This
year's Committee sees a mix of interests joining forces to headline
your club.
Chairman - Lesley Carnegie finally
got her first Highland 4 years ago, and is not quite sure how she now
has 4 - or how she became Chairman! Two of those are brood mares who
Lesley hopes to have foals from next year. Lesley also still has her
first 2 horses, Leo (32) and Duke (22), who are both retired. 5 dogs,
2 cats and 200 sheep complete the family!
Lesley works at the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, where she
looks after access courses, college links and study support.
Vice-Chairman - Amy Sylvester-Evans.
Amy is a saddler and harness maker who trained at Cordwainers College,
London before returning north and buying the existing 'Wrights of Huntly'
workshop in 2005. Amy now runs Grampian Saddlery Workshop from Letherty
Mill, Inverurie. She bought her first Highland seven years ago - Mackenzie
of Gargunnock. She then found herself buying Newton Crown three years
later to compete - doing a wide range of activities until he had an
accident a couple of years ago and has sadly been on field rest since.
However, Amy is hoping to bring him back into work slowly this year.
Club Secretary - Susie Shepherd
has been the secretary for over five years. Her first pony was a rather
opinionated and arthritic Highland who liked to 'dump' her 'very experienced'
friends! Unfortunately arthritis got the better of him and he had to
take things a bit slower. At this point Harry the welsh cob entered
her life. Over 11 years on she still has Harry who has recently been
joined by a rather chunky and hairy Highland yearling 'West Lodge Alexander'.
In her spare time Susie is a Public Relations consultant at Mackenzie
PR in Aberdeen.
AHPS Secretary - Karen Stewart
is one of the club's original founding members, and was the club's first
secretary. Now acting show secretary, Karen has been involved with the
club in one way or another for the last 25 years. Involved with horses
from an early age, Karen came into Highlands in the late 80s via her
husband Robin, when he gifted her a Highland foal 'Karen of Arbeadie'
who went on to become one of the founding mares of their Arbeadie, Coulnacraig
and West Lodge studs. Now based in Durris, Karen works for Benfield
Corporate Risk in her 'spare time', looking after the insurance needs
of the Exploration and Production side of the oil industry.
Helen Gauld started her journey
with Highlands about 20 years ago when she bought a yearling colt with
her daughter at Aberdeen mart. They both became members of NESHPES and
enjoyed many wonderful fun days and events with the club and made a
great many friends along the way. She now has five ponies and has taken
a bit of a rest from the show ring. Helen works full-time, enjoys good
food, fine wine, good Malt and good company - but not always in that
order!
Lee-Anne Matherson has owned
Kelly her Highland pony for 12 years and has enjoyed every minute of
it. They have grown up together and Kelly has quite a character and
never ceases to surprise! Lee-Anne has recently moved to Aberdeenshire
from Strathnairn, Invernessshire with her boyfriend David. She works
in Dyce as a freight forwarder and when not chained to her desk she
is very much a country girl and spends pretty much all of her time pottering
around with Kelly or out training with her 17 month old lab called Tenner.