University of York Riding Club - An Introduction

Welcome to the Riding Club’s exciting blog on what we’ve been up to, how our team is doing and hopefully, how to tempt you all to get involved! Forget all the stereotypes you’ve heard about horse riders- we are a fun-loving, all inclusive club, with a real passion for everything equestrian. We organise lessons for all abilities, have two competing teams and fun weekly socials. Riding is an exhilarating, challenging and rewarding sport and with so many disciplines there is something for everyone. HEALTH WARNING: Riding may prove incredibly addictive!

A few riding myths…

For those of you who are new to riding, there are a few common misconceptions to clear up. Firstly, no we don’t all own our own horses and no there isn’t any hidden on campus that you’ve just missed all term (and no the pony in the field by the library does not count!). Also, ponies don’t grow into horses, as one of my friends thought for many years! Ponies are simply just smaller than horses and no, riding isn’t simply sitting on a horse; to be a good rider you must be an intelligent one and surprisingly fit.

So what to you actually learn?

Lessons in the club mainly focus either on dressage, or jumping. Dressage is flatwork (i.e. no jumps) and the aim is to get the horse to move in the most effective manner. Therefore, riders learn how to walk, trot and canter and then work at getting the horse balanced, flexible and moving with impulsion. More advanced dressage also looks at lateral work, which is moving the horse sideways in different ways- for instance, making the horse turn around by only moving its hind legs. Jumping is exactly how it sounds- working up from little cross poles to bigger, more varied jumps. Advanced jumping involves cross country jumping (jumping in a field outside), and show jumping courses (a lot harder than it looks!). Both are equally rewarding and riders do tend to have one they prefer.

Club News

Luckily, through the riding club you get a student friendly deal for a usually expensive sport. Our main riding stable is Naburn Grange just outside Fulford and they charge club members only £18 per hour lesson. They provide lessons for all abilities and are a really lovely riding school that has been incredibly popular this term. We can happily say we’ve got on average six lessons running per week, on top of our other riding school, Jodhpurs in Tockwith that has a further two lessons running. In Jodhpurs there has been a jumping clinic all term, which has focused on improving confidence of riders to jump bigger and bolder- working up to a whooping 80cm! (All Members get free transport)

Team News

The team has been training very hard with their instructor, Charlotte, in Snainton Riding Centre. Currently, we have an A, B and reserve team that are now starting to compete in BUCS league matches against other universities. Team competitions consist of a Dressage round and a Show jumping round.

The A Team went to their first competition this week and competed in the future 2012 Olympic training grounds in Bishop Burton. Although, they came in fourth, the team still had many successes; one member, Kate, came in as the second best individual rider of the day and two members jumped a clear round. Most importantly, they really enjoyed their first competition and are looking forward to their upcoming competitions! All the best goes to our B Team, with their first competition this week!

Tempted?

If you want to get involved, please email riding@yusu.org to find out further information and to be added to our mailing list. We are open to everyone, from students who have never sat on a horse to seasoned pros. Most lessons are on Wednesday afternoons and transport from James College is included. (Some form of membership, either taster £5, or annual, £30 must be bought beforehand) We look forward to hearing from you and hope you keep up-to-date with our blog!

Add Comment

You must log in to submit a comment.