant horses, rugs, water, hay and lots of cuddles,
before we all gathered into Sandra's lorry to warm up and gather ourselves together for their tests. Wendy felt
Harvey needed plenty of time to walk around and get used to these whizzy surroundings before his warm up while
Sandra kept Viz relaxed and warm.
We all meet up at the outdoor collecting ring where once again the weather was turning nasty and things were just
running a little late. Wendy and Sandra must have been freezing by the time they were called in. Jane and I read
or rather yelled the test out, as markers fell about and Claire tried to take photos. Again good tests with both
horses remaining unflappable.
Sandra then took Viz back to the lorry to feed and
rug up while Wendy and I went inside for her final test. Harvey had plenty of time to admire the flowers and settle,
before putting on a truly lovely test. Suddenly it was all over. Back to the lorry to settle Harvey and only then
did we realise how hungry we all were, so off to the restaurant to food and a good bit of blether while we waited
trying not to be nervous for the marks. Finally, some of them went up and there was much rejoicing and hugging
in the EFRA team. Jane came 4th in her warm up and 1st in her team test and Claire came 2nd in her warm up and
1st in the team event, enough to reduce the helper to near tears. Still no marks for the others so we decided that
Jane's lot would hit the road for the long journey home and the others would wait and phone us, which they did
and cheered us up as we sat in a traffic jam with more good results. Wendy had come 3rd in her warm up and 2nd
in her team test, which means that the EFRA team will be heading down south in April to the Championships. Watch
this space.
It was a fantastic day not only because of the results but having never been part of a team it really opened my
eyes to what a fab experience it is and what fun it is. So go on look at the slip in the Schedule and put yourself
forward for the teams it really is a whole different ball game and loads of fun.
Dressage and
Show Jumping @ Dryden 24 Feb 08
Ettrick Forest's first competition of 2008 was held at Dryden on Sunday with many competitors successful in both
the dressage in the morning and the show jumping in the afternoon.
Jane Aitken and The Rookie got their competition year off to a good start with a win in the Novice Dressage with
the highest percentage of the day. They then jumped 4 clear rounds in the afternoon to be placed 2nd equal in the
nursery and 4th in the Novice show jumping. Jane was the very proud recipient of this year's Catriona Arres Memorial
Training Grant which was presented by Les Smith at the club's annual Getogether in February. The training grant
is awarded annually to the club member who has shown the most progression throughout the year. Jane has put a huge
amount of hard work into The Rookie. Her patience and dedication certainly paid off in 2007 when she jumped a clear
round at the British Riding Club Championships at Lincoln as part of the Style Jumping team which were placed 2nd
overall.
Both sections of the Prelim 1 class were won by riders who were also placed 2nd with a different horse. Sarah Page
won Section A with Ballykenly Rest and was placed 2nd with Paper Classic. Sarah had a successful day going on to
win the Open show jumping and take 2nd place in the Intermediate class with Paper Classic. Rhona Young riding her
own horse Ludo, not long back in work after injury, won section B of Prelim 1 with a high scoring percentage and
was placed 2nd with Gillie.
Wendy Bell and Taktiform were also successful in both the dressage and show jumping, winning the Elementary 41
class and then the Intermediate show jumping with the only double clear of the class. They were also placed 2nd
in the Novice show jumping with another double clear and a good jump off time.
The nursery show jumping was a strong class with many double clears and was won by Tracey Mackay with her new horse
Ardfry Balthazar who jumped a very competent 2nd round to score a good style mark. Claire Crichton riding Augusta
Greenlees' Chocolate won the Novice Show Jumping with a double clear and a fast time in the second round. See results
page for full results.
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