Whitegate Farm Livery & Training Centre

Bid now!!

Next polework “winter workout” is 15 Dec….
Full until 6pm onwards - availability to 9pm.
Pm me for your slot!

🥶

❄️As the weather is starting to get colder we will try and keep you updated as to whether events planned will proceed or be cancelled for safety ❄️

We do grit - but it is simply impossible to grit everywhere!

Please take care when visiting to walk only on the gritted pathways.

Thank you.

Get yourself ready for June!

Hi folks, well tomorrow is the release of the new BD tests for you to have a look at ahead of them being available for competition next June.

So as a reminder, what do you need to do?

👉you need to be an existing BD member
👉have your BD online email and password ready
👉you do not need a TestPro subscription to access the new tests
👉if your phone has not automatically updated then go to the relevant App Store and update your phone
👉if you have a problem with your email or password, the app will ask you to go to BD online to check everything.

🐞we are aware of one defect in Prelim 4 on the Apple version, and we will be updating shortly. There is always something!!
📕the app will also be updated in the next couple of weeks with the new rulebook

🤞🤞everything goes smoothly tomorrow morning 😍

Today Freedom Saddlery had the Society of Master Saddlers filming for Inside Out at our venue!
Thank you to all involved!
I think we have created a great piece of film! 🎬🎥

📣Last minute Dane Rawlins sessions 9:30am tomorrow and 2:15pm Sat due to cancellations. 📣

Great opportunity with an amazing coach!
Lovely indoor arena!

PM Steph 07921 227241

🤠 Pole Clinic - plan your winter workout ! 🤠

Starting December!

3-9pm
1st Dec
15th Dec
29th Dec
4th Jan
18th Jan
1st Feb
15th Feb

Super indoor arena!

30 minute sessions
Private session £30
Shared session £15 each

With BEF Level 4 Coach Steph Bradley.

Pm or text 07921 227241

Aged under 8-25?
Love dressage?
Come and join us in Wales and have fun developing your dressage riders skills with British Equestrian Level 4 Coach and BD Youth Coach and Assessor Steph Bradley!

And maybe represent Wales in 2024! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Looking for riders of all levels and all pony types!

Welcome to all!

First BD Youth date is 3 Dec - let the squadding commence!

Look out for upcoming zoom information sessions with North Wales Youth Ambassador Anna Roberts o- join group for more information!

BD Youth…🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
It’s that time again!!

Sun 3 Dec is morning session (6 slots available starting 9am)
Fri 22 Dec is after school 4pm onwards.

🎤Calling all Youth riders! ⭐More dates just added with Steph Bradley! ⭐

Squadding kicks off on 1 December!✅

These are your first opportunities to have a Squad Assessment for the new season!

All available on Horse Monkey! 🐴🐵

Due to a cancellation today would anyone like a last minute lesson with Alex Harrison at 13:00?☺️

👏🏻

Have you ever met another horse owner at breaking point? No?

Actually the answer is yes. Yes, you have.

They don’t wear a t-shirt, They might not have told you. In fact I’d put good money on them NOT looking rabid & crazy & bellowing ‘LOOK AT ME! I’m as close to the edge as you can get!!
But I can tell you this:

You have met someone who underneath their bluster & brags was secretly wondering how they are going to meet their next haylage bill

You might have met someone who won 3 classes but they were physically & mentally spent.

You might have met someone who has a swanky lorry & posh tack but terrified they are making an utter arse of themselves.

You might have met someone who laughed, joked & acted without a care in the world who inside was riddled with self doubt & fear.

You might have met someone who is just so tired of being strong when it all feels like it is going wrong for them.

So just imagine if you met someone & you gave them *that* smile, you asked if they needed a hand with anything when they were struggling in a warm up, you told them ‘well done’ after their clear round.
Just imagine how lighter their heart would feel if you just asked them if they were ok when they looked worried. Just imagine the joy that could be spread by sharing your moments of idiocy to make someone who’s had a bad day feel better.

No horse has ever jumped better because their rider has bi***ed about someone else. No rosette was won because one person slated another. Making someone else feel bad won’t make your life suddenly all sparkles & free gin. Fact.

In all honesty the best days can be had with poles flying like skittles, dressage tests of utter chaos & walks of shame back from eliminations on the cross country course. The days when you laugh like loons about stupid things you’ve done & cheered on your fellow competitors, they are the days when you come home a champion, no matter what the scoreboard says.

People say that the horse world is ruthless, that it is bitchy. But some of the kindest things I’ve ever witnessed & the best friends I could ever hope for have been made in the horseworld. I know it’s not a bad place.

Let’s be the fist bumping, cheerleading kind sport that we know we can be.

A candle stays just as bright even when it lights another.
Word.

Book in!

