TROT’S Euro Funded Projects - Equi Libre!

During the search for funding, to help TROT to a more certain future, Dora Pilkington came across the European Regional Development Fund. Under a specific grant scheme known as Interreg (inter-regional), organisations can apply for aid for specific projects but must work with a ‘partner’ from across the channel. Both partners must share similar aims and work closely on the project. Dora Pilkington met up with Barbara Bureau from the Henson Centre and found they had many common aims and, of course, they share a love of horses! The Henson Centre has its own ‘toll ride’ in the forests and Bay of the Somme - just one hour’s drive from Calais. See www.henson.fr for more information.

The first project, a relatively small one for Interreg, enabled TROT to open two new toll rides in Kent and many of TROT’s local agents were able to visit the centre in France for a Professional Exchange Workshop. The Henson Centre specialises in trail riding and carriage driving as a holiday experience for both the able bodied and disabled riders alike. Under ‘cultural exchange,’ four Henson horses travelled for the first time to England and held a demo match of Horseball (a very popular sport in France) at the Kent County Agricultural Show.

Equi Libre II commenced in late 2004 and will finish in Spring 2007. This more ambitious project has included Language/Workplace Exchanges, “Equi-therapy” Workshops, Trail-riding Workshops & training of French riders in the sport of Polocrosse (They didn’t previously play this in France but took to it rather well – even competing at the European Championships in 2006 and achieving a remarkable 2nd place overall). In addition, the has played a very big role in Equi Libre II, contributing a great deal of officer time and money to match fund the project. Bedgebury Forest in Kent has seen huge improvements in the routes within the forest and an impressive new horsebox/trailer park has been provided.

It is hoped that a third Equi Libre project will commence in 2007/8 and the Henson Centre and the Forestry Commission are keen to continue with their excellent working relationship with TROT. As well has providing funds for tollride development, projects such as these raise many opportunities for linking and networking with other organisations. There is no doubt that TROT’s profile, both within the equestrian community and beyond, has been raised considerably by its participation in Equi Libre I and II – which can only be a good thing for its future success.

See the Equi Libre website for news & pictures throughout the year.
Links from: www.henson.fr www.tollrides.org.uk

As part of the Equi Libre II project, TROT has organised a training programme in which players from England are introducing riders from the Henson Centre in Northern France (our project partners) to the sport of Polocrosse.

Polocrosse – a mixture of Polo and Lacrosse – was previously unknown and unplayed in France.

The first Polocrosse training trip took place on 29th-31st October 2004. TROT took two international Polocrosse players (Jason Burbidge and Hamish Michael) and two young players from Kent Target Polocrosse Club (Bridie & Jack O’Loughlin) to the Henson Centre - which is just an hour’s drive from Calais - to provide the initial course of training.

Several training sessions took place over the three days, and the French riders benefited from expert tuition from Jason and Hamish, both of whom play regularly in international matches. Both sides were mounted on Henson horses, a breed of horse which is bred at the Henson Centre. The initial stock used to develop the breed were between 25% and 50% Norwegian Fjord Pony, a very tough and genetically sound breed which has passed on its hardiness and level temperament to the Hensons.

The final day of the trip was the Henson Festival – the biggest event in the Henson calendar, when a massive round-up takes place to bring mares, foals and youngstock in from their summer grazing areas. Hundreds of visitors come to view the spectacle of large groups of horses being herded along the beach, over the sand dunes and through the pine forest, and there is significant media interest.

All of our polocrosse players, plus several other riders from our party, took part in the round-up and found it an exhilarating experience!

During the afternoon of the Festival, an England v. France Polocrosse demo-match took place and drew a large and enthusiastic audience. Jason and Hamish were impressed at the speed with which the French riders had picked up the required skills – undoubtedly due to the fact that most of them had previously played horseball at a high level, which requires similar skills.

Bedgebury External Links

The purpose of this part of the project, which is being undertaken in partnership with the Forestry Commission, is to improve the riding trails in Bedgebury Forest and look into the feasibility of forming “external links” to draw riders in from all around and, hopefully, to create some long-distance riding routes. The Forestry Commission’s part of the project is to improve and map the existing rides within the Forest and provide a horse-box park and picnic area for riders. This work is due to be completed by October 2005.

In January 2005, interviews for the post of Equi Libre II External Links Officer/Project Administrator took place. Jan Ames, who has been a volunteer Local Agent for TROT since 1996, took up the post at the beginning of February.

In February, Dora Pilkington and Jan Ames of TROT, along with Barbara Bureau from the Henson Centre, visited Bedgebury Forest for a tour of the existing rides. Terry Jennings of FC kindly gave a guided tour, and the position of the proposed new horsebox parking area was viewed. Trail-riding is a very popular pass-time in France and it is hoped that the Henson Centre can advise the Forestry Commission and TROT on ways of improving trail-riding in the Bedgebury area.

