PUPILS at Monmouth Comprehensive School are taking up the reins with a little help from world class event riders Matt and Marie Ryan and the Redbrook Equestrian Centre.

An Equestrian Academy has been set up at the school in conjunction with the Welsh Assembly Government's 5x60 scheme, which is managed by the Sports Council for Wales and run locally by Monmouthshire County Council, in a bid to get secondary school children engaged in physical recreation more often.

Part of the school's academy structure which provides high quality after school hours learning for all the students at the school, young riders are offered the opportunity to participate in bi-weekly horse riding lessons, or coaching on their own horses with Matt and Marie Ryan, with the weeks in between spent in the classroom learning about the essentials of horse management through guest speakers and activities.

Hayley Howells from the Redbrook Equestrian School explains further: "The riding academy aims to support and develop students seeking to simply gain more equestrian experience or build a career whilst continuing their education. There are a variety of horses and ponies available to suit all abilities and a logical and progressive system of training is provided to give the students realistic stepping stones to achieve their equestrian goals both in the saddle and on the ground."

Understood to be the first of its type in a state school in the UK, the academy also offers the students the chance to obtain nationally recognised qualifications in riding and stable management, which will enhance their opportunities in equestrian or related careers upon leaving school.

Coming on board as the academy's Consultant Coaches, Matt and Marie Ryan are helping to significantly develop the academy by providing the students with coaching, lectures and visits to their yard to watch them train along with the opportunity to meet their sponsors and develop connections.

Matt Ryan is a world class event rider who has, among other achievements, won three Olympic Gold Medals riding for the Australian Eventing Team in Barcelona and Sydney. Marie is an international event rider competing at 3 and 4 * level at Badminton and Burghley. They now live and compete from their yard near Abergavenny.

Matt Ryan comments: "We're delighted to support this exciting initiative. We love living and working in Monmouthshire and this gives us the opportunity to give something back to the community through our sport."

The 5x60 Officer, Adrian Sully, has worked with the school in providing first class coaching and learning for students through academies such as this and comments on its success so far,

"The 5x60 programme has allowed us to provide innovative and exciting opportunities for the students to get involved in physical activity outside the normal boundaries of school sport and the Equestrian Academy has already proved to be a great success. We already have a number of students regularly attending the sessions and anticipate that the demand will grow as the academy develops."

The scheme provides pupils with a mixed bag of opportunities and since the launch of the £7.6million scheme in October 2006, has transformed the playing fields and sports halls of 98% of the secondary schools across the country into hubs of bustling activity.

Monmouthshire County Council cabinet member for sport, Cllr Liz Hacket Pain, said:"This is good news. This is a great opportunity for young people to keep fit and gain valuable skills while enjoying themselves."

Sue Pritchard, parent of three children at MCS who are all keen riders, initiated and runs the academy, with Hayley Howells at Redbrook:

"Our aim here was to provide a programme equally exciting and beneficial, both for those keen to get started in riding and for those who are already training and competing. With the lessons at Redbrook and coaching with truly World Class riders Matt and Marie we think we have achieved that."