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                            <title><![CDATA[ Latest from Horse & Hound in Student-riding ]]></title>
                <link>https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/tag/student-riding</link>
        <description><![CDATA[ All the latest student-riding content from the Horse & Hound team ]]></description>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ New title sponsor for Badminton grassroots championship, plus other sponsorship news ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.horseandhound.co.uk//news/science-supplements-badminton-grassroots-championships-sponsorship-news-694243</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Catch up on the latest equestrian sponsorship news ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sun, 18 Aug 2019 16:12:12 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <category><![CDATA[Eventing]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Equestrian Sports]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Lucy Elder ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                    <dc:source><![CDATA[ https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RFb9DtE4hDE4eZLjAd5oiP.jpeg ]]></dc:source>
                                                                <dc:description><![CDATA[ &lt;p&gt;Lucy joined the &lt;em&gt;H&amp;H&lt;/em&gt; newsdesk in 2015, taking on the senior news writer position in 2018.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Since joining the &lt;em&gt;Horse &amp; Hound&lt;/em&gt; team, Lucy has interviewed many top riders and has reported on the ground from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships. She has also reported at countless other national and international fixtures, in the UK and abroad, including Burghley, Badminton and London, and has been part of the remote coverage team for Olympics and world championships.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Her news writing experience includes covering current affairs and sports news across the spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lucy grew up as a member of the Belvoir Hunt branch of the Pony Club and competed up to intermediate level eventing. She spent a year working in eventing yards before university, where she became a member of the Great Britain Student Riders squad and competed in Ireland, Spain and Germany.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;After graduating from &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.brookes.ac.uk/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Oxford Brookes&lt;/a&gt; in 2012, Lucy trained as a journalist at &lt;a href=&quot;https://newsassociates.co.uk/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;News Associates&lt;/a&gt; in London where she received her NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists) qualification. She spent two years as a news reporter and entertainment editor on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.windsorexpress.co.uk/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Windsor Express&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sloughexpress.co.uk/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Slough Express&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Maidenhead Advertiser&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; titles at Baylis Media, passing her senior NQJ (National Qualification in Journalism) exams in 2015 and joining &lt;em&gt;H&amp;H&lt;/em&gt; the same year.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In 2018, Lucy received the British Equestrian Federation’s journalist of the year award, which recognises “great journalism in equestrian sport, celebrating the work of a written journalist, broadcaster or photographer who has gone above and beyond to promote equestrian sport during the past year”. She has twice reached the shortlist for the Martin Wills Writing Awards (2013 and 2014), for writing on a racing theme, and is also vice-chairman of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bema.org.uk/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;British Equestrian Media Association&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; ]]></dc:description>
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                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Badminton grassroots]]></media:title>
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                                <p>Science Supplements has been revealed as the title sponsor for British Eventing’s (BE) grassroots championship at Badminton.</p><p>The company has taken over sponsorship of the BE90 and BE100 regional finals as well as the Science Supplements Cup, which is held alongside the CCI5*-L at the famous Gloucestershire horse trials.</p><p>“We are delighted to welcome Science Supplements as title sponsor of the BE90 and BE100 regional finals and championships,” said Badminton event director Jane Tuckwell.</p><p>“2020 will be the 11th year that we have hosted the championships at Badminton and we look forward to the return of those that have competed here before and the competitors that qualify for the first time for the 2020 championships.”</p><p>BE’s commercial manager Chloe Barnes added it is “fantastic” to have the company on board.</p><h2 id="badminton-final-scores">Badminton final scores</h2><p>“We are looking forward to a long-term relationship with the team there to support our grassroots members in the lead up to and at one of the world’s biggest equestrian events,” she said.</p><p>Science Supplements’ group chief executive David Mitson added the company is “thrilled to be title sponsors of such a prestigious championship”.</p><p>“One of our core values is to support equestrian sport at grassroots level and help provide a platform for inspirational and talented riders,” he added. “We look forward to meeting as many competitors as possible and sharing in their success.”</p><p>The championship and the CCI5* were previously sponsored by Mitsubishi Motors. The new title sponsor for the international class has not yet been revealed.</p><h3 id="unibet-partner-with-goracinggreen">Unibet partner with #GoRacingGreen</h3><p>The bookmaker has launched a pilot partnership with #GoRacingGreen as part of a new sponsorship initiative at Newbury racecourse.</p><p>Kindred, through its Unibet brand, has put a significant investment into the #GoRacingGreen project, which aims to make racing accessible to those with mental health problems, and partnered with the project for Unibet Hungerford Day at Newbury on Saturday (17 August).</p><p>The partnership also involves #GoRacingGreen being a core part of the agreement of all future sponsorship deals Unibet has with racecourses; securing a dedicated space at Newbury for the project to operate and donating one in three Unibet adverts on Unibet Hungerford Day to #GoRacingGreen.</p><p>“This investment is a fantastic boost for the #GoRacingGreen project, and I am delighted to be working with Kindred through its Unibet brand,” said #GoRacingGreen founder Debbie Matthews.