Powys Carriage Driving Group

PCDG : July 2014-2015 : The Year Review

Over the year since the last AGM, PCDG has held 20 driving events.

The club has 68 members - from Powys, Monmouthshire, the Valleys, Carmarthenshire , Pembrokeshire, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Bristol. Most of these are drivers, 8 members are disabled and 18 are young drivers

In July 2013 after the AGM we held our first camp with James Broome. This was a two day camp attended by 11 drivers. By popular demand in 2014 it was extended to 3 days and included an evening ODE. 13 turnouts attended with additional drivers extra. Camp this year is again three days and is being held in the last week of August. There will be two evening ODEs so that members learn about stewarding the three phases as well as having the chance to compete. Some members compete very successfully on the HDT National, Regional and affiliated club circuit over the summer and we hope to encourage more to have a go as there are fantastic events and it’s a great way to meet like- minded people.

The club is proud to have represented Wales by making up the entire Welsh contingent at the inaugral Welsh Scurry and Trials World Championships in September. Training and selection events were held over the summer. The club team was generously supported in team kit by Mr Williams from Tristar and Jonathan Rees. Everyone drove well and individual members won medals: Alison silver and bronze and Emily Curnock, Silver.

We continue to build on the Blue ribbon award by Sports Disability Wales and are always keen as a club to encourage inclusion for those with disabilities. The club is supporting the RDA Driving Championships at Hartpury on Friday, by lending our indoor obstacles and Emily to design the course.

We received the maximum number of Community Chest Grants and an award from Lloyds Bank Community Fund over the past year as well as a training grant of £100 from British Carriage Driving which helped offset the cost of camp for members. The grants fund courses and equipment - adding to our cones, portable obstacles and dressage equipment. We have also bought 6 walkie talkies for stewarding events and are very grateful to Janice and Peter Sidebottom who have got the electronic timing equipment fixed so we can use this for forthcoming events and demonstrations.

We ran main ring sports driving demonstrations at two shows : Brecon County and Llangynidr and wowed the crowds. Our reputation is now such that we have been invited to give a main ring display of sports driving at Usk Show this September and will receive £500!

We ran a winter indoor series at Usk for members on the eastern side of Wales but sadly this wasn’t well enough supported to make it economically viable for the coming season.

The weather put paid to several of the planned affiliated indoor series at Llwynon but the four held there were extremely well attended with 12 or more turnouts at each event. For the first time two juniors – Emily Curnock and Melita Powell- competed at the Championships and did extremely well. The juniors are posing a real threat to the adult competitors with Melita winning Small Pony, Emily Novice Pony and Jack Kedward the club class of our winter series. Young Rebecca Jones was the undisputed Best Newcomer and Melita also picked up the coveted Most Improved Driver. The next indoor season dates are already booked at Llwynon with extra unaffiliated dates to provide practise and additional competition fun.

Exciting developments last year were the Obstacles training day with National Technical Delegate and course builder Steve Lucas – this was extremely informative. We held a modified ODE the following day making use of the cones and obstacles courses set up on the fields at Gilwern. Sarah Wildy judged the dressage and we had a mini marathon using laps of the field with three obstacles driven twice. We would love to hold more of these events as everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves but to do so requires helpers to set up and to commit to stewarding for at least part of the event.

The planned training with National Dressage Judge James Rooney is rescheduled for April or early May when we hope club members will take full advantage of this opportunity.

We have a really good club and have the fields at CIlmery as well as Gilwern we can now use for our training and events so there are amazing opportunities for the coming year.

We have excellent equipment and willing organisers, but to put on events does require helpers so please try to involve friends and family members so we can continue to grow our events !!!!