Equi-Therapy Trip to the Henson Centre, France

In March 2005, TROT took a group of organisers/carers from support groups for the disabled to the Henson Centre to view its facilities and consider its suitability for trips for disabled people from England. The Henson Centre already caters for groups of disabled people from France and is keen to attract similar groups from across the Channel. They also wish to promote the Henson horse as being very suitable for work with the disabled, due to its calm temperament.

Participants in the trip included various experts from the Riding for the Disabled Association and representatives from other groups offering support to disabled or disadvantaged people.

The day included an introduction to the Centre and to the Henson horse, a carriage drive through the pine forests and on the beach, visual presentations and a tour of overnight accommodation for disabled people. Much interest in the Centre and in the Henson breed was expressed by the participants, particularly the Riding for the Disabled representatives.

Participants were asked to fill in questionnaires and the information gathered from these was passed on to the Henson Centre to help them to continue to improve their facilities for disabled people.

It is hoped that the RDA and other groups who took part in the visit will continue their links with the Henson Centre.

Polocrosse Training Trip No. 2

A second Polocrosse training trip took place on 28th to 29th May, following on from the successful first session in October 2004. Once again, top international polocrosse player & instructor Jason Burbidge agreed to travel to the Henson Centre with Dora Pilkington and Jan Ames of TROT to continue to train a keen group of French riders.

Day 1 saw two strenuous training sessions at the Centre. Jason worked his students hard, with the help of Barbara Bureau of the Henson Centre who acted as translator. Progress was swift and it was good to see several younger riders among the participants.

Day 2 saw a training session with a difference – polocrosse on the beach! On a huge expanse of sandy shore, with only sea-birds as an audience, the players honed their skills on a pitch marked out with cones on the firm, wet sand. The going was excellent and the play fast and furious! Jason was pleased with the progress made by all the riders and keen to continue his involvement in introducing this exciting sport to the French.

Bedgebury External Links Meeting

On 5th July, an “External Links” meeting was held at the Forestry Commission’s offices at Bedgebury to introduce this part of the project to interested parties and get their views and advice on how to proceed. Jan Ames and Dora Pilkington of TROT, along with Josephine Melville-Smith and Terry Jennings of the Forestry Commission, met with a very helpful group of local riders, landowners and others. Brief presentations on TROT, Equi Libre II and the Bedgebury Project were followed by a very useful discussion and exchange of information. It became clear that there is a definite need for safe riding routes into the Forest from surrounding areas as, currently, busy roads all around Bedgebury often make travelling in by horse-box the only option.

Henson “Tour de Somme”

The Henson Centre, our French partners in the Equi Libre II project, organised a long-distance ride around the Bay of the Somme area to promote the Henson horse and to illustrate its stamina. This took place from 13th to 17th July and TROT was honoured to be asked to participate in the ride. Jan Ames (TROT Project Officer) and Claudia Christopher (TROT Local Agent & ex-TROT Trustee) joined three French riders led by Barbara Bureau (Henson’s Project Officer) on a 100 mile ride around the stunning French countryside.

The Henson horse is the newest officially recognised French horse breed and was developed in the 70’s by cross-breeding Norwegian Fjord ponies with lighter-weight saddle horses such as Thoroughbreds and Anglo-Arabs. They are a strong, middle-weight breed of approximately 15hh in height and almost all of them are a beautiful golden-dun colour. The horses ridden on the Tour de Somme had received no special fitness training and were fed no grain feed. They were ridden at a steady pace for around 5 hours a day on nothing but overnight grazing – and were still full of beans at the end!

The ride started through the pine forests and sand dunes that border the Henson Centre and along the stunning beach of the Bay of the Somme, and then moved inland and crossed vast plains of open farmland. Two long sections of the ride followed the banks of the tree-lined River Somme and one memorable afternoon was spent riding through the massive Crecy Forest where ancient trees gave welcome relief from the unrelenting heatwave!

Claudia and Jan were astounded at the hospitality that met them wherever they went. Local people greeted the group at every turn and overnight stays were spent with generous hosts who really “pushed the boat out”.

The ride finished at the Henson Centre during their annual “Ferya” (fete). Josephine Melville-Smith of the Forestry Commission joined the group for the final leg, to stand in for one of the French riders who had been called back to work! The group arrived at the Ferya to applause from a warm audience, having experienced the ride of a lifetime – 100 miles of glorious countryside with scarcely any traffic, no gates to open and hardly a care in the world (with the possible exception of heat-rash and horseflies!). Another, longer ride is planned for next Summer, and Claudia and Jan are hoping they will be invited again!

