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WORKING EQUITATION CHAMP SEEKS HELP TO GO FOR EURO TITLE


Working Equitation star Lynne Macleod has had to launch an online funding appeal so she can fly the flag for Britain in the world’s fastest growing equestrian sport.

Lynne is the only Brit to have qualified for the Working Equitation European Championships next month.

But despite the sport’s soaring popularity, she is frantically trying to raise money for her and her beloved grey gelding Hermes to travel to the Czech Republic to compete against riders from 18 other countries.

The livery yard owner from Cirencester, Gloucestershire, has launched a GoFundMe page so she and her 12-year-old Lusitano can get to the four-day championships beginning on the 18th of September.

Lynne, 42, who is the current National Working Equitation Advanced Champion, is hoping to raise £4,000 to cover her costs as the sport receives NO funding despite its growing number of competitors.

She said: “I am so excited and proud to have qualified for the European championships this year. It’s a dream come true.

“I don’t like asking people for money, but unfortunately Working Equitation receives no UK sports funding so I have to try and raise the money myself. I’ve been lucky to get help from Britain’s Working Equitation Association, but getting to Europe doesn’t come cheap.

“Despite a huge rise in its popularity we are all still entirely self-funded, which is a shame.”


Technical


Working equitation (WE) is an equestrian discipline that tests a horse and rider's skills and the horse's training in three phases; dressage, ease of handling, and a speed test.

The dressage is similar to a normal dressage test, though some movements are performed differently. The highest level involves Grand Prix movements performed with only one hand.

Ease of handling is designed to challenge the partnership between horse and rider by navigating an obstacle course mirroring those in the countryside such as gates, bridges and jumps. There are also other more technical obstacles such as the parallel slalom, straight slalom and barrels, all of which at Advanced Level require the horse and rider to perform flying changes in specific places. Riders are given a mark out of ten for precision, submission, and ease of movement for each obstacle.

The speed test measures gusto by redoing part of the course at speed. Penalties accrued during the run add time to a competitor's overall performance, but some tasks may reduce a rider's time if performed perfectly.

Lynne, who lives with Joe, her partner of 20 years, said “ It’s similar to three day eventing, but safer and it’s highly addictive.

“It’s a very inclusive sport which is open to riders and horses of all abilities and you come across a diverse breed of horses such as Icelandic, Highland, cobs and Welshies.

“My background is in dressage, but I heard about working equitation and it looked much more fun so decided to have a go. Before long I was addicted.

“People wrongly think it’s like pony club games, but it’s hugely more technically challenging and requires accuracy, trust and understanding between horse and rider. The partnership between you and your horse is paramount to success.

“When I started competing at WE 10 years ago, events were few and far between. Instructors more so.

“Now more and more opportunities to compete are being rolled out across the country and I’ve now trained as a Working Equitation instructor.”


Intelligence


Lynne bought her hugely talented horse Hermes from Portugal during lockdown three years ago. He stands at a diminutive 15.1 hands compared to her previous 16.1 gelding.

She said: “What he may lack in the height department is certainly made up by his intelligence, power and eagerness to learn. He has great speed and agility and I call him my little ‘pocket rocket’.

“He was nine when I bought him and, three years later, we became National Champions. I’m so proud of him and all we’ve achieved in such a relatively short time together.

“It’s a shame we didn’t get enough people qualifying to make a team to represent Great Britain but I’m hugely proud and excited to be have the opportunity to represent my country individually. I’m hoping Hermes and I will do everyone proud.”

Lynne needs to raise £4,000 to cover the basic costs for the 2,000-mile round trip - she’s driving herself to keep the bill as low as possible. The costs include £1,200 for EU lorry certification, £600 for fuel, £150 for a EU grooms’ certificate needed to drive horses into Europe.

Other charges are £900 for vets’ fees, admin, stabling on route, £600 for the ferry crossing and £450 for insurance and breakdown cover.


Popularity


President of the Association for British Working Equitation, Georgia Shone, said: “Despite the sport’s growing popularity and the success of our riders both at home and abroad we still don’t receive any funding.

“We have some seriously talented competitors and horses who are making names for themselves in the world of Working Equitation, but we still cannot secure funding.

“Despite being such a fast-growing sport, British Equestrian refuses to help because we don’t meet its criteria which is frustrating.”

Georgia, from Heathfield, East Sussex, founded the British Working Equitation Association, the sport’s governing body in the UK, in 2014. It now has more than 300 members and 70 instructors across the country and has launched junior levels so youngsters can take part for the first time.

Georgia said: “I run the organisation nationally with a handful of volunteers and it has certainly been a labour of love as well as blood sweat and tears.

“We have opened our doors as wide as possible to make the sport as accessible and inclusive to everyone from novice levels to advanced and from the young to the older generation of riders.

“Our sport is much better known and understood these days, but it took a while to shake off the pony club games image. Our advanced dressage is up to Grand Prix level and our endurance and speed classes are a huge test of horse and rider.

“It’s frustrating that we still can’t get any official funding to support us as we continue to grow.

“Working Equitation is hugely popular in Europe, and Germany and Spain are still the world leaders. Great Britain would be snapping at their heels if we received more money and recognition, it’s the least our horses riders deserve.”

 

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