</p><p>“Working in partnership with them, we can now expand the programme and reach many more people with mental health problems across the racing community in the months ahead.”</p><p>#GoRacingGreen works with racecourses to help introduce small changes and additions around the site, including staff awareness and training as well as offering quiet spaces for people find busy environments a challenge to use at the course so they can enjoy the racing in a comfortable environment.</p><p>The investment will be spent on taking the project to more racecourses and boosting its current work.</p><h3 id="gb-student-riders">GB Student Riders</h3><p>Clothing company Latham & Taylor has been announced as the title sponsor for the British leg of the international student riders’ association (AIEC) nations cup series.</p><p>GB Student Riders is hosting the first student riders nations cup (SRNC) in the UK for five years at Easton and Otley College Equestrian Centre in Norfolk from 22 to 25 August.</p><p>GB Student Riders’ national responsible Sophie Hall said the group is “delighted” to welcome competitors from 20 countries to the event.</p><p>“I cannot say a big enough thank you to all our sponsors — we are a voluntary organisation so we truly couldn’t host this event without them,” she added.</p><p>The event involves teams of riders from across the world competing in a knock-out style competition on borrowed horses in dressage and showjumping. Former student riders include World Champion Ros Canter, top eventer William Fox-Pitt and World Equestrian Games individual silver medallist Padraig McCarthy.</p><p>Bedmax is the official bedding supplier and Cordings of Piccadilly are among the companies sponsoring the British squad.</p><h3 id="holland-cooper">Holland Cooper</h3><p>The clothing company has joined the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials as a fence sponsor for the 2019 event (5 to 8 September).</p><p>It will sponsor the iconic leaf pit in its first year of sponsorship at the Lincolnshire CCI5*.</p><p>“Burghley Horse Trials is the ultimate equestrian event and I am privileged to not only become an official sponsor, but to showcase my new line, Holland Cooper Equestrian, for the first time at the event this year,” said founder and designer, Jade Holland Cooper.</p><p>“Having grown up around horses, eventing has always been very close to my heart and over the years, Holland Cooper has cultivated a huge equestrian following. I’m therefore thrilled to share this latest line with those that will appreciate the technical detail, coupled with great British style that this new range offers.”</p><p><em>For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday</em></p><p><em>Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. <a href="https://subscribe.horseandhound.co.uk/az-magazines/34207246/horse-and-hound-subscription.thtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://subscribe.horseandhound.co.uk/az-magazines/34207246/horse-and-hound-subscription.thtml&source=gmail&ust=1721460719888000&usg=AOvVaw0WZnMLGmyJvKll6ldrwk8P">Subscribe today</a> for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? <a href="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk//subscription-benefits" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/subscription-benefits&source=gmail&ust=1721460719888000&usg=AOvVaw22tXF9x6IkN5fFPUHfGFy3" data-original-url="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/subscription-benefits">Set up your unlimited website access now</a></em></p>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Brits on top of the world with golden hat-trick ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.horseandhound.co.uk//news/great-britain-student-riders-gold-hat-trick-2017-world-finals-poland-641333</link>
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                            <![CDATA[ The Brits came home with three team golds, a host of individual medals and the award for the best overall team performances throughout the 2017 series ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Thu, 04 Jan 2018 13:12:39 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <category><![CDATA[Equine]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Lucy Elder ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                    <dc:source><![CDATA[ https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RFb9DtE4hDE4eZLjAd5oiP.jpeg ]]></dc:source>
                                                                <dc:description><![CDATA[ &lt;p&gt;Lucy joined the &lt;em&gt;H&amp;H&lt;/em&gt; newsdesk in 2015, taking on the senior news writer position in 2018.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Since joining the &lt;em&gt;Horse &amp; Hound&lt;/em&gt; team, Lucy has interviewed many top riders and has reported on the ground from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships. She has also reported at countless other national and international fixtures, in the UK and abroad, including Burghley, Badminton and London, and has been part of the remote coverage team for Olympics and world championships.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Her news writing experience includes covering current affairs and sports news across the spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lucy grew up as a member of the Belvoir Hunt branch of the Pony Club and competed up to intermediate level eventing. She spent a year working in eventing yards before university, where she became a member of the Great Britain Student Riders squad and competed in Ireland, Spain and Germany.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;After graduating from &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.brookes.ac.uk/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Oxford Brookes&lt;/a&gt; in 2012, Lucy trained as a journalist at &lt;a href=&quot;https://newsassociates.co.uk/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;News Associates&lt;/a&gt; in London where she received her NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists) qualification. She spent two years as a news reporter and entertainment editor on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.windsorexpress.co.uk/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Windsor Express&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sloughexpress.co.uk/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Slough Express&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Maidenhead Advertiser&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; titles at Baylis Media, passing her senior NQJ (National Qualification in Journalism) exams in 2015 and joining &lt;em&gt;H&amp;H&lt;/em&gt; the same year.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In 2018, Lucy received the British Equestrian Federation’s journalist of the year award, which recognises “great journalism in equestrian sport, celebrating the work of a written journalist, broadcaster or photographer who has gone above and beyond to promote equestrian sport during the past year”. She has twice reached the shortlist for the Martin Wills Writing Awards (2013 and 2014), for writing on a racing theme, and is also vice-chairman of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bema.org.uk/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;British Equestrian Media Association&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; ]]></dc:description>
