beechwood riding school

 

In 1986, 25 years ago, Beechwood Riding School relocated – lock, stock and barrel – from Tatsfield where Beechwood had begun some 13 years before, to Hillboxes Farm, Woldingham. 

We brought with us: 30 horses and ponies, Ophelia the Guernsey goat, Kizzie the pigmy goat, Kirsty and McTavish the Soay sheep, Vera and Gladwyn, the Cheviot sheep, Charles and Dianna the huge turkeys, 15 hens, 7 ducks, 3 cats and a number of assorted rabbits, guinea pigs together with two pet rats and our dogs!  We all squeezed into the farm with the few remaining resident cattle left over from Hillboxes Dairy Farm.

 The indoor school was full of hay, bits of tractors and assorted farm machinery.  Almost everywhere else was full of copious amounts of cow dung.  The horses wandered free as there were no fences. 

Many of our Tatsfield riders came with us, but before long we were inundated with adults and children who wished to ride the lovely Beechwood horses and ponies seen hacking around Woldingham and were keen to follow the principles of classical equitation taught by us.   So began Beechwood, Woldingham.

 Gradually, the cow sheds and barns were converted to that which we have today.   We built fences, outdoor schools, paddocks and pens to assist our needs.   The winter of 87/88 was particularly hard with lots of snow.   We had drifts of 3 feet!  The weight of the snow caused the Dutch barn roof to collapse – a blessing in disguise – as the old barn was replaced and became our office, tack room, etc.

 The summers were filled with long sunny days of riding.  The children enjoyed educational pony days, preparing them for the ever popular ‘pony for the week’ where each child had their own pony for a whole week of pony activities, jumping lessons, dressage afternoons, time to bath your pony, plait his mane and tail, lots of instructional hacks culminating with a competition day on the Friday with lots and lots of rosettes.

 The adults were not forgotten and also had ‘Horse for the Week’ which was run along similar lines  but Friday was the Day Ride with lunch at the pub (always popular).  We had frequent Riding Clinics with nationally famous dressage trainers Charles Harris, Sylvia Loch and Paul Hayler to name but a few.   Once a month we had a long hack to the Carpenters Arms and a ride around Limpsfield Chart or across fields to The White Bear at Chelsham or the Old Ship  at Tatsfield where we had lunch.

 Every summer hosted a Gymkhana for all our riders – adults and children alike with loads of fun and plenty of laughter as our grown up riders shed their years and inhibitions and partook in mounted egg and spoon races followed by the ‘sack race’ where they hopped along in a sack, leading their horses!.

 One year 6 of our ponies and 20 of our riders were involved in a ‘Theatrical Dressage’ competition at Ardingly.    They played a supporting role with International dressage trainer Sarah Whitmore’s team of advanced dressage riders depicting a Spanish Fiesta with music, fabulous costumes, special effects and impressive dressage movements – a memorable occasion.

 We have run several Open Days and Country Fairs with our riders and horses demonstrating dressage, jumping and musical rides.  We had country stalls including wood turners, butterfly breeders, badger rescue groups, homemade produce, plants and friendly farm animals.  A fine, friendly way to welcome outsiders to Beechwood.

 We have several driving horses at Beechwood and some of the staff are keen carriage drivers.  In recent years we have had displays and lecture demos from Sarah Howe – national carriage driving champion – always well attended and most enjoyable.

 We also have regular outings to the Windsor Horse Show, Hickstead, South of England Show, Edenbridge and Oxted Agricultural Show and Olympia Christmas Shows. 

We have been on BBC radio once and TV twice, provided horses for an advertisement for a 4x4 vehicle, had an illustrated story in Pony magazine starring our young riders and horses.   Beechwood has appeared many times in the national press, one of our horses pictured with a suitably well endowed model even appearing on PAGE 3!   We have three lovely books about horses and ponies published by Hodder & Storton with full colour illustrations of our horses, riders tack room, paddocks, jumps, etc. 

Occasionally we chose to breed from one of our mares and everyone followed the progress of the pregnancy eagerly, awaiting the arrival of the foal.    One of our ‘foals’ is still here!   Jessie is now 22 years old and when less that 1 hour old was carried up the field by Colin to a comfortable straw filled loose box where she received a succession of enthralled visitors. 

Beechwood has always been closely involved with all Country Sports and we have had two ‘Introduction to Hunting’ days where the huntsman and his staff brought some hounds for the day and gave us all a very interesting and enlightening talk about hunting and the important part it plays in the rural community.   This was followed about  a month or so later by an instructional ride across the fields and woods with the hounds, which all our horses and ponies took part in with an enthusiastic band of riders. 

We have ‘walked’ a total of 26 hound puppies  - a delightful job , where usually  a ‘couple’ of foxhound or beagle puppies (sometimes more) reside at the stables for about  months, providing constant amusement for everyone with their delightful puppy antics.

 We have always encouraged our riders to become involved with Pony Club and Riding club activities taking the horses and ponies to a variety of equestrian activities such as horse shows, pleasure rides and mock hunts.   Our riders have rained here for the B.H.S. exams and we have run the Horse Owners exam courses as well as evening classes in Caterham, Bromley, Hayes and even Tower Hamlets on Horse Management.

 We used to take ponies to school fetes and provided pony rides but, unfortunately, Health and Safety restrictions have put a stop to that.  However, lots of children had their first taste of riding this way.   Many of our young riders have gone on to become horse owners competing at various disciplines with many making a career involving horses.   We have riding instructors in Australia, New Zealand, U.S.A. and Canada.   Several vets, one of whom will be attending the 2012 Olympic games in an official capacity started off as a helper at Beechwood!   A soldier who is a member of the spectacular Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery, regularly touring the country is another former helper.  Several farriers responsible for keeping hundreds of horses well shod have been riders here as well as others who have become involved in carriage driving, running livery yards, even equestrian artists with at least one rider becoming a college lecturer.   We are immensely proud of all of them and I know the high standards expected of them at Beechwood have stood them in good stead in their careers. 

Over the 25 years at Woldingham we have had 114 liveries in our traditional livery yard and an unbelievable 126 Beechwood helpers.

 Beechwood has touched many lives and has brought happiness to a large number of people over the last 25 years and we aim to continue to maintain  our high standards of teaching and horse care for many years to come.