Until recently I had thought that riding a horse using a side saddle was very ladylike for the more fortunate and active of our great-grandmothers but rather limiting in terms of action. I assumed one didn't gallop or jump fences riding side-saddle. Now I know different; those ladies were just as skilled and adventurous as their male counterparts. I learned this from my great-niece who at 16 years is already an experienced horsewoman. Now she is winning prizes not just locally but nationally.
Part of the secret it seems is the special saddle which has a pommel you can hook your right leg round and thus stay in the saddle. (This is not the proper way to describe this of course but I've not actually tried it, not ever having been a horse-rider)
Anyway Samantha has just been winning prizes at the National Side-saddle Championships competing with 2000 side-saddle riding ladies and with her horse Buster won 'lots of rosettes and a nice rose bowl trophy'.
She then qualified for the Championship and became National Reserve Champion while her boss and trainer Babette Cole was the overall Champion.
Congrats, Sam- we are proud of you! In my search of the family tree I've not found any champions or celebrities but the new generation are going to change all that! more
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