Henson Ferya / Polocrosse Training Trip No. 3

A major feature of this year’s Henson “Ferya” (fete) was a France v. England Polocrosse match.

TROT arranged for a group of young riders from England who have recently caught the polocrosse “bug” to come to the Henson Centre, train with the French riders and then play in their first match. Jack O’Loughlin (who plays for Kent Target Polocrosse) kindly agreed to come along to coach the riders and referee the match.

The whole English group (including the minibus driver, Stefan, who had only ridden twice before!) were treated to a ride through the pine forests and a canter along the beach on the morning of their arrival. Then, in the early evening, Jack led a very useful Polocrosse training session. All the riders, both French and English, were fairly new to the sport but Jack seemed to manage to find a “universal language” with which to pass on his knowledge.

The following day, there was great excitement as the riders prepared for their first match. This was the day of the Ferya and there was a good audience to cheer them on – the small English contingent proving to be particularly vocal! Our three English players were Carolyn, Becca & Abbi and they all played well and had great fun. Goals came fast and furious and the game ended with victory for the French.

Three English riders were then invited to take part in an England v. France “Le Trec” competition and Carolyn, Lisa & Abbi “volunteered” to have a go – having never taken part in (or even watched!) this sport before. This is a contest where riders have to take their horses over a course of obstacles including small jumps, steps, water, ditches etc. To add to the excitement, however, the Henson Centre had built two identical courses side by side and pairs of riders raced each other over the obstacles! Competition was fierce but friendly and two out of three of the English riders managed to beat their French opponents. Great fun was had by all!

Edenbridge & Oxted Agricultural Show

A busy summer of Equi Libre II activities culminated in appearances at the Edenbridge and Oxted Agricultural Show on 28th and 29th August. TROT shared a stand at this big two-day show with the Henson Centre and the Polocrosse players. It was the first time that TROT’s new gazebo and display boards, purchased with funds from the project, had been used and the stand certainly looked very professional.

England v. France polocrosse matches took place on both days of the show and were enthusiastically received by the crowd. All the French riders were mounted on Henson horses which had been brought across from France for the event (except for one – the only Henson horse currently residing in England – who was borrowed from Dora Pilkington).

The French players were matched against local Kent riders of a similar ability and both games ended in victory for the French. We are pleased to report that the organisers of the Edenbridge & Oxted Agricultural Show have expressed a keen interest in our returning next year for a re-match!

TROT parades through Paris

On 4th December, Jan Ames (TROT Project Officer) and Kate Brown (TROT Local Agent & TROT Admin Assistant) enjoyed the remarkable experience of riding in a parade through Paris!

Each December, at the start of the Paris Horse Show, a parade of horses takes place through the streets of Paris. This year the Henson Centre was determined that their breed would be well-represented. Nearly 40 Henson horses joined the parade (easily the biggest turn-out of any breed or group) – two of them ridden by Jan and Kate.

The parade consisted of literally hundreds of horses and riders, from all walks of French equestrian life – riding clubs, breed societies, trail-riding groups, carriage-drivers and many more.

The route, which took some three hours to complete, took in all the major sights of Paris – the Champs Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe, the River Seine and, of course, the Eiffel Tower. All the horses involved were incredibly well-behaved, with the possible exception of some of the police horses flanking the parade, who found the presence of so many other horses terribly exciting!

This was a rare and unique opportunity for two English riders to view the sights of Paris from horseback and to mix with a wide variety of French horse enthusiasts. The atmosphere was electric and the weather kind, and Jan and Kate certainly won’t forget their experience in a hurry!

Forestry Commission visits Henson Centre

On 31st January, Dora Pilkington and Jan Ames took two representatives from the Forestry Commission—Josephine Melville-Smith (National Development Group Manager) and Peter d’Aguilar (Marketing & Communications Officer) to the Henson Centre in France. For Josephine it was the latest of several visits as she has been closely involved with the Equi Libre II project from the start. However, this was a first visit for Peter and the main purpose of the trip was to introduce him to Barbara Bureau (Henson’s Project Officer), show him what the Centre is all about and have a meeting to discuss the Bedgebury Forest Inauguration Events.

The Henson Centre has parallels with both the Forestry Commission and TROT, as it has its own tollride through a large forest which lies adjacent to the Centre. Without this tollride, the Henson Centre would have no direct access to the wonderful beach riding that it enjoys. The Forest was originally planted to stabilise the sand dunes and is stocked with wild boar and Corsican goats. Other wildlife such as roe deer and storks can also be seen, as well as the abundance of seabirds in the estuary beyond.

