Did anyone on here learn to ride at the Wirral Riding Centre?

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emmac70

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No particular reason for the post........just curious to see if anyone else on here learnt to ride there or had lessons?

Any memories of instructors or ponies/ horses?
 
I learned there for a year, but it was when I was sill at school about 17 years ago!!! Surprisingly enough don't remember the horses I rode or the intructor. But remember the horses and instructor being good.
 
I spent six months there training for the BHSAI with Geoffrey Hattan and Rosie Morton.
The school was being built and it was so cold we all shared one sheepskin jacket, if you were teaching, you got the coat.
There was a girl eventing from there who lived in Wales, and all sorts of people came for training, William Blane was one I recall, and Mrs Bowdler from a riding school in Liverpool.
It was really hard work because GCH had high standards, and every day checked his own horse for cleanliness. We each had 5 field ponies plus four stabled horses, I was often hired out to the local rdidng clubs/PC as an instructor (never got paid!!) and every piece of tack had to be cleaned every time it got used.
Time was short so I only groomed Mr H's horse under the saddle, along it's neck and down it's sides where his legs went with the electric groomer.
When he dismounted he would check his gloves from it's neck, the inside of his boots from the horse's sides, and never found any grease when I did the horse.
When I was leaving he complimented me on how well I had turned his horse out, so I took him in it's box and whacked it's rump, sending clouds of dust in the air.
He roared with laughter after I explained my trick, and forgave me!
I lost touch with Rosie some years back, she was the best instructor I've ever encountered in my life, I don't know if she gave up.
Most of us girls from the Wirral are still very much involved with horses through our children, one has an Olympic Team member daughter and two professional riders too, another a successful eventing daughter, another's runs her own riding school, and my daughter has made horses her career too.
I keep in touch with most of them and we exchange news every Christmas including pics, perhaps there was something in the Wirral water that passed all those horsey genes on...
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I had my first lesson there in April 1977 on a skewbald pony called Charlie. Stephen Clarke was chief instructor/ YM then!
 
henry horn what a lovley story and its so nice you have kept in touch with everybody..we go to the shows when they are on..We have had lessons their from a man called Barry and also chris ward excellent instruction its always really busy. Did you manage to get transport for those stables you bought.

The wirral has lots of top riders based their, and also in cheshire, you go to a local unaffiliated event and top riders are their with the youngsters and as you say some of them are olympic riders lol and we are on our 2k horses quite funny really.
 
I thought that about Henryhorn's post too. I think when I decided to post about this I was idly curious as to whether there were many of us who had the WRC in common one way or another. I can remember the Wirral in the days of Mr & Mrs Hatton, I rode there for years and also kept my current horse there on livery for a few years before I moved south 6 years ago - so also knew Barry and trained with Chris Ward.
 
whats is barrys background do you know he is an excellent instructor, who owns the place now was it not sold recently ?
 
i know the riding school has changed recently but don't know if that means the premesis has actually been sold. When I was last there the yard was split, with the riding school in one part, then there was one block of full livery, one block of DIY and Nick Ward (Chris's brother) had his own horses on another block and his furniture business was based at the side of the indoor school. The furniture business is still based there which is why I'm not sure that it has actually been sold - i think the riding school bit is rented or leased.
 
oh yea i know haddon house furniture, we bought a lovley couch from them lol It really is a nice place to ride, just a pain to get to in the lorry dont like the lanes. I know when i was living in Ledsham the waiting list to get on the diy yard was massive.
 
It hasnt been sold just under new management
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the couple who are managing it now came from Barnston riding school
 
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