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                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Great Britain student riders world finals Poland 2017]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Great Britain student riders world finals Poland 2017]]></media:text>
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                                <p>Britain scored <strong>a golden hat-trick</strong> at the student rider nations cup (SRNC) world finals in Poland.</p><p>The team of three claimed overall combined gold as well as a gold medal in the team dressage, and tied for first place with Austria in the team showjumping competition.</p><p>The squad’s performances throughout 2017 mean Britain also won the World University Equestrian Federation (AIEC) President’s Cup for the <strong>best overall combined team rankings from all SRNCs in a calendar year</strong>.</p><p>Sophie Hall, Rupert Batting and India Wishart made up the British team at Jaszkowo Riding Centre for the world finals (29-31 December) and also took home a host of individual medals.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:630px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:69.84%;"><img id="f6BXf3JfyA7Ec945HxHAj6" name="" alt="26112241_1594743417275272_1925300376899535440_n.jpg" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/f6BXf3JfyA7Ec945HxHAj6.jpg" mos="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/f6BXf3JfyA7Ec945HxHAj6.jpg" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="630" height="440" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: creditUnknown)</span></figcaption></figure><p>India and Sophie won combined individual gold and silver respectively, Rupert took individual dressage silver and India bronze.</p><p>“We are absolutely delighted — I <strong>can’t quite believe it has happened</strong> and this makes all the hard work so worth it,” Sophie told <em>H&H</em>.</p><p>“There were some fantastic riders this year and we faced particularly tough competition from the Irish and German teams in the early rounds.</p><p>“To win gold in both the dressage and showjumping team competitions [at a SRNC] has made history for the British team and I feel so fortunate to have been a part of it.</p><p>“<strong>Riding alongside India and Rupert was just fantastic</strong> and having a big team of GB supporters made it extra-special. I cannot wait to see where 2018 takes us.”</p><p>She added that “the venue was stunning, the organisation immaculate and the horses fantastic”.</p><p><em>Article continues below…</em></p><h3 id="you-might-also-be-interested-in">You might also be interested in:</h3><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:630px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:63.33%;"><img id="ercodSi8pFt8Gg7Q64TVBi" name="" alt="michael morpurgo knighthood" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ercodSi8pFt8Gg7Q64TVBi.jpg" mos="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ercodSi8pFt8Gg7Q64TVBi.jpg" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="630" height="399" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: creditUnknown)</span></figcaption></figure><h3 id="michael-morpurgo-credits-war-horse-joey-for-knighthood"><a href="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk//news/michael-morpurgo-knighthood-thanks-war-horse-joey-641290" rel="bookmark" name="Michael Morpurgo credits war horse ‘Joey’ for knighthood" data-original-url="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/michael-morpurgo-knighthood-thanks-war-horse-joey-641290">Michael Morpurgo credits war horse ‘Joey’ for knighthood</a></h3><p>‘There was never a knight that has owed so much to his horse as this one’</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:630px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:63.49%;"><img id="v59UQcDqBZt7gVNzwDEmAT" name="" alt="The horses and dray are being used to help clear student accommodation" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/v59UQcDqBZt7gVNzwDEmAT.jpg" mos="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/v59UQcDqBZt7gVNzwDEmAT.jpg" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="630" height="400" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: creditUnknown)</span></figcaption></figure><h3 id="students-given-helping-hoof-for-end-of-term-move"><a href="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk//news/university-nottingham-students-horse-cart-543589" rel="bookmark" name="Students given helping hoof for end of term move" data-original-url="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/university-nottingham-students-horse-cart-543589">Students given helping hoof for end of term move</a></h3><p>A horse and dray has been drafted in to take away re-usable items that would otherwise be binned from student</p><p>SRNCs run in a knock-out format, in which riders compete on unfamiliar horses, lent for the occasion, which makes it a test of horsemanship rather than a horse’s ability.</p><p>Teams also ride the first-round dressage test together as a trio, in a similar way to the CIC2* European Eventing Championship dressage.</p><p>The final dressage round involves two riders, who must <strong>each perform a set test at prix st georges level and a freestyle to music</strong>.</p><p>The final two riders in the showjumping competition face a course — usually around 1.30m — which they will jump on both horses used in the final.</p><p><em>For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss</em> Horse & Hound <em>magazine, on sale every Thursday</em></p><p><em>Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. <a href="https://subscribe.horseandhound.co.uk/az-magazines/34207246/horse-and-hound-subscription.thtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://subscribe.horseandhound.co.uk/az-magazines/34207246/horse-and-hound-subscription.thtml&source=gmail&ust=1721460719888000&usg=AOvVaw0WZnMLGmyJvKll6ldrwk8P">Subscribe today</a> for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? <a href="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk//subscription-benefits" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/subscription-benefits&source=gmail&ust=1721460719888000&usg=AOvVaw22tXF9x6IkN5fFPUHfGFy3" data-original-url="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/subscription-benefits">Set up your unlimited website access now</a></em></p>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ The student riding blog: I never expected to be polishing my riding boots at university ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.horseandhound.co.uk//blog/the-student-riding-blog-i-never-expected-to-be-polishing-my-riding-boots-at-university-520154</link>