In the morning, Josephine and Peter were treated to a carriage-drive around the area— in a carriage pulled by two Henson horses, of course— while Jan, Dora and Barbara had a Project meeting to discuss the busy calendar of 2006 Equi Libre II events. This was followed by a brief drive (in a car this time!) around the forest so that Peter could compare French forest trails with English ones!

Then, in the afternoon, a meeting was held to discuss plans for the two inauguration events to celebrate the improvement works at Bedgebury. The main event will take place on 23rd May and will involve all the main user groups of the Forest, from riders to walkers to cyclists. Then, in August, there will be an inauguration event specifically for riders and it is hoped that this will take the form of a Le Trec competition.

Bedgebury Forest – “Test-driving” the new box park & improved trails

On 6th February, TROT representatives & their horses visited Bedgebury Forest to see the new horsebox park & improved trails for themselves and note any potential problems.

Jan Ames (Equi Libre II Project Officer) & Jackie Hurst-Brown (TROT Local Agent for Bedgebury) rode around the Forest trails, while Dora Pilkington was driven around in a buggy by Terry Jennings of the Forestry Commission. A meeting was held later that week to discuss any problems found or anticipated with the box park or the riding trails and to discuss way-marking and mapping of the rides.

The horsebox park is now available for use by TROT members who are encouraged to park here rather than in less secure unofficial parking areas elsewhere. A Forest key is required to gain access to the box park.

The next part of the project will involve mapping of all the routes available to riders and waymarking of two simple loops designed for riders who are unfamiliar with the Forest.

Equi-Therapy Trip No. 2

Following on from the first Equi-therapy trip to the Henson Centre in March 2005, a second visit took place on 6th April 2006. Participants included several Riding for the Disabled organisers and volunteers, as well as staff from a Hearing Impairment Unit. Also taking part in the visit were Amy Westaway of DEFRA’s Horse Industry Team and David Hiscock of the Forestry Commission. Amy was keen to learn more about the organisation and structure of the French horse industry, while David wished to forge links with disabled groups and encourage them to visit Bedgebury Forest.

The group spent a memorable morning enjoying a carriage-drive through the stunning Marquenterra nature reserve. Four carriages, each pulled by a pair of Henson horses, carried the party along sandy trails through the pine forest to a panoramic viewpoint overlooking the Bay of the Somme estuary. The weather was superb and wild goats and deer could be glimpsed through the trees.

In the afternoon, the group was given a presentation by Barbara Bureau of the Henson Centre which covered the organisation of the Centre itself, the Henson horse breed, the training of trail-riding staff and Henson’s links with disabled and disadvantaged groups. David Hiscock then gave a brief talk on the Bedgebury Project and highlighted the Forestry Commission’s desire for disabled people – both riders and non-riders – to come and enjoy the facilities there.

The day’s activities at the Henson Centre concluded with a viewing of overnight accommodation available on site and also of accommodation off-site which has been adapted for the disabled. It has to be said that, generally in France, facilities for the disabled are not what you would expect to find in the U.K. However, it was good to see that this imbalance is beginning to be rectified. Each of the participants completed a questionnaire on what they had seen and it is hoped that the information gathered from these will help the Henson Centre to continue to improve its facilities for disabled visitors.

Language/Work-place Exchange

On 2nd-9th May, the second part of the project’s Language/Work-place Exchange took place at the Henson Centre. This followed on from the first part last October, when two members of staff from the Henson Centre were placed for a week with Bedgebury School Riding Centre and Bradbourne Riding for the Disabled Group.

Sadly, Bedgebury were unable to send anyone on the return trip due to exam commitments. However, we are very grateful to Hadlow Agricultural College for finding us two eager replacements in the form of Jade Carter and Louise Townson, both first year Diploma students from the college’s Equine Unit. Bradbourne RDA Group put forward Julie Courtney, who has been a volunteer ride assistant with them for many years and also provides all the Group’s admin support.

The week was very varied and involved riding out on escort duty on at least two trail rides a day, as well as helping with the breeding stock and checking on new Henson foals. Highlights of the trip included a night-time gallop on the beach and the chance to take part in a round-up of twenty semi-wild colts!

There was ample opportunity for the three participants to practice their linguistic skills (with varying levels of success!) and to learn what it is like to work in a French Equestrian Centre. All three participants looked very tired on their return to England, but certainly had many tales to tell of wild, windswept rides on Henson horses!

Bedgebury Forest Inauguration Event

On 23rd May, the official inauguration of the new facilities at Bedgebury Forest took place, with Sophie, Countess of Wessex being the Forestry Commission’s Guest of Honour.

