Minister for the Horse Industry addresses The British Horse
Society's AGM
Jim Knight MP, the newly appointed Minister for the Horse
Industry, addressed The Annual General Meeting of The British
Horse Society in London today (Thursday, 23 June 2005). The
BHS's President Noel Edmonds, Chairman Patrick Print and Chief
Executive Graham Cory also addressed the meeting.
Mr Knight congratulated the BHS and British Riding Clubs
on the "truly impressive "feat of reaching a combined
membership figure of 100,000".
He also welcomed the BHS's Manifesto, published during the
General Election campaign.
Mr Knight said: "While I cannot guarantee that we will
be able to resolve all of the issues listed in the Manifesto,
it provides a useful list of areas where Defra and the BHS
can work together in the future, and I'm asking my officials
to take this forward in conjunction with their BHS counterparts."
Mr Knight also spoke of the importance of the BHS's involvement
in the British Horse Industry Federation Draft Strategy for
the Horse Industry in England and Wales.
He said: "The BHS has been instrumental in the development
and maintenance of the partnership with Defra, and now has
the opportunity to play a pivotal role as we move towards
the publication of the final strategy, which will define how
the relationship between government and the horse world works
for the foreseeable future.
"Even from my relatively limited dealings with the industry
so far, it is clear to me that The British Horse Society is
a key partner and that the strategy, provided it has the active
support of the whole industry, offers a real chance for significant
and substantial progress."
Mr Edmonds, who chaired the meeting, encouraged the Society
"to embrace three new commitments which will enable us
to maintain our freshness and relevance in the coming years".
He spoke of a three-part agenda centred around "a willing
and enthusiastic partnership with other groups; a recognition
of our social responsibility; and the huge expansion of riding
as a safe and enjoyable sport in which all can participate".
Mr Edmonds also celebrated the BHS's progress in the previous
12 months. "The Society is now financially strong where
once it was weak," he said. "Our membership is growing
at an unprecedented rate, and coupled with individual membership
of our Affiliated Riding Clubs, it makes the BHS a 100,000
member organisation. And it's still growing." Patrick
Print FBHS, the Society's Chairman, addressed his speech to
the Minister, speaking of the breadth of the BHS's work and
its recent election campaign Manifesto. Mr Print highlighted
"Access and Rights of Way, Public Liability and Fiscal
issues as areas" as areas where the Society might make
real progress with government in the "short to medium
term". He said: "The Society's broad remit, aided
by our constructive engagement with colleagues in other parts
of the industry which we have worked hard to develop over
the past year, gives us a balanced view of the range of issues
facing the equestrian community." And he concluded: "Minister,
I know that you know that the equestrian sector is an important
contributor, not only to the national economy but also to
the general well being of a large swathe of the general public.
And it could be a larger swathe, if government and the BHS
can work effectively together. I hope you can tell us now
that you are up to the challenge."
Chief Executive Graham Cory thanked the BHS's volunteers,
Trustees and staff, and highlighted areas of particular achievement.
These included growth in BHS and affiliated Riding Clubs
membership, an increase in the number of BHS Approved Establishments,
the riding schools' Think Tank, the Horse Industry Insurance
Working Group, the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Horse,
Instructors' Convention in April this year, and significant
progress for the BHS in Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
Mr Cory concluded: "We have sought to be innovative
where innovation has been necessary. We have sought to build
bridges and to work more co-operatively with those of a like
mind.
"Most importantly, we have made it our aim and object
to listen to those who, in the past, have had cause to be
critical of us. I hope that our record will commend itself
both to our members and to those whom we should very much
like to join us."
Full transcripts of the speeches by Mr Edmonds, Mr Print
and Mr Cory are reproduced below. The Meeting was also addressed
by the Society's Treasurer Ian Maclellan.
The AGM, held in the City of London at Saddlers' Hall by
kind permission of the Worshipful Company of Saddlers, also
featured the presentation of six awards for outstanding service
to the Society.
The President's Award was won by Stephanie Wheeler MBE, an
Access expert and a stalwart of the BHS Somerset Committee
for more than 25 years. Mrs Wheeler was also appointed MBE
in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.
The Society's Award of Merit was presented to Grizel Sackville
Hamilton, who served on Riding Clubs' National Executive Committee
for more than 20 years, and Helen Speirs, who is a long-term
member of the Strathclyde Committee and a stalwart of BHS
trade stands.
The Award of Merit was also presented to Jeni Gilbert, County
Access and Bridleway Officer for West Yorkshire since 1992
who has been heavily involved with the safety of equestrians
on the roads. A Posthumous Award of Merit was made to Mary
Barrass for her involvement with Riding Clubs dated back half
a century. The Award was collected by her son, Hugh/ An award
for services to BHS Welfare was presented to Tony Bradley,
who started as a BHS Welfare Officer in Shropshire in the
1960s and has been a Regional Welfare Representative for nearly
10 years.
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