BHS women continue 120-mile diamond jubilee ride

Six horsewomen who are riding from Pembrokeshire to the Royal Welsh Showground in Llanelwedd have completed the first stage of their 120-mile journey.

The women, all members of the South West Wales committee of the British Horse Society (BHS), rode from St Davids Cathedral to Crymych in Pembrokeshire over the weekend of 7 – 8 July. They are due to embark on the second stage of their trip from Crymych to the showground at Builth Wells, Powys on 18 July.

One of the riders, Sarah Parry-Jones of Letterston, described the first leg to H&H: “There was some challenging riding but the countryside was fabulous. The Preseli Hills are quite mountainous and we were sometimes unclear about which direction to take – but we didn’t actually get lost.”

The journey is to celebrate the diamond jubilee (60th anniversary) of the BHS and to mark Pembrokeshire’s role as host county for this year’s Royal Welsh Show. The women also wanted to highlight the possibilities for equestrian tourism in the area and the health benefits of long-distance riding.

“We had about four 20-mile training rides in the last six months,” said Mrs Parry-Jones. “For his shape and size my stocky 14.1hh cob is doing very well”.

The team is carrying a scroll to mark its historic journey and will be timing their arrival at the show on 23 July to coincide with the official opening of the new Pembrokeshire Tower. This building replaces the old Main Ring control tower and will house the judges and stewards.

The route was planned with assistance from the BHS South West Wales committee and officers from Pembrokeshire County Council and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

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