HI win

Scottish Endurance Riding Club - Grampian Branch Rides Location Map

Scotland win the Home International (HI) and come an incredibly close 3^rd place in the Celtic Challenge (CC) at the NAF Red Dragon Festival of Endurance in Builth Wells.

More reports from our own Katie Keith (click here) and Lorna Hogg to follow, but, in the meantime.........

This was the first time in the history of the competition that any team has got ALL OF ITS HORSES HOME AND PASSED THE VETTING! Not only that, but Team Scotland had more native and dark coloured horses than any of the other teams, including 5 blacks or almost blacks (see below).

It was so close in the CC that it finally came down to speed (the results are calculated on: 1. number of horses home, 2. distance travelled, 3. HR penalties & finally 4. down to total time taken) and the first 3 teams were all very closely matched.

These native breeds and crosses may not be the racing machines of many international competitors, but they are well suited to our Scottish, and evidently Welsh, climate and terrain. We just weren't fast enough - NOT a problem! We did it and we did it with no HR penalties and got all of our talented Team home safe & sound!!

The teams were:

*Class*	*Rider*	*Horse*	*Branch*	*Breed*	*Colour*
HI
Red Dragon 2 day 160km	Diane Michie	Skylarks Discovery	Highland	Highland/Arab	Grey
Red Dragon 2 day 160km	Sarah Norris	Southolme Blossom	Highland	Fell	Black
Dragon’s Tail 2 day 120km	Lorna Hogg	De Marco	Grampian	TB/Welsh	Dark Bay
80km ER	Francis Bakker	Martje	Border	Fresian	Black
2 day 80km	Sheila Ogilvie	General George	Argyll	Cob	Coloured
40km (Novice)	Colin Sykes	Ruby	Border	Dutch WB	Coloured
48km	Ian Paterson – Junior	Tannasg Primo Dancer	Tayside	Arabian	Chestnut
CC
80km	Anne Short	Another Chance	Lothians	Irish	Dark Bay
2 day 80km	Katie Keith	Jakhiri	Grampian	Arabian	Grey
42Km (Junior)	Tilly Hepburn-Wright	Kerbeck Night Jewel	Highland	Fell	Black
48km	Alison Dowing	Heathpool Pendragon	Lothians	Exmoor	Bay
40km	Nancy Murdoch	Alli Balli Bee	Lothians	Arabian	Grey

Reserves: Hazel McCorkindale & Silvallyah (Argy)

Seonaid Paterson & C S Kismet

Chef d’Equipe Evelyn Frame

Team Vet Graeme Swanson

Team Massage Therapist Catriona Goulding

Plus a merry band of crews and supporters.

Another Scot travelled to Wales to ride as an individual in the FEI 80km class:

Susan McArthur & Kublai Khann (Loth)

Actually, out of 15 Scottish horses down there, only 6 were pure bred arabians. Now - who dares to say you have to have an arabian to do endurance?

Final placings of all teams

Home International
1st    Scotland
2^nd   Ireland
3rd    England
4th    Wales

Well done to FRANCIS BAKKER and MARTJE who gained their Gold Thistle Final as well!

Border Branch member COLIN SYKES with RUBY won best Novice in the HI.

Celtic Challange
1st    Ireland
2nd    Wales
3rd    Scotland
4th    Cornwall

Susan McArthur & Khann came 3rd in the FEI ride. A very proud Susan said of her fantastic 17 year old Arabian that he looks like he hasn’t done a ride! What a star.

This report would not be complete without mentioning the interest and support from home which was made possible by innumerable text messages and posting on the SERC members’ forum by Heather Jones and Nicky Bertham.

Well done all.