EQUINE and business students from Duchy College Stoke Climsland have ended the year on a high after successfully running a series of equine events and attending an employability day, giving them a head start as they head out into the world of work or further education and training. Students on the extended diploma horse management course were the first to demonstrate their event organising skills by running a Jump Cross event for their fellow students. They were tasked with planning the event, designing the course, assigning riders to horses and co-ordinating the schedule. Hannah Hockin, from Okehampton, said: 'The whole experience got us organised and helped us gain an understanding of the yard manager's job.' Students from the extended diploma business course then ran a combined training event for equine students while raising money for the Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust. The students were responsible for all the day's activities which involved dressage tests and show jumping. Katie Spry from Yelverton, a final year student on the business BTEC extended diploma, helped to run the combined training event and said: 'As well as running a successful event for the equine students to take part in, we also wanted to raise money for charity. The day ran very smoothly and everyone who competed did really well.' These events led up to an employability day at which eight guest speakers spoke to a packed audience of business and equine students. Speakers included Duchy College alumni and professional eventing groom Michelle Burt and Andy Reeves of St Leonard's Riding School.   Head of Duchy College, Andrew Counsell, said: 'The students have demonstrated excellent leadership and team-working skills by running these events which will put them in a great position to gain employment in their chosen field. It is also so important that our students are well informed about the careers that are available to them when they complete their courses and activities such as this are key to achieving that.  Special thanks must go to the staff who judged and assisted with the running of these events, the students who organised them and especially to the guest speakers who came and spoke during the employability day.'