Riding club will saddle up in style for major competition

AN equestrian club has secured sponsorship that will help some of its horse riders attend the British Riding Club’s National Championships in September.

Three Valleys Riding Club, which draws members from Swaledale, Teesdale and Weardale, has received support for one of its nine teams which are competing in the championships, from The Morritt Hotel, at Greta Bridge. The deal sees the riders sporting new saddle cloths featuring the club’s emblem and the hotel’s signature logo.

The team of riders and their horses visited the hotel to thank general manager Jonathan Cairns for his support.

The hotel has a long standing association with equestrian clubs and events, including the annual Zetland Hunt that departs from the hotel on or around New Year’s Day. Mr Cairns said: “We wanted to build a relationship with a local club and it is a positive thing that benefits both. And they are nice people.”

Jo Sutton-Walker of Three Valleys Riding club said: “We have only been going for two years but they have been backing us from the beginning. It is a fantastic venue for our non-ridden events.”

The club is sending both senior and junior teams to the championships and, despite being relatively new, it already boasts about 200 members who regularly compete in qualifiers. In the most recent event, the club’s senior team came second overall and the juniors came fifth.

The national championships take place at Lincolnshire Showgrounds on September 2 and 3.