HRH The Princess Royal, stepping down after serving for five years as President of the British Horse Society, welcomed the new President, Noel Edmunds, to the Society's Annual General Meeting in London on 22 June.

Her Royal Highness described Noel's appointment as, "An inspired choice," adding that, "Not only is he a passionate horseman, but he is also an excellent communicator and successful businessman."

BHS Chief Executive, Graham Cory, praised the commitment of the Society's staff and volunteers. Describing the volunteers as, "Often rain soaked and mud-bespattered", he said, "Unpaid they may be, undervalued they most certainly are not." After celebrating the Society's achievements over the past year, he challenged everyone involved in the Society to come out of their silos and work more collegiately for the common good.

The day also saw changes to the Board of Trustees. Mrs Pat Campbell, who stepped down as Chairman, received the President's Award for her remarkable record of achievement. Patrick Print was subsequently elected by the Board of Trustees to succeed Mrs Campbell as Chairman.

Former Vice Chairman, Marie Stokes, who was prevented by ill health from attending, will be presented with the first ever Patron's Medal and appointed Honorary Vice President of British Riding Clubs shortly.

Other changes saw the retirement of Helen Phillips, Robert Warden, Stephanie Wheeler and Marie Stokes from the Board of Trustees. Donald Kear and Margot Tiffany were elected Trustees, and Helen Manns was re-elected. Mr Ian Maclellan was co-opted to the Board to succeed Mrs Helen Phillips as Treasurer.

BHS Awards of Merit were presented to Catriona Cook (Yorkshire), Jennifer Ham (Avon), and Jane Hemingway (Yorkshire), for their dedication to the Society over the years, and a special posthumous award was made to Stephanie Firth (Yorkshire), which was collected by her husband, Peter.

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