The late Mr Arthur George MBE, former Secretary of the Welsh Agriculture Society and a member of the Welsh Agricultural Equine Association, was very concerned that those in the Horse World did not appear to act in concert. He, therefore, invited Professor Colin Spedding and Graham Suggett to meet with him on the Welsh Stand at the 1991 Royal Show to discuss what might be done.
As a consequence, during 1992, representatives of a number of organisations (especially the Welsh Agricultural Equine Association, the Association of British Riding Schools and the National Farmers' Union) met to discuss ways in which the horse and pony industry could "speak with one voice" when that was needed and appropriate.
After consultation with the 85 or so horse and pony organisations, it was decided to hold a "National Equine Forum" and an Organising Committee was formed. I was asked to be Chairman and have remained so ever since. All the members of the Committee are volunteers. The Forum Administrator and the Forum Secretary are each paid a small honorarium, but otherwise Committee members are not paid and only exceptionally receive essential travelling expenses.
The main reason for choosing the format of the Forum was that no-one wanted yet another competing body, or the cost of running it. So the Forum was established as an annual event, which would cost nothing to organise and very little to run.
The first Forum, held in 1993, could not, of course, assume that it would be annual, but it was so well received that it was immediately decided to run it annually, if possible. It became possible because of generous sponsorship which has made it possible to operate without any charge to participants.
It has also been encouraged by the appropriate Minister in MAFF or DEFRA opening the Forum. This was Nicholas Soames in 1993 and 1994; Angela Browning in 1995 and 1996; Lord Donoughue in 1998 and Baroness Hayman in 1999 and 2000 (with only the FMD outbreak preventing her from taking part in 2001), Elliot Morley (standing in for Alun Michael) in 2002; Alun Michael in 2003, 2004 and 2005, Jim Knight in 2006, Barry Gardiner in 2007 and Jonathan Shaw (the Minister for the Horse Industry) in 2008. The Forum has also been greatly honoured by the presence of HRH The Princess Royal, who has contributed her ideas as part of the programme in 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Each year, the programme has steadily evolved to include time for contributions from the floor. But the main purposes have remained to provide an opportunity for the industry to speak with one voice, when that is appropriate, and to serve as a sounding board for others to float ideas and proposals.
The Committee only exists to organise each Forum, not to follow up whatever may emerge at the meeting. Where such follow-up action is needed, we try to identify an existing body as the appropriate channel. Very often this has been the Horse and Pony Taxation Committee but sometimes a commercial organisation has taken up a programme initiated by the National Equine Forum.
It is therefore not a threat to any other body and does not usurp their functions. It provides opportunities that can be taken up when participants want or need them.
These opportunities are greatly appreciated by the 200 or so people who attend by invitation each year, and also by the small number who attend as paying guests. The Forum used to be held in the Royal Veterinary College, but this became too small for the growing number of attendees and in 2006 we moved to the Royal Society which is able to accommodate all those present in comfort.
Professor Sir Colin Spedding CBE
The Forum Administrator is Miles Williamson-Noble, click here to email Miles and the Forum Secretary is Tracy Allen, click here to email Tracy
