We are proud and excited to be sponsoring the following horses / ponies and their riders / drivers. We will try to keep you up to date with their news.
H-10 Elegance Dun & Dusted (www.scurryponies.org)
Jenny & Ron Bean compete in Double Harness Scurry Driving which, In their words is: “a race against the clock that is fast and furious. There are two ponies, a four wheeled carriage and two people who seem to have a death wish! The aim of the competition is to win the race by being not only faster but more skillful than your competitors.”
At each show there are two height classes of which the fastest six from each class compete together in the championship to find the show champion. There are different leagues for which the best qualify to go onto the finals at their respective venues.
The season starts in April/May and ends in September/October and generally before the first competition there are opportunities to attend clinics and training days.
Basically the requirements are a pair of ponies matched in height and stride and a suitable four wheeled carriage with a working brake and an axle width of 130cm. The driver sits at the front of the carriage and the groom sits behind balancing the carriage as it corners at speed.
The course is made up of between 10/12 pairs of cones with balls balanced on the top. Also there is a slalom of four cones and at least one obstacle which can be ‘U’ shaped, ‘L’ shaped or even ‘Z’ shaped. Generally the ponies would slow down at these obstacles but over the years the drivers have learned to negotiate these with as much speed as the rest of the course.
If a ball is dislodged then seconds are added to the overall time: the object is to get a clear but fast round.
THE HARRISON TEAM
Based at Hawkins Farm near Stowmarket in Suffolk the Harrison Show Team are professional show producers
The two sisters, Heather (27yrs) and Debbie (21yrs) produce and ride all of the ponies and their mother Fiona is producer, team coach and trainer. They have cemented their place as one of the top producers and riders of Mountain and Moorland ponies in the country.
With their own and clients horses and ponies the Harrison Team have enjoyed enormous success throughout the country including winning classes at The Horse of the Year Show and being best of breed in the NPS Baileys Horse Feeds Mountain and Moorland ridden pony of the year at Olympia on more than one occasion.
Furzley Magician qualifies for the Picton Novice for the Harrison Team (June 2006)
The young New Forest Stallion Furzley Magician qualified for the major novice championship, the Picton Novice, at the recent East Anglian Native pony show held at Huntingdon in Cambridge
shire. The finals of the competition take place at the National Pony Society Summer Championship Show held at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern, in August.
Produced by the H-10 sponsored Harrison team who are based near Stowmarket in Suffolk, Furzley Magician who is in his first season under saddle was ridden in the class by Debbie Harrison. The pair looked a picture in the ring and put in a great performance to take the top slot.
‘We are delighted that Furzley Magician has qualified for the Picton’ , said older sister Heather, ‘he was prepared as always with the Elegance range of products they keep the ponies looking immaculate and their coats very glossy, which gets them noticed and gives an excellent first impression - so important in big classes’.
H-10 sponsored Harrison Team make dream start to 2006 season
The Harrison Show Team, based near Stowmarket in Suffolk has started the 2006 show season the way they left 2005 - with success in major competitions.
Debbie Harrison and Dartmoor Stallion Shilstone Rocks Snowfox have begun the year by qualifying for the Royal International Horse Show at their first attempt this year. Snowfox looked a picture at the BSPS Area 16 Spring Show to win the RIHS qualifying class from stiff competition; the pair then went on to stand ridden champions of the day.
Debbie and Snowfox scored again at Ponies (UK) West Midlands held at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern, winning the ridden stallion class and ending the day reserve section champions
2nd AT THE HORSE OF THE YEAR SHOW (December 2005)
Competing and winning all over the country the team have taken 2nd place at The Horse of The Year Show for the last two years, on both occasions being Best of Breed.
2005 culminated in Debbie and the Dartmoor Stallion Shilstone Rocks Northcountryman taking 2nd place and top Dartmoor at HOYS with Heather and another Harrison team Dartmoor, Horselode Horatio in 3rd in the Open M&M ridden.
Not content with that the sisters made history by qualifying two Dartmoor Stallions bred at the same Shilstone Rocks Stud, located at Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Devon, for Olympia, these two were be the only Dartmoor representatives at the finals!!
To qualify for the National Pony Society Baileys Open Ridden Mountain and Moorland Championship at London Olympia in December is just about as good as it gets. With only 35 qualifying rounds across the country these classes attract the very best of ridden natives, the competition is, as you would expect of the highest standard.
This time it was Heather who took top honours, being Best of Bred on the prolific winning Dartmoor Stallion Shilstone Rocks Snowfox.
The show production side of the business consists of the Harrison Team’s own ponies and also a variety of animals that are sent to them for schooling, production and for the girls to ride. All of this is in conjunction with a highly successful BHS approved Riding School of which Fiona and Heather are proprietors.
‘It all works very well’ said Fiona who has headed up Hawkins Farm Riding School for the last ten years. ‘ Heather and I are both BHS qualified riding instructors and enjoy seeing new people come into the sport. It’s very rewarding to see our pupils improving and getting so much enjoyment from the horses and ponies here. One or two have wanted to become show riders and so we help them as much as we can to achieve their aims’
As well as regular lessons and courses, Hawkins Farm is a registered satellite centre for Otley College and also provides work-based learning for modern apprentices. The riding school hosts loads of fun events during the year including pony camp and ‘own a pony’ days.
The work schedule for the team is punishing but they are fortunate to have excellent experienced staff on hand.
‘ Everyone works really hard but it’s great fun’ said Heather ‘ we have some young ponies that we are working on at the moment and have high hopes for their future’
‘Yes as well as our seasoned campaigners we have some fabulous young ponies that are coming on really well’ added Fiona ‘It’s always a thrill to watch ponies that the girls have worked with from unbroken babies making their show ring debut’.
One such pony is the stunning New Forest Stallion Furzley Magician who was introduced to the ring at the end of last year. He has already made a sizeable impression, winning and being reserve champion on two occasions, whilst new lead rein pony Creeting Snow Queen celebrated her show ring debut with a win and Reserve Supreme Championship in November 2005
A new exciting addition to the team for this year is the stunning Dartmoor Stallion Shilstone Rocks Snow Goose, who is a full brother to Snowfox. ‘We are just so pleased to have him’ enthused Debbie, ‘ he’s really beautiful so we are very excited’.
The Harrison team is sponsored by H-10 Limited, manufacturer of the Elegance Range of Shampoo and Coat Gloss & Detangler.
‘It really helps us having H-10 Ltd. as our sponsor’ added Heather, ‘whether it’s summer or winter coats the ponies always look immaculate and very glossy, which gets them noticed and gives an excellent first impression - so important in big classes‘.
Said H-10 company director Christopher Cook ‘ H-10 Ltd. are delighted to be involved with the Harrison Team. The whole team works really hard and they have had a wonderful year. We are all looking forward to 2006’