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                            <![CDATA[ A Durham University equestrian team member shares her first ever experience of a student riding competition ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sun, 13 Dec 2015 08:25:11 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <category><![CDATA[Equine]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Rollo Uloth ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                    <dc:source><![CDATA[ https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hSvUd23Jjt4PEjM6Yjizbk.jpg ]]></dc:source>
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                                <p><em>By Isabelle O’Bryen</em></p><p>As one of the newest members of the <strong>Durham University Equestrian team (DUET)</strong>, only joining in October, it’s been quite a busy few months learning the ropes of BUCS equestrian.</p><p>When I signed up for the team trials I didn’t expect what was coming; <strong>I never saw polishing my riding boots being a part of my weekly routine</strong> at Durham University. This is mainly because with <strong>84 applicants for 14 spaces</strong> I never thought I’d actually get onto the team!</p><p>Two months later I sit here with my hot chocolate listening to the rain fall on the window, putting off writing an essay, wondering how I’ve managed to fall back into this fantastically crazy world of horsey people. There aren’t many people you meet at university that share so many of the same unique childhood experiences, which is <strong>part of what makes the team so special.</strong></p><p>Having trained with the team for a couple of months now, I’ve come to realise that the </p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:225px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:177.78%;"><img id="AkdH3nz3gs9dU9fZqRhQhL" name="" alt="12279048_983046255116050_8739431869292143431_n" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AkdH3nz3gs9dU9fZqRhQhL.jpg" mos="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AkdH3nz3gs9dU9fZqRhQhL.jpg" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="225" height="400" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: creditUnknown)</span></figcaption></figure><p>differences between training your own horse at home and training for BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) competitions is huge.</p><p>For a start, everything except the clothes on your back and the team standing beside you <strong>changes every time you ride</strong>. Each week at training, I ride a different horse in a different discipline — it’s a <strong>unique experience.</strong></p><p>Likewise, each competition is at a different yard, and in a different city. All you can familiarise yourself with is the format of the competition and learn to adapt to each situation in the limited time that you have.</p><p>My very first competition took place a few weeks ago in York. We arrived in our team kit, kindly sponsored by Cordings of Piccadilly, feeling very smart and very proud to be representing Durham University. Thankfully, the other three members of my team (Rollo Uloth, Sophie Hall and Jade Watt) have been competing for DUET for years, so they made sure I knew what was going on throughout the day and kept me centred.</p><p>It very quickly became apparent that the second you take the draw to find out what horse you’re on for each discipline is <strong>the second you start planning how you’re going to get the best out of your horse.</strong> You are given a short description (mine read “14.2hh cob, 5-year-old skewbald gelding”) and a short demonstration of the horse or pony being ridden and then it’s your turn.</p><p>My aim was not to do anything spectacular, I just wanted to have a good, consistent and correct dressage test.</p><p>I was third to ride on the pony I had drawn, and when it came to my turn he was tired from the excitement of the competition, both physically and mentally. All of the different riders doing different things was a lot to take in for a young horse. The warm-up didn’t go as I had expected, and it soon became clear that <strong>this was going to be a lot harder than I had initially thought.</strong></p><p>The toughest part is using your limited warm-up time wisely; <strong>five minutes to figure out how to get the best out of a strange horse</strong> feels like two seconds if it’s not going well. On the other hand, it can feel like a lifetime if you and the horse click. Another difficulty is clearing the idea in your head of how the horse goes with another rider, which clouds your judgement of how the horse actually feels to you and how well it’s responding to your aids in the moment. But at the same time, you’ve got to watch those going before you to get as many clues about the horse as possible. It’s hard to clear all these expectations and focus on getting a connection with the horse.</p><p>I rode the test praying that the pony would do what I wanted it to but sadly it wasn’t perfect. When I finished the dressage I just hoped that my score wouldn’t bring down our team too much. Annoyed and frustrated, I went on to the second phase of the competition; the showjumping, in the hope of redeeming myself.</p><p>Thankfully this went significantly better. I was on a lovely ex-hunter who took every jump (literally) in his stride. The 16.2hh barely had to pick his legs up and <strong>really knew his job.</strong></p><p>I concentrated on keeping a rhythm through the course of jumps and keeping the canter active and powerful. There were parts of my round that I would do differently if I had another chance but I finished happy. The contrast between the rounds really showed <strong>the unpredictability of BUCS competitions.</strong></p><p>At the end of the day, the results revealed that <strong>team Durham had won.</strong></p><p>I wasn’t sure whether to be ecstatic or relieved — probably somewhere in the middle. Although I would have liked to have done better individually, I was so happy that we won as a team.</p><p>On busy days like these competitions, <strong>teamwork is vital.</strong> We were lucky to have another of our squad members, Rosalie, with us to help us warm up. The kind, encouraging words from the team before you ride are the difference between being calm and relaxed or panicking. When you slow it down you can think clearly and focus, instead of <strong>stressing and falling back into bad habits</strong>, which for me is playing too much with my hands.</p><p>Riding a different horse each time highlights any and all of your bad habits and weaknesses, bringing you back to the basics of <strong>using your aids effectively and focusing on the scales of training.</strong></p><p>From this first competition, I can certainly say that <strong>it’s a lot harder than it looks</strong>, and there is so much more to think about. You take for granted how easy it is to ride a horse you know and how naturally you can anticipate what they are going to do. For developing my riding, this is <strong>such a valuable experience.</strong></p><p>I’ve got a lot to learn, but there’s time for improvement in the coming months of training. Hopes are high for the rest of the season and there’s no knowing where we’ll end up in the BUCS equestrian league, but I have no doubt <strong>we’ll have a lot of fun along the way.</strong></p><p><em>Isabelle</em></p><p><em>Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. <a href="https://subscribe.horseandhound.co.uk/az-magazines/34207246/horse-and-hound-subscription.thtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://subscribe.horseandhound.co.uk/az-magazines/34207246/horse-and-hound-subscription.thtml&source=gmail&ust=1721460719888000&usg=AOvVaw0WZnMLGmyJvKll6ldrwk8P">Subscribe today</a> for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. 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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ The student riding blog: On a roll and the nightmare of organisation ]]></title>
