Orkney celebrates completion of new indoor riding centre
Tuesday 14 September 2004
Four times equestrian Olympic silver medallist, Ian Stark OBE will officially open the long awaited indoor riding centre at The Orkney Branch of the Pony Club on Sunday 19 September. As part of a day of celebrations, Ian will be taking part in a riding demonstration, followed by a mounted pageant by club members, a polo demonstration, a display by Orkney Carriage Drivers Group and a demonstration of Pony Club Games.
Supported by an award of £114,787 from sportscotland’s Lottery funded Sports Facilities Programme, together with additional funding from Forward Scotland, Orkney Enterprise, Orkney Islands Council and the Rotary Club of Kirkwall, the dilapidated wooden hut that had been used as a clubhouse for over 25 years has now been demolished and replaced with a brand new, fully equipped indoor riding centre.
Alastair Dempster, Chairman, sportscotland added: “We are delighted to have been part of the indoor riding centre project at The Orkney Branch of the Pony Club, with an award of £114,787 from the Lottery Fund’s Sports Facilities Programme.
The new centre boasts a brand new indoor riding arena, committee room, activity room, showers and changing facilities and storage areas. The club now aims to provide year round riding with rallies, competitions and gymkhana events that had previously been restricted to the summer months, due to the adverse island weather and limited hours of daylight in the winter.
In 1994, The Orkney Branch of the Pony Club joined forces with Orkney Branch of Riding for the Disabled Association, Orkney Riding Club and Orkney Carriage Driving Group to form a steering group, Orkney Equestrian Development Association (OEDA), in order to raise funds for the construction of a much needed indoor riding centre on Orkney.
The provision of the new all-weather facilities will benefit all of those who take part in the riding programmes that the club runs. These programmes, set out by The British Horse Society and The Pony Club include tuition in dressage, showjumping, driving, cross country, polo, tetrathlon, carriage driving and stable management, for riders of all ages and abilities. The club also works closely with the Riding for the Disabled Association, providing sessions for disabled riders to participate in independently, helping to improve their mobility and boost social skills, self-esteem and self confidence.
Dennis Bichan, District Commissioner, The Orkney Branch of the Pony Club said: “This wonderful all-weather facility will for the first time give us year round access to our sport. On Orkney, an indoor arena is not a luxury, it is a necessity and our first winter programme has just been published. Without the financial and technical input from sportscotland this project would not have been possible.”
Alastair Dempster, Chairman, sportscotland added: “We aredelighted to have been part of the indoor riding centre project at The Orkney Branch of the Pony Club, with an award of £114,787 from the Lottery Fund’s Sports Facilities Programme.
“sportscotland is committed to providing quality, accessible facilities, enabling people of all ages and abilities to enjoy physical activities as part of a healthy lifestyle. This is particularly important for island communities, to ensure that they have the same sporting opportunities as their counterparts on the mainland and helping to achieve sportscotland’s vision of making more people, more active, more often.”
- The official opening ceremony will take place on Sunday 19 September at 12 noon at The Market Stance, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1TW.
- The Orkney Branch of the Pony Club is part of The Pony Club and is one of 349 branches in Great Britain. Internationally, The Pony Club has a membership of over 110,000 across 18 countries, making it the largest association of riders in the world.
- The Orkney Branch is the most northerly UK branch of The Pony Club.