British Driving Society - Dorset Area News

Clare would like to say a big thank you to all members who attended this drive.
The collection, after a delicious tea, raised £275 for the Air Ambulance (North Somerset and Dorset division) Clare's favourite charity

Drives and Rallies

Carol Cuff is kindly coordinating the drives and rallies in our area, and as you will see on the Forthcoming Events page, thanks to generous hosts, we have a good number planned.
Unless otherwise stated, all rallies will start at 11.00am and be driven together. However, with enough notice, a map can be provided so that you may drive the route individually. To find out more, please contact Carol on 01300 348461

HELP - Your BDS Area Needs You!

As you will see on the Forthcoming Events, we have lots planned. Those events with turnouts, and in particular the BDS Trec on Sunday 10th August and the Fun Day on Sunday 24th August, are only possible with the help of lots of people. For each event we need at least one qualified First Aider, and also people to help with parking, scoring and stewarding. This is a great way to see the action up close and be involved. If you can help out in any way, for a few hours, please contact the event organiser or Alison. All help will be very much appreciated.

From 5th January 2007 a new Regulation on the protection of animals during transportation applies across the EU. The Regulation applies to all those involved with the transport of live vertebrate animals in connection with an economic activity. For example:

The Regulation includes an assessment of Competence Certification in the welfare of transporting equines, for example:

The British Driving Society along with the British Horseracing Education and Standards Trust were the only two equine disciplines to work with DEFRA on the creation of this Act and as a result have been granted DEFRA approved Assessor status. John Parker, Chairman of the BDS, strongly advises all of us to take the CC as “the Regulation is a living document that will develop in the light of experience implementing the Regulation”. In other words it is highly likely that when the Regulation comes up for review in 2012 that the CC will become compulsory for anyone transporting livestock. It is also worth knowing that the CC is a NVQ qualification that once gained is held for life.

There is a Timetable of Implementation with the first date being January 8th 2008, the dead line for Competence Certification for all those involved with the transport of animals in connection with an economic activity.

There is a great deal more to the WATO than explained here with implications for all of us. For more detailed information regarding taking the Competence Certification and the WATO Regulations please contact Caroline Douglas LHHI, (DEFRA Assessor) at ca.douglas@virgin.net or telephone 01590 682678 – also contact DEFRA at www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/welfare/farmed/transport/eu-transportreg.htm Contact the British Driving Society at email@britishdrivingsociety.co.uk for a Competence Certification syllabus and the list of DEFRA assessors.

STOLEN !!

Shooting Phaeton by Chas. Windover & Co ltd.of London circa 1890. To fit 14.2 -15hh two tone varnished in natural wood, green unders and lined in yellow upholstered in green box cloth.

Also set of black plastic exercise harness to fit 15hh and 4 wheeled trailer with 12” sides drop down tail gate checker plate floor and sides dark red iron work.

Hi Folks
Thought you would like this lovely photo for your website, it is of Alan Noble and Michael Gould's super Connemara tandem trotting through the bluebells at our recent BDS drive on 7th May. 20 turnouts enjoyed this lovely drive with tea afterwards at Balmer Lawn House the home of Clare & Doug Wigmore. And thank you to all who came and enjoyed this lovely day, a real bonus raising £200 for the Air Ambulance, Clare's favourite charity! Hope to see you again next year on Bank Holiday Monday 5th May 2008.
Clare

We had a very warm and positive response to our launch of Issue 1 at Brockham Harness Club's Carriage Fair, 11 March, at Ardingly Showground. Thank you to everyone who supported us!
We'll also be at the Indoor Finals at The College EC, Keysoe, near Bedford, 31 March and 1 April. You are welcome to come and see us.

The Harness

Go to www.inharness.co.uk to download form for special “Early Bird” Subscription Offer: £12 for four issues, including U.K. postage at this special launch price. From 3 April, the subscription will be £15.99 for four issues.
For Sale and Wanted ads are free for non-trade advertisers. There's still some space left for trade advertisers - colour or mono: very reasonable rates. Please email or call for more information.
NEXT ISSUES' copy dates: 15 May, 15 August, 15 November (subject to possible variation, depending on events!)
CONTRIBUTIONS WANTED Please contact me to send a letter, photos, article or viewpoint...
Thank you for your interest.
Fiona Powell, 01473 735732
Features in the first issue:

Rights of Way Improvement Plan for Dorset: Public consultation 12 Feb - 23 Mar 2007

“Towards a Rights of Way Improvement Plan for Dorset” Public consultation 12 February – 23 March 2007

A Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) will set out what needs to be done to improve footpaths, bridleways, byways and wider access, such as country parks, permissive access and cycle-tracks, in Dorset over the next 5 -10 years.
ROWIPs aim to update and develop an efficient and effective Countryside Access Network so that it provides not only recreational and sporting benefits but also support for many other matters important in our lives today. For example our health, road safety and sustainable transport, opportunities for and management of tourism, land management – agriculture, forestry and environmental conservation, ways to boost our local economy and opportunities for local people to get involved with countryside access.

We have already consulted widely and carried out much research. Now we are in the final stages of consultation prior to developing the Draft Rights of Way Improvement Plan for Dorset. To do this we have produced two documents, a consultation summary document and a background report discussing in more detail the issues arising out of the research along with potential actions to address them.