📣Join us for an evening with Richard Baldwin as he delves into the judges' perspective! Whether you're looking to enhance your riding skills, improve your judging acumen, or simply expand your dressage knowledge, this event is tailored for you.🤩

🌟Perfect for coaches and worth 8 technical CPD credits - 4 rider development and 4 horse development!🌟

https://horsemonkey.com/equestrian_event/50699/4667+-+BD+Wales+-+Dressage+Unveiled%3A+A+Judges%27+Perspective+with+Richard+Baldwin%2C+Northop+Equestrian

🌟Test Riding also available at Whitegate Farm with Richard on Monday 13 November! Test rides include free arena hire courtesy of Whitegate Farm!!🌟

ProudHorse Connections We are singly focused on the intersection of equine wellness and training.

Two rare spaces for Di Breeze clinic Monday 6 November! Pm Di for a slot!

Funday!! Maria clinic and a talk by Freedom Saddlery to Conwy Community Riding Centre alongside lessons, riding Beau and saddle fitting!!

Today was a school day for Sasha Thomas and our new apprentice Lily Pilkington, as they both attended the Pro Groom Day at Stallion AI organised by the British Grooms Association.
They were rubbing shoulders and
learning top tips from the very best!
A great day was had by all!

We have Stephen Clarke teaching here on Tuesday 24th October and have some spaces available, drop us a message if you would like a slot☺️

**BD Competition Cancelled**

Due to current excessive flooding in the area (local roads and villages are closed! ) and our arena being under water we are not going to be able to run our BD competition tomorrow.

The forecast is that it is not stopping raining any time soon - certainly not before tomorrow!

Apologies to all competitors. 🥺

Good luck to on-site coach Steph, and regular visitors here Anita. Anna and Elan!

🌟 Exciting News! 🌟

To mark 25 incredible years of BD, every region has been entrusted with the honour of nominating extraordinary individuals for special national awards. The anticipation is building, and we can hardly wait to unveil the winners! 🏆🎉

The awards will be presented this evening at Aintree High Profile, right after the BD AGM. It's a night of recognition, celebration, and surprises, and we're thrilled to be a part of it. 🥳✨

󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿How many awards will our Welsh heroes claim? 🏅 Stay tuned for the big reveal!

Meet the nominees who were put forward by the BD Wales Committee!

1. Volunteer of the year - Anna Roberts
2. Coach of the year - Steph Bradley
3. Judge of the Year - Rebecca Morris
4. Steward of the year - Ellen Griffiths
5. Regional Riders of the year:
a. Para - Elan Williams
b. Senior - Anita Jones
c. Youth - Konnie Mann
6. My Quest – individual - Joanne Davies
7. Team Quest – team of year - It's a Bling Thing

🏆Watch this space to see the deserving winners from Wales!!

All Wales nominees will be acknowledged at our our BD Wales Ball and Awards evening in November!

Thank you to everyone who donated to our !

We raised a grand total of £481.93!

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Macmillan Coffee Morning 2023 Host a Macmillan Coffee Morning and help us do whatever it takes for people living with cancer.

We believe, as a rider it is healthy to have a number of coaches - as long as they are all working along similar lines.
Coaches all have different specialisms. Some help work with the riders mind and position, some work with the horse. Some help you link it all to gather. All have great value.
Choose your team! ☺️

Rant time! Sparked by a friend of mine; excellent trainer; flavour of last month and airbrushed into the oblivion…

I do not mind if a partnership needs several trainers. One for the front end, one for the middle and one for the back end.
One will be good at exercises; another shed light through transitions; another finding that positional correction; another the tack; and another will be brave and push, and another take longer if confidence is an issue. One may help the showjumping; another the gallop; another the cross country; and perhaps another just how to survive a hack!
This partnership is the centre of a bicycle wheel and one needs all the spokes to help it go around smoothly.
But honesty is paramount; list them all in your credits; thank them and join them together because each in their own way is trying their hardest to help the centre.
It is a team that help to make one’s horsey world go around; and often with horses one trainers thoughts might help one horse and another another.
Be generous if you want your trainer to remain generous to you. Be honest; and of course some loyalty never goes amiss.
Picture of partnership that has had three trainers help them this year although the jockey has several more!

Well…. They did it!

Eight riders and horses all came together this morning and in just one morning formed together to create a musical quadrille - to the theme tune of Mission Impossible!
And there was wonderful cake - thank you to all who baked!!

One special mention to 12 year old Max Cookson-Johnson who rode in a our quadrille again this year. Max is in remission from leukaemia - having had a bone marrow transplant only a year ago.
Max - you are an inspiration!

And so lovely to see Wales BD Youth rider Evie Bayman here supporting - Evie your place in the quadrille for next year is secured!

Please, please, please donate - these wonderful riders did an amazing thing today with their horses and ponies to raise money for Macmillan!

http://www.justgiving.com/cm23016305

Diolch !

