Interview with two-time National Champions, Dead Pigeon

I’m here with Ross Towner, boarder from Dead Pigeon, unfortunately Charlie Buss, rider for Dead Pigeon, couldn’t make it to chat to us today, but as the two of them are also a couple, as well as team mates, I’m sure Charlie won’t mind Ross speaking for her. So Ross, how are you feeling about the season ahead?

-      I can’t wait! There’s a lot of horseboarding coming up now so it should be pretty good. Pretty Knackering, but good.

Well that’s good to hear. So Dead Pigeon are the two-time National Champions for the Horseboarding Championships, it must feel good hearing that. I’m guessing you’re hoping to be three-time National Champions too?

-       Yeah of course! For me, I’ve only really done it once seeing as I was pretty much out for the first season, apart from a couple of races, due to a dislocated knee. But, yeah, we definitely want to do it all again.

So, getting down to it, what went through your minds last year when you realised you had won for the second time?

-      We sort of realised it on the last race so that meant that we were really relaxed, which made it all a lot more enjoyable because the pressure wasn’t really on any more.

How did it feel when it was announced then?

-      For me personally it was wicked because it was the first time I’d done slalom and because I had to just watch it the year before because of my injury.

How would you say you achieved such an impressive feat?

-      For me personally, I think Charlie is the best rider and that we have the fastest horse. Charlie and I are together so I think as a team it helps because we can sort of say anything to each other! I wouldn’t say I was the best boarder in the competition by a mile, but I suppose my best attributes are that I’m up for going fast.

Have you been doing anything different in training this year? We haven’t heard much from you since the end of last season. Keeping things hush-hush?

-       Err no, we just haven’t been training! The ground has been so bad we just haven’t had a chance. I’ve got a new board now but I used it for the first time at Round One and I hadn't really trained on it beforehand. We generally train on season, I know that sounds a bit daft, but we sort of hang in there a bit at the beginning and then in the second half of the season we’re stronger.

Well that seems to be working for you, so maybe that’s where everyone else is going wrong!

-      Ha, maybe. I think we’re just lazy.

I suppose you could call it that too… Now moving on to this year. You've just come out of Round One - heard about the state of the grounds there. One word – mud! How did you find that?

-      Well the pressure came off to be honest because it was a matter of just getting round and getting a time. Nobody could really show their skills.

I suppose you were all on pretty even pegging because of it then?

-      Exactly, yeah. In a weird way it was more of a laugh than a proper comp!

How did you find the cross-over part of the course? It’s new this year to the Elite course and looks pretty tricky if you ask me!

-      I really like it actually. I’m not sure what everyone else thinks but, personally, I really like it. Obviously it’s a bit more technical, being right in the middle. But yeah I think it makes it a bit different for us.

So now that Round One is over, Dead Pigeon are in 2^nd position. How do you feel about that guys?

-      Pretty good really. Last year at this stage we only got one point and came in last so it’s an improvement! We were glad to just finish in the top three. We brought our second team, Mad ’Atters, with us as well so we were quite happy with second and third.

That is pretty impressive! But it does seem like Do or Die are holding firm on their promise of taking that title away from you.

-      Ha, yeah. They’ve been saying that for the last three years though. I’m sure one of these years they probably will. Tom’s a great boarder and he’s in a relationship with Millie (Do or Die’s rider) so they probably have a pretty similar team chemistry as us. It’s definitely going to be close though because we have a faster horse overall, but they have a quicker horse over a shorter distance. I’d say that Tom is one of the best boarders out there as well so it’s going to be tough.

I’m sure he’ll be pleased to hear you say that Ross! We know how much Tom likes to hear how good he is.

-     Oh yeah, he loves it. Probably best not to tell him that then!

Now I heard that Do or Die’s horse Amba had some pretty big talk pre-season. Something about eating dead pigeon for breakfast?

-     Oh yeah! [laughs] It’s sort of funny because me and Charlie are fairly chilled and find it more fun than anything. Since Tom’s come back into the sport, after his bad ankle, he just gives us stick all the time! But it is all part of the fun and we take it in our stride.

Does Nabo have anything to say back to that?

-      Ha! No, no. We do our talking on the track. Although, saying that, we’re using a different pony called Cookie for the next round and she would probably be a good horse for Tom seeing as she’s the size of a matchbox car. And so is he.

