Have you heard about the D&H Associated Championships?
The D&H Associated Championships, run by British Dressage, give riders from affiliated organisations — including the Side Saddle Association — the chance to compete in a dedicated dressage championships!
It's a fantastic opportunity to showcase side saddle dressage, celebrate our discipline, and ride on a championship stage alongside riders from across the country! If you're already competing at BD, you could be closer than you think — and we'd love to see Side Saddle riders represented! 💛 Find out more here: https://bit.ly/DandHAssociatedChampionships2026 #BritishDressage

NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF
The Side Saddle Association?

NOTICE is hereby given that the 51st Annual General Meeting
of The Side Saddle Association shall be held on
Sunday 22nd March 2026
at Hogarths Hotel, Four Ashes Road, Dorridge, Solihull, West Midlands B93 8QE,
Commencing at 11:00am.

By Order of the Council.

Ms. Sally Lane
Hon. General Secretary to the SSA

Congratulations to all the Members who took part in the side saddle classes, your riding and turnout and camaraderie was a credit to you all: Louisa Davies, Leanne Holford, Louise Allen, Kerry Davey, Francesca Bell, Jennie Daniels, Kate Hargreaves, Tilly Jackson, Belinda Wilkins, Lois Seymour, Clare King, Harriet Mitchell, Laura Wright & Elizabeth Rogers.

RESULTS:
PRELIM – Lois Seymour
NOVICE – Harriet Mitchell
ELEMENTARY – Harriet Mitchell
MEDIUM – Laura Wright
INTRO – Tilly Jackson

**COMING UP SOON**
THE SSA ONLINE EQUITATION SERIES 2025/26

Look out for the next edition of Horse & Rider which includes an article on Side Saddle. Thank you to those who contributed to the article.
Facebook: @HorseandRiderMag
Instagram: @horseandrideruk
You can purchase a copy of Horse&Rider magazine from your local newsagents or supermarket, or directly from their website with free UK delivery through this link – https://bit.ly/HR_AUGUST25

It's not to late to qualify for the BD Associated Championships, go to www.britishdressage.co.uk For more information

Bettina E. Keil-Steentjes a SSA Member from Germany has recently published a paper in English: "A-Hunting We Will Go. The Transition from the Sideways Saddle to the Side-Saddle at the Turn of the Sixteenth Century and Its Significance for Female Equitation" in The Horse in History: A Festschrift in Honour of John Clark https://trivent-publishing.eu

Area 8 Member Belinda Wilkins reports on the event:

Eight side saddle riders entered the seven furlong MSFD Dash at Godstone. The crowds loved it. The winner Laura Stewart had an average speed of nearly 30mph. She flew round the course on her lovely 23 year old mare Penny. Rider Of The Year 2024 Emily Saunders was finishing fast behind her! My mare Mystical Masie reached a top speed of 24 mph. I usually run out of puff and so slow up half way. This time I chose to not slow up, which meant I was very floppy in the final straight, despite trying to ride correctly I had no energy left, so just let let Masie carry me home! The crowds loved it and 4th, 5th and 6th were so close. Last time the judge had problems knowing the results as the riders' aprons covered their numbers so Miles Wilkins was asked to film from the rostrum. This year they also had someone on the other side to see the numbers! SSA Area 8 had a stand displaying saddle, habits and saddle, which members and racegoers enjoyed visiting during the day.

Kate Hardt, from Staffordshire AND A Member of Area 11 has been passionate about saddlery since childhood. She began as an apprentice saddler before spending 20 years in the police. After retiring, she pursued saddlery full-time, earning City & Guilds qualifications and becoming a Master Saddler. A regular competitor in the National Saddlery Competition, Kate won the side-saddle class in 2025. Now, she focuses on side saddle work, continuing her mentorship under Coralie Chung.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVE HIDE PHOTOGRAPHY & SOCIETY OF MASTER SADDLERS

Members are continuing to enjoy and get benefit from the online series with this comment from an Overseas Member: "Many thanks for having the possibility to do the online tests! Many thanks to everybody involved. Living where you don't have access to qualified sides saddle lessons and having not yet figured out how to do online lessons, it is a brilliant way to improve!!

