Hunting with no bridle

[cptrayes]

A brave and crazy guy called Chris Armour is going to hunt on Saturday 19th December with the Cheshire Farmers Drag Hunt on a horse with no bridle on.

Why?

He wants to raise money for Hope For Heroes.

Chris has to stay behind the Field Master and jump everything that the Field Master jumps, for one leg with no bridle on the horse at all. No headcollar, no reins, no nothing. I think only those of us who hunt can really understand what a challenge he is taking on. He says what he is doing is not brave, brave is what those guys do in Afghanistan and Iraq

If you feel this crazy stunt is worth donating a bit of dosh to Hope For Heroes, you can give by plastic card on http://www.justgiving.com/Chris-Armour

and see a picture of him training his horse to jump with aids only from the breastplate.

Every little you can spare will help those guys and gals with missing legs and arms get back some hope for their futures.

Thanks for reading.

 

[skewby]

Blimey. Will give a bit, very interested to hear how he gets on! If he manages it, he and horse are awesome and I hope there are pics/vids!!

 

[MrWoof]

What a man!!
I donate to HFH anyway as I know a couple of soldiers' widows.
In 1962 (?) Fred Winter rode Mandarin over 26 fences with a broken bit at Auteil - and won the race.
Good luck CA - and come home safe.

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

Blimey - he is either brave or mad!! Possibly both.............

Can I suggest you put the links in both NL2 and soapbox as there is more traffic through them so will get more donations.

 

[cptrayes]

Will do, glad you are interested!

 

[Starbucks]

I struggle to stay behind FM with a bridle!!

Brave guy!

 

[Simsar]

Holy crap! Hope this makes it to you tube. Good luck. x

 

[cptrayes]

Chris is always at the front of the field with a bridle on, so he's used to that. I can't personally understand how the hell he is going to stay behind the field master!

 

[star]

i hope the FM is planning to put his foot down! i reckon as long as he goes for it he should be fine. i have no steering or brakes with a bridle so i reckon it wouldn't be that bad without one as there's no way my pony is deviating from right behind the FM anyway! i still wouldn't fancy doing it though - i quite like hanging on for dear life even if it isn't having any useful result!

 

[MrWoof]

Blimey - he is either brave or mad!! Possibly both.............
Can I suggest you put the links in both NL2 and soapbox as there is more traffic through them so will get more donations.

Yes, more balls than sense really!!!
Please do post on NL2, Latest News and Soapbox. No-one can fault what he is doing for such a very, very good cause.
Kick on CA.

 

[cptrayes]

The New Loungers don't seem to think that it's anything out of the ordinary!!! All they want to talk about is some cross country rider that did it. They don't understand how differently a horse behaves in a group, presumably because they have never been in that situation. Oh well!

 

[MrWoof]

Put it like this, I would just love to see some of them actually trying it!! I find the idea very scary indeed.
Any news on the Salimali idea?

 

[A1fie]

Have just donated. Crazy idea but a charity v close to my heart as son is in army.

Will anyone be videoing him?

 

[AmyMay]

I'm sorry if I offend - and I certainly support the charity that's being supported here - but I think it's a crazy and incredibly dangerous thing to do.

I sincererly hope it doesn't end in disaster for the rider or horse......


.

 

[cptrayes]

Not quite so crazy with a drag pack as a fox pack, but I do agree it's a bit nuts. I think we can all manage to avoid him, our field is not usually more than 40 or 50 tops and we have at least two masters, one at the front and one at the back.

Thank you so much to everyone who has donated, I will make sure Chris knows of you generosity.

I think we will have a pro photographer out A1fie. I'll let you know if anything goes on uTube.

 

[combat_claire]

Great charity, but I have to agree with Sallysmith. Heaven forbid that he falls off or something spooks him, how is that loose horse going to be caught?

One of our subscribers was sponsored to hunt bareback, sponsored per jump he managed to complete in aid of the air ambulance. But having his reins he wasn't in danger of hurting anyone but himself.

 

[MrWoof]

..... how is that loose horse going to be caught?

Exactly the same as anything else which happens to be racketting around minus their best hat.
Have you never seen anyone come off at a fence and take the bridle with them?
Also, happens quite frequently at P2Ps.
I picked up one in the back garden of a council house, which was adjacent to the p-p course. He was such a darling horse - I lead him back to the paddock with my whip wrapped round his neck.

 

[cptrayes]

Being a drag, we always stop when there is a loose horse until the rider is reunited. The vast majority of horses stop when the rest do, it's an odd horse that leaves the rest and p*sses off. I'm sure Chris knows that his horse won't do that, it's his eventer. It also regularly jumps wire, so that is no different from normal if he misses the hunt fence.

He's gonna do it folks, and our hunt trust him absolutely to do it without endangering the rest of the hunt. I'm sure they will use extra field masters to ensure he is a danger to no-one else.

Can we please concentrate on how great it is that he is gonna do it and what he is doing it for?

 

[MrWoof]

Sorry - I was just trying explain to CC and SS what happens to a horse minus their hat. They do not seem to have ever seen one in the hunting field.
Yes, let's just keep to the suject in question - LOTS AND LOTS OF MONEY for Help For Heroes.

 

[AmyMay]

MrWoof, my comment had nothing to do with a loose horse minus its 'hat' as you call it.



.

 

[Girlracer]

Wow, what a brave guy - certainly a worthy cause.

 

[cptrayes]

Message from our hunt Chairman.


"Hi Everyone,

We will be leaving from the Cock, Chelford Road, Henbury, Maccclesfield, SK10 3LH, as usual at 12:30 pm on Saturday.

This week we are privileged to be joined by members of The Kings Troop, The Royal Horse Artillery who are here to support former soldier and hunt member Chris Armour as he takes on the "Bridleless Challenge". Come and join us to see how he gets on!

See you there.

Steve Evason
Hunt Chairman"

 

[cptrayes]

He went, in spite of the frost, and I am waiting for the report to go up on the website to let everyone know how it went. He intended to jump in spite of the frozen ground, and at the meet he raised another £200 or so in cash from riders and followers and a couple of people who happened to be standing at the bar. uTube video to follow too, hopefully.

 

[Natch]

http://www.cfdh.org/