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                            <![CDATA[ DUET captain Rollo explains what it takes to run a BUCS student riding competition ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 01 Dec 2015 08:25:10 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <category><![CDATA[Equine]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Rollo Uloth ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                    <dc:source><![CDATA[ https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hSvUd23Jjt4PEjM6Yjizbk.jpg ]]></dc:source>
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                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Tack cleaning at 8am! l-r: Maddie Rushforth, Lucy Stokoe, Jade Watt]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Figure-1-e1448889728868.jpg]]></media:text>
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                                <p>Every captain of a BUCS (British Universtities and Colleges Sport) equestrian team has a hurdle to climb each year; <strong>organising and running their home competitions.</strong> As with everything to do with horses, it’s fun in the end but there’s often a few obstacles along the way!</p><p>New BUCS regulations state that all competition dates have to be submitted in mid-October so it’s fair to say <strong>Paula Allen</strong> (our team trainer) was fairly surprised when I started asking her about dates months in advance when we hadn’t even organised the next week’s lessons!</p><p>However, as anyone who’s ever even contemplated organising something like this before, they’ll have soon realised <strong>rule number one is beginning early!</strong></p><p>This doesn’t just apply to things one must consider with months to spare, on event day itself we had to haul ourselves out of bed for a 6.30am start. Meeting fellow team-member Sophie en-route we headed to a nearby car park to be picked up by Rosalie. Seeing her car, we threw our things into the boot and climbed into the passenger seat only to discover <strong>we’d located the wrong vehicle!</strong> After some rushed apologies we corrected our error and headed off the stables.</p><h3 id="a-great-team-essential">A great team: essential</h3><p>Without my vice-captain Alex Wood I would certainly have been completely lost —</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:300px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:133.33%;"><img id="jNfQX26NrD4dXzj7o38eW4" name="" alt="Tack cleaning at 8am! l-r: Maddie Rushforth, Lucy Stokoe, Jade Watt" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jNfQX26NrD4dXzj7o38eW4.jpg" mos="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jNfQX26NrD4dXzj7o38eW4.jpg" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="300" height="400" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Tack cleaning at 8am! l-r: Maddie Rushforth, Lucy Stokoe, Jade Watt </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: creditUnknown)</span></figcaption></figure><p>she found and booked the judge, ordered the rosettes as well as countless other tasks I don’t have time to list here.</p><p>Two people can’t do everything alone however and <strong>the entire squad got stuck in,</strong> cleaning both horses and tack, plaiting and making lunch.</p><p>Plaiting, never being the most popular of jobs, was thus delegated to the squad’s resident dressage riders and a couple of the more experienced eventers, who are well versed in the world of plaiting bands. But even seasoned plaiters Millie and Harriet struggled with the bushy mane of the Irish-bred Niall and had to settle on the 1<strong>7 beautifully neat but undoubtedly golf ball-sized plaits.</strong> With everyone helping, everything fell into place almost flawlessly.</p><p>Once the competition begins a whole new set of tasks arise but with Maddie Rushforth’s legal brain on timing and rule-keeping; Rosalie Speeckaert hidden away on the scoring and Jade Watt in the judge’s car (to mention just a few) the dressage phase ran like clockwork and allowed the home competing team of Alana Sparrow, Alex Wood, Becky Graves and Harriet Vickers to focus on themselves and their riding.</p><h3 id="the-competition">The competition</h3><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:630px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.19%;"><img id="LdYRhMSgmywXuHiVYkT8yn" name="" alt="On competition day: l-r Paula Allen, Maddie Rushforth, Rollo Uloth, Alana Sparrow, Becky Graves, Lucy Stokoe, Isabelle O'Bryen, Rosalie Speekaert" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LdYRhMSgmywXuHiVYkT8yn.jpg" mos="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LdYRhMSgmywXuHiVYkT8yn.jpg" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="630" height="354" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">On competition day: l-r Paula Allen, Maddie Rushforth, Rollo Uloth, Alana Sparrow, Becky Graves, Lucy Stokoe, Isabelle O’Bryen, Rosalie Speekaert </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: creditUnknown)</span></figcaption></figure><p>With the rest of the squad there to watch, pressure was certainly on the B team but this didn’t stop them pulling out all the stops to <strong>take a commanding lead in the dressage</strong> with both Alana and Alex riding fantastic tests to claim zero penalties between them.</p><p>While the teams grabbed lunch, featuring flapjacks baked by Millie Seger-Bernard and carrot cake from Rosalie, the rest of the team rushed around to get the showjumping horses ready and help Peter Allen build the course.</p><p>Top young showjumper <strong>Pippa Allen</strong> was on hand to provide the team with expert advice during the course walk and it definitely paid off.</p><p>Alana and Alex both carried the success from their dressage into the showjumping securing the <strong>holy grail of zero overall penalties</strong> for the day. However, the rest of the jumping was not quite so smooth as eagle-eyed stickler for the rules, Maddie, noticed one competitor <strong>jumping the practice fence the wrong way</strong>, resulting in immediate elimination. Furthermore the nature of the random draw often means that (<a href="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk//blog/the-student-riding-blog-rain-refusals-and-really-red-rosettes-518409" data-original-url="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/blog/the-student-riding-blog-rain-refusals-and-really-red-rosettes-518409">like the C team’s competition last week</a>) there’s some <strong>interesting horse/rider combinations.