Please click here for the January 2025 results and updated League Table.

The Side Saddle Association is proud to have been invited back for the second time to be part of ITV's Love Your Weekend series hosted by Alan Titchmarsh.

Riders and supporters from Area 10 travelled to a farm in Hampshire for the filming in mid-September for the Remembrance Sunday edition of the programme. The show will be airing this Sunday 10th November from 9.30am until 11.30am.

The Associated Championships were held at Onley Grounds Equestrian from 22 to 26 October inclusive.

This year the Side Saddle Classes were all held on the same day which meant the logistics were easier albeit many of our Members competed in other sections across the week too.

The Side Saddle Association was very proud to be represented by the following riders:

Belinda Wilkins (Area 8), Caroline de Freyne Shrubsole (Area 5), Chloe Marsh (Area 12), Clare King (Area 8), Gemma Whitworth (Area 5), Harriet Mitchell (Area 8), Jennie Daniels (Area 5), Jenny Martin (Area 4), Katie Ockenden Evans (Area 4), Kerry Davey (Area 12), Laura Cull-Hooker (Area 9), Laura Wright (Area 5), Louise Allen (Area 4) and Samie Griffiths (Area 11).

Many miles were travelled between the fourteen Members getting to the venue and back home and whilst the Area 5 Members were fairly local a big shout out must go to all who travelled significant distances but especially Laura Cull-Hooker who travelled down on her own from East Lothian in Scotland with her Exmoor and Chloe Marsh who travelled to and from Dorset with her baby on board too.

With an excellent standard of horse and rider turnout and fantastic support and camaraderie which was a great pleasure to be part of, this group of SSA Members show cased side saddle and The Side Saddle Association with maximum impact. The standard of riding was superb with the girls ably demonstrating that the standards reached riding astride were equally attainable riding aside. Very well done and thank you to each and every one of you.

RESULTS:

INTRO: 1st Kerry Davey, 2nd Samie Griffiths
PRELIM: 1st Harriet Mitchell (Silver), 2nd Clare King (Bronze), 3rd Jennie Daniels,
NOVICE: 1st Gemma Whitworth (Gold), 2nd Harriet Mitchell (Bronze), 3rd Clare King
ELEM: 1st Gemma Whitworth, 2nd Laura Wright

The 50th Anniversary Newsletter has been posted to Members who take correspondence by Royal Mail and emailed to those who requested online correspondence. A limited number of Newsletters are available to purchase, the UK price is £7.50 including P&P, Overseas prices on application as postage rates vary. To order your 50th Anniversary Newsletter please contact the SSA Hon. General Secretary to arrange payment: secretary@sidesaddleassociation.co.uk

Numbers are limited so first come, first served.

Thinking of what to buy for Christmas presents: There are a limited number of anniversary mugs, cushion covers, pens and poems still available and orders remain open for you to purchase merchandise to celebrate the Side Saddle Association's 50th Anniversary. Postage rates are available on application from the Hon. General Secretary, however ,the SSA cannot be held responsible for delivery to final destination nor guarantee mugs will arrive intact.

Please click here for order form.

Please click here for order form.

Dr Erica Munkwitz has kindly offered to collect and summarise data to celebrate the 50th Anniversary which will be undertaken by means of a google survey.

All SSA members past and present are invited to complete the short survey and upload photos and video clips to add your memories to the SSA's 50th Anniversary collaboration project and help the Association collate, share and preserve memories from the last 50 years for the future generation of side saddle riders. Please note by submitting the completed survey, you give permission for the SSA to share, post, and publish your answers and media. You retain copyright of all images and media. 