TROT’s Equi Libre II Project, for which we are partnered with the Henson Centre and the Forestry Commission – has funded many improvements to the horse-riding trails around the Forest and a new horse-box park. In addition to this, with the help of lottery funding, the Forestry Commission has created miles of surfaced tracks for walkers, cyclists and wheelchair users, as well as an adventure playground trail and an impressive new visitor centre.

TROT organised three horse-drawn carriages to carry VIP guests around the Forest, including a team of four Henson horses to transport the Countess herself. This carriage was driven by Marc Berquin, President of the Association of Riders of the Bay of the Somme and an expert four-in-hand driver, with Dora Pilkington (TROT’s Trustee Director) accompanying him. The Countess was eager to chat with them both during the half hour carriage drive and informed them that she is learning to drive herself. She said that she was extremely lucky in having Prince Philip’s groom as her instructor. Marc proudly told her that Prince Philip was his “father” but luckily Sophie’s grasp of French was good enough to translate this as “Prince Philip is my idol”!

After the tour of the Forest, the Countess attended a reception at the Visitor Centre during which Marc and Dora were lucky enough to be officially introduced to her and had the opportunity to tell her a little more about the project.

The event ran very smoothly, will all horses behaving impeccably and the weather being kind. It was hard to believe that an hour before the Countess’s arrival there had been thunder, hail and torrential rain! Worse than that, the team of Henson people and horses travelling across from France for the occasion had been turned away from the ferry the day before due to rough seas. They had finally managed to secure a crossing on the morning of the event and made a swift dash direct to Bedgebury!

European Polocrosse Tournament

As part of the Equi Libre II Project, a group of riders from the Henson Centre have been receiving training in the sport of Polocrosse. They, and their Henson horses, have proved to be rather good at it and now have their sights firmly set on the next Polocrosse World Cup event in Australia in April 2007!

Prior to the project, Polocrosse was largely unknown in France and, in order to be able to compete internationally, the Henson riders had to organise the setting up of a French national polocrosse organisation. Meanwhile, their training programme continued with a week’s training camp in April at the Warwickshire yard of their instructor, Jason Burbidge.

On 27th-28th May, the Henson riders attended the first ever European International tournament which took place in Doncaster and involved twelve participating teams from six European countries. Despite strong UK and Irish teams with long-standing experience in the sport, the French players surprised everyone with their performance. Despite the fact that they had never participated in a polocrosse tournament before, they and their distinct Henson horses performed admirably, beating Germany 12-0 and Holland 15-0. Then, in their last match of the tournament, they were beaten by Ireland by just one goal. Their final overall position was second place to a much more experienced UK team.

The French team certainly made an impact on their international Polocrosse debut, as did the surprisingly agile and mobile Henson horses.

Trail-riding & Polocrosse in France

Under the Sporting/Cultural Exchange part of the project, the Henson Centre has been passing on its expertise in trail-riding to TROT, and TROT has been organising Polocrosse training for riders from the Henson Centre. Trail-riding is a massively popular pass-time in France, while Polocrosse was largely unknown there until it was introduced to the French through this project.

On 13th-15th July, four TROT riders took part in a trail-riding exchange around the beautiful Bay of the Somme region of France, all mounted on Henson horses. Tanya Miles, Ann Sage, Mike Cook and Kim Bartlett rode along beaches, through forests & across agricultural land, covering some 70 miles in three days. Along the way, they practiced their orienteering skills and negotiated some Trec–style obstacles, as well as working on their somewhat limited linguistic abilities!

The ride ended at the Henson Centre on the weekend of the annual “Ferya” (fete), which this year included a European polocrosse mini-tournament. Teams from five different European nations competed in a warm and friendly atmosphere and, in a thrilling final game, the UK team made an incredible come-back to beat the French by the narrowest of margins!

Bedgebury Forest Open Day

On 17th August, the Forestry Commission hosted an Open Day at Bedgebury Forest to highlight the variety of activities on offer there to the general public. Many disabled groups were invited and, despite a slightly “iffy” weather forecast, there was a tremendous turn-out.

In her usual fashion, Dora Pilkington had eagerly volunteered TROT to arrange carriage-rides for both able-bodied and disabled visitors, and this could not have been achieved without the wonderful support given to us by the Bradbourne RDA Group. Sara Howe and two other RDA stalwarts gave up their day to man a brand new, state-of-the-art, wheelchair-accessible carriage. This was pulled by Dora’s two hard-working Henson horses, Ash and Enya, who certainly showed the breed’s inherent stamina – hardly raising a sweat all day, despite plenty of hard work in fairly high temperatures.

