The last week of April saw an exciting three days of competition take place at Keysoe Premier League in Bedfordshire (28-30 April 2017).
Rio Olympic team member Spencer Wilton made a winning return to the arena with his faithful partner Super Nova II (pictured). The duo scored an exciting 77.53% to win the LeMieux Grand Prix judged by Eddy De Wolff, Jo Graham and Debbie Lush. Spencer and Jen Goodman’s ‘Neville’ have their sights set on selection for the 2017 European Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden and will head to Compiègne CDI later this month to continue their campaign.
An array of exciting riders produced good results in the small tour classes with wins going to names including Kate Cowell, Daniel Greenwood, Owen Cooper, Paul Hayler and Becky Edwards. Fresh from her double championship title haul at the NAF Five Star Winter Championships, Sophie Wells scored once again to win the second section of the Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I with Valerius on a fantastic 71.71%. After having a tricky ride with her other horse, the energetic C Fatal Attraction, Sophie praised Valerius on Facebook saying “he took the reins and showed Jorge how to do it with a more relaxed test than at the Winters to win the big Inter I class… It was worth the four am start!”
A host of Young Horse classes boasted brilliant scores and foreshadowed a summer of exciting championships. Australian rider Jayden Brown tasted success aboard MSJ Fascinate; the combination earned the highest score of the show after scoring a phenomenal 90.40% in the Hickstead Five-Year-Old International Young Horse class. Whilst Natalie Banks and her own Giloma stood out in the Six-Year-Old category, winning the National Young Horse class on day two with a score of 8.32.
The future generation of riders showed their promise in the Pony tests. Thirteen-year-old Olivia Whitelaw took the win in the Team test with new ride Dumbledore D earning 69.36%. The Smockum-Owen family’s Dumbledore D has been placed with Olivia to allow her to continue competing whilst her own pony recovers from injury. The Individual test saw triumph for young Annabella Pidgley who topped the leaderboard with former European Championship medallist Farbenfroh as well as making a successful debut with the stunning palomino Cognac IV - the latest addition to her stable - a previous ride of the successful Swiss-based Grecian Theodora Livanos.
The winners:
Equine Construction Advanced Medium 98
1st Daryl Ware with Sweet Lucy Lou, 67.85%
Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges Section 1
1st Paul Hayler with Lonswelt, 71.75%
Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges Section 2
1st Owen Cooper with Don Dante, 69.78%
Intermediate A
1st Alex Hardwick with Royal Chester, 70.46%
LeMieux Grand Prix
1st Spencer Wilton with Supernova, 77.53%
Hickstead 5YO FEI International Young Horse Qualifier
1st Jayden Brown with MSJ Fascinate, 90.40%
Hickstead 6YO FEI International Young Horse Qualifier
1st Abi Hutton with Suspension Giraldo, 77.60%
Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I Section 1
1st Kate Cowell with Samba Dancer, 73.73%
Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I Section 2
1st Sophie Wells with Valerius, 71.71%
Monarch Equestrian Intermediate II
1st Serena Pincus with Sheepcote Fantasia, 69.82%
Pony Team Test
1st Olivia Whitelaw with Dumbledore D, 69.36%
Equine Construction Advanced Medium 92
1st Judy Harvey with Palimera, 68.92%
Hickstead Young Horse National 5YO Qualifier
1st Darren Hicks with Hennesey T, 8.34
Hickstead Young Horse National 6YO Qualifier
1st Natalie Banks with Giloma, 8.32
Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle
1st Laragh Osman with San Torino, 63.33%
Prix St Georges Freestyle
1st Leah Beckett with Nirvana Celestial, 71.67%
Intermediate I Freestyle
1st Kate Cowell with Samba Dancer, 77.17%
Grand Prix Freestyle
1st Vicky Thompson Winfield with Mango Jacaro, 75.38%
Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges Section 1
1st Becky Edwards with Ufano, 70.13%
Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges Section 2
1st Daisy Coakley with Affinity Bay, 68.64%
Intermediate B
1st Alex Hardwick with Royal Chester, 68.57%
Pony Individual Test
1st Annabella Pidgley with Farbenfroh, 67.97%
Equine Construction Advanced Medium 96
1st Kimberley-Alice Seaby with Wiona G, 71.23%
Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I
1st Daniel Greenwood with Chevalier O, 73.29%
Shearwater 4YO Qualifier
1st Kerry Mackin with Izonik, 8.5
Shearwater 5YO Qualifier
1st Beth Bainbridge with Harbouche, 8.34
Shearwater 6YO Qualifier
1st Roxanne Shipley with Show Sister, 8.24
For full results see the Keysoe website.