Eventers in the south east celebrate with end of season awards
Event rider and economics student Alycia Port is celebrating after claiming two of the prestigious South East Eventers League (SEEL) awards for the 2011 season.
The Sussex University student took the Intelligent Worming Leading Horse & Rider and the Leading Owner Rider awards with Classic Decision II.
Alycia has had the nine-year-old mare by Dutch Classic for two years and hopes to move her up to advanced next year, with the help of trainers Pippa Funnell, Marion Goggin and Judi Piper-Dadswell.
She told H&H: “Classic Decision II is my top horse at the moment, she has been very consistent all year.
“Juggling university and horses can be quite a challenge and I commute 45 minutes everyday to Sussex University in Brighton so that I can come back and ride.
“We are very lucky in the south east to have such a supportive league, and everyone involved does a fantastic job.”
Founder and director of the Equine Travel Agency Ltd, Sue Eggleton claimed the Pegasus Grassroots BE100, the Grassroots Overall Leading Rider and the Leading Mare title sponsored by the Billy Stud.
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There was also success for another student, Claire Roissetter, who won the TruLeisure Grassroots BE90 and the Equine Travel Agency Ltd Veteran Horse rankings.
Chairman of the league Ian Bareham said: “It is nice to see grassroots people doing really well. People that don’t normally get recognition have got awards.”
SEEL aims to raise the profile of British Eventing members and events in the south east region (Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, Essex and Berkshire).
Now in its 16th year, SEEL is the UK’s oldest regional eventing league.
Mr Bareham said: “Everything has run really smoothly this season – better than it’s ever been before. We’ve got a new committee, a new website and great sponsors – in spite of the financial situation.”
The prizes will be awarded at the SEEL ball on 12 November at the Hop Farm, Kent.
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A graduate from Durham University, Madeleine joined H&H in 2011 and became Features Editor — producing content across the magazine and website, including the popular inside back cover article ‘The horse that made me’ and the weekly ‘The best of my fun…’ interview. She has written on topics as diverse as hay making and headcams, to hot totty in the horse world and circus horses. Madeleine now works as a freelance feature writer for Country Life, The Telegraph, Horse & Hound, cntraveller.com, The Spectator and The Field, as well as writing obituaries for The Times.