Today is the day!!📆

Dressage does Macmillan Coffee Morning! ☕️🍰

If you can’t come along then please, please donate something! However small! 💰

http://www.justgiving.com/cm23016305

Video of the Whitegate Farm Macmillan Quadrille will be up later! 🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🎶

Donate, donate, donate!💰

Scan the QR code below on the photo or use the link below !

http://www.justgiving.com/cm23016305

Thank you so so much for helping this amazing cause! ☺️

About ten years ago, give or take, the NEDA clinician at U-Mass Amherst was Klaus Balkenhol, the legendary coach of the German gold medal dressage team.

One thing that he said changed forever my opinion about the concept of "warmup."

Klaus said that when he gets on a horse, whether out of a stall or out of a paddock, he always just walks calmly for a MINIMUM of ten full minutes. He joked that you need to time this with your watch, because ten minutes will feel like 20.

He also said that as the horse learns that this will ALWAYS be the case, that the first ten minutes, AT LEAST, will be calm walking, every single time he is mounted, that the horse will learn to start out with less anxiety about the upcoming work.

Then, after the walking, Klaus said that the initial trotting should be to establish forward rhythm, and only after this is obtained should the rider gradually take up more rein connection.

Klaus said that too many riders (I think he was directing this at me!) think of the warm up as something to be gotten through and dispensed with swiftly, so that they can get to the "real" work. Klaus reminded the audience that the warmup is just as integral a part of the "real" work as any other part.

Guilty as charged, sir. But I have reformed! Thank you!

Macmillan Coffee Morning with LIVE 8 ride quadrille
Tomorrow 10am onwards! Please come along! All welcome !!

Fun day here with the cameras today with The Society of Master Saddlers - filming educational videos for the public.
Thank you Poppy for allowing us to use “new girl on the block” Effy! She was super - sooo well behaved!
Great to see the SMS team again - once again a professionally run day!
Looking forward to seeing the rushes!

Great to work with an organisation that does SO much to continue educating the public and provide valuable CPD for equine professionals.

Looking forward to the follow up day in November!

Tip #15 – Mistakes are great learning opportunities.

From the post, "How to Manage Your Dressage Competition Nerves and Anxiety" - https://howtodressage.com/competition/manage-dressage-competition-nerves/

🏇New date with Alex Harrison at Whitegate Farm!

🏅 After receiving rave reviews at the BD Wales camp, Alex is back by popular demand to offer exclusive dressage lessons!🐴

🌟As an International GP rider, UKCC Level 3 Coach, and List 2 Judge, Alex's wealth of experience will elevate your skills and boost your confidence in and out of the competition arena! 🌟

📅 Don't miss this fantastic opportunity! Book your 45-minute private lesson now and take your dressage performance to new heights!
🐎 Limited slots available, so act fast! 💨

👉Whitegate Farm: https://bitly.ws/TAmP

Good luck to all our riders at the Senior Home Nations this weekend!
☘️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Good luck to all for the riders who are making their way to Kelsall Hill Equestrian Centre for the Senior Home Nations! 🍀

We know you'll have a great time and are looking forward to finding out which region will be taking home the trophy. Find out more: https://kelsallhill.co.uk/events/british-dressage-25/

🐎 Join us this October for unforgettable lessons with the renowned Maria Eilberg at Whitegate Farm in North Wales! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

📆 Save the Dates: 10 and 31 October
📍 Location: Whitegate Farm

🐴 About Maria Eilberg:
Maria Eilberg is a world-class dressage rider and coach with a wealth of experience and expertise. Her passion for horses and dedication to the sport have made her a sought-after instructor worldwide. Don't miss this incredible opportunity to learn from the best!

🌟 What to Expect:

👉Personalised lessons tailored to your skill level
👉Insightful guidance and feedback from Maria
👉Beautiful surroundings and top-notch facilities
👉A chance to enhance your skills and knowledge

🏇 Whether you're a seasoned rider looking to refine your techniques or a beginner eager to embark on your equestrian journey, Maria Eilberg's lessons are a must-attend event.

Book now: https://horsemonkey.com/

Available soon!

One of lovely foals from this year is available🥰
Get in touch with Francesca!

2 slots for PYO Camp remaining!
Choose from flatwork/pole/rider symmetry/quadrille sessions!
27-28 August
All levels welcome!

Dane Rawlins clinic.
Only two slots on Saturday 19 August left!
Book early!
Don’t miss out.
Book via Horsemonkey

⛺️Camp is back!

🏃‍♀️Get booking in!

🤔Pick your own three sessions - make it what you want.

💻Booking online - see link below. Limited numbers remaining - book early!

https://freedomsaddleryappointmentbooking.as.me/?appointmentType=50054048