New Trustee co-opted to British Horse Society Board
The British Horse Society
is delighted to announce that Patrick Print FBHS has been co-opted
onto the Board of Trustees following his appointment as Chairman
of the Training & Education Advisory Group. He replaces Islay
Auty FBHS who has completed her three-year term of office as
Chairman and therefore stands down from the Board.
Like Mrs Auty, Patrick is a
Fellow of the BHS, gaining his qualification in the same year as
his predecessor, 1995. The 47 year old freelance trainer teaches
both at home and abroad, is a BHS Chief Examiner and a British
Riding Clubs Master Judge. He was also the BHS Scottish National
Coach from 1982-87 and then chaired the Scottish Training
Committee from 1987 for a number of years.
Patrick says his main
interest is in uniting the horse world, and during his term of
office he says he wants “..to bring the ordinary rider and
trainer to the fore, promoting the Society’s Instructors’
qualifications.”
British
Horse Society hosts joint meeting with shoot organisations
The
organisations attending the meeting included the British
Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), the National
Gamekeepers Organisation (NGO), the Union for Country Sports
Workers (UCSW) the Campaign for Shooting (Countryside Alliance)
and representatives from Exmoor National Park.
All
attendees were universal in their opinion that the meeting had
been very constructive and useful, and had created a positive way
forward in approaching the problems sometimes encountered when
equestrianism and shooting are in close proximity to each other.
The
BHS, British Riding Clubs and shoot organisations are now planning
a publicity campaign to ensure that both riders and shooters are
made aware of the necessity to keep each other informed, and for
riders to understand how shoots are run. The current shooting Code
of Good Practice is currently being rewritten and the BHS
expressed a wish to be signed up to the Code, this was accepted as
a positive move by those at the meeting.
Sheila
Hardy, the BHS Head of Safety who chaired the meeting, said, “We
are pleased that the shooting fraternity are taking this
seriously. It is plain that the organisations involved are taking
steps to ensure their members have full knowledge of risk
assessment procedures and having clear guidelines of how shoots
should proceed when close to horses and riders included in the new
Code is good news. We look forward to working with the shooting
bodies on this joint promotion, thus reducing any risk to riders.
There is room in the countryside for both activities and with
common sense and co-operation they can do so safely, to the
benefit of all concerned.”
British
Horse Society accepts court decision
The
Board of Trustees of the BHS defends the interests of members by
fighting Public Inquiries against the downgrading of bridleways to
footpaths. For the
first time in 30 years the Society, having lost a case, faces
paying the costs of the other parties.
The Trustees are very concerned
at this outcome and have thoroughly investigated the Secretary of
State's grounds for her decision.
Detailed
advice has been taken by the Trustees, and the Board has decided
it is in the best interests of the Society to pay these costs
rather than apply for Judicial Review.
The
Chairman of the BHS Board of Trustees, Mrs Pat Campbell, said
"This is the first time costs have been awarded against the
Society in 30 years and we must treat it as a one-off
disappointment. Riders
need bridleways, and with the support of our growing membership,
now 58000, we will continue to promote the interests of the horse
and encourage riding."
