Page 12 - RADC 2017

Equestrian Sports
Major Sophie Walters, RADC
The AMS Equestrian Association caters for all ranks, ages, abilities and covers many equestrian sports from racing to dressage. As the only RADC member currently competing for the AMS Equestrian Association, I apologise for this report being a little one sided!
The second half of 2016 saw me and
my horse Felix competing at the Navy Championships. Held all the way over in Wales at the David Broome Centre, as part of the National Showjumping championships of Great Britain, it is a long journey with
a trailer attached to the car! However we
are always made very welcome on arrival, with the military competitors given VIP treatment for the entire event. The AMS had a fantastic weekend, with several successes over the 3 days. Most notable from my perspective was LCpl Wilson RAVC/MWD, Pte Mackerill RAMC and me being placed 4th overall in the team competition, securing us the prize for being the top military team. Felix’s and my individual performance left
a lot to be desired; having had a slight disagreement over the way ahead, we crashed into a particularly colourful jump - but then you win some, you lose some!
In October we attended the Army and Royal Artillery Hunter trials at Larkhill. Cross-country is much more our thing and, as the only representative from the AMS Felix absolutely flew round! He did so well that we had the fastest time of the class...
Maj Bullard RAVC and Maj Walters having a chat mid-course whilst Felix and Dusty take control!
LCpl Wilson RAVC/MWD with Freddie Fox, Maj Darke RLC (presenting prizes) Maj Walters with Felix and Pte Mackerill RAMC with Udo
unfortunately it’s not a race in the strictest sense, so we came in 30 seconds under the optimum time and bumped ourselves out of the rosettes! I only had myself to blame and secretly have no regrets about letting him run – the adrenaline rush alone was worth
it! We later paired up with Major Caroline Bullard RAVC/KTRHA to run in the pairs. With Maj Bullard’s horse Dusty only a baby, we took it steadier and managed 6th overall plus a rosette- another
over weekends! Two days of hard riding and socialising means I always look forward to these events but both the horse and I need large amounts of sleep after!
Our first competition of 2017 was in early May, at the UK Armed Forces Equestrian Championships. We started off with a 2nd place in the intermediate team event with fellow team members Colonel Hartington RAMC and Sgt Potts RAMC. As the first
successful team event. Over the winter
the AMS was lucky enough to qualify for and win the Services Jumping at Olympia. This is the pinnacle of military competition and Capt Amy Lambert RAMC won on her horse Elvis, which inspired us all to keep training through the winter months!
Over the winter the AMS was lucky enough to qualify for and win the Services Jumping at Olympia.
rider in the arena, I had no idea how the course would jump and it looked difficult, but we did our best and had a largely successful round. Each of us had a few poles down, which we assumed had cost us a placing. As a result, we had all untacked our horses and changed out of
The 2017 season started with AMS team training at Melton Mowbray in April, under the expert tuition of international rider Phoebe Buckley. We are so lucky to have access to top-level sports training in the military, and I’m always amazed that we count this as
part of our job – even if it mostly happens
our No. 2 Dress when we heard our placing over the tannoy and had to run to the prize- giving! Clearly everyone else had found the course as hard as we had as none of the teams had gone clear!
I had also entered the individual dressage competition, as this is absolutely Felix’s forté. 67% and 7th place in the first class
10 RADC BULLETIN 2017
SPORTS