AREA CHAIRMEN AWARDS FOR LONG SERVICE
Our first award of the afternoon is to recognise the importance of the BSPS Areas.
This year we have introduced a Special Award to recognise long standing Area Chairmen. These dedicated peoplehave made an enormous contribution over many years to the success of their Areas and in turn the success of the Society. The award is in the form of a lapel pin to wear alongside their Chairman’s badge as recognition for long service as Area Chairmen.
This year we are delighted to award these pins to four Area Chairmen. The Society is, indeed, very indebted to these loyal, committed and very dedicated ladies in running fantastic areas.
They are:-
Mrs Shirley Crane Chairman for 10 yrs
Mrs Marilyn Ludlow 28 yrs on Committee 10 as Chairman
Mrs Julie Cook 36 yrs on Committee 10 as Chairman
Mrs Sue Williams 11 years as Chairman
Please step forward Shirley, Marilyn, Julie and Sue.
BARRY COTON – LONG SERVICE
This gentleman started course building by accident, he started by first helping John Hall at the Winter Championships held at Stoneleighwith the courses and loading jumps at the end of the show.
Then one day at Area 6 the late Sarah Jull was struggling with the jumps so he offered his assistance. Sarah then suggested that his name went into the Rule Book and the rest is history as they say.
He has always been interested in courses as his daughter Rebecca competed in WHP. He was Chairman of the Gate Inn Riding Club for 21 years holding many BSPS Shows and he was also a member of BSPS Area 6 Committee.
This man is a keen gardener, with two allotments for his fruit and vegetables, which he shows at local agricultural shows winning many prizes and cups. He is Chairman of North Warwickshire Allotment Association, successfully showing their vegetables at the NEC.
I am sure by now that everyone realises we are talking about Barry Coton who has course built now for nearly 30 years. He always buildsa fair course for all standards of competition.
We thank him for all his commitment and loyalty to the Society over many years and are delighted to present this Long Service Award to Barry Coton
PONY PERSONALITY – CARNSDALE TOP GUN
This pony was purchase from Cavan horse sales in Ireland by Shelly Argyle as a 3yr old. He won HOYS as a 4 year old with Katie Druggan as a 153 cm WHP and since then he has been to HOYS 15 consecutive years, not being out of the top 8 in any one year.
Joanne Shawbought him in 2003. During the 12 years of owning him she has won the Desert Orchid twice and become multiple Gold Cup winners at both the BSPS Summer Championships and at Cheshire Show He has also represented theEnglandWHP team in ,2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 winning in 2010.
When Joanne came out of the class, her sister Jennifer Keepe rode him for one season where she was 5that the Royal International, then at BSPS he took Jennifer round her first Desert Orchid to jump clear and finish 4th &also represented the England WHP teams where they came 2nd. He was retired after HOYS in 2013 with a well respected 3rd place at the age of 20 years.
In 2015 Top Gun came out of retirement for the BSPS International WH teams to represent New Zealand and was superbly ridden by jockey Chloe Akers.
Joanne Shawwould you please accept this award on behalf of your pony Carnsdale Top Gun
SARAH PARKER – OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT 2015
Our Outstanding Achievement Award goes to someone who has won the Horse of the Year Show five times. Has been Champion Mountain and Moorland three times, and in 2015went Supreme Pony with Serum Rembrant, an 8 year old Section A Stallion.
Last year she was so very proud to win the Supreme Pony at the BSPS Summer Championship Show, riding the extremely versatile Menai Thomas, a section C Stallionthat she broke as a 4 year old. This was the first time the BSPS Supreme has been won by a Mountain and Moorland WHP.She has also previously won at Olympia.
She has been producing ponies since the age of nineteen. It’s very much a family run business, built up with the help of her husband Simon and certainly not forgetting her mum Liz, the main housekeeper.
A bad accident to her leg in 2013 was a worrying time as she had been told that she may never ride again, but it’shard to keep this young lady down. She is totally dedicated to showing and was very determined to pull through and get back on board. However running up in hand is definitely not her best pastime!
Sarah Parker would you please step forward to receive your Award for Outstanding Achievement
SUSIE EDDIS – OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT 2015
This young lady was lucky enough to win the Supreme Best Rider at the age of ten, and it really made her want to go on and justify the faith the judges had shown in her.
Her pony, like so many, was bought in Ireland as a 14 year old with a chequered history including pulling Santa's sleigh through the streets of Killarney. In 2014 they were quickly and embarrassingly eliminated in their first ever class in front of Mr Hilton, but won the next, an RI qualifier, and full of praise and polos, away he went on a winning run!
The team went on to win the Royal International Nursery Stakes that year, and were overjoyed to be selected for the English team and amazed to win by 8 marks. They won all their classes at the Summer Champs, except the Desert Orchid where they were 2nd on equal marks with the winner. They went on to win the International WHP class for England for the 2nd year running, again by a big margin.
In 2015, he was still improving, with wins in their first RI and HOYS qualifiers and arriving at Hickstead with a fabulous set of results under his belt.At the Royal InternationaI, he grew wings and gave a fantastic ride of a lifetime, to win the 133cm WHP.
Being the pony that he is, he went as slowly as he could in his lap of honour,lapping up every moment, until he then galloped up the hill to the cheers of the crowd.
In the Supreme Championship on the Sunday, The pair
just floated in front of the judges, strutting their stuff very proudly.The judges held up their lollipops – an 8 and two 10s! – it was such a moment of pride and happiness for the whole family as Beat the Boss became Supreme WHP of the Year.He left the arena in a true hunting gallop
I am sure you will have guessed, this Outstanding Achievement Award goes to Susie Eddisand her pony Beat The Boss.
TERRY PATTINSON – EQUESTRIAN PERSONALITY
Our Equestrian Personality this year, is known by thousands of children, giving them support and encouragement as they enter and leave the ring. He is seen at all our Championship shows, the Royal International, HOYS, Burleigh and Olympia, as well as at more local shows.
As a young man he had a varied sporting background, playing cricket at club level; swimming, tennis and badminton all at County level.
He holds qualifications in the art of fencing…, not the paddock type… even though he has done plenty of that over the years, but foil and epee!In his younger years was an ace on the ski slopes. Always an enthusiast of sports cars, finding the woman of his dreams, because of the sports car she was driving at the time.
None of his previous interests and achievements could prepare this person for his introduction to the equine world. Even his treasured Gold Club Membership fell by the wayside. From then on life changed dramatically,fatherhood, ponies, the Branodumun ring, later the Horsebox Trailers WHP Ring.
Only by being able to have the occasional quick crafty fag outside of the collecting ring has helped to maintain his dedication and loyalty to the BSPS
It is of course the dedicated and supportive husband of our National Chairman, Terry Pattinson.
This year ‘s BSPS Future Training Awards will be announced later in the year. It was felt that a change was required for these Awards.
We would like togive our jockey’s the opportunity to train with some of the country’s leading equestrians in their chosen disciplines, and to witness the skill and dedication required to achieve their highest accolades.
Further details will be on the website to invite applications for consideration of these awards