|
| Home | Search | Highlights | Yellow Pages | Contests | Submit URL/Place Ad | Site Map |
| BRITISH HORSE SOCIETY HONOURS ITS VOLUNTEERS |
|
At the British Horse Society Annual General Meeting on 15 June Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, President of the Society, presented the Society's Awards of Merit.
The Society is indebted to hundreds of volunteers who give unstintingly of their time, energy and expertise to furthering the cause of horses in the areas of welfare, training, education, safety, and access and rights of way. The Award of Merit is given for outstanding services to the British Horse Society and is awarded to:
Mrs Claire Aldridge Cudham, Kent
Mr Goran (Yogi) Breisner
Mrs Flo Dunlop
Mrs Ann Eggar
Mr John Featherstone
Mrs Linda Greaves
LEO HARRIS AWARD (Riding Clubs)
Mr John Davies
Photos of the recipients receiving their award from HRH The Princess Royal will be available Monday 19 June Ring Nichola Gregory on 08701 208880 British Horse Society AWARDS OF MERIT 2000
CLAIRE ALDRIDGE Since 1991, when Mrs Claire Aldridge took over the Chairmanship of BHS South East London, she has worked ceaselessly to promote the Society at every opportunity. As the owner of a large driving school, one of her main interests is road safety. In 1994 she took over the role of BHS Regional Road Safety Officer for London and has steadily built up a team of Road Safety examiners and trainers. She is a hard working member of the London Borough of Bexley Road Safety Committee and through this has established an excellent rapport with the other London Boroughs. Claire quickly realised that South East London has a particular problem with welfare cases in the travelling community. She has built up an excellent relationship with the police and other welfare organisations and established two 'green yards' where straying horses can be taken. In 1999 Claire took over the role of BHS Regional Chairman for London, a role that she has relished and taken very seriously. Not wishing London to miss out on the BHS Hunter Trials, Claire was determined to have a London qualifier and a successful event was held in March, with a team largely from South London, who worked for most of the week leading up to the event to make it the success that it was. London is indebted to her.
MR GORAN (YOGI) BREISNER Goran Breisner, known to everyone as 'Yogi', was born in Sweden. After success in several Swedish Junior Championships and experience as an amateur jockey, Yogi moved to the British Isles. Initially in Ireland, Yogi hunted, point to pointed and competed in most disciplines, and he was Irish under 23 champion in 1976. As a Swedish National, Yogi was a member of the Swedish International Three-Day Event team for eleven years. During that time he won a gold team medal in the European Championships and was fourth individual. He rode for Sweden at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. For four years Yogi ranked in the top ten three day event riders in the world and his successes included four times being in the top ten at Badminton and placings at Burghley, Breda, Wyley and Boekelo International events. Yogi is a Fellow of the British Horse Society and has freely shared his extensive knowledge and experience in the cause of improving and extending the BHS exam system. His commitment to the BHS has benefited the future of equestrian training not only in this country, but everywhere in the world where BHS qualifications are known and valued. Yogi has served as Chairman of the Training & Education Advisory Group of the BHS and been a Board member of both the BEF and BHS. He is now the Performance Manager for the British Horse Trials Association taking the British Team forward to the Sydney Olympics and beyond.
MRS FLO DUNLOP
Flo is a life member of the BHS, and has worked throughout her long life to promote a love and appreciation of horses. A teacher by profession, she started a school riding club in each of the secondary schools where she worked, taking the children to specially arranged lessons in riding and stable management in the school minibus after her day's teaching. She arranged shows and saw that the competitors were properly dressed for the ring in an assortment of borrowed jackets and ties and always with such good humour and enthusiasm. Without her efforts, most of these children would never have had the opportunity to ride or groom a horse. She was a qualified Show Jumping judge and of great assistance to the Pony Club in all showing matters. Her hobby was Local Government, particularly matters relating to the keeping of horses and she was on good terms with her local Councillors, sitting as the equestrian representative on Elmbridge Sports Council for 25 years. She was a Committee member of the National Schools Riding Association, chaired by Mr Harry Greenway.
MRS ANN EGGAR >From 1971 to 1981 Ann and her husband ran the Dressage for the then BHS Horse Trails for Crookham, Windsor, and Frensham and later they took on Tidworth as well. When Ann moved to Somerset in 1989, she stood in as representative for West Somerset on the BHS County Committee and has only recently handed the job on to her daughter. Ann is a founder member of the West Somerset Bridleways Association acting as Secretary. She still holds this position despite being over eighty. She has also been a committee member of the local Riding Club since moving to Somerset, and is currently its President.
MR JOHN FEATHERSTONE John Featherstone has been a valued access and bridleways officer for the British Horse Society for over twenty years. John's bridleways work started in part of Greater London, but more recently he has been the BHS Hertfordshire Access Officer. He has tirelessly travelled miles around the county, gathering vital evidence on the use of bridleways and doing extensive research into public records, which has taken hours, frequently days, and sometimes weeks of his time and effort. Both horse and rider have benefited from his enormous determination and selfless dedication. John's performance at public inquiries has always been a great credit to the Society, which has benefited from his expertise.
MRS LINDA GREAVES Linda Greaves operated an excellent but small riding school 'under the arches' in the East London Borough of Newham for many years. Despite the unprepossessing location of the school, her horses were always immaculate, well schooled and much loved and cared for. Additionally, and most importantly, they were very, very safe in all types of traffic and inner city conditions. Her pupils and staff were a credit to her and she was always on hand to offer help and advice. Her support of both the BHS and Riding for the Disabled Association is legendary and always given with a smile. When the Docklands Development Board wanted to take over the yard, Linda was obliged to move to a new site at Beckton. This new school was opened by HRH The Princess Royal. With assistance from the BHS a lottery bid was approved late in 1999 for Linda to develop her riding school to assist in the training of career students and the local community. Work has now started to develop the site. Linda was awarded the MBE in the New Years Honours List for 2000. LEO HARRIS AWARD (Riding Clubs)
JOHN DAVIES John has been Chairman of the West Wales Riding Club for the last 30 years, and Chairman of the Area 21 Liaison Committee since it was formed, 22 years ago. John always has a friendly word for the novice, new or old time member alike. He attends nearly all Club events, and is always willing to lend a hand as a judge, time keeper, groom, labourer - or to eloquently present prizes with words of praise and encouragement for everyone. If a West Wales team qualifies for a BRC championship, he always attends as supporter, and on several occasions has also been a steward at these events. John attends the area events firstly supporting the West Wales teams, but if a problem arises, he wears his area 21 hat with great competence. John has steered both the Club and the Area with great fairness at all times. As Chairman of Area 21, John has attended every national BRC meeting, in order to keep members in West Wales well informed and well represented. John is a popular and familiar face in the equestrian world of West Wales, an official of the Pembrokeshire Hunt and of the Pembrokeshire County Show. He has been cross country starter at the Pembrey Horse Trials twice a year for the last 14 years. In addition to all this, he finds time to be a warden of his parish church, to run his own farm, to breed horses and to encourage his two daughters, both of whom are active riders. In the words of his own club members, 'in short, all the time and effort John gives to the Riding Clubs movement deserves an award. Without him, we would be lost'.
Press enquiries to Nichola Gregory, |