British Riding Clubs (BRC) are to launch an advertising campaign in a bid to top their all time membership high of 2002. In the year following the Foot & Mouth disease outbreak, membership of affiliated Riding Clubs recovered and then exceeded all previous records to reach 36,000.

The campaign for 2003 will feature a prize of a brand new computer for the affiliated club which increases its 2003 membership by the highest percentage. The winning club will be announced at the BRC Conference on November 16th. The membership drive will be supported by advertisements in the equestrian press, provision of posters to affiliated clubs for use in their areas, and the production and distribution of 'Join A Riding Club' leaflets around the UK. British Riding Clubs' general merchandise will also be launched during 2003, and will be available to purchase via the internet or directly from the office at Stoneleigh.

In addition, the BRC website will be developed further, making information about the BRC movement and its affiliated clubs more accessible. A total of 114 of the 420 affiliated clubs now have websites of their own, with links to the main site. The BRC web site can be found at www.bhs.org.uk and click on British Riding Clubs.

The riding club movement is going from strength to strength due to the hard work carried out by many volunteers. BRC caters for all levels of rider, with an established framework of rules, guidelines and advice, which ensure fairness and a level playing field for all. It is hoped that the prize of a computer will make the administration of club matters an easier task for the winning committee.

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