In days of old, only the very rich were allowed to own ferrets and the 'poor' poachers would sometimes have to hide their illicit animals down their trouser legs.

To much amusement this practice evolved into a popular sport 'ferret legging', which involves the tying of a competitor's trousers at the ankles and inserting into those trousers a couple of peculiarly vicious ferrets. The contestant's belt is then pulled tight, and he proceeds to stand in front of the judges as long as he can, while animals with claws like hypodermic needles and teeth like a pit bull's try their damnedest to get out.

Whether this sport is in decline due to lack of brave contestants or complaining wives, ferret legging is a dying sport, to be replaced with ferret racing instead. During a race, the ferrets run through a pipe made of plastic with some 'viewing' windows over a distance of ten meters. The north can fly the championship flag high, as the two times world record-holding ferret called Megan hails from Northumberland.

Ferret racing was just one of the displays on offer at Sedgefield racecourses first Countryside Day. Jean Ingham who runs Sid's Ferret Welfare and Sanctuary in Bradford brought the ferrets along. Donations of 20p brought the winner a return of 40p with big crowds turning up for each race. The day's racing had seven races including The York Handmade Brick Company Lady Riders' Handicap Hurdle Race, which was won by Miss L Gardner riding Iberus. Following the horse racing there was the ever-popular greyhound racing and a farmers' market consisting of over a dozen stalls.

Ken Wade of Larberry Farm Shop in Longnewton, which specialises in organic food, said: "It is a good place to advertise as it will be local people who are coming to the races. I am not expecting to sell a lot on the day but it is good PR and we are taking orders for Christmas."

Jim Allen, General Manager of the racecourse, intends Countryside day to be an annual event in November. "We are hoping that this Countryside Day will encourage more people to come racing. Its not easy to get race goers to come racing mid week especially in the winter, and it will also give our regular race goers something different to look at."

This is just one of many incentives to raise awareness and attract people who perhaps had not thought to go to the racecourse. Other events run in conjunction with the racing include the Miss Durham Beauty Contest, part of the Miss England competition that is held in May, and Mascot Racing. This is where competitors dress up as mascots and race against each other for a place in the Mascot Grand National at Huntingdon. The day was a huge success and no doubt will be a regular event on the annual calendar.

Dressage star leaves audience in awe

by Alistair Flood

THE international dressage star, Paul Hayler recently enthralled an audience of 190 with an entertaining display at Northallerton Equestrian Centre. Brought to the area by Ian Brown, the display included horses competing at various levels.

Paul is a leading figure in the British dressage world and has two horses in the top 20 UK rankings at Grand Prix level. In the last four years he has topped the table of 'who competes the most' three times and finished third once.

Along with a busy competition schedule, he is also a list two dressage judge and holds regular training clinics at his home near Chelmsford in Essex. Riding all his life, Paul started out in eventing and made the switch to pure dressage following dedicated training to improve the dressage phase of his eventing career. He went on to train in Germany and Switzerland before returning to the UK. Paul was one of only eight riders to compete in a dressage special sponsored by Jaguar Equestrian at this year's Horse of the Year Show, marking a long over-due return to the show for dressage. Taking a long-term view to the development of a dressage horse is essential and ideally he would take a horse from the age of three-and-a-half-years old and develop the partnership between rider and horse over a number of years. In general terms, Paul said: "You are looking at five to six years' training to take a horse from novice to Grand Prix Level, then usually another two years at Grand Prix Level to get them to compete doing well and to get more expression out of them."

Training of the horse can take anything up to three hours per day and Paul can see no reason that with the correct amount of training, and the right trainer why any horse can not get to at least medium level with an enthusiastic amateur.

Advance ticket sales of 170 guaranteed a good turnout and a further 20 turned up on the night. The display was scheduled to last two hours but questions from the audience extended it to three.

Paul started with a three-year-old Hanoverian, known as Woolfie, that he had had for only two months, leaving the audience in awe of what can be achieved in such a short time with a young horse. The horses shown were a progression up to Grand Prix level with Paul showing various movements including shoulder in, passage, piaffe, and flying changes, which on the Grand Prix Horse included Tempi changes. Tempi changes put more than one flying change together to form a movement, for example four time, where a change of leg is achieved every fourth stride of canter, right up to a change of leg every stride, truly amazing to watch!

