Mark Phillips says . . .
“The Festival at Gatcombe is only possible thanks to more than 350 volunteers and all the sponsors who help finance it. I never cease to be amazed that so many people are prepared to give up their time to help out.
“The riders and the horses are, of course, the focus of attention, along with the owners, who are hopefully getting more recognition. However, we should all remember the army of volunteers that make this sport possible weekend after weekend in this country.”
Stuart Hollings says . . .
“Some BSHCRHA judges are not happy about receiving a letter advising them to have their own personal accident insurance cover. The complaint is simply one of cost. Judges already pay an annual membership fee to be on the judges panel without having to pay a expensive insurance premium as well.
“The judges are asking why the BSHCRHA cannot take a leaf out the BSPS’s book, which offers its officials automatic personal accident cover from the minute they leave home to judge BSPS classes?”
Graham Fletcher says . . .
“The BSJA’s rankings list is almost always too far out of date to be relevant to current form. If we want the wider media to cover show jumping more enthusiastically, surely it wold help to have more up-to-date rankings available?
“I appreciate that compiling the BSJA rankings list is a huge and arduous task but the earliest they appear is six weeks after the latest available results. If the rankings could reflect current form more accurately, this would be such a useful tool to help promote our sport.”
Lucy Higginson says . . .
“Aside from causing discomfort, extended heat is so bad for soundness. If we are getting used tocross-country courses getting rotavated, few showing and jumping arenas are. Then again, it pays to do your homework as some venues do offer super year-round going.
“One school of play-safers will argue that ‘there’s always another day’ and withdraw as soon as the ground gets firm, but it’s a long wait for the next area final for pony clubbers, and many events do make a huge effort with the ground.”