Oooh, burn! So it’s Round Two this bank holiday weekend at Thame, are you nervous at all?

-      We've had a slight issue with our main horse, Nabo, as he’s a little injured. It’s going to be a bit like riding in the unknown for this one. We have a different pony, Cookie, who is tiny and is a bit slow one handed, but we’re hoping she’ll be quick off the mark with Charlie’s using two hands on her.

So how do you think it will go?

-      Hopefully good because I think the weather’s going to be good but it all depends on if it’s going to be a big or small course.

Do you know what the size is?

-      Err no. It’s often small, which doesn’t normally suit us because we tend to go at a higher speed on a bigger course. But seeing as we have Cookie, who is much slower, we need a smaller course to compete.

I see. Well fingers crossed for a smaller course. Any fighting words for the other teams?

-      Err no, not really. It’s a bit too early to say. There’s a lot of new teams so I wouldn’t want to come across all war-like. I’d probably say Do or Die are our main competitors though. And after that? Probably Ihorse or Icandy but it’s early days yet so it’s really hard to call.

Well, it’s been lovely chatting with you Ross, thank you very much. We hope the weather’s a bit better for you next time around and we wish you lots of luck!

Can Dead Pigeon hold onto their title for a third year running? Find out for yourselves! The next round is coming soon to Thame Showground on the 20^th and 21^st April. To get your ticket, click here. 

Highlights of Round 1 2014

Round 1 Living Heritage National Horseboarding Championship

The Horseboarding UK Championships began with a muddy start with weather conditions causing drama for all the teams. As they came together for the first time this season, there was an air of excitement throughout the camp. All were anxious to hit the course but when the forecast of rain fell, it made the soft, sticky clay ground instantly water logged, making the track difficult for every team.

The Novice Class

Despite the weather, our Novice Class teams dived in with all four hooves in the morning of Heat One and tried their hardest to record times. Blur of the Moment had some great runs and dominated from the start. Daniel Hallam (boarder) seemed extremely comfortable behind his new horse who clearly had a ton of speed, which I am sure we will see in its full glory at the first dry event. Dan did have one fall, however, and fully tested the new bendy poles that mark the gates of the course, when he rolled over it with no damage to the pole or himself.

Blur of the Moment were in the lead with a time of 53.05s and it was clear that boarder Daniel Hallam’s riding had come on tenfold since last season (when he rode with Three's a Crowd) and the team have said that they are keen to compete in the Elite Class soon. First-time competitors, Predators, also progressed quickly and worked particularly hard to put down a time.

Only Ambush and UK Boarder Force had yet to set down a time at the end of the morning of Heat One. But they certainly made up for it in the afternoon session. UK Boarder Force showed a lot of potential and their boarder looked pretty confident on the slippery mud and they managed to put down a fastest time of 63.82s. Ambush also did particularly well, coming in second place with an average time of 69.82s. Their rider, Aiden, a MBS boarder, had this to say about the sport: “[It’s hard to describe] how difficult it actually is, even as an experienced boarder, to keep control when being tugged around the arena.” Despite their gallant effort, Blur of the Moment was still in the lead with a best time of 49.51s.

As for Heat Two, the weather had become considerably worse making the course almost impossible, even for the Elite teams. Our Novice teams gave it a mighty effort but a lot teams fell on the opening straight or the very first bend and eventually the arena took them all. Only Ambush and Blur of the Moment managed to record a single time. This meant that Blur of the Moment finished in 1^st position with a time of 65.01s and Ambush was 2^nd with 68.36s.

Not to be forgotten though, Designated Drinkers decided to race as a non-competitive team in the Novice class with stand-in boarder Richard and rider Laura. They managed an average time of 53.02s for Course A and 69.14s for Course B. After pulling out of Heat Two after the first run, they managed an average time of 61.08s which, if they had entered competitively, would have given them second place.

We would like to thank each of our Novice teams who continued to try their luck with a near-impossible course. You all demonstrated wonderful determination and love of the, somewhat muddy, sport of horseboarding. Congratulations to you all for completing the first round, but you should know, the best is yet to come!