The carriage was manufactured in Poland and incorporates cutting-edge design. Apart from its prototype, it is the only one of its kind in the UK. Detachable ramps are used to provide wheelchair access from the rear and, once secured in place, the wheelchair-user is in an excellent position to act as either driver or passenger. The vehicle’s suitability for purpose was thoroughly “road-tested” on the day by a steady stream of wheel-chair bound passengers, all of whom seemed to get a great thrill out of the experience.

Two other commercial carriage-drivers gave carriage-rides to able-bodied members of the public throughout the day and were never without a queue of eager participants!

“Meet the Henson Horses” Barbecue

On 26th August, Coldblow Farm hosted a “Meet the Henson Horses” barbecue.

Riders from the Henson Centre treated a surprisingly large audience of over eighty people to a range of displays to show the versatility of the breed.

Displays included a five-in-hand driving team, a polocrosse demo match and an introduction to the sport of Ski-Goering. This hair-raising sport, which originated in Norway and is played nationally in many European countries, involves ski-ing behind a fast-moving horse! In summer, training is carried out on grass, using roller blades instead of skis – as was demonstrated on this occasion to the delight of the crowd. Everyone was then able to meet all the horses personally, talk to their owners and enjoy a social evening of eating, drinking and horse-talk!

One of the Henson horses who took part in the five-in-hand display was for sale and we are delighted to report that, after a very successful two-week trial, “Oscar” has gone to a new carriage-driving home in Kent and has already taken part in UK driving events – including a successful appearance at Windsor! So Ash and Enya are no longer the only “gays in the village” (oops, I mean “Hensons in the UK”!!).

Edenbridge & Oxted Agricultural Show

TROT and the Henson Centre were delighted to be invited back to this year’s Edenbridge & Oxted Agricultural Show after their very successful and popular involvement last year. Once again, their marquee enjoyed a steady flow of visitors seeking information on both Tollrides and Henson Horses, and a demonstration Polocrosse match took place each afternoon.

After several discussions with a slightly uneasy Health and Safety rep, the go-ahead was finally given for Ski-Goering to be included in the display and this went down extremely well with the crowd!

With a total of 10 Henson horses present at the show, this was a great opportunity for members of the public to see what the breed is all about and certainly the two horses placed on display in stables close to the marquee had a constant stream of admirers.

Edenbridge & Oxted Agricultural Show

At the end of October, TROT paid another visit to its European project partner, the Henson Centre in North-Western France. This time they took along a large group of TROT members, family, friends and anyone else who wanted to see what the Henson Centre was all about – on a non-profit making weekend which included a ride or carriage-drive to the beach and a chance to enjoy the annual Henson Festival. Some participants even took the opportunity to “shop” for their very own Henson horse – and several were reserved subject to vetting!

The main event of the Henson Festival is the round-up of the Henson breeding stock & youngstock from their extensive summer grazing areas in the marshy Marcanterra region of the Bay of the Somme. The semi-feral horses are herded in groups along the wide open beach and through the pine forest to their sheltered winter paddocks close to the Centre. This is always a real spectacle, with much media interest, and TROT were delighted that an ITV Meridian TV crew accompanied them to film the event! The crew were treated to the best view of the round-up from the back of a horse-drawn carriage, which was driven by TROT’s newest Trustee – Michael Morris – a keen competitive carriage-driver. Several riders from TROT’s group also helped to herd the horses, along with a number of Norwegian Polocrosse players – so it was a truly international effort!

Later in the day, various demonstrations took place, including horseball, polocrosse, vaulting and the hair-raising sport of ski-goering – ski-ing (or roller-blading when there is no snow!) behind a fast-moving horse! Not content with carriage-driving through the sand-dunes earlier in the day, Michael Morris decided to become the first English ski-goerer! Michael is the pensive-looking one in the hat – and don’t worry, this did not take place on a public highway!

TV Coverage – Fame at Last!

In November, a crew from ITV Meridian came to TROT’s Lenham route to film horse-riders enjoying the ride, interview Dora and others and learn more about the work of TROT. This led to a feature in Meridian’s “Horse Sense” series in their early evening local news programme, which was aired on 8th November.

Dora made sure that a Henson horse was present at the filming and so impressed was the producer so hear about the Henson breed and TROT’s European-funded project that she and her cameraman decided to join Dora a couple of weeks later on a trip to the Henson Centre for the annual Henson Festival. Here they enjoyed (and filmed) the spectacle of the annual round-up of mares and youngstock and also took footage of the Centre generally and interviewed various people about the Henson breed. TROT was delighted that this led to yet another feature in Meridian’s “Horse Sense” series, which was aired on 13th December. It was stirring stuff - with many lovely shots of the semi-feral horses being herded along the beach.

