It was a weekend of doubles at Keysoe Premier League (26 April – 28 April) when seven riders won two or more classes at the Bedfordshire venue in the second of the Premier Leagues for 2013 - and the number two seemed to become a recurring theme at the fixture.
With classes from advanced to Grand prix, including music freestyle, the show attracted a host of top British dressage talent, including plenty of under 21’s riders with the Pony Junior and Young rider classes running through Saturday and Sunday.
Friday 26 April – the streak of twos begins…
While Matt Frost and Peter Storr began proceedings on Friday with wins in the Advanced Medium and Advanced classes, it was Jackie Stolper (pictured above) who dominated the two sections and began the ‘streak of two’s’ – on the two horses that she part owns with Caroline Wheatley-Hubbar. Jackie rode Luciano Pavarotti, an eight year old Laudabilis stallion, to second place in both the Advanced Medium and Advanced classes. This was followed by third place in both same classes for the 10 year old Negro gelding Wifranco - who went one better with Jackie on Saturday by dancing all the way to first place in the Nupafeed Advanced Medium Music Freestyle.
Friday continued with two more top spots for Amy Stovold.
Riding Laura Swian’s 10 year old Don Schufro gelding Debonnet in the Nathalie Equestrian Grand Prix, Amy took first place with a score of 71.63%. She followed this up with a win in the Shearwater Potential International Dressage Horse (five year olds) on Louboutin, a 16.2hh bay gelding by Licotus and owned by Kerry Mackin.
Spencer Wilton played ‘leading man’ over the three day fixture by winning every class that he competed in on his two rides – Doogie, an impressive 17hh grey gelding by Democrat, and the nine year old black stallion Zamboucca which Spencer co-owns with Jennifer Goodman.
Spencer and Zamboucca added to the ‘doubles’ theme that Jackie Stolper had set, by winning exactly the same class (Fairfax PSG), in the same group on both Friday and Sunday – the only difference a mere 1.2% in their own scores.
Saturday 27 April – Dan and Hayley double up
Saturday started with wins in the Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I (Groups 1 and 2) for the previous morning’s two champions - Spencer Wilton and Peter Storr.
After wins in the youth team tests for Lara Kuropatwa (Pony), Amy Schiessl (Junior) and Pippa Hutton (Young Rider); Daniel Sherriff (pictured right) continued the double streak that seemed apparent throughout the weekend by starting with the Hickstead five year old National British Young Horse Qualifier title on Imogen Ablett’s Dancier gelding, Dance of Decadence.
Dan followed this with a second win, this time in the Grand Prix Music Freestyle on Bayford Hall Dallagio and a score of 75.56%. Not wanting to be the one to break a stream of doubles, Becky Moody took second and third spot in the same class on Wallenstein and Caluna respectively.
It was a long but worthwhile day for Hayley Watson-Greaves who also did the double with wins in the Inter II and Freestyle Inter I - but she had to share the spoils in the latter with Jonathon Clarke-West when they couldn't be separated on 69.94%. Hayley's partner in the Inter II was her own WG Rubins Nite, who she finished sixth on in the Inter I FS at the recent Winter Championships. WG Don Wimero was the joint winner of the Inter I FS - a great result following on from fourth at the Winters in the PSG FS.
Sunday 28 April – double to finish
Gareth Hughes joined Spencer Wilton in the Fairfax PSG, taking the Group 1 title on Aramis T followed by same day wins for Alex Rowe, Aimee Witkin and Sadie Smith.
Darren Hicks and Daniel Sherriff rounded off the doubles themed weekend by sharing the top spot in the Hickstead five year old International British Young Horse class – Daniel with Dance of Decadence and Darren with Maryam Alkhalifa’s black stallion Davidoff VH Trichelhof.
See here for full results