Equestrian team from King George V School won the top prize at the
HKEF Inter-school Equestrian Challenge 2017
Dear members,
Hong Kong Equestrian Federation (HKEF) Inter-School Equestrian Challenge 2017 Finals were held at Lo Wu Saddle Club on 21st and 22nd April 2017. In the Lower Division, Kellett School was the overall winning team with a score of 194.6, and was presented with the Ann Baron Memorial Cup. In the Higher Division, the team from King George V School, consisting of Yu An Su, Rachel Mason, Annabel Dyson and Zoe Koerber, finished on a score of 204.69 to win the coveted top prize of one week’s equestrian training at Ingestre Stables in Staffordshire in the UK.
The four team members trained at Ingestre Stable from 17th -23rd June, 2017. Their training over the week comprised both riding and stable management sessions. In the riding sessions, the four riders trained intensively to a high level both on the flat and over fences. At the end of the week, riders were asked to jump a 1.1m course of 10 jumps and cross-country type jumps, which was both a huge challenge and great fun. Riders also experienced a new method of instruction which required them to set defined goals and critically assess the performance of rider-horse combination throughout the training and afterwards. In the stable management lessons, the riders were given talks in wide variety of topics, such as field management, horse nutrition and horse shoeing and so on. These sessions were particularly valuable for two of the riders who intend to sit for the British Horse Society Level 1 examinations next year but also taught all riders the importance of the other aspects of horse management in getting the best performance from their horses.
Ingestre Stables are the most highly approved riding centre in Staffordshire. It caters for riders from beginner to advanced level and produces horses to the required standard for all examinations up to and including the British Horse Society Fellowship examination, one of the highest coaching accreditations in the world.
The HKEF Inter-School Equestrian Challenge is currently the largest equestrian event for young riders in Hong Kong. The 2017 competition attracted a total of 110 young riders from 22 international and local schools to compete in this year. Looking ahead, the entry period for the HKEF Inter-School Equestrian Challenge 2018 is from 3rd October to 4th December 2017. HKEF is pleased to encourage young riders to start preparing their teams and plan ahead for next year’s competition….who knows, you might be riding at Ingestre Stables this time next year!
Best Regards,
Hong Kong Equestrian Federation
