The Glasgow University Riding Club (GURC) has had one of their busiest fresher’s weeks in the clubs history. Club Captain Victoria reports “we have had over 150 people sign up for the club at this year’s fresher’s fayre”. As is always the case at the fayre, all of the university’s clubs are vying for prospective members and to get this many shows just how popular the sport is with incoming students.
Following on from the fayre the club held their annual taster session on Friday 17th September at Tannoch stables in Cumbernauld. The taster session is designed to give people a chance to try the sport before signing up for membership with the club. Victoria confirmed that “over 50 people came along to try out horse riding, many of whom had never ridden before”. The taster session allowed for everyone to try the sport free of charge, meet other members and to get a feel for the club. Again Victoria from the GURC reported “the response and turnout was fantastic and we felt it was an overwhelming success, with many who came along to the taster session signing up for the Team Trials”.
The team trials took place on Wednesday the 22nd, again at Tannoch stables. The GURC use Tannoch as their ‘home’ stables for competitions throughout the year and the team trials gives everyone a chance to try out for a place in the clubs teams. Those trying to do so, had to ride a mixture of both flatwork and jumping under the watchful gaze of their Club Captain, Teams Captain and the owner of the stables, to try and prove they are worthy of a coveted spot in one of the club’s four teams. Who over the course of the year will compete against St. Andrews, Dundee, Heriot Watt, Stirling, Edinburgh, Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian Universities. From the 30 odd people who tried out, 16 were chosen to represent the club and the University comprising a mixture of old and new members across the A – D team. This mix of old and new heads will hopefully carry on from last year’s success at competitions where the GURC held their own against some stiff competition from across Scotland.
For those who never made the cut, they will have ample opportunity to ride as part of the larger recreational riders within the club. Victoria stated “all of our rec riders sign up for weekly lessons and with expert tuition they progress quickly throughout the year, and as has proved this year, some who never made the teams last year went away and improved their skills enough that they made it this year”. For those not interested in competing, they have a whole raft of activities on offer from socials, weekly hacks in the Scottish countryside, to days out at equine events. They manage to keep everyone busy throughout the year and it all makes for an active club to be part of.
For more information contact the club on [email protected] or visit their facebook group GURC.
