The County Committee arranges many activities throughout the year, including pleasure-rides, an annual TREC competition and Horseman’s Evening.

New committee members, willing to help with fund-raising activities, are always welcome – contact Wendy, for details of how to get involved!

Elly Thomson BHSII has always lived in Cleveland and is proprietor and Senior Instructor at the BHS Approved Eston Equitation Centre. Ellie and her husband John are currently planning to celebrate 25 years at the centre in 2005.

Elly first learned to ride as a reward for passing her scholarship and became an active member of Teeside Riding Club – one of her claims to fame is winning the Prix Caprilli at the National Championships! Ellie has always been an avid supporter of hunting – and hopes the ban is short term.

Elly has a wide variety of interests outside horses too; these include a passion for Tall Ships. She is a Watch Leader for The Lord Nelson – a specialist vessel fitted to accommodate both disabled and able-bodied crew. Elly is also a season ticket holder for Middlesbrough Football Club and rarely misses a game.

Having been a founder member of Cleveland BHS, Elly was ‘dragged’ to the Chairmanship at a re-forming meeting following a long period where the County had been out of action.

Elly loves: Sloe gin toddies, Travel, Art Exhibitions and being busy.
Elly dislikes: TV Soaps, Tony Blair and people who voice strong opinions on things they know nothing about.

Pippa Holt works as Liaison Manager for the Great North Air Ambulance, having moved to Cleveland age 18 “a long time ago”.

Pippa was lucky to have ponies as a child and was a member of the South Oxfordshire Pony Club where she gained her B Test – she has always maintained the Pony Club connection and is currently DC for the East Cleveland branch.

Whilst studying at Teesside Polytechnic Pippa won the Polytechnic Riding Championships and after her studies, followed her interest in horses by grooming for the RAF team at the Royal Tournament, training for and obtaining her BHSAI and RDA County Instructor certificates and running a livery yard for seven years.

Pippa has owned a few horses of her own; perhaps the most notable is ‘Izzy’ whom she acquired as a 2 year old. A kick in the face from Izzy led to Pippa needing a metal eye socket - he lived with her to the ripe old age of 36, so we assume she must have forgiven him his sin somewhere along the line!

Pippa currently owns the homebred ‘Shiraz’ and welsh cobs ‘Scooby’ and ‘Dazzle’.

Pippa loves: Friends, holidays, hacking out and briefly escaping to the South from time to time.
Pippa dislikes: Pushy, Pony Club parents.

Brenda Gray has always lived in the Darlington Area and works as a Primary School teacher in Stockton.

Brenda’s first pony arrived when she was ten years old and over the years she has enjoyed Hunting, Hunter Trials and Team Chasing. One of Brenda’s many claims to fame is winning the Audi Riding and Road Safety Challenge at Blenheim – another is her astounding knowledge of Costa Rican caterpiller poo!

Brenda is a very busy lady - as a member of the South Durham Pony Club Committee and as Secretary for Area 2 of the Side-saddle Association. Brenda has no time for non-horsey interests as a result.

Her predecessor Sue Lincoln recruited Brenda to the role of Riding and Road Safety Officer over fifteen years ago.

Brenda loves: The Famous Grouse
Brenda dislikes: Mud and “trying to keep the white bits on coloured horses clean!”

Clare Robinson BHSAI (Regd.) has always lived in Cleveland and currently manages the busy, BHS Approved, Bense Bridge Farm Riding School at Stokesley. Clare also lectures part-time on the Redcar and Cleveland College Horse-care programmes.

Clare has loved horses from being a small child and has a collection “too numerous to mention”. She does however describe the ponies ‘Totty’ and ‘Chatty’ as special favourites.

Clare enjoys circuit training and has been known “in a fit of madness”, to complete the Great North Run – spurred on by sponsorship for BHS Welfare! Clare’s predecessor Pat Dorman coerced her into joining the BHS Cleveland Committee.

Clare loves: Chocolate, Bridget Jones’ Diary, Jack Russell Terriers, helpful people and anything alcoholic!
Clare dislikes: having her photograph taken and boring situations.

Chris Williamson was born in Cleveland and works as a Senior Chartered Physiotherapist.

Chris has always loved horses and first learned to ride on the beach at Redcar – she eventually learned properly at a local Riding School.

Chris owns a Dales pony ‘Archie’ (now 19) and competes in local Mountain and Moorland and Veteran classes. Chris says, “ We have even competed in dressage and once won a winter series!”

Archie does enjoy jumping – after looking at the fence (several times). He has also been known to occasionally part company with Chris – but she “wouldn’t swap him for anything”.

Outside horses, Chris enjoys dancing and reading. Chris says she was “ordered onto the BHS Cleveland committee” by someone who told her it would “involve the occasional meeting and sticking stamps on envelopes!”

Chris loves: Chocolate, her horses and cats, boating holidays and Harry Potter – the books and the films.
Chris dislikes: People who don’t look after their animals, inconsiderate people and Twiglets.

Pat Dorman (our very own Camilla Parker-Bowles lookie likie), has always been a member of the Cleveland Committee despite having always lived in North Yorkshire.

Pat learned to ride age six and was an active Pony Club member. Later, Pat spent 31 years with the Cleveland Pony Club both as Chief Instructor and Committee member – she is still known as ‘Aunty Pat’ to countless members and was thrilled to receive her Guy Cubitt Award for outstanding service to the Pony Club on her retirement.

Pat’s long time favourite horse was ‘Hilbva Drummer Boy’ a Welsh x TB who was purchased as a two year old and went on to numerous successes in dressage and took Pat to many major show championships – he lived until the ripe old age of 32.

Pat is a star judge on many Society Panels and is a familiar face at shows across the UK. She has also owned many successful horses and ponies and most recently her daughter Phillippa Porley won at HOYS 2004 with their beloved ‘Monivae Magic Rainbow’.

Pat has always had an interest in welfare and joined the Cleveland Committee as County Welfare Officer “many moons ago” as a founder member.

Pat loves: Seeing children having fun with their ponies, keeping her retired horses and ponies and “the odd weekend in a luxury hotel”.
Pat dislikes: Cruelty to children or animals, alcohol, men with shaved heads and/or medallions and hairy chests.