Henson Horses – French Invasion Continues!

During November, Dora Pilkington and Jan Ames accompanied Peter Brown of Newnham Court Equine Veterinary Clinic to the Henson Centre to carry out veterinary inspections on a couple of Henson horses for prospective UK owners. The horses – a 2 year old and a 3 year old - were incredibly well-behaved for the whole procedure, with even the flexion tests going without a hitch. They both clearly demonstrated the steady and accepting temperament which is so prevalent in this breed. A number of French onlookers watched the whole lengthy affair with bemusement, as vettings of leisure horses are rare in France, with only top competition horses usually being vet checked prior to purchase.

A couple of weeks later, no less than three Henson horses started their journey to the UK. This may not sound significant but, once delivered to their new homes in Kent and Somerset, these three doubled the total number of Hensons residing in the UK! Getting them here wasn’t easy, though, as high seas held up their ferry crossing for some days and they had to be held at a Calais livery yard for a gap in the appalling weather!

Plans are now underway to set up a Henson breed organisation in the UK – further details in the next update!

Paris Horse Show – a French spectacular!

The Paris Horse Show took place on 2nd to 10th December 2006. This is the biggest horse show in France and the second largest in Europe, drawing huge crowds of spectators from all walks of equestrian life. The Henson Centre had a very impressive exhibition stand there, with pens for half a dozen Henson horses immediately beside it and an arena opposite where breed presentations were give twice daily.

On Friday 8th and Saturday 9th December, a group of English polocrosse riders mounted on Henson horses gave polocrosse demonstrations to an enthusiastic audience. Exhibiting at the Paris Show was a memorable experience for international player and coach Jason Burbidge (who has been giving polocrosse instruction to riders from the Henson Centre as part of the project) and other players from the Arden Polocrosse Club.

Dora Pilkington and Jan Ames of TROT visited the show on Friday 8th and were very impressed at its size and the range of exhibits. As well as the huge main area, there were one or two side arenas in each of the three massive exhibition halls, with a full programme of displays and presentations in all of them.

Meeting with Les Haras Nationaux

While at the Paris Show, Dora and Jan attended a meeting with Xavier Guibert of Les Haras Nationaux (the French National Stud). Mr Guibert is the Director of European & International Projects and is an extremely influential person in the French horse-breeding industry.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the logistics of breeding Henson horses in the UK. Also present at the meeting were Michel-Jean Beaufils (President of the Association du Cheval Henson) and Barbara Bureau (Henson’s European Project Officer).

Mr. Guibert was very keen to assist in any way he could, and had already established useful contacts at Defra. The forming of a sister breed society in the UK was discussed and Mr. Guibert confirmed that, subject to Defra’s approval, Les Haras Nationaux would be willing to issue passports for Henson horses born in the UK. These could even be provided in bi-lingual form!

Forestry Commission visit to Henson Centre

On 10th February, TROT took two representatives from the Forestry Commission on a visit to the Henson Centre in France. The Forestry Commission has been an extremely pro-active partner in the Equi Libre II project and has provided vital match-funding, without which TROT would not have been able to participate in the project.

Terry Jennings (South East District Forester) and Susanna Page (SE England Development Officer) started the day with a carriage-drive around the Henson Centre to view the equestrian centre itself, the holiday village, pine forest and massive estuary which make this such a unique tourism venue. During the afternoon, they had a very productive meeting with TROT and the various managers of the equestrian centre, the holiday park and the Henson breed society to plan the next European-funded project – Equi Libre III.

The next project is expected to be even bigger and more ambitious than its predecessors. As well as a continuation of the equestrian element involving TROT, the Henson Centre & the Henson breed society, it will also include elements involving history, art and the environment.

TROT’s driving force continues - at home and abroad

TROT has always done its best to accommodate carriage-drivers as well as riders. A significant number of the 90+ TROT routes in eight counties are already suitable for carriage driving, but there is still great potential to upgrade more of the routes. TROT is keen to hear from carriage drivers who would be interested in working with them to open carriage-driving routes in their area – either by investigating new routes from scratch or by looking at ways to upgrade existing riding routes to make them suitable for carriages. For further information, please contact Kim at the TROT office on 01622-735599.

Carriage-driving has featured prominently in TROT’s latest European-funded micro-project with the Henson Centre in North-West France. On 6th to 8th May, a group of eight people (most of them TROT volunteer Local Agents) travelled to the Henson Centre – a trail-riding and carriage-driving centre in the Bay of the Somme - for a beginners’ carriage driving workshop. Three of the participants had never driven at all, whilst the remainder had only a very small amount of experience.

