Horse & Hound Awards 2016: NAF Five Star Riding Club of the Year
NAF Five Star Riding Club of the Year Award2016 winner: Crown
The Riding Club of the Year Award is to celebrate the organisation that brings riders together and best supports them in achieving their goals — changing riders’ experiences for the better. Watch representatives of Crown Riding Club collecting the award below.
NAF Five Star British Riding Club of the Year Award nominees
Cherwell Valley
Founded: 1971
Number of members: 180
2016 highlight? Qualified three teams for the Team Quest regional finals. Winners of the British Riding Clubs (BRC) inter-dressage league for the past five years. Sending one junior team and one senior individual to the BRC national championships.
Annual event not to be missed: a jumping Derby that is open to members and non-members. They also host three residential camps each year .
What the members say… “This club is the friendliest and most welcoming. We are all at different standards, but nobody is judged, rather they are encouraged. It’s a wonderful club.” Tamasine Thompson
Corbridge and District
Founded: 1972
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Number of members: 288
2016 highlight? Watching club member Lesly Little make huge progress. At 50, Lesly took up riding, bought her first horse at the age of 61, and now, at 68, is competing on teams showing grit and determination, something she credits to the riding club.
Annual event not to be missed: weekend training camps at a fantastic facility.
What the members say… “An amazing club that welcomes members no matter what level they’re at and they give you the confidence to try new things. There are social evenings, winter training, summer competitions and more. It provides friendship and support.” Emma Sherwood
Crown
Founded: 2014
Number of members: 227
2016 highlight? Senior and junior teams qualified for the BRC eventer challenge championship and they also have riders qualified for the BRC national championships.
Annual event not to be missed: two hunter trials at Swalcliffe, plus a one-day event. They also hold two residential camps each year at the luxury facility Unicorn Trust.
What the members say… “Crown is the most supportive club. The aim is to have fun. Every accomplishment is celebrated and there’s something for everyone. My horse and I have been to camp, learnt to jump again, gone cross-country, and made several lifelong friends.” Emma Denham
Forces Equine
Founded: 2008
Number of members: 84
2016 highlight? Lots of riders from a huge number of different backgrounds going out and giving everything a go.
Annual event not to be missed: a two-day show at Moreton Morrell, incorporating dressage and showjumping.
What the members say… “No other riding club brings members together like Forces Equine. We come from all walks of services life and it is an amazing way to meet other like-minded people. Being a member has given me the opportunity to compete at shows that I would never have been able to do on my own, and access to some fantastic training, as well as making some wonderful friends.” Jenna Hastings
Stonehaven & Area (SARC)
Founded: 2006
Number of members: 110
2016 highlight? Eight members of this Aberdeenshire club have qualified for the BRC national championships.
Local businesses have donated £2,800 so members can afford to travel to Lincoln with their horses. They also hosted Area 22 qualifiers for the national championships.
Annual event not to be missed: a ball or barn dance usually, but to celebrate the club’s 10-year anniversary in 2016, they hired a blow-up bar.
What the members say…. “SARC are full of support. Everybody is extremely friendly and helpful and I can’t imagine being where I am now without them.” Kirsty Smith
About our sponsor: NAF
NAF has a special partnership with riding clubs, having a long standing partnership with British Riding Clubs and having proudly supported the British Riding Club National Championships for over 10 years — making this a natural award to sponsor. We want to give back to a club with recognition of them being the constant in equestrian sport at every level.
