Melanie Crouch Advertising and Distribution Manager Although born in Lincolnshire Melanie’s roots are firmly embedded in the Sussex countryside. A former member of the Eridge pony club and educated at St Leonard’s Mayfield, horses have always featured firmly in her life and her three daughters have inherited the family ‘condition’. Having spent the majority of her working life in the NHS she now enjoys the contact with the equestrian fraternity through the magazine and is really looking forward to taking her family to watch the sporting activities at the 2012 Olympics in London. Melanie Lives in Cranbrook and enjoys riding her ex racehorse, Charlie Moore.       Fiona Rafferty Editor Fiona grew up in Hertfordshire where she was an active member of the Enfield Chace Hunt Pony Club and both North Mymms and Holly Hill Riding Clubs. Fiona loved having a go at everything, hunting, competing and generally having fun with her horses, usually found with camera in hand reporting for magazines. Based at Melanie’s yard in Kent, Fiona mentioned that she missed her old role reporting at shows and that was the start of Localrider Magazine. Initially combined with her Underwriting career in the City, Fiona finally left the world of Insurance in 2004 to concentrate full time on the magazine. Fiona enjoys riding her homebred mare and hopes to enter some shows in 2007.       Antoinette Marley Advertisement Sales A member of the Eridge Pony Club from a young age, Antoinette's equestrian career has never taken her far from her roots. A horse rider since the age of three she has only ever wanted to work with horses but was promptly packed off to secretarial college as soon as she was released from school. The family’s take on this was to have my horses as a hobby and get myself ‘a proper job’. An office career has taken Antoinette from a secretary / PA through to a typesetter in a publishing house, through to Editor in Chief of the Friday Ad group, with a short stint working in London for Hunting magazine in advertising sales, she has worked with Localrider magazine since its inception firstly in ad sales and page design, through to now working part time concentrating on ad sales and customer relations. She now feels she has settled into what her father would have expected – working in an office environment whilst enjoying her horses as a hobby (albeit quite a serious hobby).       Karen Ede Advertisement Sales Karen came from an inner city non horsey family – how things have changed! At 11 years old Karen could often be seen hacking up The Old Kent Road, around The Elephant & Castle bareback with headcollar and leadrope on a pony which was kept under the railway arches in Peckham! Now she is more often seen supporting her 3 daughters around the pony club and showjumping circuits. Karen joined Localrider Magazine in January 2006 on a part-time basis to expand the horses for sale section. With little previous experience of ad sales, she soon also took over responsibility for advertising of shows and events.