Bicester & Oxford Riding Club

The Club  shall be known as the Bicester & Oxford Riding Club  (referred to herein as the Club  and BORC) will be affiliated to The British Horse Society.  The Club  may also be registered with appropriate statutory bodies as required by its constitution and organisation.

 

The Club is an unincorporated entity with liability, save for gross and recognisable negligence on the part of the Club, vested in the individual members and covered under the Disclaimer signed by every member of the Club and as per the public and employers liability cover afforded by the BHS schemes of insurance as part of the clubs affiliation to that body.

Membership of the Club is predicated on agreement to and signature of the Disclaimer.

​The objectives of the Club shall be: 

• To encourage riding as a sport and recreation, to promote good fellowship amongst riders and to improve and maintain the standard of riding and horsemanship.
 

• To organise and attend instructional meetings, lectures, competitive events and other activities

    to further knowledge and enjoyment of riding and horsemanship within the membership. 
 

•  To concern itself with any matter which will benefit the horse and horse rider/owner

    in the local riding community. 

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Membership 

Persons who have attained eighteen years of age are eligible to join the Club and, subject to acceptance of their application by the Committee and payment of the due subscription for the current period. The Committee may confer honorary membership upon any person deemed by them to have rendered notable service to the Club.

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The annual subscription, as agreed by the Club ’s Committee shall be payable on the first day of January each year. Any member whose subscription is more than one month in  arrears shall have their name removed from the membership list following written advice of  such arrears. Subscriptions are for the full year (1 January to 31 December).  

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All members will be subject to the regulations of the Constitution, Code of Conduct and the club’s insurance disclaimer and by joining the Club  will be deemed to accept and abide by these regulations as adopted by  the Club . 

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The Committee may refuse membership only for good cause, such as conduct or character likely to bring the Club, the sport or The BHS into disrepute and can limit membership according to available facilities on a non-discriminatory basis.  The Committee has responsibility for disciplinary hearings and appeals against refusal of membership and disciplinaries.  

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The Committee, on agreement, may seek to expel any member of the Club who has breached any of its Rules and who, in the opinion of the Committee, has been found to exhibit conduct incompatible with the aims and Constitution of the Club. Such member shall  be informed of the Committee’s decision and they shall be called upon to provide an  explanation of their conduct and to have the opportunity to answer the claim.

 

Sports Equity

The Club  is committed to ensuring that equity is incorporated across all aspects of its development. In doing so it acknowledges and adopts the following Sport England definition of sports equity:

 

Sports equity is about fairness in sport, equality of access, recognising inequalities and taking steps to address them. It is about changing the culture and structure of sport to ensure it becomes equally accessible to everyone in society.

 

The Club  respects the rights, dignity and worth of every person and will treat everyone equally within the context of their sport, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality, or social/economic status.

 

The Club is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their sport in an environment free from threat of intimidation, harassment and abuse. All Club members have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity. The Club will deal with any incidence of discriminatory behaviour seriously, according to Club disciplinary procedures.

 

Administration of the Club  

All powers of management shall be vested in the appointed Honorary Committee consisting of the Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and at least two other Committee members all of whom must be club members. A quorum shall be formed by any four officers of the Committee. 

 

At the Annual General Meeting each year all members of the Committee shall offer to retire. 
Retiring members shall be eligible for re-election. The Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected annually by the membership on receipt of a proposer and seconder for the nominee. Should a post fall vacant during the term the Committee have the authority to fill the position until the next AGM
 

The Committee may formulate resolutions for the detailed running of the Club and elect sub-committees for special activities which the Committee authorises.  The Committee shall have the power to co-opt members for specific roles on to sub committees, any person so co-opted shall report to the appropriate Committee   member within the Club and shall retain office only until the following Annual General Meeting. 
 

The Committee shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of the Rules and for anything relating to the Club not contained in the Constitution and Rules. They have the responsibility for adoption of new rules or processes that effect the membership and/or organisation.  Their decision shall be final and binding unless over-ruled at a General Meeting.  If required, the Chairman shall have the casting vote at general and committee meetings.

 

The income of the Club shall be used solely for furthering its objectives and for no other purpose. 

