Sir Thomas Rich’s is a member of the National Schools’ Equestrian Association, the recognised body for equestrianism in schools throughout the UK. Members of the Equestrian Club compete in national inter-schools competitions for both team and individual riders.

Competitions start at Grass Roots level and build up to National Schools’ qualifiers and Championships with most competitions take place at weekends and in school holidays. Disciplines include Dressage, Show Jumping, Arena Eventing, One Day Events, Hunter Trials and Tetrathlons. They take place at local, county, regional and national levels, culminating in the annual National Schools Championships in October.

Abbey Smith and Becky Hewlett represented STRS Equestrian Club in our inaugural competition at the Arena Eventing NSEA Qualifer at Millfield School, Somerset on Sunday 9th March 2014. Abbey, riding Caipriana II, and Becky, riding Hawksley Legend, competed against 82 other riders from 35 different schools in the senior event. Both riders successfully jumped clear in the simulated cross-country. In the show jumping, Hawksley Legend had a plank down, while Caipriana II refused at jump 3 before clearing it and the rest of the course. Unfortunately, both partnerships narrowly missed out on rosettes this time.