The following documents:

“Towards a Rights of Way Improvement Plan for Dorset” Public Consultation Summary Document February 2007 & questionnaire

"Towards a Rights of Way Improvement Plan for Dorset” Background Document and Actions February 2007

Vehicles policy & covering letter are available to view or download at http://www.dorsetforyou.com/rightsofway/improvementplan Due to technical restrictions we are unable to send pdfs to you by email. If you have any difficulties accessing these documents online or would prefer a paper copy please contact Carol McKay 01305 228577 or email c.a.mckay@dorsetcc.gov.uk

Thank you for your time and taking part in this consultation. We are extremely grateful for your thoughts and ideas which are invaluable in helping to shape the future of access management in Dorset.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you wish to discuss any of the matters in this email in more detail. I look forward to hearing from you by Friday March 23rd.
Yours sincerely

TARA HANSFORD
Countryside Access Development Officer

DREW MANLEY

We are having an evening meeting with Drew Manley on 20th June at The Children’s Farm, Tithe Barn, Abbottsbury. (See our future events list) This will be an extremely interesting meeting, for those of you with internet access do go onto his website to see what equine subjects he covers, and for those without I will put some more information into the Dorset Newsletter so you can have questions you want answered already in mind when you come to the meeting. Drews website address is www.tooth2hoof.com

Portman Hunt & Cattistock Hunt Pony Club Summer Camps Visits
Thursday and Friday 27th and 28th July 2006

As announced on taking up the position of Area Commissioner for Dorset on 1st January 2006 one of my aims had been to try and encourage more membership of the BDS in Dorset.

I was delighted to have had my offer of driving demonstrations to the Pony Clubs in this area accepted by both the Portman and Cattistock very quickly.

The two ponies we used were, Maggie aged 10 years, and Tonic aged 6 years. These ponies really excelled themselves giving demonstrations and then giving almost all the children carriage rides, through cones, around the field, or through obstacles, which given the numbers, and the heat wave weather conditions, was no mean feat. There were 56 children at the Portman Hunt PC Camp and 75 children at the Cattistock Hunt PC Camp.

The questions most frequently asked from the younger children were how did the ponies understand the commands we gave them by voice, and how did we teach them to understand the words.

The boys typical questions were always:- Had we tipped the carts over, had we fallen out, had anyone been killed in a driving accident. Could we jump in the carts!

The younger children enjoyed having rides around the cones course which we set up with 10 pairs of cones on the first day, while the older children at the second visit asked more technical questions about breaking to harness, learning to drive, types of carts, etc, and then also enjoyed the drives with questions still flowing.

I can honestly say that the visits were well worth while, and although not producing instant new members for the BDS, we have sown the seeds which will be reaped in due course.

Thanks must also go to Sara and ‘Tonic’ for giving up so much of their time to these Pony Club Camp visits.
Nicky

One of our members has had 2 carts vandalised and I thought this would be a warning to all members. Also 2 electric fencer units have been stolen, and someone else has reported electric fence posts have been stolen along with some electric fence tape.

Vandalism of carts at North Leigh Lane, Colehill

Following your visit to North Leigh Lane fields yesterday, Sunday 21st May 2006 I attach herewith photos of damage to my pony carts. The shafts of one cart were sawn off at the cart and the two wheels of the other cart removed entirely. The wheels are shown on the attached photo and the sawn off portion of the shafts clearly visible as white rectangles on the picture taken yesterday. The wooden shafts were varnished with brass end caps, brass breeching fittings and brass tug stops It is quite possible to use the sawn off shafts for use with a smaller pony. The wheels are irriplaceable so carts a write off. New wooden shafts will be difficult to obtain as will have to be specially made! I have reported this vandalism to the NFU Insurance Company and am sending copy of this e-m to Ringmaster. Click here for photos.

'We have been asked by the Forestry Commission to kindly remind our members that when driving on F.C. land we are allowed to drive on gravel and man-made tracks ONLY and not to use grassed areas and trees for practising'.

Anyone who is keen to get away from the traffic and drive off road might find that their local UK Chasers course is just the place to go.

In days gone by I’ve had some lovely drives at Tenantry Farm, Rockbourne near Fordingbridge, and recently took a trip around my local course at Lower Bryanston Farm, near Blandford. At just 4½ miles long, on mainly grassland and through wooded areas, this course might not appear much of a challenge, but in addition to the long level stretches there are some sharp hilly sections, and together with spinning around some of the jumps for hazard driving practice and several dips in the water splash (which was very welcome on the particular warm Summer’s evening that we went) it provided us with a lovely drive. However, I’m pleased we took our ‘battle wagon’ vehicle, as the course would not be suitable for traditional vehicles.

To have on-going access to this and other UK Chasers courses, you need to be a member, but owner Tony Jones is offering Dorset and South Wilts BDS members the chance to visit his UK Chasers course at Lower Bryanston Farm for a special rate of £15.00/turnout for your first visit. To find out more and to book a visit (giving a minimum of 24 hours notice) telephone Tony on 01258 452009. Tony can also provide UK Chasers membership details.

Drives and Rallies

HELP - Your BDS Area Needs You!

STOLEN !!

DREW MANLEY

Vandalism of carts at North Leigh Lane, Colehill