The link below will take you to the survey: https://forms.gle/uRx8SkQNiDZTnDsc7
For those without access to email/internet who would like to take part in the survey please send a SAE to the Hon. General Secretary who will send you a hard copy of the document.

* A quick reminder that raffle prize donations will be very welcome.
* Don't forget to get your dogs pampered ready for the Dog Show.
* The Silent Auction is still open, the latest bids are:

Lot1 - £100
Lot 2 - £150
Lot 3 - £200
Lot 4 – £220
Lot 5 - £50
Lot 7 - £350
Lot 8 - £150
Lot 9 - £275

The National Side Saddle Show is fast approaching and we're sure you are all preparing for the trip to Addington for our festival of Side Saddle.

To help us gather our collective memories of the big show and indeed this whole milestone 50th Anniversary year, we ask that you use the hashtag: #SSA50years on all your relevant social media posts, reels, stories and TikToks. This will allow us to search for and share your memories with the whole side saddle community as well as having an archive for years to come and the next milestone anniversary. We can't wait to see what you all get up to so spread the word and get snapping, filming, editing and sharing. There will be a prize later in the year for the best video, reel or TikTok we find using #SSA50years

Good luck everybody. Let's see what you've got!

Silent Auction Bid Update
20 May 2024
• Lot 1 £100
• Lot 2 £50
• Lot 3 £200
• Lot 4 £100
• Lot 8 £75
• Lot 9 £250

The 2023/24 Online Equitation Series has now finished and the Points Championship placings are published on the Just So website. It was a closely fought championship this year with both Adult and Junior winners decided on the total of the collectives awarded over the series. Please click here for March 2024 and League Table results.

A big 'well done' to everyone who took part and it was lovely to see some new members taking part this year as well as seasoned regulars and a big 'Thank You' to our 6 judges who all gave up their time to judge your tests– we're sure you will have found the comments and guidance provided useful. We hope the series will return again later this year in October but don't forget, our JumpCoach on-line training is available all year round, and videos of you jumping can be submitted via the Just So website 'Whats On' page for feedback from a SSA List Instructor – great prep for the National Show!

Sarah Holman Sparks Side Saddle Enthusiasm in Saudi Arabia:
Saudi Arabia – traditionally, a socially conservative society – has witnessed momentous change in recent years. Women have increasing freedom to drive and to travel independently, empowering them to pursue sport and leisure activities like never before. Increasing numbers of Saudi women are getting involved in horse riding, and in doing so are honouring the long-established equestrian heritage of the region.

In this context, Sarah Holman, Side Saddle Association Judge and Instructor, has taken the intrepid step to visit the Saudi capital Riyadh accompanied by a Champion & Wilton saddle. In partnership with her friend Rebecca Hitchen, a coach at Working Line Traditional Equestrian Centre in Riyadh, she found a willing audience who were delighted to learn more. It is clear that the elegance and modesty of this riding style have a natural interest among Saudi women. One of the highlights of Sarah's visit was her lecture on side saddle riding which captured the imagination by covering its history and the types of competitive classes that exist today. The demonstration and explanation of the riding apron and veil were particularly popular, and the audience was astounded to find that it is possible to jump side saddle. Mohammed al-Tahan, founder of Working Line Traditional Equestrian Centre said, "it was amazing to see the quality of the English side saddle which was made in the reign of King George VI but is still in excellent condition today."

The Side Saddle Association 49th Annual General meeting was held on 24 March 2024. Officers elected were:

• President – Jane Pryor
• Chairman – Vanessa Hood
Vice Chairmen: Shirley Anderson. Henrietta Barton, Penny Clarke and Donna Clayton.

Whilst the resolution from Council re proposed change to the Constitution received a majority of yes votes because there was not 75% of the total votes in favour as per Section 11 of the current Constitution the proposal was not carried.

