I'd forgotten that moving house was so stressful, but was quickly reminded when we were given two weeks’ notice. Thankfully, with the help of friends, family, and our excellent removal team — Move Fast, aka, Steve Hart, former owner of Quarter Horse Rio — it was successfully completed on time. Twenty-seven years of successful breeding, shoeing, and training came to an end on the 24th February. Wye Oak Quarter Horses finally closed its doors.

The 39th American Quarter Horse Association UK Championship and Breed Show took place at The Oakridge Arena from the 1st to the 4th of September, 2016; 81 horses took part, entering 897 classes in total.

On the show scene, please, if you decide to go and compete, send at least one entry in beforehand so as a show secretary can raise paperwork and save time for you, your horse, and themselves on the day. It would be nice to send some money at the same time, especially if you require stabling. Remember the organiser is doing all of this for your enjoyment.

The back through is a common obstacle found at all levels in the trail class. This is usually presented as a slot between two poles and may include a change in direction in more advanced classes. Being able to back your horse up is a key skill to have for general riding and often necessary when out on a real trail ride.

Having just returned from the 25th anniversary of the Western Equestrian Society Nationals, this month’s article is dedicated to those western riding enthusiasts who attended and supported the Society that changed the face of Western riding in Great Britain.

I feel very privileged to be accorded the honour of judging the 25th-anniversary WES championship show. I hope as many of you as possible will put the date in your diary and attend, either astride or on foot! I am sure a large proportion of your readers started western riding through the efforts of WES. Over the years, the society has probably been ‘responsible’ for a lot of sales of the American Quarter Horse as during the early days there was only one annual Quarter Horse show and three major WES shows.