What’s It Like to Start TREC?
Hi, my name is Lee Macintosh and I’m a 53 year old wife and mother of two grown up children who works full time in IT. I brought my horse Curro over from Spain 4 years ago as a very skinny 4 year old PRE stallion and we love to do a bit of everything but this is about our first year in TREC.
What a year! What a ride!
I first encountered TREC at the end of 2013 at a riding camp in Norfolk. Jenny Snowdon had come up from Surrey to give an evening lecture on it and the next day we really enjoyed having a go at all the obstacles. So when we came home I went online to see whether there were any competitions near me and came across Central TREC Group’s website.
I phoned the number on the website and spoke to Mary Weston. She was really helpful and said they were running an introductory training day and level 1 competition in Leicestershire which would cover map reading and obstacle training on Saturday, followed by a competition on the Sunday which could be done in a pair or individually. There were horses and riders of all levels, shapes, sizes and ages, and although we might have all looked a bit odd wandering around the field on foot with a map and compass, Anna (Mary’s daughter & GB rider), made sure we had a giggle doing it and everyone said how good it was.
In the evening we all got together for a meal and social (another reason why I enjoy TREC so much is it’s so sociable) and discussed the day’s events with a glass of wine. The next morning was a beautiful day and the Leicestershire countryside for the orienteering was stunning (and the second reason why I enjoy it so much is you get to ride at some wonderful locations). That first time Curro had a stable for our stay but has since taken to corralling like a duck to water and we’ve never looked back.
Over the winter we did a few indoor winter series competitions which involves the obstacles (PTV) and control of paces (COP) and then started with a full level 1 competition at Park Farm Northamptonshire in May 2014, which was really well organised and great fun (everyone is so welcoming and inclusive and there’s always someone to help you out so I’ve never worried about going on my own). I guess you could say ‘we’ve been bitten by the bug’ because we’ve gone out every other weekend since, from the West Sussex Downs up to Lincolnshire (where we helped judge level 3) and Surrey Hills to the GB championships in the Cotswolds; this country of ours really is wonderful!
The 2015 championships are just north of Edinburgh so we are really looking forward to that. We’ve moved up through levels 1, 2 and are now starting level 3, which I know Curro enjoys just as much as me, but others are quite happy to stay at level 1 or 2, and of course we’re now much fitter too. We’re off to Petworth Park National Trust Estate, West Sussex in a couple of weeks – can’t wait!
Shangton Grange Competition Results
Posted on by Helen Martin
45 riders and 15 helpers gathered in south Leicestershire this weekend for the summer TREC at Shangton Grange. The sun shone, the ponies behaved (mostly), the views were pretty and the food was universally hailed as delicious so it was a roaring success! We handed out the prizes at 5:30om on Sunday and the placings and phase details are now available on Results page, so head over there to see how you and your friends did!
Louise Jarvis won the prize draw for having read her Competitors’ Information closely enough to have spotted the code (or magic, according to our stalwart tack check judge, Izzy France) word. Be warned, CTG might do something similar in future but if we do the code word might not be at the end of the information, so make sure you read the document properly… Competitors’ Information is a vital piece of the communication process between organisers and riders, so we do hope that they are always read and digested (not just glanced through to see if the directions are at the start of the end…)
Once the last bits of clearing up are done (collecting in ticket punches and checking the toilets have been collected) our attention will turn in earnest to the next event in our summer season – the English Championships at Cannock Chase in July. Entries will open on 1st June so be ready to get yours in – places are sure to go fast! Full details are available on our Calendar page. We would be delighted to hear from anyone who would be able to help or judge for all or part of one or both days, please fill in a Helper Information Form to register your availability (also available on the Calendar page). If there is demand for a session of judges’ training we will look to run one, please email central@trecgroup.co.uk to register your interest.
Cannock Chase English Championships Results – 22-23 July 2023
Posted on by Siobhan
We had a fabulous weekend (albeit a little soggy on Saturday) at our Cannock Chase competition which was also the English Championships. Jackie and Lynne did a fantastic job organising the competition and found a wonderful new venue. Thank you to them and to all the judges, volunteers and competitors; we couldn’t have done it without you!
The results are now available and pictures are available to buy from the brilliant Indie Pics here.
We received this lovely message from the venue owner, which we wanted to share with you:
“Thank you to Jackie, her team and competitors for being wonderful, low-maintenance guests as promised, for leaving the site spotless and for an interesting insight into trec and all it involves. They were a pleasure to host…you would be welcomed back.” Posted in Uncategorized
Thorpe Langton results
Posted on by Helen Martin
The sun shone (eventually) on our level 1 competition at Thorpe Langton and a lovely day was had by everyone. Thank you to all the riders for your good humour and positivity, to all our fabulous judges and helpers and especially to Mary for the idea of running a combined competition – the format was very well received so we might look to do it again.
The scores are now on the Results page. Congratulations to Jill Crawford, who found that a 4 year lay-off (and a great pairs partner in Robin Tillett) was perfect preparation for today’s competition!
Posted in Uncategorized
On 10th April 2011 an intrepid band of hardy TRECcies gathered at Princethorpe in Warwickshire to do some unmounted POR training followed by an evening meal and a talk from our inaugural Chair, Anna Lea. Central TREC Group was born!
Since that day we have run over 30 summer competitions, including at least one event at Park Farm every year, and 35 arena competitions. We created the Club Challenge for the TREC GB Championships and run training and social events for our members on a range of topics and in venues ranging from pubs to village halls to tents in fields! The summer and winter leagues are hotly contested and we award Milestones to mark the achievements of our members and their horses.
We are hoping to celebrate this milestone for the club as the year progresses, so watch this space for details!