Paul and a Grand Prix horse, My Dundee, ended the display with a free style test to music.

Zetland complete Area double

Jane Graham

Zetland Pony Club Seniors have had a rewarding 2004 with the show jumping and horse trials teams completing the double at Area level to qualify for the 75th Pony Club Anniversary Championships.

At Sansaw the opening day saw Jacquetta Straker take the individual show jumping title with her own Salisbury and Emma Yarrow finished 14th with Hollow Arctic Vision in the dressage.

The team show jumping competition produced few double clears and the team of Lucy Morrison on Inniskeean Oisin, Nicky Smith on Mighty Orion, Chloe Straker on Walthwaite Firecracker and Jacquetta Straker/Salisbury finished 14th.

The cross-country proved very influential in the horse trials championships and the Zetland team of Lucy Morrison on Inniskeean Oisin, Georgie Morrison on Sapphire Blue, Kathryn Watson on The Black Duke and Chloe Straker on Walthwaite Firecracker finished eighth with Chloe Straker fourth individually.

After representing Great Britain at the Junior European Championships in Italy, Tanya Buckingham and Dovecote Miss Scally finished a great season with 10th place in the U21 2* three-day-event championships at Weston Park in October.

2005 will see some new combinations coming up through the ranks to join our current squad to compete to qualify for the championships once again.

Darrowby and District flourishes at NEC

by Alistair Flood

Darrowby and District Riding Club host a winter novice dressage and show jumping series annually. The competitions, which run until April, are on similar lines to the trailblazers and are open to members and non-members.

The club was set up in October 2003 with the aim of promoting "improved riding skills through regular training" and to give all members the opportunity to compete in at least one class at BHS riding events.

Committee member Miri Nicholson said, "We encourage people to have training in a safe, laidback and fun atmosphere and try to avoid sessions done in a traditional manner with the lead horse moving to the back of the ride.

"Lessons started out in groups of four and we now offer semi private lessons with instructors like Paddy Muir"

The club was formed by a group of liveries at Northallerton Equestrian Centre and holds lessons every Monday evening. The membership has already topped 40 with an annual £20 with a £10 joining fee in the first year.

The club is based at Northallerton Equestrian Centre. Miri said: "A wonderful place to be based, and the improvements since Ian Brown took over the running a few years ago are tremendous.

"The indoor arena has a better surface, the outdoor all-weather arena has been made bigger and there are now two fantastic cross country courses," she added.

The centre holds regular BSJA competitions, and 2004 saw them host their first British Eventing event. Both the club and NEC have excellent web sites. The riding club is hoping to soon be able to take competition entries online. The addresses are: www.northallertonquestriancentre.co.uk and www.darrowbyrc.co.uk.

Shining example of pony club ethos

by Alistair Flood

THE Unicorn Centre played host to the Cleveland Hunt Branch of the Pony Club (CHPC) recently for one of more then 20 rallies that they hold each year. Vicki Wood was the instructor for the day and she taught three one-hour lessons, including seniors and juniors. The rally organisers use a selection of instructors to give a differing perspective.

Frequency and location of the rallies changes with the weather, during the spring and summer organisers look for outdoor venues and hold two to three mounted rallies each month. Autumn and winter see a move to indoor venues such as the Unicorn. "We try to hold as many rallies as the children want" said rally secretary, Shirley Hockney.

Other events run by he CHPC club include parents' evenings, Easter and halloween rides, an annual award ceremony, and in December, a Christmas Disco at Great Broughton on December 28 and a Christmas Show on December 30 at Stainsby Grange. The fun does not stop after the New Year - The Mudd Dressage Series is held, with members competing over the number of competitions in various classes for trophies.

It is not difficult to see why the club has great support, membership stands at 120 and pony camp this year at Faceby Lane Farm had 80 children. District Commissioner, Steve Coverdale, said "Rallies are foundation stones of the club where riders learn the basics of horsemanship."

Some of its many successes this year include five members heading south to the tetrathlon finals, a team one-day event win at Mickley near Ripon, and a trip to Doune in Scotland for the zone finals of Pony Club Mounted Games.

It would be difficult to come away from a visit to the Cleveland Hunt Pony Club without being affected by its enthusiasm; it is a shining example of all that the Pony Club stands for.

Published: 31/12/2004