</strong></p><p>5’10” Harriet Vickers found herself presented with the <strong>13.2hh superstar Charlie</strong>. Once she’d stepped on and put the stirrups down at least five holes, she only had the allocated five minutes of warm-up to find those crucial balancing points. With <strong>varying levels of amusement and sympathy</strong> from the DUET squad, most strongly from Alex who’d experienced similar <strong>#tallgirlproblems</strong> on her dressage pony in the morning, Harriet went on to do a solid round but not before we’d <strong>had a debate about whose legs were longer: Harriet’s or the horse’s!</strong></p><p>As the organiser, the day always ends with handing out results, so once I’d triple checked my adding up on the score sheet and put the rosettes out in neat rows it was time to announce the scores.</p><p>The <strong>B team all took home individual placings</strong>, Alana and Alex stealing first and second, with Becky fifth and Harriet seventh. This incredible performance left no doubt as to who the victors were, however <strong>disaster struck at the 11th hour</strong> when only three out of four rosettes could be found! After frantic searching the mystery remained unsolved until vice-captain and second placed Alex Wood opened her bag to discover she had inadvertently (and <strong>slightly presumptuously!</strong>) already smuggled it away…</p><p>The Bs continue their BUCS campaign down in Leeds next weekend — we wish them good luck and hope the success for DUET continues!</p><p>Clips from the dressage and showjumping rounds plus photos from the day can be found on our Facebook page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/duequestrian/?fref=ts" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/duequestrian</a></p><p><em>Rollo</em></p><p><em>With thanks to Harriet Vickers for helping to write this blog update</em></p><p><em>Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. <a href="https://subscribe.horseandhound.co.uk/az-magazines/34207246/horse-and-hound-subscription.thtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://subscribe.horseandhound.co.uk/az-magazines/34207246/horse-and-hound-subscription.thtml&source=gmail&ust=1721460719888000&usg=AOvVaw0WZnMLGmyJvKll6ldrwk8P">Subscribe today</a> for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? <a href="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk//subscription-benefits" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/subscription-benefits&source=gmail&ust=1721460719888000&usg=AOvVaw22tXF9x6IkN5fFPUHfGFy3" data-original-url="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/subscription-benefits">Set up your unlimited website access now</a></em></p>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ The student riding blog: Rain, refusals and really red rosettes ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.horseandhound.co.uk//blog/the-student-riding-blog-rain-refusals-and-really-red-rosettes-518409</link>
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                            <![CDATA[ Two of Durham University's teams have endured some serious ups and downs at their first competition of the season ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sat, 28 Nov 2015 08:25:36 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <category><![CDATA[Equine]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Rollo Uloth ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                    <dc:source><![CDATA[ https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hSvUd23Jjt4PEjM6Yjizbk.jpg ]]></dc:source>
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                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[The A team l-r: Sophie Hall, Isabelle O’Bryen, Jade Watt, Rosalie Speeckaert, Rollo Uloth]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[12186714_10207755378459301_1897644310120095312_o-e1448556251666.jpg]]></media:text>
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                                <p>Wednesday 18 November saw the debut of the 2015/16 <strong>Durham University equestrian team (DUET)</strong> with two of our teams competing at what seemed like opposite ends of the country!</p><p>The seasoned A team of Jade Watt, Sophie Hall, Rollo Uloth (and trainer-for-the-day Rosalie Speeckaert) were joined by new addition Isabelle O’Bryen. We trekked nearly 100 miles to reach the <strong>York University</strong> stables near Scarborough.</p><p>The C team [Maddie Rushforth, Millie Seger-Bernard, Laura Korthauer and Hana Prosser with Team Manager Alex Wood] on the other hand headed to nearby <strong>Newcastle</strong> for their very first competition.</p><p>This is probably a good opportunity to briefly outline the <strong>scoring system.</strong></p><p>The dressage tests are marked as a normal dressage test is. The showjumping is marked by each fence holding a potential 10 marks plus a set a collective marks at the end. There is a reduction of five penalty points for each knocked down fence and minus 10 penalty points for each refusal. Now comes the slightly confusing part. <strong>As a rider you want to finish on a score of zero.</strong> This is decided by who received the best mark and then the difference in marks between that top rider and the riders behind them is the penalty point that you end up on.</p><p>I.e If one rider finished on a score of 130 and the second placed rider finishes on a score of 127 then the second placed rider’s score is three. <strong>Still with me?!</strong></p><h3 id="duet-c-s-begin-their-bucs-adventure">DUET C’s begin their BUCS adventure</h3><p>Despite their local destination the C team’s day started sat in Newcastle traffic while on the way to <strong>the most urban yard any of the team have ever seen!</strong></p><p>Maddie and Hana were extremely excited by the fact they were at the actual filming site of <em><strong>“The Stables”</strong></em> from their favourite childhood television show, <strong>Stepney Bank Stables</strong> and it did not disappoint.</p><p>Millie and Hana opened the dressage with superb tests but Laura and Maddie were slightly less well suited to their mounts (which are drawn at random out of a hat).</p><p>The 5’3″ Maddie <strong>could not have found herself worse matched</strong> with the largest horse there. Whereas Laura had a slightly better result from the draw, she required all her dressage talents to ensure her spritely pony preformed an accurate test — minus one circle.</p><p>Despite these hurdles Durham emerged from the dressage on top (but only just with half a point separating them from second placed Newcastle).</p><p>After the draw for the showjumping Millie once again found herself riding first. The diversity of horses for the jumping was impressive, with an ex-racehorse, a 16hh+ cob, a 14.2hh cob and a cheeky but very fun mare.</p><p>Events took a darker turn during the early warm ups however when a Newcastle competitor was <strong>eliminated due to jumping more than the allowed four fences in the warm-up.</strong></p><p>When Millie entered the arena to begin her own round an enquiry was suddenly launched as to whether she had also jumped too many fences in her warm-up and therefore also faced elimination; a false accusation the Durham team did not take lightly.