Highlights for me this year are as always, this Annual Course, but also there have been lots of great events again this year. The Scottish Coach Assembly has been a great addition to the events list this year, and I really hope it has demonstrated the potential and scope of F&I and what we could be capable of, working with our partners in the industry. I will be continuing to work closely with Jen Morris…
Read MoreReport from the Richard Waygood MBE Jumping Training at the Annual Course
It felt a real privilege to sit at Addington, watching a World Class jump trainer teaching / coaching a wide range of F&I horses and riders. Dickie was so generous in sharing his knowledge with our wide range of partnerships. The two days were a masterclass of excellent coaching skills. There are always lots of different reasons riders put themselves in front of their friends and colleagues – and right from the start, Dickie gave…
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It was good to see so many horses, riders and spectators braving the somewhat challenging conditions to make the trip to Addington for one of the highlights of the F&I calendar. Judy was equipped with a headset to easily communicate with her riders, a microphone to be heard by the spectators over the excitement coming from the jumping next door, a heater plugged in in the corner and enough layers of clothing to rival an…
Read MoreReport on the Connie Colfox Zoom evening
The flyer advertising the zoom meeting clearly stated ‘don’t try this at home’…. which prompted me to have a look at Connie’s website. The first thing that came up was Connie riding a lovely bay horse up and down a barn with no bridle, or headcollar, nothing!!! She appeared to be just indicating to the horse which way to go with her hand, and possibly her weight aid. OK, I thought, this is interesting… At…
Read MoreReport from the Scottish Equine Coach Assembly
Venue: SNEC, 7-8 October 2024. Organiser: Jen Morris BHSI, F&I Committee member and our Scottish Representative. Reports: compiled by the team of Robert Pickles, Liz Eaton, Becky Monk and Alison Craig. Photographs: courtesy of Sian and JUMAPhotography. Introduction, and Day 1 (report, Alison Craig BHSI) Well, that was worth the trip to Edinburgh! Everyone who attended for the stunning 2 day Equine Coach Assembly felt they had real value from their travel and time. The…
Read MoreBurghley Course Walk
Burghley Course Walk – Thursday September 5th 2024 – taken by Nick Turner FBHS. We all met at fence 2 to begin our walk – where it emerged that we were extra-lucky, as Nick was accompanied by rider Emma Thomas. This meant that we could listen to Nick describing the challenges, observe the course-walk-with-coach process, and then also benefit from Emma giving us her insights for her particular horse. A bonus! All set for a…
Read MoreReport from the Royal International Horse Show, Hickstead
A wonderful day on Saturday 27th July was had by F&I Association members, who each brought along a variety of friends and family. 22 in total, including three generations! Hickstead itself as a venue is iconic and had a sense of excitement when I first arrived, meeting up with our F&I Hon Secretary and our organiser for the day, Alison Craig, who accompanied us to the smartly-revamped BHS hospitality box. As it was early,…
Read MoreF&I Association Report: Irish Day 2024
On Tuesday the 11th of June 2024, F&I Association members and guests alike spent the annual Irish Day by reminding themselves of what ultimately energises us all to do what we do: riding at its finest. More specifically, we were welcomed to the heart of Hughes Horse Stud (HHS), which is nestled in the beautiful countryside of Graigue, Cuffesgrange, Co. Kilkenny. The HHS continues the legacy and vision of the late Seamus Hughes, whose passion…
Read MoreF&I Report on Badminton course walk with Eric Smiley FBHS
We gathered at fence 2 for a sunny 10am start on Thursday 9th May, with a lovely warm welcome from Ann Bostock who introduced Eric. Eric started by talking about the different types of course walk: For the rider. For the coach. For the owner. And how to approach those differently. Then he threw a question at us to consider as we carried on. ‘Do course designers set the trend or follow the trend?’ We…
Read MoreReport from the F&I Training Day with Judy Harvey FBHS
29th April 2024. Morning report – from Mandy Chaffin BHSI. I was privileged to have a lesson with Judy Harvey for the F&I study day at her yard near Milton Keynes. The experience was hugely beneficial to myself and my horse “Dailmer” who is a 9yr old warmblood as we have recently stepped up to Prix St Georges and have been struggling with the right to left flying change in particular. Judy had fantastic ideas…
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