We have just been sent the show report from West Sussex BDS by Colin Hurd. Thank you to Colin and Lesley Hurd, and all who made this well organised and friendly event possible. Also Thank you to Linda Swain for the lovely photos.
West Sussex BDS show 2018
It felt like winter had returned to West Sussex for the annual area BDS Show held at Ryefield Farm courtesy of Jeff Osborne. The ground had held up to allow us to use the areas prepared for us by Jeff and his staff and with the well-respected Gary Docking standing as judge we attracted a good entry and most classes showing a welcome number forward in each. Organised once again by Colin & Lesley Hurd our first class is non-competitive and for anyone wishing to have a free lesson and to take away hints and tips from our judge and hopefully improve and encourage those forward to gain confidence and perhaps enter more classes here and at other shows, the four taking this opportunity all took on board Gary’s comments and it was pleasing to see the ease at which benefit had been achieved in such a small amount of time and took his advice into other classes during the day.
Moving on to the more established BDS classes had some very experienced and novices showing horses and ponies in the Novice Whip and then the Novice Pony classes, welcome newcomer Jamie Kelvey with Nikki Andersons pony “Annie” gained the red rosette for the novice whip and Jessie Dudley Apicella with a new chestnut pony “Stone Edge Seth” winning the novice pony class as well as the top honours in a class unique to West Sussex, the Non-traditional turnout class, which had seven very good lots forward, from a pair of Friesians from Hartland Carriages to a Joanne Parrett’s well known donkey.
After a well needed hot lunch the afternoon started with our Exercise Vehicle class with a great entry of nine to be sorted out, and once again the class going to Jessie with yet another new pony, a grey pony “Stone Edge Solomon” from the same breeder as her earlier winning novice, and after appearing at a BDS show in Hertfordshire the previous day, Mandy Burdick’s latest project standing second with “Grandshore Infinity”. Quality was present all down the line and Gary assured all that on another day any of the first five or six could have been the winner. The Open whip class is a real treat for Gary, as a passionate exponent of correct and traditional rein handling, gives him opportunity to ask questions and see who can achieve his requirements, worthy winner here was Michael Hartland with the aforementioned pair, one of which was at his first show and the experience here will be of benefit in his education to become part of the Hartland coaching team in the future.
Attempting to beat the forecast downpour and enable all to get away we decided to amalgamate the final two classes, this brought three cracking Private Drive turnouts forward, Helen Hughes with her Friesan “Harrie”, Steve Tubb with his section D “Indepence Warrior Bertie” and Charlie Bailey with a new for this year KWPN “Excellent”, sorting out the Osborne Qualifiers here was surprisingly straightforward with the Country Cart going to Helen, the Welsh Section D to Steve and Charlie gaining the Over 13.2 Non Hackney, winner of the class was Charlie with Steve second followed by Helen.
Finally our championship had Jessie with the grey pony from the exercise vehicle class, Michael Hartland with the pair, Steve Tubb with Bertie and Charlie Bailey. After a look at each receiving the Championship rosette and the winners sash Charlie Bailey stood top of the line with Jessie and Stone Edge Solomon as reserve, both of whom also took home a bottle of bubbly kindly donated by Joanne Parrett.