Dressage at Hickstead played host to a thrilling Summer Regional Championships at the prestigious Sussex venue last week (28-31 July 2016). A strong contingent of riders went all out in a bid to qualify for the Lemieux National Championships at Stoneleigh in September.
Running alongside the Royal International Horse Show at the All England Jumping Course, the unique atmosphere of Hickstead set the stage for some inspiring dressage action. One rider to savour the occasion was Horsham-based newlywed, Amy Stovold who tied the knot with fiancé, Simon Staempfli, an equine vet and Director of the Arundel Equine Hospital, on Saturday 23 July. Amy rode Waldessarini, Nicolle Begovic’s 12-year-old gelding by Wolkentanz II, to win the Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges Gold with a super score of 69.96%.
Amy has competed the attractive chestnut just a couple of times, as he’s normally partnered by owner Nicolle, wife of Chelsea goalkeeper, Asmir Begovic. With Nicolle on board, ‘Foxy’ as Waldessarini is known, showed some promising international Small Tour results at Roosendaal, Hartpury, Hickstead and Saumur CDIs last year.
Two horse and rider pairings, previously qualified at the Kingston Maurward Regionals, were at Hickstead paving their way to Stoneleigh at a second level.
Event rider, Dannie Morgan, walked away with his second Nationals ticket riding Georgina Hall-Raine’s Southern Cross Braemar aka Barry. Dannie and the lovely six-year-old son of Breitling W added the Dodson & Horrell Novice Silver to their previous week’s Childéric Saddles Elementary Silver victory at Kingston Maurward. Dannie and Barry’s convincing performance was rewarded with 74.38%, more than two percent ahead of their closest rival.
The second competitor to achieve this feat was Hampshire rider, Karen Frankham, competing at her second Summer Regional Championships of the year. She secured yet another ticket with her own Wizard VI by winning a competitive Childéric Saddles Elementary Silver with 70.47%. At Kingston Maurward the combination won the Dodson & Horrell Novice Silver with a resounding 75.64% so they’re clearly on-form. Karen is delighted with her 13-year-old Dutch-bred son of Julio Mariner: “Well what a day! We have just become regional champions at Hickstead and got our second national ticket, I am absolutely over the moon,” she said via Facebook.
The popular invitational FEI level classes proved a great draw for spectators as well as an opportunity for riders to expose their up-and-coming partners to a big atmosphere. One such rider was Andrew Gould and Esquire III, Angela Jones’ seven-year-old Valeron stallion. They impressed at Small Tour, coming second to Matt Frost and Leandro in the Prix St Georges before making the Inter I Freestyle their own with 74.63%.
At the more experienced end of the scale, the combination of Hayley Watson-Greaves and WG Rubins Nite (pictured at the 2015 LeMieux National Championships), her 12-year-old gelding by Rubin Royal, topped the tables at Big Tour. They posted a 70.73% Grand Prix victory followed by an emphatic win with a personal best of 76.13% in the Grand Prix Freestyle. Hayley is now in Rio as part of the British Olympic Association’s Ambition programme. She and fellow British dressage rider, Alice Oppenheimer, have been selected, along with 37 other athletes, to travel to Rio and have an inside experience of the Olympic environment.
Winners:
BackinAction Preliminary Silver
Millie Gover with Kamil T, 75.36%
Dodson & Horrell Novice Silver – section 1
Dannie Morgan with Southern Cross Braemar, 74.10%
Dodson & Horrell Novice Silver – section 2
Penny Brooks with Deluca, 71.92%
Dodson & Horrell Novice Gold
Andrew Gould with Feiner Stern II, 71.28%
Childéric Saddles Elementary Silver – section 1
Karen Frankham with Wizard VI, 70.47%
Childéric Saddles Elementary Silver – section 2
Molly Key with Sherwood T, 75.99%
Childéric Saddles Elementary Gold
James Burtwell with Burlington B, 72.34%
TopSpec Medium Silver
Joe Bright with Hazelhope Really Bling, 69.90%
TopSpec Medium Gold
Suzanne Lavandera with Keystone Daganay, 74.04%
Equine Construction Advanced Medium Silver
Tania Grantham with Samarino, 69.96%
Equine Construction Advanced Medium Gold
Paul Hayler with Lonswelt, 72.46%
Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges Gold
Amy Stovold with Waldessarini, 69.96%
Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I Gold
Jo Banks with Vortuyn, 65.35%
Invitational Prix St Georges
Matt Frost with Leandro, 71.48%
Invitational Intermediate I Freestyle
Andrew Gould with Esquire III, 74.63%
Invitational Grand Prix
Hayley Watson-Greaves with WG Rubins Nite, 70.73%
Invitational Grand Prix Freestyle
Hayley Watson Greaves with WG Rubins Nite, 76.13%
Hickstead Young Horse Champions
Hickstead British National Young Horse 5-year-old Championship
Hannah Markham with Wikipedia, 86.60%
Hickstead British National Young Horse 6-year-old Championship
Paul Hayler with FJ Veyron, 85.60%
Hickstead British FEI Young Horse 5-year-old Championship
Tim Heappey with Tantoni Dallaglio, 84.38%
Hickstead British FEI Young Horse 6-year-old Championship
Amy Schiessl with Knoxx’s Figaro, 78.21%
For full results click here