The Parsler family consists of Jim, Nikki, Natasha, Rebecca and Bryony together with thier ponies Talisman, Shine, Kestrel, Havannah and Bubbles.
Jim first got interested in Endurance riding when the pony he loaned from the ILPH proved to have legs of iron, endless stamina and no brakes at all until she had gone at least 20 miles! He progressed steadily through the novice levels on both this pony and Nikki’s young New Forest mare Kestrel until the birth of thier second daughter Rebecca forced a break.
Click here [ original-diary ] to download an article which appeared
in Horse and Rider Magazine about Jim and Kestrel.
For the last 12 years or so things have gone very quiet on the Endurance front as Jim and Nikki brought up thier 3 lovely girls and progressed them through lead rein classes and various Pony Club endeavours.
Then one day in 2005 the Pony Club branch commitee realised that Pony Club offered Endurance Riding as one of its activities but that our branch was not running any rides. As the most experienced committee member in the field (ie noone else had any idea at all!) Jim was duly elected Whaddon Chase Endurance Team Manager and asked to organise some branch events.
That decision started chain of events which has resulted the Whaddon Chase Pony Club branch being one of the most active in the country with regards to Endurance, running 3 events a year and for 2008 linking with the local EGB Cromwell group.
It also resulted in the Parsler family rediscovering thier interest in the sport – this time with the kids in tow! As I write this, Natasha (15) has just completed her first EGB affiliated CTR on her 14hh Dales pony Shine, gaining a grade 2. She was also awarded the Whaddon Chase annual trophy for Endurance Champion 2007. She, Jim and Rebecca (12) have another 32km ride planned for this weekend – Rebecca’s first attempt at this distance on 13.2hh Arab x loan pony Havannah. As for Nikki and Bryony – well at the moment they are brushing up on thier crewing skills – but Bryony (11) is very keen to attempt her second 19km ride on 13hh New Forest loan pony Bubbles.
So why this diary/blog?
Over the last three years or so Nikki and Jim have talked to lot of people, especially Pony Clubbers, who are interested in the sport of Endurance but who really have no idea what it involves or how to go about joining in. We thought that an informal record of our exploits as a novice family entering this sport may be of interest and encourage more people to have a go.
We have also collected lot of information on the sport in our travels. We aim to post links to some of the sites/information available on the web which we find useful. A one stop shop for Endurance beginners!
