(Midland Association of Riding Clubs)
Our Christmas Newsletter
Welcome to our Christmas 2014 newsletter.
Thank you for your support during 2014, the Summer Championships have finally settled down and after a traumatic year in 2012, the rebuilding process is well on its way, and for the last two years, we have had nothing but positive comments, and with your continued support this will continue into 2015.
Midarc is the longestserving (21years in 2015) and most experienced organisation of its type in the UK.
Not many changes are envisaged for 2015 except for the introduction of the Sunshine Tour, of which full details follow further on in this newsletter. This will – we hope – be a solution to some of the problems some clubs and shows have experienced over the past few years.
We have recently completed a 7 night tour of the Midlands with our visual presentation of the “Sunshine Tour”, it has been good to meet everyone out there and put faces to names, would have been nice to see a few more of the clubs, but its getting towards Christmas so time is at a premium.
Attached to this newsletter is the 2015 Sunshine Tour Registration Form – and its free to register until 31st December 2014– if you cannot download this you can find all the information you need on the web site
It just remains for us to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
/ The 2015 Sunshine TourAn Introduction for the Clubs and Shows
A Brief History of Midarc
Midarc was formed at a meeting of 6 like minded riding club type shows in 1994
Midarc celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2014
Midarc now runs a Winter and a Summer Championships
There are currently 50+ clubs within Midarc, running qualifiers
The 2015 Summer Championships will for the first time be split between two venues, venues will be announced in January 2015.
Dressage will be held the first weekend in September
Showjumping, Ridden, In Hand Showing and Working Hunter will take place over the August Bank Holiday weekend – 29th, 30th, 31st August 2015
The Reason for the Sunshine Tour
Many Clubs have been experiencing falling numbers in all disciplines over the past few years
Midarc has held discussions with shows and competitors to attempt to come up with a solution that helps everybody
The Sunshine Tour will give competitors a sense of purpose throughout the summer competition season
What is the Sunshine Tour?
The Sunshine is a series of leagues for selected classes over all regular show
Disciplines – Showjumping, In Hand & Ridden Showing, Working Hunter and Dressage
Clubs and Shows have been invited to run “Sunshine Tour” classes as part of their normal schedule
The Leagues will run from Sunday 22nd March until Sunday 16th August 2015
Whats in it for the Riders?
Regular league tables for their classes in all disciplines
League tables will also show placings in that class which may help when selling a pony or horse on. For example, if they have a Ridden Cob and put it up for sale, the potential buyer can see its record on the “Sunshine Tour”, showing how many
1st, 2nds, 3rd placings etc it has won in that class. We think it will be a useful selling and buying aid.
The top 20 in each league will then qualify for the elite classes which are held during the Midarc 2015 Summer Championships
Normal Midarc qualifiers will also run, so everyone can still qualify, but most importantly, only the top 20 in the leagues compete in the elite classes
Top prizes for the elite classes, trophies to the winner and rosettes to 6th place for each league.
For the Elite Finals ; Rugs, Trophy, Sashes and rosettes at the elite finals
What are the costs to the Rider?