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An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year to transact the following  business: 
 

• To receive reports from the Chairman and Treasurer
   

• To fill vacancies on the Committee and to elect/re-elect the Chairman, Secretary and

   Treasurer  
 

• To receive and, if approved, to adopt a Statement of the Club ’s Accounts to the end

   of  the preceding year as audited and certified

 

• To deal with any specific matters which the Committee may desire to bring to

   the  attention of the members.

 

Notice convening the General Meeting shall be sent to the  members not less than 14 days before the meeting and shall specify the matters to  be dealt with. Members may advise additional items for inclusion to the Committee within 7 days of the Annual General Meeting and these will be included at the Committee’s discretion. 

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An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by the Committee or by a request signed by not less than fifteen members specifying the business to be discussed. The Secretary shall give all members 10 days’ notice of the date of such a meeting will specify the matters to be dealt  with at the meeting. 

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The Club’s accounts must be kept up to date and be available for review with seven days’  notice of any request to view. 

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These Rules may be added to, repealed or amended by resolution at any Annual or  Extraordinary General Meeting. No such resolution shall be deemed to have been passed  unless carried by a majority of at least two-thirds of the members present and voting thereon, and provided that prior notice has been sent to all members stating the proposed  amendment.

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The Committee shall, from time to time as deemed necessary by law or change of regulation  from the British Horse Society and/or British Riding Clubs, update the Terms and Conditions  of joining, together with the Club ’s Data Protection and Privacy Policies. Such changes will  be advised to the membership prior to amendment. The Constitution and Rules of the Club  may only be amended or repealed by a majority vote by members at the AGM or EGM. 

 

Disciplines and appeals

All concerns, allegations or reports of poor practice/abuse relating to members or their horses will be recorded and responded to swiftly and appropriately in accordance with the policies and procedures of the Club.

 

All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be presented and submitted in writing to the Secretary. The committee will hear complaints within [21] days of a complaint being lodged and has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the termination of membership.

 

The outcome of a disciplinary hearing should be notified in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made within 7 days of the hearing. With the right of appeal to the committee (within 30 d) following disciplinary action being announced.

 

Finances

The Club Treasurer will be responsible for the finances of the Club .

All Club  monies will be banked in an account held in the name of the Club .

 

Any cheques, BACS or other electronic means of payment (PayPal etc.) drawn against Club funds should hold the signatures of or be authorised by the Treasurer, Secretary or Chairman.

All members of the Club  shall, be jointly and severally responsible for the financial liabilities of the Club .

 

 

Welfare of the Horse/Pony 

All members and non-members attending BORC events and training are required to adhere to the British Riding Club s Code of Conduct for the welfare of the horse/pony, which can be found here  http://www.bhs.org.uk/enjoy-riding/british-riding-Club s/brc-handbook.

Any BORC member, spectator, rider, coach or judge must inform the official steward or Secretary, immediately at a Club  event, or the BORC Chairman (via bicoxrc@gmail.com), if they are concerned about or have witnessed a potential  welfare issue or rough or unfair riding or training. 

Examples of welfare issues may be (but are not limited to): 

• Lameness: Riding any unsound pony/horse  

• Tack: Incorrectly fitted tack 

• Over-working: Riding or competing on an exhausted, lame or injured pony/horse 

• Distress: Ignoring the obvious distress of a pony/horse, whether caused by the rider

   or other external factors 

• Excessive physical force: use of the whip and/or spurs causing unnecessary suffering

• Blood: Any sign of blood on an animal is cause for concern 

 

At all stages whether preparation or taking part in clinics or events, welfare must take precedence over all other demands. This includes good horse management, training  methods, farriery, tack and transportation. 
 

​Safeguarding of Children 

British Riding Clubs, to which BRC is affiliated, is a Member Body of the British Equestrian  Federation (BEF) and adheres to the BHS Policy on safeguarding which can be seen at http://www.bhs.org.uk/safeguardingchildren

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Dissolution of the Club  

A resolution to dissolve the Club  can only be passed at an AGM or EGM through a majority vote of the membership. 

 

In the event of dissolution, all debts should be cleared with any Club funds. Any assets of the  Club  that remain following this will be given or transferred to another registered British Riding  Club , a registered charity , or the sport’s governing body  as decided by the outgoing Committee for use by them in related community  sports.