Whitby and District Riding Club
Our mission
We are a small, friendly club and our mission is to help each other enjoy horses, horse related activities and competitions in a supportive environment. We are ambitious and excited about our members' potential to enjoy themselves, train and compete with their horses. We are a kind and non-judgemental club - if you're nervous, rusty or just a bit unsure we'll do our best to help you enjoy yourself!
Who we are
We are a small affiliated riding club in the North East of England. Most of our activities take place between Whitby and Middlesbrough and the surrounding areas.
We offer coaching and training opportunities for all levels of skill, experience and ambition, as well as club competitions that everyone can have a go at. In the summer, we have a programme of day camps and residential camps, and we supplement our winter rallys with social events, talks and pub nights. We hold activities most weeks and work with our membership to put together a programme which means they can get the most out of their membership - enjoying their horses in a supportive and encouraging environment.
We strive to be an inclusive, supportive and well run organisation. As well as supporting established combinations of horse and rider to improve, we have welcomed many members who are just starting out on their equestrian journey or are returning to riding after a break.
We are affiliated to British Riding Clubs and are part of Area 2. We send teams to most Area qualifiers and have been very proud to be represented at National Championships several times.
Contact Us
You can contact us at whitbyanddistrictridingclub@gmail.com. We try to reply to emails within one week but sometimes it may take a little longer. If you haven't had a reply after one week, feel free to email again.
We also have a Facebook page for members and people interested in joining the club - you can find us here: Facebook group
Membership
Our membership fee is £35. If you are interested in joining please go to the membership page and if you have any questions contact us by email. Membership runs from the date you joined until 31 December that year.
What We Do
Lessons
We hold flatwork and jumping lessons with local instructors at a variety of local venues. Lessons usually have 4 to 5 people depending on the venue. We try to advertise the level each lesson will be working at to make sure everyone gets the most out of their session.
Lessons cost around £12, depending on the venue and instructor.
Club Competitions
We hold dressage and showjumping competitions for our members during the year. Classes are run according to the Riding Club Rule Book - if you're not sure what's allowed just ask. It's nice to see members well turned out for competitions, but the most important thing is coming along and having a go! Our competitions are friendly and supportive - we want everyone to succeed.
Unmounted Rallies
From time to time we hold unmounted training sessions and trips. We hope to do more unmounted training events and group trips to equestrian events.
Pleasure Rides
Our pleasure rides are low key events where club members meet up and hack out together. They are great for getting young horses out and about without the pressure of competition. They're also a really good way to get to know other members. We go at the pace of the least advanced member and we split into different groups if sufficient people come along.
Camps
We hold an annual residential camp, and several 'day camps' throughout the summer.
Social Events
We usually have a social event every few months. Previous event have included pub quizzes, summer BBQs and our Christmas meal.
Area Competitions
British Riding Clubs run a number of national competitions in dressage, show jumping and eventing for both teams and individuals. To qualify for the national competitions, we attend regional qualifiers in the North East region, known as Area 2. We also have to provide volunteers to help these events run. Jobs for helpers are mostly social and fun - it could be ring steward, jump judging, dressage writing or whatever we are given to do.