On arrival, each English participant was allocated his or her own instructor and paired up with a French participant who spoke some English and who would not only learn alongside them but also act as interpreter. This was a great way of getting French and English people with a common interest working together and supporting each other through each stage of their learning experience.

Over the 2½ days, the group progressed from driving simulators where they learned rein grips and techniques, to harnessing up & “putting to”, to long-reining through cones & obstacles, to driving a carriage themselves with their instructor alongside them. Surprisingly, almost everyone was expected to drive a pair from the start, and whilst most of the Henson horses used for the event were supposed to be schoolmasters, one or two of them appeared to enjoy having a bit of fun at the expense of their novice handlers!

On the final day, the carriages were sent off in groups of three on a two hour drive along farm tracks and quiet lanes (on the wrong side of the road, of course!). The French and English students took turns taking up the reins, with their instructors never far away from them. Turns, bumps, bridges & gateways had to be negotiated, and maps also had to be followed in order to keep to the correct route and end up back at the Henson Centre for a welcome lunch.

This was a truly unique workshop, part-funded by the European Union through the Interreg IIIa grant scheme, which saw 16 English and French participants working, learning and socialising together. Many an interesting conversation was held in a mixture of English, French and sign language and a great atmosphere of goodwill and support was present throughout the event. A second workshop, for more advanced drivers, will take place on 17th to 20th May.

So what’s all this got to do with Toll Rides?

With the final activities of the project now completed, it is time to reflect on what TROT has actually achieved from its European venture. After all, it hasn’t all been about tollrides, has it?

Unfortunately, it is not possible to go to the EU with hand outstretched and ask for funds to simply open new tollrides. Certain clear criteria have to be met in order to be eligible for a European grant, most notably a clear tourism link, language exchanges and collaboration with disabled groups. Hence the Equi Libre II project and our partnership with the Henson Centre – a French trail-riding centre in the Bay of the Somme.

As far as the tollrides themselves are concerned, Equi Libre II has provided the major improvements to the network of riding trails within Bedgebury Forest, the provision of a wonderful horsebox park there for members’ use and the waymarking and mapping of the rides. This has cost a huge amount of money and could never have been achieved without EU funding and the marvellous support received from the Forestry Commission.

As well as the Bedgebury improvements, the project has funded:-

• Training of French riders in the sport of Polocrosse
• Training of English riders in trail-riding and Trec
• Language/Workplace exchanges for equestrian staff & equine college students
• Workshops on French equi-tourism & trail-ride staff training
• “Equi-Therapy” workshops involving disabled groups such as the RDA
• Promotion of the Henson horse breed & the Henson Centre
• Promotion of TROT at numerous public events
• TROT publicity items - leaflets, photo library, web improvements, exhibition equipment, etc.

The project has forged many links with other like-minded organisations and, thanks to the huge amount of publicity in the press and on radio and TV, has raised TROT’s profile both within the equestrian world and beyond it. Even Sophie, Countess of Wessex got to hear all about TROT when she was guest of honour at the inauguration event at Bedgebury Forest! (What else would you talk about when trapped on a horse & carriage with Dora for half an hour??!)

Information

The Henson Centre is a riding and carriage-driving centre in Northern France. It is situated in the beautiful Bay of the Somme region, just an hour’s drive from Calais.

It is also the home of the Henson horse, the newest officially recognised French horse breed, which was developed and is bred at the Centre.

The breed was developed by cross-breeding Norwegian Fjord ponies with lighter breeds such as Thoroughbreds & Anglo Arabs to create a hardy yet athletic horse.

Up to 200 horses are kept in and around the Centre. Of these, approximately half are used for riding and driving and half are youngstock and breeding stock. The horses are never stabled or rugged and live as near to a natural life as possible, in large groups.

The Henson Centre accommodates around 8,000 visiting riders per year, 70% of which are beginners. Henson horses have proved ideal for novice riders due to their kind temperament and steady nature. However, they seem to know when they have a more advanced rider on their backs and can providing a stimulating ride for any level of rider!

The Henson Centre has its own private tollride through the adjacent pine forest, giving it direct access to wonderful beach riding. A normal package offered to visiting riders includes catching and preparing your mount, a ride of approx 1-1½ hrs, untacking and returning your horse to the field. Carriage-driving outings are also available. The Centre has catered for disabled visitors and is keen to increase its role in this area.

The two main events on the Henson calendar are “la Ferya” in July, when horses can be viewed in their summer fields, and the Henson Festival on the Sunday closest to 1 st November, when herds of free-roaming Henson horses are rounded up from their huge summer grazing areas and moved to their sheltered winter quarters.

Further information can be found on the Henson Centre’s website – www.henson.fr