🐴 VHPRC Riders Shine at Howick ODE! 🏅

Our VHPRC riders headed to Howick ODE this weekend for a fantastic day of eventing. While the weather hasn't exactly been on our side lately, we were treated to a lovely Welsh breeze that kept both ponies and humans cool throughout the day – a welcome change! 🌬️☀️

With a challenging cross-country course and plenty of competitive combinations, our riders all gave it their best and represented the club brilliantly.

🌟 70cm

A huge congratulations to Elsie Roberts, who claimed an excellent 3rd place aboard her super enthusiastic pony, Alfie. What a fantastic partnership to watch! 🥉

Charlotte Alford also had a great day, finishing 6th after overcoming a cheeky stop on the cross-country. She flew around the rest of the course in style and should be incredibly proud of her performance.

🌟 80cm

Our 80cm riders tackled a demanding cross-country course with determination.

Congratulations to Ruby Cox and Hazel Britton, who both finished inside the Top 10—a brilliant achievement after such a testing XC phase. 👏

🌟 90cm

The standout performance of the day came from Makayla Green, who took home an incredible 🥇 1st place!

Makayla produced a stunning dressage test, scoring an impressive 24.5, followed by a clear show jumping round. Just a few cross-country time penalties left her on a fantastic finishing score of 28.9. A thoroughly deserved win and a brilliant achievement—well done, Makayla! 🎉

💙 It Takes a Team...

Days like these simply wouldn't be possible without the incredible supporters and volunteers who give up their time to help our riders.

A huge thank you to our fantastic supporters who spent the day cheering everyone on, holding horses, carrying kit, calming nerves and generally keeping everything running smoothly:

👏 Nicola Steele👏 Deb Vickory👏 Sarah Green👏 Sharon Sheppard👏 Kate Ella

...and of course to Elsie, who quite rightly dragged the entire family along to support! We love to see it. ❤️

A special thank you also goes to Sue Davison, who generously gave up her day to volunteer as a fence judge. Events like Howick simply couldn't run without volunteers like Sue, and we're incredibly grateful for her support. 🙌

⭐ A Very Special Mention

A heartfelt thank you goes to our amazing Club Manager, Laura Hayden.

Laura arrived at the crack of dawn and stayed until the very last rider had finished, making sure every single VHPRC competitor had someone cheering them on. Despite being chronically lame herself, she spent the entire day supporting everyone else without much complaint. Laura truly has a heart of gold, and we're incredibly lucky to have her as part of Team VHPRC. Her dedication to the club and its members is second to none, and we appreciate everything she does. 💙

Congratulations to all our riders—you represented VHPRC brilliantly, and whether you came home with a rosette or simply gained valuable experience, you should all be incredibly proud.

Here's to the next outing! 🐎💙