In the afternoon a wonderful presentation covering the five decades of the Side Saddle Association was given with input from founder Valerie Dunmore-Francis, Maureen James, Vanessa Hood, Patricia Drake, Vivienne Hogg, Belinda Wilkins, Amanda Say and Gillian Greenwood. With a range of film clips, videos and photos supported by fascinating facts and anecdotes it was a most enjoyable afternoon.

Please click here for order form.

A clothing Range to celebrate the Side Saddle Association's 50th Anniversary is now avaialble to order.

Please click here for order form.

As part of the SSA 50th Anniversary regional celebrations the Area 19 Chairman, Glynis Hughs, has set a 50 for 50th Challenge that it open to all Members – please click here for more information

50 for 50 challenge
50 for 50th entry form
50 for 50th recording form

Limited Edition Side Saddle Bear

There will be 50 Side Saddle Bears available to purchase on a first come, first served basis.
£30 EACH
 Each bear will have a 50 years golden sash.

The bears are approximately 16 inches tall
(the image above is for illustration only)

The bears need to be ordered and paid for in advance, order forms are available on the SSA website or from the Hon. Gen. Secretary, payment by bank transfer or cheque only
Closing date for receipt of is 31st December 2023

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD AN ORDER FORM

• Sunday 21 January 2024 at 2pm – Judging the Open Equitation Class and an Introduction to the new Contemporary Ladies Class
• Wednesday 6 March 2024 at 7pm – Judges Integrity & Conduct and Judging Turnout at the National Championships

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD AN ORDER FORM

Launch of the Better Beginnings Best Practice Guide 'Young Horse Development' coming out on October 9th 2023

The goal of a round-table event and subsequent webinars in 2022 was to produce a best practice guide for young horse development. This ground-breaking guide contains the findings of cutting-edge research and knowledge from the very best in the business. This guide aims to help you understand the very latest, together with tried and tested, thinking about producing your young horse in the best way possible, ensuring the very best beginning as the basis for a long happy life for your equine partner.

Horse & Country will be filming in the International Arena at the National Side Saddle Show 4 – 6 August inclusive.

Follow this link: Live Events (horseandcountry.tv)

• LATE ENTRIES: Entries are still being taken for all classes except the timed classes.

The Associated Championships are held at Bury Farm on Friday 13th-Sunday 15th October. The schedule can be found here - https://britishdressage.online. We run Side Saddle Championships from Introductory to Medium level. To qualify, you need to gain three scores of 60% side saddle at any regular British Dressage Competition between 1st January and 31st August 2023.

Also, if a combination is eligible for any of the other Championship (e.g. They ride a Native etc), they can use the same three scores to qualify for these too.

For more information, visit the website here https://www.britishdressage.co.uk

Ginny Oakley Pope, Chairman of The Side Saddle Association Area 5, was invited to put on a side saddle display at Kimble Point to Point before the first ever Side Saddle Dash held at Kimble. Despite recent heavy rain the going was good and six side saddle riders came forwards and husband and wife riders, Sarah and Roger Edmunds competed on their cobs. Roger's cob IO went to take the short cut home (straight across the course!) Staff got him back in the right direction and they went on to finish the race. Sarah riding Rocky came third – a great example with a cob! Perdy Sasha Dabliz rode Loughnatoosa Stan and also won the Best Turned Out Award. Perdy said 'It was a real thrill, and everyone should have a go. Thank you to Kimble races for putting on their first side saddle dash. Well done to everyone who took part"

Ex point to point rider, Vicky Heal who came in fourth, hasn't raced since about 2008 after breaking too many bones. Vicky travelled from Norfolk and she hadn't told anyone she was doing the dash! Vicky said 'Hunting had finished, and horses were still in, so I saw the dash advertised and thought I could give that a go! So last week me and the horse tried side saddle for the first time. Hats off to the others- it's harder than I thought! When he was playing up in the paddock, I was regretting my spontaneity! Georgie Brearey (Kate Brearey) riding her 14 year old Connemara pony Max, was just pipped at the post by Amy Biggs riding ex racehorse, Silent Warrior. Amy said 'It was quite a wiggly course, literally swapping from going left round one fence then right round the next! It was great to see Lisa Summerfield back under side saddle taking part in the display and looking so smart, along with Lucinda Mitchell who travelled from The Talland School of Equitation to take part. A big thank you to Kimble Races for inviting the side saddle riders to take part and also to Ashley Bowden for sponsoring the side saddle dash – your ongoing support and enthusiasm is very much appreciated.

