The Association of British Riding Schools,
Livery Yards and Equestrian Centres

Yesterday 5th February one of our Trustees Rudina Suti attended the Saddlery Showcase at Saddlers Hall in London. Focusing on exports, it was a very informative and interesting afternoon and to see such history was spectacular!

The Worshipful Company of Saddlers is one of the very oldest of the City of London Livery companies, with the earliest surviving records of a Guild of Saddlers in London dating from circa 1160 AD.

The earliest known document which refers to the Saddlers of London is a scrap of parchment, dated between 1160 and 1193, which is stored in the library of Westminster Abbey. It records the details of an agreement between the church and the Guild of Saddlers. It has been claimed a Saddlers’ guild existed in Anglo-Saxon times, before the Norman Conquest, although there is no longer positive evidence to support this.

Through out the decades the Saddlers Guild had struggled for Survival and been forced to constantly evolve with the ever-changing times.

The 19th Century saw the Saddlers’ Company wane in both influence and membership. Along with the Corporation and other Livery Companies, much of this period was spent in fending off attempts by radical reformers and liberal administrations to abolish the ancient institutions of the City of London, on the grounds that they were based on privilege and made no contribution to the community as a whole.

It was, as Wellington said of Waterloo, a damned close-run thing. Much credit for the survival of the Livery Companies as a whole is owed to Sir Richmond Cotton, Master of the Saddlers’ Company in 1880 and a subsequent Mayor of the City of London. However, it did inspire the Livery Companies to become both more outward looking and involved in projects such as the formation of the City & Guilds of London Institute and the Northampton Institute (now City University).

The Saddlers were among the founders of both of these educational enterprises and, by the beginning of the 20th Century, was again taking steps to benefit its own craft – this time on a national, rather than a local, basis.

Head over to their website to read about William Fox-Pitt and Natasha Baker supporting the New Online Directory of Professional Fitters.

Equi-rider is an application designed to facilitate remote competitions between riding schools. The concept is straightforward: the same course is set up in multiple arenas, riders compete, and their performances are filmed as proof. Schools then upload the results along with the videos, and the Equi-rider team verifies the footage and awards prizes to the top performers.

The platform also hosts an international educational project: the Riding Cup. This 4-stage tournament, taking place from 01-02-2024 to 30-06-2025, offers participation in jumping, dressage, and/or equifun. At the conclusion of the tournament in July, a grand prize-giving ceremony will be held, with over €60,000 in vouchers to be won. Schools have the flexibility to schedule the four competitions at any time during this 10-month period. Multiple arena sizes are available to accommodate different infrastructures: 40x20m, 60x20m, 65x25m, 55x35m, and 70x35m. The classes cater to beginners and amateurs, ranging from poles on the ground to 120cm in jumping, and from a walk-and-trot test to the Saint-Georges dressage test.

Equi-rider has partnered exclusively with ABRS+ member schools. By registering for the Riding Cup before 01-02-2025, participants can enjoy a 50% discount with the code ABRS50. The pricing is as follows: £81 instead of £162 for all four stages and £7 per entry for jumping or equifun, and £10 per entry for dressage.

To register, visit this page, select your discipline(s), and use the code to receive the 50% discount.

Currently, four ABRS+ centres are registered: Santolina Stables, South Weylands Equestrian Centre, Witney Modern Equitation Centre, and Four Winds Equestrian Centre. In total, over 200 centres from more than 20 countries have already signed up.