The start of the new season is almost upon us with a jam packed programme planned.

Things start even earlier this year with an officials and stewards training day on the 20th March. With my BHDTA Club Liaison Committee member hat on, I have organised an affiliated club judge, course builder and steward training day. This is to be held at The Guards Polo Club’s new club house with Liza Wood taking the judges and Mark Ingham taking the course builders. I have still to finalise the person to take the stewards. The day is planned to start at 9:30 with theory and discussion sessions and after lunch more practical sessions outdoors with guinea pigs driving dressage, cones and obstacles. Finally returning to the club house for final discussion and winding up by 4.30 to 5.00. If you are interested in attending you will need to complete a BHDTA application form that you should be able to down load from the web site www.bhdta.co.uk or contact me and I shall send you one. I am hoping to send out some introduction notes to give you an insight into what will be covered during the day.

We will be running our driving training day again on 28th March. The day will be planned as last year with individual one to one training in dressage, cones and obstacles driving. I am in the progress in organising the trainers. The entry form will be on our web site soon.

The August event also clashes with Brockham Harness club’s 2 day event and Novice qualifier at Goodwood. It gives me the opportunity to run a different type of event. I intend to run a World Cup type of event, which will be a qualifier for the finals to be held at the National Championships in Windsor Great Park on Saturday 11th September. There will be an optional Dressage and Marathon if the entrants wish to partake. The final details are being finalised and the schedule will be available in the Year Book and on the web site.

We again are organising the Charity Drive and entry forms are now available and again will be on the web site very soon. We are to support Help for Heroes and Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance again as these were very popular last year.

As you will see from the list of dates below we are also running a full season including our own Novice qualifier in May and our Club Championship in September.

Club dates for 2010:
14th February - Club AGM to be held at the Guards Polo Club
20th March - Judge, Course Builders & Steward training
28th March – Driving Training Day
10/11th April - 1st Meet
18th April – Charity Drive
24/25th April - 2nd Meet
22/23rd May – 3rd Meet
5/6th June – 4th Meet
4th July – 5th Meet
22nd August – 6th Meet
4th September – 7th Meet – Club Champs

With all the wet and snowy weather we had in the autumn not a lot of off season maintenance have been done. I hope to catch up later in the spring. I am still determined to find some new routes around the park and will be working on this over the next few months.

I look to seeing you again this year and hopefully we will all enjoy the events and meeting our friends.