Penny Wins Our Stunt Riding Prize Day
Keen jousting enthusiast Penny Jupp was thrilled to win the recent competition for A Days Training with The Company of Horsemen in Shropshire. Based in Yarm in North Yorkshire, winning the prize meant a four and a half hour journey down to Whitchurch the night before, but Penny is a very determined and focused young lady.
At the age of just seventeen, Penny already has her career mapped out so that she can enjoy her true passion when she hits 30. As she says “I am studying Psychology, Biology, Chemistry and English Lit, although I am switching English to Physics for the purpose of my chosen career. I will study Engineering at University courtesy of the Navy, then join the Submarine Corps, serve twelve years and leave with a healthy pension.
I will then settle down, get married, have children, and work with Stunt Horses”. Penny has been this adamant about her future since watching, and being inspired by, the Thunderbirds and Stingray re-runs on TV. She just loves submarines, and is something of an adrenaline junkie.
Previously a Western Riding Devotee, Penny was given a Day of Jousting as a gift, and after that experience decided to up her game to embrace Stunt Riding. A Day with top trick riding and stunt team, The Company of Horsemen and Spencer Ratcliffe, Director and lead performer, was a dream come true. Penny proved herself to be a natural with no inhibitions whatsoever, and after mastering the basics of the moves on ‘Steady’ the metal training horse, she was soon in
the outdoor school on Cisco, one of the Company’s lead horses.
Once on Cisco, Penny began to master Two Up, the Drag, Buffalo Wing, Front and Back Wing, Arabesque, Stand, Layover the Saddle, Bodyboard and Vaulting. At one point she did inadvertently find herself hanging upside down, and as Spencer pointed out, “You’re not supposed to be doing THAT!” After five hours training, with just a brief break for lunch, Penny was feeling muscles that she didn’t even know existed, but already the decision has been made to travel down again for the monthly training days which are available to anyone who has the desire and the enthusiasm to participate. Anyone wishing to join in, or fancies having a go at trick riding or jousting, should please visit
www.thecompanyofhorsemen.
co.uk or check out their Facebook page.
The finale of Penny’s day was then riding in formation with the new Team Members who have been
selected and chosen by Karis and Spencer and are currently undergoing rigorous training and loving every minute. The entire sport is about horsemanship, athleticism and theatrics, combined with a good sense of balance and a flamboyant technique. It is artistry and acting on Horseback.
The background to The Company of Horsemen is as exciting as any TV Costume drama. Spencer Ratcliffe inherited his passion for horses from his mother Helen, and having been placed on a horse before he was two years old he hasn’t stopped riding since, his childhood completely revolving around Riding and Pony Clubs. At the age of nine he saw a beautiful but very unruly colt that took his fancy to the extent that Helen bought it for him with the proviso that he broke and trained it himself (under supervision of course) which he did with great success and so started his interest in training and teaching animals to perform beyond usual expectations.
1. 'Sit on the neck' - more popularly used in the western rodeo as a show off 'look no hands' move (hands/arms would normally both be above the rider's head in a gymnastic salute fashion to show the audience the trick was complete.
2. Spencer teaching moment with Penny
3. ‘Body board’ (Penny, assisted by Spencer)
4. ‘Body board’ (demonstrated by Spencer)
5. ‘Lazy back’ (demonstrated by Spencer) 26
www.equestrianlifemagazine.co.uk
6. Half way position to getting into ‘the Stand’.... the rider will swing their legs up from a riding position to this squat, then make a smooth commitment to standing up, with knees bent, whilst holding on to the stand strap (attached onto the front of the tree)
7. Spencer re-positioning Penny’s leg before she completes the ‘back wing’ (the right leg needs to be held in with the stirrup leather of the left leg. The stirrup leather needs to be as close to the upper thigh area/groin as possible - this clamps the leg in and keeps the rider in a secure position when riding this trick at canter/gallop)
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