</p><p>Luckily, team manager Alex had <strong>brought her fiercest Pony Club mum attitude with her</strong> and defended the team’s corner fantastically. The judge had the final decision on the matter and agreed that Millie was in the clear and could proceed.</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:550px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:100.00%;"><img id="Ve5Qmn4DNVit9AKh3e86Bi" name="" alt="The B team l-r: Millie Seger-Benard, Hana Prosser, Maddie Rushforth, Laura Korthauer" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ve5Qmn4DNVit9AKh3e86Bi.jpg" mos="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ve5Qmn4DNVit9AKh3e86Bi.jpg" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="550" height="550" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The B team l-r: Millie Seger-Benard, Hana Prosser, Maddie Rushforth, Laura Korthauer </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: creditUnknown)</span></figcaption></figure><h3 id="another-twist-in-the-tale">Another twist in the tale</h3><p>The drama didn’t stop there however as upon her approach to fence five, Millie panicked and had to circle to regain some control of her ex-racehorse. Maddie then followed suit in her round, also circling, thus both taking 10 penalties and being warned by Alex not to make a habit of it!</p><p>Hana’s round was fantastic and she rode a superb clear however Laura’s pony had decided it’d done enough jumping for one day.</p><p>Laura’s warm-up lead to <strong>further accusations of rule breaching</strong> (this time regarding tack) but Maddie was on hand with the rule book on her phone and the judge confirmed all was well. Laura rode valiantly but was sadly eliminated after three refusals. However all was not lost as all four teams had an eliminated member by the end of the round!</p><p>The scores at the end of the day revealed that the Durham C team had <strong>finished second</strong> to Newcastle, with individual success for Hana coming in fourth and Millie seventh. Considering it was everyone’s first ever British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) competition we could not have hoped for a better result and it certainly provided a steep learning curve for all (Maddie is going to print a copy of the rule book for future competitions!).</p><h3 id="what-about-further-south">What about further south?</h3><p>Down in Yorkshire, the A team had a slightly less dramatic day, although not completely without its own incidents.</p><p>After emerging from our wonderful B&B, stocked up after a full breakfast (we’d decided the three hour journey was better tackled the night before), Sophie began the day in intermittent rain showers. She expertly showed off her 22-year-old gelding to get the team off to a great start.</p><p>Contrastingly, new girl Isabelle found herself third to ride her tiring cob. Despite this she rode a superb test which, combined with strong efforts from Jade and myself, <strong>took Durham into a commanding lead</strong> going into the showjumping.</p><p>In the jumping we once again found ourselves with a widely diverse selection of horses from a riding school cob (this time ridden by Sophie) to fabulous but rather strong working hunter <strong>whose speed round the course never dropped below 45 mph</strong> (ridden by me).</p><p>The theatrics soon began as <strong>one pony threw its first rider off</strong> and after a few laps of the arena and a discarded saddle, made it very clear to everyone watching that it <strong>wasn’t keen on being ridden by anyone else.</strong> This resulted in the whole phase being restarted.</p><p>As if this were not enough Jade’s adorable Arab cross was suddenly withdrawn lame just before the end of the day. After long consultation with the judge and team captains Jade was finally allowed to finish the round on an alternative pony and thus transpired an <strong>uncomfortably long and tense wait while the results were totalled up.</strong></p><p>Luckily for the team the odds fell in our favour and not only did we bring home a red rosette each as a team with an <strong>incredible 65 point lead over nearest rivals York</strong>, but we also peppered the placings coming individually fourth (Sophie), third (me) and second (Jade) with both Jade and myself ultimately finishing on a flawless 0 total penalties.</p><p>Thank you very much to both Stepney Bank and Snainton Riding Centres who alongside, Northumbria and Teesside Universities, ran two wonderful competitions.</p><p>A special mention must go to both <strong>Rosalie Speeckaert and Alex Wood</strong> who despite not competing drove both teams to their competitions and stood in as incredible team trainers to warm everyone up and support them throughout the day. Also, a special well done is thoroughly deserved for Isabelle who stood in as reserve for the As at the last moment and helped the team to victory — we couldn’t have done it without her!</p><p>First competitions down, we have noted our rivals for the rest of the year: York and Newcastle.</p><p>For more updates, please like our Facebook page to see videos of the A teams’ jumping rounds and follow our Twitter.</p><p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/DUEquestrian" target="_blank">twitter.com/duequestrian</a></p><p>Facebook: www.facebook.com/duequestrian</p><p><em>Rollo</em></p><p><strong><a href="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk//blog/meet-the-durham-university-equestrian-team-518285" data-original-url="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/blog/meet-the-durham-university-equestrian-team-518285">Read Rollo’s introduction to his team</a></strong></p><p><em>Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. <a href="https://subscribe.horseandhound.co.uk/az-magazines/34207246/horse-and-hound-subscription.thtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://subscribe.horseandhound.co.uk/az-magazines/34207246/horse-and-hound-subscription.thtml&source=gmail&ust=1721460719888000&usg=AOvVaw0WZnMLGmyJvKll6ldrwk8P">Subscribe today</a> for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? <a href="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk//subscription-benefits" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/subscription-benefits&source=gmail&ust=1721460719888000&usg=AOvVaw22tXF9x6IkN5fFPUHfGFy3" data-original-url="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/subscription-benefits">Set up your unlimited website access now</a></em></p>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Meet the Durham University equestrian team ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.horseandhound.co.uk//blog/meet-the-durham-university-equestrian-team-518285</link>
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                            <![CDATA[ The captain of Durham's equestrian team, Rollo Uloth says it's about time everyone heard about the hugely popular world of student riding ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 24 Nov 2015 17:45:24 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <category><![CDATA[Equine]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Horse &amp; Hound ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                    <dc:source><![CDATA[ https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eRLiYW4X5QhQrGDaCQK2JF.jpg ]]></dc:source>
