Hello Hampshire Rider Readers!
The website will be three years old this month, and it is amazing how time flies. It seems only yesterday that I set up the site, out of my own frustration at not being able to find the equestrian related information I needed when I moved to Hampshire from Hertfordshire.
Three years on I am now very familiar with the area, and am now living on the Hants / Berks border in Ashford Hill. However I want to keep the site going because I believe it is the most comprehensive local directory available for riders.
There is currently no charge to list your business on the site, however I will be requesting a small fee of £3 per year as of January. This is just to cover the basic costs of running and hosting the website, I have personally covered all of the costs for the past three years, but I now feel that the site has become popular enough to request a small contribution.
I am lucky to have a brilliant monthly diarist, Harriet Hammond, who provides the most insightful view of the showing world for us every month. She has agreed to carry on writing her diary for the forseeable future, which is fantastic news. For those of you who have showing questions, please drop her a line and she will be happy to answer.
I would also really like to get some more 'Local Rider Profiles' on the site, this is a great way to promote yourself, and is also of great interest to readers of the site who will gain a view of your favourite discipline. Please see the profile on Gabriella Ivey and her love of side-saddle to get an idea of what I am looking for. You don't have to be professional to apply, just someone who is out competing on a regular basis - please don't be shy!!!
As for my riding, it is limited to twice a week at the moment, as I have a thirteen week old son, Calum. I am sure for those of you with children, you will understand the difficulty in juggling a baby with time to ride my horse Leo. Leo and I had a high point at the start of 2009 with a 3rd place at our first affiliated elementary dressage test, and I am hoping to be able to compete again in Spring 2010. For now I am concentrating on getting my body back in shape, and having as many lessons as I can. I am lucky to have Kathy Lane for lessons, who kept Leo fit for me while I was unable to, and still rides him once a week. Katharine Lewis, a dressage rider based in East Tytherley also comes to see me once in a while as she has been giving me lessons for the past three years.
My equestrian high of 2009 - doing first affiliated Elementary on a freezing 4th Jan 2009! Worth braving the cold for a 3rd place with 64.64%
So I wonder what will be happening in another three years time? I hope I will have a few more BD points, and I hope my little Calum will have had his first taste of being in the saddle. I also hope you are still using the website - many thanks for your support so far!
Gemma
24th November 2009
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