The Elite Class

Despite the weather conditions and the new Elite course to contend with, Dead Pigeon set the bar high with a time of 75.94s which no other Elite team could match. Mad ’Atters were in second place, with a time that was only 2.05s behind Dead Pigeon. Norfolk ‘n’ Good and Icandy both put down times in the morning of Heat One but Norfolk 'n' Good's was much slower than the rest. The horseboarding Battle for Beachy Head, it seemed, had begun and the top spot would be fought over by three teams - Dead Pigeon, Icandy and Mad 'Atters.

Even though Norfolk’n’Good had set a time, it was very conservative and lacked any speed. This was clearly a tactical move on their behalf because we all know how fast they can really go.

Despite the general consensus that setting a time that could be improved on later was the most important thing to do, two teams failed to even score at all during the morning of Heat One. Ihorse and Do or Die both had teething problems. Ihorse’s new horse, Dave, started a little nervous out of the arena but quickly settled. However, when it came to racing, he napped towards the exit gate over to where the other horses were in the pits. This made the challenging course even harder for the team and they ended up losing two runs completely and severely damaging the time on another.

Do or Die’s pre-season grudge against Dead Pigeon seemed to be all talk as they failed to complete a run at all in the first half of Heat One. Clearly their horse Amba wasn’t in the mood for her usual hearty breakfast of dead pigeon that morning. The team seemed to struggle with the new element but fortunately for them, they were not the only ones to find it particularly trying. 

As the afternoon session of Heat One began at Fonmon Castle, Do or Die managed to set a steady time on their second run with 81.25s which put them in to 3rd place overall for the first day. They were still trailing behind Dead Pigeon, Mad ’Atters and Icandy, but at least they were now in the fight, which is more than can be said for Ihorse who failed to set a time at all that day.

The night brought in another 4-6mm of rain and with the carriage driving and the MGA Games using the arena before the horseboarding, it was starting to look more like Glastonbury than South Wales Game and Country Fair. The arena was littered with ruts, horse tracks, skid marks and mud of various consistencies. The mud completely clogged up the tyres of the boards, eliminating what little grip they might have had left. This did not deter the teams, however, who pushed on regardless after every fall. They were our muddy heroes.

Course B had to be moved slightly so as to avoid the worst of the mud but despite this, and the best efforts made by all teams, they only managed 27% completion rate across the board. The range of times for the Elite Class varied from around 90 seconds to 125 seconds, some of the slowest we have seen for a while.

Icandy had some inconsistent starts, one of which saw Dan Fowler-Prime (boarder) crash very hard on the start line. Then, despite a clear improvement from Dan’s second team, Ihorse, they still failed to score a single time. The last to race in the morning of Heat Two was Do or Die. They previously set a very steady time of 102.19s on their first run but needed to beat Dead Pigeon’s time of 90.5s to be in with a chance of taking home the trophy.

With ground conditions worsening it was not looking hopeful for them. Nevertheless, in true Do or Die style, Melissa and Amba pushed on at a rocketing pace in the hope that their boarder would just cling on. None of the other teams could believe their eyes as boarder, Tom Kilroy, stopped looking for grip and instead skidded his board from the start to finish. The pits fell silent with only the odd whisper of “what the hell is he doing?” heard between the boarders. Nobody had attempted to run the course at such a speed and no one could figure out how on earth he was managing to stay on the board. Pot luck, or pure skill? We’ll let you decide.

After slipping and sliding around the course, and with some of their riding getting dangerously close to the edge, they managed to all hold on and crossed the finish line at 80.53 seconds. This time was a whopping 11 seconds in front of Dead Pigeon which put them 1^st overall for Round 1. The whole pits, audience and commentator alike, erupted in excitement as the team lived up to their name in a very real ‘Do or Die’ moment of glory.

Speaking with Thomas after, he humbly said “to be honest, I think I had 20% skill and 80% luck not to hit a rut.” Despite new tucks and wheels from Trampa, he said that he believed he had never been so unsteady on his board!

By the afternoon of the last Heat of the weekend, after the carriage drivers and the mounted games had been in again, the arena looked awful form a boarder’s point of view. All the marks had been completely scrubbed out and even the arena crew struggled to walk in the slippery, claggy mud, let alone board it. It was clear from the beginning that this Heat was not going to be about racing speed but about whether or not you could survive the course.