The Registration form will be available on our web site between 24th December 2014 until 31st December 2014, registrations received by the 31st December are FREE,
From 1st January 2015 there will be an affiliation (membership) fee of £10 per horse / pony & rider combination, subsequent registrations of horses or ponies for the same rider will be £5
From 1st April 2015, the affiliation (membership) fee will rise to £15 for Rider and Horse combination, subsequent registrations will be £5
Apart from entry fees to local shows and to the finals there are no other costs to the Rider
Registration will also give automatic entry to the Midarc Champs held August Bank Holiday 2015 – 29th – 31st
It will be the responsibility of the competitor to submit their results via the online form available at
This is what the league table will look like
Ponies will be awarded as follows - 1st 6pts, 2nd 5pts, 3rd 4pts, 4th 3pts, 5th2pts, 6th 1pt
MIDARC SUNSHINE TOUR – BEST RIDDEN COBRider No / Rider name / Horse / Pony / 1st / 2nd / 3rd / 4th / 5th /
6th / Points
1340 / Millie Farrington / Toby / 1 / 6
0603 / Leah Harrison / Bowes Tokyo Drift / 1 / 6
1337 / Lucas Ogden / Dawn till Dusk / 1 / 5
1233 / Holly Gair / Bowes Sambuka / 1 / 5
1079 / Chloe Bailey / Bowes Rolo / 1 / 4
0106 / Lucy Roberts / Cindy / 1 / 3
0012 / Emma Jones / Twinkle / 1 / 2
Showjumping classes that are eligible
If clubs run classes jointly for Horses or Ponies – then prizes should be awarded separately
Table A7 (1 round and then a jump off) or Single Phase (fences 1 – 6 are not timed, 7-12 are timed and faults are cumulative) both are acceptable formats for the Sunshine Tour
60cms70cms75cms80cms
90cms1m1.05m
In joint horse and pony classes all doubles must be built on 2 strides – no spreads at the 2nd or 3rd parts of any combinations
Single fence may be run (no doubles or trebles)
Courses should always be built to height, a rider entering an 80cms class is paying to jump 80cms not 70cms.
In case of good entries, then clubs may run single phase to help speed things up
Dressage Classes that are eligible
BD Intro A or BPrelim 4, 7, 12 or 18Nov 24. 28, 30 or 34
Ridden Showing Classes that are eligible
Equitation – LR, Junior, Senior
Best Rider – LR, Junior, Senior, Veteran (over 40)
Best LR Pony, Riding Pony, Riding Horse
Ridden Hunter, Ridden Cob, Ex Racehorse
Ridden Coloured & Spotted (to include Duns and Palominos)
Ridden Veteran
Ridden Sports, Ridden M&M Large & Small, Foreign Breeds
Tiny Tots, First Ridden, Ridden Mare or Gelding, Intro to Showing
Working Hunter Classes for Horses and Ponies
All Classes may be mixed
eg; M&M Large and Small together
In Hand Showing Classes that are eligible
M&M Small & Large Breeds, Foreign Breeds, Shetlands, Miniatures
Stallions & Colts, Driving Type, Cob Type, Hunter Type, Sports
Any other Breeds (Youngstock and Mature), Veterans
Welsh, ColouredSpotted, (to include Duns and Palominos)
Young and Senior Handler
All Classes may be mixed
eg; M&M Large and Small together
When we receive your 2015 Registration Form we will send full guidelines
for the above classes, plus any special criteria we require
Any queries or questions on the “Sunshine Tour”, please feel free to
contact us to discuss. An email with your queries plus a contact
telephone number is the best way to do this
Midarc Contact Details
Postal Address
1 Ivy Cottages, Penncroft Lane, WolverhamptonWV4 5JW
web site:
e-mail:
Telephone: 07734 000260 / 07971 108463
Promotional ideas for well supported classes
BEFORE THE SHOW
Include the following wording in your Schedule
“Midarc Qualifers” and if running the classes “Sunshine Tour”
Check your supply of qualifying certificates, if you need more, just ask
Include links to the Midarc web site from your web site, this will help increase your own web sites profile on the search engines
Ask someone to make some videos at your show and put them on your web site
Why not put Midarc and Sunshine Tour graphics on your schedule, just email us and we will send them as a pdf file for you to use
DURING THE SHOW
Ensure your competitors know what classes are qualifiers
Ensure that riders know how they can qualify
Make sure everyone that qualifies receives a qualification certificate
Dressage – why not attach the qualification certificate to the score sheet
Get your Judges / commentator to announce Midarc qualifiers before they class commences and again in showjumping before the jump off
Announce those who have qualified when results are announced
Display any promotional material in a prominent place
If a rider requires further information that you cannot supply, refer them to the Midarc web site, and explain the dates, schedules and full details can be viewed or downloaded from there