Dear Esteemed Members & New members,
You are welcome to the 50th anniversary year of the Ikeja Saddle Club, Nigeria’s foremost and only Equestrian Club, established in 1967.
This Club is synonymous to my childhood growing where I spent my adolescent years either riding into the jungle by the banks of the Ogun River or playing with children of different nationalities, swinging on long ropes from one tree top house to the other. I remember vividly the organised night rides in the bush and the bonfire lit resting spots where we would enjoy a drink and some barbeque meat.
My bond to the horse was such, that in my later years I was to become so consumed in the game of Polo.
It is this carefree and stress free spirit that I wish to bring to you all, in this small oasis of flora and fauna, called the Saddle Club, where children of today can still play, in a safe, green environment what I enjoyed over 4 decades ago.
We have kept preserved, this same jungle, in which, we played hide and seek. This is the heritage for all our children to enjoy and bond with one of nature’s kindest animals, the horse.
At the same time, all you parents can have a chance to de-stress from everyday life, either riding, or taking a nature walk, jogging or hitting a Polo ball at our field. For those of you, not feeling so sporty, why not come for lunch on the weekends or enjoy a cold drink during sunset in a green, serene environment.
It is my resolve, with my Executive Committee, to leave a legacy of a well-run Club that can survive the age of time and offer to the generations to come a heritage of what we all have enjoyed as a family Club.
I thank you for giving me a chance to be your President and still re-live my childhood years.
Vassily Oye Barberopoulos
President