FOUR LEADING TRAINERS MADE HONORARY FELLOWS BY THE BRITISH
HORSE SOCIETY
The British Horse Society (BHS) has awarded Honorary Fellowships
to Ian Stark OBE, Captain Mark Phillips CVO, Stephen Clarke
and Kenneth Clawson - in recognition of their outstanding
coaching contributions to the equine industry.
Granting the Fellowship is the highest accolade The Society
can bestow on a trainer, as it represents the pinnacle of
equestrian professional qualifications. There are just 54
BHS Fellows and of these only Christopher Bartle and Ferdi
Eilberg have received Honorary Fellowships. All the others
have taken an examination.
Ian Stark OBE achieved his BHS Instructors Certificate almost
20 years ago, and has competed internationally in Eventing
for a great number of years.
His achievements include team Silver at the Sydney Olympics
in 2004, and team Gold at the European Championships in Luhmuhlen,
Germany in 1999. Ian is currently the coach of the Brazilian
Olympic Three Day Event Team, and also travels throughout
the World teaching and lecturing. In Britain, he trains British
riders for Pony, Junior and Young Rider Teams.
Captain Mark Phillips CVO began his major riding achievements
almost 40 years ago, when he came fourth at Burghley Horse
Trials.
Over the years, he has ridden in a vast number of events,
and has won both Gold and Silver medals at the Olympics. Captain
Phillips's training career started in earnest in 1988, with
the opening of the 'Mark Phillips Equestrian Centre' in Scotland.
This unique riding academy embraced all levels of equestrianism,
from the novice to the professional.
Captain Phillips was appointed Chef d'Equipe to the United
States Equestrian Team in 1993, and his success there saw
the team win Gold at the World Equestrian Games in Jerez for
the first time in 28 years. He is currently preparing the
team for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Captain Phillips
is also a successful international course builder.
Stephen Clarke began his riding career with the Pony Club,
and soon progressed to competing in show jumping and horse
trials at a high level before deciding to focus on dressage.
Stephen competed with international success throughout the
1980s, and now, as an International Trainer, travels regularly
throughout the UK and abroad presenting training clinics.
He is based in Cheshire, where he specialises in the development
of young professional trainers. Over the past decade, Stephen
has been a FEI Official International Judge, and has judged
at prestigious events such as the Worlds Equestrian Games
in Jerez, and, most recently, the Athens Olympics.
Kenneth Clawson coached and produced many Pony, Junior and
Young Riders to represent Great Britain in the Show Jumping
teams in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Towards the end of the 1980s, Kenneth began to work with
Event riders, helping many to win three-day events throughout
Europe and the USA. In 1997 he became the Show Jumping coach
to the British Three Day Event team, enjoying achievements
with them such as four European Team Golds, and Individual
Medals, including Gold, at the Athens Olympics last year.
BHS Chairman Patrick Print, himself a Fellow of The Society,
said: "The Honorary Fellowship is only awarded rarely
and under exceptional circumstances to outstanding trainers
who have coached riders to World, European or Olympic Championship
standard.
"The BHS is delighted to award the Honorary Fellowship
to these four outstanding people, who need no introduction
to the horse world in this country and abroad. It is interesting
to note that all four were involved either as a coach or judge
in the Athens games last year."
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