FROM THE CHAIR
The season is well under way now and we’ve already had three of our social rides, with the first national ride, Peak Ride, just around the corner. Paula did a great job for her first time organising (with a little help from her friends!) almost 40 riders turned out on that wet Sunday, but were rewarded with fantastic views and even a little sunshine at the end of the ride!
Congratulations go to Flick Edmeston and Nettie Masterson for their successful
exploits in France. Flick came 11th and Nettie came 5th in the Sangatte Ride. I’m sure they’ll tell us all about it in the next newsletter!
See you around,
Jackie and Del

ED’S NOTE
Hi! How are you all? I’ve been working hard on this month’s newsletter, so I hope you like it! I’ve been doing quite a few rides on Rashiek, including Hope Valley (on my birthday!) and Major Oak. Both were very good, actually. I hope no-one ate too much chocolate on Easter Sunday (I know I did) and didn’t get too annoyed by April Fools Day (I know I did) and I hope you enjoy the newsletter. Au revoir!

Bethan

REPORT ON THE HOPE VALLEY SOCIAL RIDE
Derbyshire Group of Endurance GB held a social ride starting at the Lafarge Cement works in Hope Valley on Saturday 8th March 2008.

56 riders took part which was a great turn out for this time of year. The weather was dry but the wind was brisk, especially on the hills. The route went along the edge of the cement works, up to Dirtlow Rake joining the Limestone Way for a short while before going back along Old Dam Lane, Peak Forest, back onto Dirtlow Rake and returning to the venue. Although the route was only 12 miles it rode well – a great early season training ride.

Everyone enjoyed the day and it was lovely to see so many non- members – some of whom have now been recruited. Special thanks to everyone who helped on the day – Mike

Dennett (who not only manned the “coldest checkpoint in the world” – his words, but also marked the whole route the day before on foot), Janice Clare for providing great support at the venue, Mick Lees for manning a checkpoint and Martin and Tricia Wheeler who provided communications cover for the route and a stove for tea and coffee for the organiser at the venue! Thanks also to Lafarge Cement for lending us their car park – it is always a bonus to have tarmac parking at this time of year. Maureen Lees on Tilly III

HELPING AT RIDES
There are still a number of members who have not yet confirmed which ride they would like to help at this year. Please let Rachel know as soon as possible either by email: rockfarmbandb@btinternet.com or by phone 01457 861086 or 07780 670568.

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
The response to the new Associate Membership scheme has been great and the Derbyshire Group now have over 30 Associate Members - welcome to you all.

We have been asked by ride organisers to remind Associate Members that although they can enter training and social rides at member’s rates, they have to pay non members rates to enter National pleasure rides. When entering a ride could you please prefix your membership number with AM - for example AM12345 so that ride organisers are aware of your membership type. Thank you.

P.S. Associate Members please remember that your benefits only apply to Group Events and TRs, not Pleasure Rides attached to National Rides.

THE (COLD & FROSTY) ROAD TO SANGATTE
Annette Masterson and I were determined to do our very best to get on the British Development Squad which was due to go to France in April. This was quite a problem as neither of us had ever trained our horses to peak so early in the season and the 80km ER at Harling Drove, which was the selection ride, was in the middle of March which didn’t leave us many rides to choose from as a warm up.

We finally decided that we would share a trailer and go to the Lindum Group’s Sand and Seal Ride in February and that we would save lots of money money by camping in the trailer. This didn’t seem to be a problem as the weather was unseasonably warm when we sent our entries in.

However... watching the weather forecasts the week before the ride, I began to get increasingly uneasy. Temperatures were plummeting and were forecast to get even lower by the weekend. Nettie and I discussed it and decided that we would still rather camp and save the money, so we both packed extra sleeping bags (I packed a hot water bottle) and we set off to the east coast – not the warmest spot in the British Isles at the best of times!!

We corralled and fed the horses in the weak February sunshine, put several rugs on them, tidied up the trailer ready for the night, leaving the paraffin stove alight, and set off for the pub to try and get some internal (h)eating organised. By 10 o’clock we were both well fed and decided we couldn’t put off the evil moment any longer. We got back to the field, which was now several inches deep in frost, and checked the horses. I filled my hot water bottle and Nettie disappeared completely into the middle of a huge bundle of sleeping bags and rugs on the other side of the trailer.

We both slept reasonably well considering the temperature, which actually fell to MINUS 9 according to people at the venue the following day. A major disturbance was caused by Nettie’s horse, Magic, escaping from his corral at 4.30 in the morning and deciding to have an early breakfast at the side of the trailer – trouble was it was Fonzie’s breakfast that he was eating. Nettie fought her way out of her many layers of bedding and managed to get him back behind bars and we tried unsuccessfully to get back to sleep again.

It was at this point I discovered that the temperature had dropped so low that the calor gas stove wouldn’t light and neither would the lamp. In the morning I had to undergo the painful process of warming the gas bottle against my bare skin before I could get it warm enough to light the stove for a cup of coffee.

The horses seemed very unworried by the freezing temperatures. Fonzie ate what was left of his breakfast with his whiskers white with frost but was very warm underneath all his rugs... wish I could have said the same. We managed to sort out the trailer with our numb fingers, load the horses and set off for the venue which was only a couple of miles down the road.

It turned out to be a lovely ride and we met lots of other Derbyshire competitors who were not so brave/foolhardy, and had travelled up that morning and both Nettie and I ended up with Grade 1’s... not a bad start to the season. So... we did save some money, and managed to have lots of laughs, but I have to say it’s not an experience that I’m planning to repeat.
Flick

DICTIONARY OF ENDURANCE RIDING TERMS
Crew (male): Husband that has been talked into driving round after his wife and giving her horse water. Usually seen with or without young children, that run around and accidentally spook the horse and cry when they try to feed the horse and their fingers get bitten because the horse has mistaken them for a carrot.

Crew (female): Eager friend of rider that drives around after the rider, sloshing the horse and giving it water and giving the rider orange juice (and remembering to do so every time, unlike the male crew).

Ride Organiser: Usually female, organises rides, often has mental breakdowns because of stress of organising rides, usually seen at the rides they have organised telling themselves they will never organise a ride again, yet lo and behold the next year they have.

Runner: Young person, often daughter/son of ride helper/organiser that walks around (not running, ironically) delivering vet sheets. Near the end of the ride they give up and sit down in deck chairs and drink complimentary hot chocolate and watch other people deliver the vet sheets.

Lame: Mild leg condition that happens to horses at every ride, yet they have been fine all week. This condition is usually reported to you by a vet, unless you are clever and experienced enough to know yourself the symptoms. Always guarantees you will not get a rosette or the points you wanted, even though it was a hundred mile race ride and you needed those points to win at least something at the annual awards evening!

Awards Evening: Annual event that usually takes place in a pub, usually in mid January, following rides from the previous year. Profiteroles, trifle, cheese platters, fish and quiche are usually served in the first hour or two, then awards are announced, you hear the same names over and over again (giving you a sense of déjà vu) and eventually you hear your name called out only to find that you have come sixth. For mileage. Again.

Vet: Man or woman with special qualifications to tell you whether or not your horse is lame, poke around a horse’s chest area with a stethoscope, and eat lots of bacon buttys from the burger van.

Burger Van: Main catering for riders and helpers. Profits usually come from bacon buttys (vets and helpers), tea and coffee (vets and helpers), flapjacks and other sweet things (vets and helpers), cheeseburgers (riders) and the occasional gin and tonic (organiser, believe me, she needs at least 2 to keep her going).

Contact us