The AGM was held as a live event for the first time since 2019 on Sunday 26th March at Hogarths Hotel and was enjoyed by all who attended.
The election of Officers was as follows:
PRESIDENT – Jane Pryor
CHAIRMAN – Vanessa Hood
VICE CHAIRMEN – Shirley Anderson, Henrietta Barton, Caroline Hobson & Ann Sadler.

After the formal meeting the presentation of awards including the 2022 Performance Points took place. The winners included:
The Billette Mackie Memorial Training Award – Katie Gulliver, Area 5
The Ralph James Memorial Trophy – Linz & Iain Cadle, Area 8

For Performance Points winners please click here

Area 8 is delighted to announce we have the honour of organising the first National Side Saddle Camp in Oxfordshire in between the M4 and M40 and near the M25 for easy access. There are a limited number of spaces, so it is first come first served for all Side Saddle Associations members. This camp will be held at Rosehill Equestrian (RG9 3EB) on the 20th and 21st of May for two days and one night, (there is opportunity to stay Friday and Sunday night if needed, but this will be arranged separately).

There will be group lessons on Saturday, followed by an informative talk and entertainment in the evening. On Sunday there will be an opportunity to run through an equitation or dressage test, and receive feedback with the opportunity to do it again, or a ring craft session, again with feedback and helpful advice. Sunday afternoon there will be a jumping or pole lesson. During this camp, there will be the opportunity to have side saddles, habit and overall turnout checked by affiliated judges. Please send an email to Sarah Clune: Sarah.clune@yahoo.co.uk to register interest; more information with the booking forms will be sent out in due course.

NOTICE is hereby given that the 48th Annual General Meeting of The Side Saddle Association shall be held on Sunday 26th March 2023, at Hogarths Hotel, Four Ashes Road, Dorridge, Solihull, West Midlands B93 8QE, commencing at 11:00am.

By Order of the Council. Ms. Sally Lane Hon. General Secretary to the SSA 20/02/23

The Side Saddle Association is delighted to announce Dr Erica Munkwitz will be the guest speaker at the SSA AGM on 26th March 2023. Erica is a historian of modern British and European history. Her research focuses on gender, sport and empire in modern Britain, specifically women's involvement in equestrianism. Her presentation title is 'A Brief History of Side Saddle Riding'. Erica gave this talk at the Munnings Museum in September 2022; the talk was attended by several SSA Members who said it was a fascinating and informative presentation which they enjoyed very much. In this talk Erica will provide a brief history of ladies' riding from the medieval era, through the Victorian age, and into the present day. She has written a book Women, Horse Sports and Liberation: Equestrianism and Britain from the 18th to the 20th Centuries which was published by Routledge in 2021. This book is the first, full-length scholarly examination of British women's involvement in equestrianism from the eighteenth through the twentieth centuries, with a focus on the evolution of the side-saddle, the transformation of fox-hunting as a sport, women's riding in the Empire, and the transition from riding aside to riding astride. The book will be available to purchase at the AGM at a special rate of £50.

If you would like to purchase a book at the AGM they need to be pre-ordered via Sally Lane, Hon. General Secretary by 1st February 2023 latest.

DOWNLOAD BOOK FLYER HERE

There are two updates from British Equestrian re “equine influenza vaccines within the UK” and “Equine Health Week”. For more information follow one of the links below:
Website – News | The Showing Council
Facebook – (20+) The Showing Council | Facebook