Daniel Fowler-Prime, Horseboarding UK founder, began the last half of Heat Two by taking to the mic and reciting a slightly altered part of Shakespeare’s Henry V -  “once more into the breach dear friends”. This was quickly followed by a partial rendition of the Charge of the Light Brigade, voiced by our commentator, Hew Alun Whitney.   

After this inspirational opener, on our teams charged for a chance at victory. Ihorse decided that they would rather face the M4 than the arena, leaving five teams still in the fight for the Elite Class. However they were no longer fighting each other but together they fought the arena itself. And, boy, did the arena fight back. A comment was made that it had become a horseboarder’s version of the Battle of the Somme.

Teams struggled to get out of the pits and if they did make it, their boards were normally sideways.  A lot teams fell on the opening straight or the first bend. Some managed to make it further round the course but eventually the arena took them as well. It started to become less like a race than a very elaborate way of getting muddy as team after team tried and failed to beat the arena.

Dead Pigeon had a second problem as they were still trying to race and beat Do or Die’s time set in the morning session of the Heat. This led to a massive crash on the start line, similar to Icandy’s on day one. However, this knocked the wind out of Ross Towner (boarder), who took a couple of minutes to recover. It came as a reminder to the teams that even though the mud was soft, you could still get hurt.

At this stage, it seemed clear that the competition was over, the only question was would anybody manage to get around the course? Then came Norfolk ‘n’ Good. Christie Webb, Allan Hare and horse Alfie, stepped forward with the steely determination of a soldier that would not be beaten. 

Through constant communication and near perfect teamwork, they slowly fought their way out of the pits and down the opening straight, which was littered with the imprints of their fallen comrades. Around the first bend, past the commentary box and then through the mine field of particularly soft mud that had claimed so many teams already. Down the back straight and into the first really tight bend, which Aiden of Ambush had said was impassable, then up the centre line to the weave which had - at some point or other - claimed the scalp of every Elite team over the course of the weekend. This did not faze them, however, and they pushed bravely on.

Back to the commentary corner they went, and into the mine field of really slippery mud.  By now all the activity in the pits had ceased as the teams started to think the unthinkable - they might make it!? Through the centre and 90 degree turn, this team struggled on. As they came past the pits a second time, the fellow competitors did not know what to do - cheer them on? Or just carry on holding their breath in fear that any movement or sound could ruin what was shaping up to be the best chance they had at beating this arena.

They passed through the double gates which had previously seen Daniel Hallam, Daniel Fowler-Prime and Allan, himself, fall. Then they were on to the diagonal which was probably the best bit of ground left in the field, but it held a tight bend at the end of it that opened up past the commentary box and through yet another mine field.

Slowly, steady, this team searched for the best ground. Christie Webb tried to avoid the worst of it and put her boarder in the best possible place, meanwhile Allan passed on the speed and direction instructions constantly. As they came on to the final straight, all those that had been holding their breath inhaled even deeper. For a few brief moments the rest of the showground faded out of existence and the only things left in the field were Norfolk’n’Good, 50 meters of mud and the ever-elusive finish line. Norfolk’s patience was waning and to the dismay of the onlookers, they accelerated towards the finish! 

In an historic heat, in historic conditions, after twenty seven planned races, spread across nine teams, one team stood out from the mud. In the afternoon of Heat Two, one team managed one race that succeeded where all others had failed. This team is Norfolk ‘n’ Good. As they crossed the finish line, everybody erupted in celebration. They truly are the heroes of Fonmon Castle and demonstrated the teamwork needed to succeed in this sport. Congratulations, boys (and girl) in blue – we salute you!

Despite the weather, it really was a great weekend at Fonmon Castle and the teams were certainly keen on displaying some great skill and bravery on the tracks. Teams will now be preparing for the next round at Thame Showground for the Easter Thame Country Fair on the 20^th and 21^st April. We hope to see you there!

Introduction to the 2014 National Championship

As you can see, Horseboarder Magazine is now coming to you from an entirely new platform. Welcome to the blogspot era!

There are many reasons we felt a change was needed; the magazine has been around now for a little over a year so we felt it would be a good time to shake things up a bit. Articles will now be much clearer to read and access, thanks to the archive to the left of the screen. We also have the chance to include a lot more information for you in our selection of tabs across the top of the screen. Please have a look around and let us know what you think in the comment section below.

