North Midlands Region at Beacon Hill Country Park

Friday 22 September

Beacon Hill Country Park was an excellent location for a Big Ride with tracks for a 1km and a 5 km circuit in beautiful countryside, a big car park allowing an area to be sectioned off for mounting and mown grass area with plenty of space for refreshment gazebos and end of ride celebrations. It is also close to Dawn Kirby-Whitmore’s Meadows School of Riding, home of Ashmount and Wenlo RDA Groups and Dawn kindly provided ponies for these riders. Riders from Scropton RDA and Kimberley House RDA also joined brining in their own ponies.

The Big Ride started with a series of groups of led riders from Ashmount, Wenlo and Scropton RDA Groups completing the 1 km circuit, each coming back to line up for rosettes and certificates. We were delighted to have these presented by Nicky Morgan MP, Councillor David Snark and by Ashmount School Head Teacher and Chairman of Governors. All were attending the Big Ride to help Ashmount RDA celebrate 35 years, which was done in fine style with at least 3 cakes with candles!

Later the longer 5 km route was tackled by a medium speed and then faster group of mixed RDA riders and volunteers. We were delighted that participant representative Matt Dalley was able to ride on a borrowed RDA pony after being ‘gutted’ when discovering that his own horse had lost a shoe that morning.

Sponsor Sam at: https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/samorde