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                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Jade Watt]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[IMG_0399-e1448380597976.jpg]]></media:text>
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                                <p>Hi everyone and welcome to our first <em>Horse & Hound</em> blog.</p><p>Squeezing it in between our studies, myself and thirteen other Durham students find time to get keep involved in the <strong>high-octane life of horses.</strong></p><p>The world of student riding, while grounded in the world of dressage and showjumping, is <strong>unlike any other equestrian discipline.</strong> It’s this, along with the socials, great team spirit and endless entertainment that make it one of the best things I do at university.</p><h3 id="the-competitions">The competitions</h3><p>The unique element of <strong>BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport)</strong> competitions is that they <strong>don’t allow competitors to ride on their own horses</strong>. Instead, we compete on borrowed horses, provided by the host yard, and are given a strictly timed short warm-up (<strong>seven minutes for dressage, five for jumping</strong>) to familiarise ourselves with our mounts before each round. We are also only <strong>allowed a maximum of four warm-up jumps</strong> prior to competing in the showjumping</p><p>This means that no one needs their own horse and opens the competition up to a much greater audience.</p><p>Each team, consisting of four members, competes in a league with a further three teams from other universities; each hosting a competition at their “home” stables (usually a local riding stables).</p><p>The winner of each league goes on to regional matches and potentially the championships in May, however that’s a long way off and (depending on our success) the subject of another blog!</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:630px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:66.67%;"><img id="6qeR7GhL7pJjgeAGLng9jV" name="" alt="durham university" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6qeR7GhL7pJjgeAGLng9jV.jpg" mos="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6qeR7GhL7pJjgeAGLng9jV.jpg" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="630" height="420" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: creditUnknown)</span></figcaption></figure><h3 id="all-work-no-play">All work, no play?</h3><p>Although we naturally love the competitive aspect, the <strong>social side</strong> is also great.</p><p>Our weekly training sessions are a <strong>great chance for us to get out of the routine of lectures</strong> and lose ourselves once more in the equine world. And even though we might all have joined the team to ride we still stick together once we’ve dismounted. From embarrassing fancy dress nights out (the new members came dressed as chickens to our welcome drinks this term) to black tie balls, Christmas meals to trips to international events we certainly know how to have a good time off the horses as well!</p><h3 id="the-team">The team</h3><p>As I embark on my second year as captain and third year on the team, I can confidently say that <strong>this year’s is the best team we have ever had.</strong></p><p>Building on a very successful 2014/15 season last year, when star-member <strong>Jade Watt</strong> took individual eighth at the national championships, we added a third team to our squad giving a further four members the great opportunity a chance to ride for team Durham.</p><p>With students coming from as far afield as Belgium and Germany and from all equestrian backgrounds, <strong>we have a very diverse team</strong> to which everyone brings something different and distinct.</p><p><strong>The squad’s résumé makes for impressive reading</strong>; our members are peppered with</p><figure class="van-image-figure  inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:300px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:133.33%;"><img id="ruhAB8KjUmVrBMvdbpe8jK" name="" alt="Jade Watt" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ruhAB8KjUmVrBMvdbpe8jK.jpg" mos="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ruhAB8KjUmVrBMvdbpe8jK.jpg" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="300" height="400" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Jade Watt </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: creditUnknown)</span></figcaption></figure><p>national champions in a vast array of disciplines and they continue to shine on their own horses during the university holidays. For a more detailed bio of each of our members, please follow this link to our Facebook page (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.972844626136213.1073741830.885361714884505&type=3" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/qhen78q</a>).</p><p>One member of the team who cannot go without a special mention is our team trainer. It would be an understatement to say we are incredibly lucky to be able to train with both <strong>Paula Allen and her daughter Pippa</strong> at their yard in Thornaby. Both Pippa and her sister Millie <strong>compete with huge success on the international showjumping</strong> <strong>circuit.</strong> They still find time to dedicate themselves to our team and we still can’t believe it when each week we drive up to the stables of the riders whom we have spent so long reading about in <em>H&H</em> and admiring from afar.</p><h3 id="the-future">The future</h3><p>I think it’s fair to say that the Durham University equestrian team (known affectionately as <strong>DUET for short</strong>) is one of the unsung heroes of team Durham sport.</p><p>Although too small a sport to earn significant game-changing BUCS points for the university, for the past five years we have never failed to qualify at least one team or individual for the regional rounds and we hope to continue that tradition this year.</p><p>The competition style is unique, the team is tremendous and <strong>I believe it’s time our story was heard.</strong> We hope you join us on our journey — more to come soon…</p><p><em>Rollo</em></p><p><em>Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. <a href="https://subscribe.horseandhound.co.uk/az-magazines/34207246/horse-and-hound-subscription.thtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://subscribe.horseandhound.co.uk/az-magazines/34207246/horse-and-hound-subscription.thtml&source=gmail&ust=1721460719888000&usg=AOvVaw0WZnMLGmyJvKll6ldrwk8P">Subscribe today</a> for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? <a href="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk//subscription-benefits" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/subscription-benefits&source=gmail&ust=1721460719888000&usg=AOvVaw22tXF9x6IkN5fFPUHfGFy3" data-original-url="https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/subscription-benefits">Set up your unlimited website access now</a></em></p>
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