But let’s get back to what this site is all about – the National Horseboarding Championships 2014! For the first time this year, we have split the teams into two separate classes that will compete within their own leagues, Novice and Elite. The Elite class features teams that have competed in the championships before and have extensive experience in horseboarding. The Novice class, however, gives teams who have little experience or who have never competed before, a chance to fight it out against those of a similar situation. There is also a different course for each class; you can view the diagrams here.

With this in mind, please let me introduce the teams registered so far in the Novice class for Round One. They are: Ambush, Blur of the Moment, Predator, Sunny Side Up, and UK Boarder Force. We’re really excited to have so many new teams entering for the first time this year and they have all been working really hard to build up their skills ready for Round One. Predators, in particular, have been using a very unique tool in their training in the form of a collapsible wheelbarrow (see picture to the right). Although this is not recommended by Horseboarding UK, it certainly raised a few eyebrows and helped their horse, Finni, to get used to towing. Top marks for creativity guys!

They’re not the only ones who had to get used to something new. Ambush have included a new boarder in their line-up and if their pictures are anything to go by, he is a pretty experienced boarder. But being attached to the back of a horse on that board is an entirely different ball game. We’ll have to wait and see how well they gel together.

Blur of the Moment is another team to watch out for as their boarder, Dan, is also very experienced (previously from Three’s a Crowd), although both horse and rider are fairly new to the sport.

Moving onto the Elite class, there has been a lot going on here too. The teams registered so far for 2014 Round One are: Dead Pigeon, Designated Drinkers, Do or Die, Ihorse, ICandy, Mad ’Atters and Norfolk ‘n’ Good. As you can see from that list, unfortunately Kauldren are no longer racing. And although it may appear that Bucks Fizz is also missing, in fact they have just changed their name to ICandy. 

The Elite teams have been very busy with their pre-season training, especially considering the tricky new element added to the Elite course called "the cross-over", which Ihorse were the first to try out and master. Despite this, a lot of teams have still found the time and been generous enough to work with the newcomers in the Novice class to help them find their feet. We do love sportsmanship here at Horseboarder Magazine, so well done guys! A special mention should go to Norfolk ‘n’ Good who hosted the East Anglian Training Day where lots of teams, both Novice and Elite, got together to practise and exchange hints and tips. A truly wonderful display of teamwork and togetherness.

But, this is still a competition, and Do or Die have certainly been getting competitive with their training regime and are making serious claims that failure is not an option this year. Dead Pigeon better watch out because it looks as though Do or Die “are coming” and are planning to take the National Champions title for themselves. Do or Die’s horse, Amba, has even been joining in with the competitive talk and has been heard claiming that she “eats Dead Pigeons for breakfast”. Tough words Amba, tough words.

Speaking of Dead Pigeon, we haven’t heard a lot from these guys since last year, other than the fact that they are continuing to enter their second team, Mad ’Atters, for the entirety of this year. Clearly they have a tactic in mind and are planning on gaining as many points as possible. Their Facebook page, however, seems pretty quiet and doesn’t reveal much about their training. Much like the Designated Drinkers who have decided to keep things hush-hush so as not to reveal any of their hard-practised secrets.

On the other side of that we have Norfolk ‘n’ Good who have been chronicling their progress for months now. They came on in leaps and bounds during last year’s championship, and now that they have had the chance to really refine and master their techniques, we have no doubt that they’ll be a force to be reckoned with.

But whatever the teams have in store for us, this year is certainly looking to be the most exciting ever! So who should you put your bets on? Well, to be perfectly honest, we at Horseboarder Magazine haven’t got a clue! Everyone has been working so hard and are so determined that it really is anyone’s game, especially with the introduction of the new Elite course which has proven to be a challenge for everyone.

Looks like you’ll just have to come along to the shows and find out for yourself. Round One is only a few days away, on the 5^th and 6^th of April in the South Wales Game and Country Fair at Fonmon Castle, so get your tickets ready. For more information, click here.

Well, we hope you enjoy our new blogspot set-up. We’re hoping to reach a much wider audience, so please get sharing, get subscribing, get liking and get involved!