Two appeared to be the magic number at this year’s Port Royal Summer Regional Championships (21 – 23 July 2016), as several riders collected two wins during the three-day competition.
Lancashire’s Jessica Dunn has had a fantastic 12 months after securing a clutch of national and reserve titles, she looks to be building on her successes after a fantastic run at the East Yorkshire venue. Aboard her own nine-year-old Tuschinski-sired gelding, Cedar Valley (pictured), she topped the TopSpec Medium Gold with an impressive 73.13% - 5% above second placed Louise Davison and De Galles (67.98%), who also qualified for September’s LeMieux National Championships.
On her second ride of the competition, Katherine Keenan’s seven-year-old British-bred gelding, MFS French Noir, Jess claimed the Childéric Saddles Elementary Gold with a whopping 75.73% – the highest score of the Regional Championships. A hotly contested class with the top six all scoring above 70%, Jess and Felix – as French Noir is known by his friends – are proving to be an unstoppable force, winning all classes entered since September last year.
“Can’t believe I’m coming home with two more Regional titles!” exclaimed Jess from her Facebook. “Felix won a tough Elementary Gold class on 75.73% and [Cedar Valley] tried his little heart out in his first major outdoor show and won the Medium Gold with 73.17% proud mum tonight!!”
26-year-old Jess claimed her third and final Nationals qualification ticket of the competition after coming second in the Dodson & Horrell Novice Gold on another great score of 73.40% with Flying Dream II, her own five-year-old Westphalian gelding. The class was won by Wiltshire-based Elenna Carroll, who scored a fantastic 74.40% with Gemma Appleton’s nine-year-old British-bred gelding, Moviman. After a three-year break from competition, Elenna and the chestnut are back with a bang, also winning the Childéric Saddles Elementary Silver (section b) on another big mark – and personal best – of 72.29%.
Eventer Noah Brook claimed first and second in the Dodson & Horrell Novice Silver with two brilliant scores. Aboard Daryll Thickitt and Gillian Liggins’ seven-year-old son of Negro, Extreme II, the 20-year-old topped the class with 73.50% in just their eighth test together. It was a close call for second place, but it was Noah and his six-year-old Fidertanz mare, Fantasy IV who nabbed the reserve spot by just one collective mark on 71.00%; David Drake and Fairy Tale II came third on the same score.
The Equine Construction Advanced Medium Silver was claimed by Sally Walker and Wilton. Sally, who works in the fire service, and the British-bred nine-year-old gelding were close to achieving a personal best with their score of 67.19%. The win will mark a new chapter in their partnership of four years, as it will be their first trip to National Championships.
In just their third PSG, local lass Lucy Bulmer defeated some big names to take the Fairfax Saddles PSG with her own and Mary McGowan’s 15-year-old Belgian gelding, Boras. Partners for over nine years, Lucy has taken her dark bay up through the levels from Novice, and their win with a score of 69.16% will mark their first visit to the Nationals since they placed ninth in the Elementary, back in 2009.
For full results, click here.
Class 4: Fairfax Saddles PSG Gold
Lucy Bulmer with Boras, 69.16%
Class 5: Saracen Horse Feeds Inter I Gold
Elspeth Day with Delilah, 69.51%
Class 6: Equine Construction Advanced Medium Gold
Becky Moody with Santa Tropez HFD, 70.74%
Class 7: Equine Construction Advanced Medium Silver
Sally Walker with Wilton, 67.19%
Class 8: TopSpec Medium Silver
Charlotte Cundall with KBIS Starchaser, 69.55%
Class 9: TopSpec Medium Gold
Jessica Dunn with Cedar Valley, 73.13%
Class 10a: Childéric Saddles Elementary Silver
Laura Woodcock with Salvator, 70.99%
Class 10b: Childéric Saddles Elementary Silver
Elenna Carroll with Moviman, 72.29%
Class 11: Childéric Saddles Elementary Gold
Jessica Dunn with MFS French Noir, 75.73%
Class 12: Dodson & Horrell Novice Silver
Noah Brook with Extreme II, 73.50%
Class 13: Dodson & Horrell Novice Gold
Elenna Carroll with Moviman, 74.40%
Class 14: BackinAction Prelim Silver
Kirsty De Boutemard with Rubik, 73.00%