GB POD -Jayne McGarvie Exloo Competition 2024

A very special journey to the Para World Championships 2023

Jayne McGarvie, a part time veterinary nurse in Aberdeenshire, is an inspiration.

This is her story - from the dark days of suffering a stroke following a car accident at just 29 years

old, to the wonderful experience of competing alongside the top Para drivers at the World

Championships in Exloo.

“Without GB POD I would never have got to where I am.”

“In 2014, when I was 29, I had a serious car accident that resulted in a left sided stroke and brain

injury. Following three months of hospital care and rehabilitation, I was able to return home and

continue my recovery with the help of the fantastic specialists and my family and friends. I am very

grateful to all of them and especially the amazing NHS team who have helped me with my long,

challenging rehabilitation and together we continue to make improvements.

From having to relearn to walk and build up strength in my left side, I never even dreamt that I’d be

back riding again, let alone learning to carriage drive and managing to qualify for the GB Para Squad!

It took a long time for me to find my amazing Gypsy Cob, Scrumpy Jack but he was worth the wait,

and we make a great team. We enjoy training and competing in ridden and carriage driving events

locally. I attend the Riding for Disabled (RDA), Garioch Carriage Driving Group at Old Rayne,

Aberdeenshire and progressed in 2019 to compete at the RDA National Championships in England

and we were delighted to be placed 3rd in our class.

At the SCDA at Cothal in 2022 Jack was amazing and we managed a few sneaky canters out of

obstacles. Eileen Cornish was judging and gave me lots of encouragement to try Paras.

THE GB POD TRAINING & PARA AVENTURE STARTS 2023

In February, with Scrumpy Jack and my good friend and Back stepper Fiona Smith, we travelled the 5

hours to Biggar @ The Pines. This was a two-day camp with four lessons in total. I was blown away

with how excellent the training was I and I felt I was about to properly starting my driving

education….. no more “bumble steering”! I was to quickly learn that I had to focus, get a proper

education and learn to actually drive!

Scrumpy was sent down to GBR’S Robert Bucks Training Yard for a few weeks to help Scrumpy to

understand what was required of him. Fiona & I were to join the GB POD in March at Cricklands –

The David Broome Event Centre, Chepstow, Wales.

Taking over two days to travel down, Fiona and I arrived first. We had never experienced anything

like this before. It was a far cry from the RDA Championships. Big Friesian horses in teams of four in

the warm up, the high competitive atmosphere and everyone seeming to know what they were

doing, was exceedingly overwhelming.

Then Julie & Robert arrived with the horses and Scrumpy. Julie tucked us under her wing and got us

settled in. All seemed right with the world. Robert did his best with us and we did try extremely

hard. Despite on day one Dressage Day, having an extreme migraine and fainting on and off all

morning and on the way to the carriage, I determined not to get a WITHDRAWN on my first proper

adventure! We lived….. and over the next few days of the event learnt so very much.

April, I attended the Carriage Driving Sports Group for drivers with disabilities and GB POD Training

camp at Unicorn Centre, Stow on the Wold, Gloucestershire. I was granted permission to drive Julie

Camm’s “Black Jack” under Robert’s glorious instruction and I got a true feeling of correctness and

power. In my eyes Jack was the carriage driving equivalent of Valegro and it was an honour and

experience to drive him. Such a wonderful and welcoming experience and I met all the Para drivers

and other RDA groups of the area.

In May my yard had a Bio security issue that grounded all and dashed my hopes for training and

aiming for the World Championships, Exloo, Netherlands! I was devastated and panicking that I was

letting down those that had supported me and were helping me to fundraise.

Julie Camm came to my rescue and bravely offered me to loan her pony Pandora’s Diplomat - Matt

to his friends - to drive at Hopetoun’s National 4 day Event, Edinburgh.

There is not enough space or time for my reader to do this section justice but all I can say was the GB

POD Team with Robert, Julie and my new World class Back stepper Lucy Scott, not to forget the

legend that is Matt … they held my hand and willed me through that first ever major event of mine. I

would never have even entered if it was not for their unending advice and support.

June was Sandringham National in Norfolk - 3-day event which was beautiful but HOT. Team GB

POD tirelessly coached and helped me through, with Robert back stepping for me as well as driving

other turn outs. We enjoyed the lavender fields and herds of Muntjac deer on the marathon and

managed to manoeuvre our way over bridges, round tractors and through flags of the world. An

excellent event.

In July my father drove me down over two days to Lincomb Equestrian Competition Yard,

Worcestershire (south west of Birmingham). This was GB POD training camp and Qualifier for the

Certius Championships the following month. I felt we were progressing. POD had been excellent and

holding Zoom call meetings to go over past events to aid improvement and understanding of where

to improve. I tried to apply the energy and balance through the start, into the obstacle and leave

with purpose through the finish. A very good and educational clinic.

Once finished Dad drove me over to Hartpury where there was a chance to obtain my FEI

Classification assessment. It was more in-depth than my BEF classification physio check. Very

stressful in case they were not satisfied with me but thankfully I was granted my FEI Classification for

grade 2 group 15.

I nearly broke poor Fiona at Onley Regional, Rugby, Warwickshire! It was a two day event in July. It is

a beautiful but vast Polo Club grounds, so with no bike or quad it was extremely tiring. Thankfully

our lovely GB POD team did manage to prop us up on their quad and helped Fiona get about when

they could. Again, this was a busy event with testing obstacles and cones. We did quite well and Lucy

stayed quite clean when we got out the water!

The Certius Championships Featuring The Zilco Ashes 2023, Cricklands, at The David Broome Event

Centre, Chepstow in August was our last chance for final training and to play with the PARA team. I

was enjoying myself and felt a less nervous that in a few weeks’ time we would all be making our

wat to our final goal of the PARA World Championships in the Netherlands.

Exloo

My first ever adventure to an International FEI Para Carriage Driving World Championships, Exloo in

the Netherlands, 2023 arrived. Fiona and I had an amazing time! Without team GB POD I would

never have got where I am or to any event, let alone an international one! All the hard work behind

the scenes of getting man and beast as well as motor across the water and borders. All the

equipment, not just for the sport but for the function, like shelter and food. Quite the feat in itself.

The event was astounding with all the Para competitors from all over the world - to mingle and chat

to them was quite an honour. I was quite in awe of all the competitors and to add an extra layer, we

were sharing the event with the World Teams Championships so got to see a few famous faces.

My highlight was the Water Obstacle. I was the fastest Para in my class through that. Lucy had

managed to show me on her phone, one of the American team fly into it… I remember thinking “oh

well, we know where the bar lies”. I remember flying in and the rush of the water was deafening but

Lucy’s voice ringing through loud and clear giving me the confidence to open Matt up. Poor Lucy

was brown after that but her Lashes survived! Such an excellent lady.

My advice for aspiring RDA drivers is to always accept the help offered.

Never say “I can’t do that” if there is a will there is a way. You are braver than you know.

I put my entire confidence in the GB POD Team. They never appeared to quiver in front of me which

gave me mountains of confidence. Robert would often say, in his way at the beginning of our

acquaintance and coaching, to stop apologising and putting myself down with negative thoughts and

phrases as it would create negative outcomes. I learned to put positivity in to getting the best out of

what I could do.

I look forward to the future and hope to encourage and assist to coach those that want help,

especially in my area of Aberdeenshire. To then be passed on to Robert and the GB POD Team.

I hope I can continue to train to be part of the GBR PARA Squad for Germany 2025.”