Being a young rider on the international circuit is no mean feat. You have to learn to control your emotions, be humble in victory and keep your chin up when it doesn’t quite go to plan.
Luckily for Team GBR, their chef d’equipe Islay Auty has her eyes firmly fixed on a future that belongs to the four girls who travelled to Compiegne, France, for the Junior European Championships 9 - 14 July.
Over the winter their training has been focused on long term development, not just results, and imparting the learning that will help them to cope with the highs and lows that dressage invariably affords the riders brave enough to take a chance at the top.
And it’s this fortitude that Georgia Davis (17), Charlotte Fry (17), Maisie Scruton (17) and Chloe Vell (15) will have had to call on during five days of highs and lows that saw Great Britain just 1.5% off a medal winning position in the company of their counterparts from 21 nations across the globe – a near miss that the seasoned pro might find hard to relish.
Islay has been working closely with Caroline Griffith (Development Leader for Team GBR) who went out to Compiegne to support the girls. The direction of the youth training is increasingly mirroring that of World Class, the heart of which revolves around riders learning to take responsibility for their own development. This is a lesson well acquired from the beginning in a sport that ultimately depends on one’s own performance.
It was the consistent performance of Germany’s Johanne Von Danwit, who posted first in all three classes, that won Germany the gold medal on 72.414%, and Great Britain just weren’t quite able to catch the coat tails of Denmark who took the bronze on a score 68.865%.
The atmosphere at a competition of this scale can be overwhelming for the most sterling of senior riders; and this was a young team with only two of the girls, Maisie and Lottie, having come from ponies – a jump which Islay likens to ‘Studying for your A- Levels to taking your finals at Uni – it’s a completely different ballgame.’ For Georgia and Chloe the ascent was even more mountainous.
On hand was Carl Hester, who travelled to Compiegne to help the team warm up and prepare for such a colossal occasion.
Islay said “Carl was inspirational and we were so lucky to have him there supporting us. He was a real celeb with all the foreign riders queuing up to have their photos taken with him, it was very entertaining!”
Called up as a reserve the weekend before they travelled, Georgia Davis went first and rode for every single mark, producing a credible opening performance on her ten year old gelding Richmans Manta. They posted 66.595% in the Team test and 63.211% in the Individual, but it wasn’t quite enough to get them through to the Freestyle.
With her late mother Laura’s ride Remming (owned by Leslie Connor,) Charlotte Fry led the way posting tenth in the Team test on 69.459% followed by a new British record – 72.362% for the first fifth ever for GBR Juniors in the Individual.
Lottie and Remming (pictured above during their lap of honor at the Winter Championships earlier this year) went on to ride the Kur with adapted music that her mum had made for Remming’s Prix St Georges Freestyle and with a couple of mistakes they still came in for eighth on a score of 74.725%.
Maisie Scruton managed to better her own score to 68.789% in the Individual after a cheeky slight of hand by her 16 year old Hot Chocolate in the Team test. The mare managed to get her tongue over the bit leaving Maisie to steer for a well rescued 64.946%.
Youngest member of the squad, 15 year old Chloe Vell, rode her nine year old mare Kaja Di Valentina for two consistent scores, 65.500% and 65.946% in the Individual and Team tests respectively.
Overall the squad held on and achieved a respectable seventh team place but were disappointed to not have all achieved personally as per their performances over the past year. “But there is no substitute for experience, and this was an amazing experience”, added Islay.
“It’s human nature to be disappointed when you hope and work for something that doesn’t quite come off but it is part of their learning and I’m very optimistic that they will be able to process this in a positive way. We were less than two percent off a medal and that’s an amazing achievement.
“When we got home David Trott text me, he just said “remember how many times the Senior team were nearly there before they achieved their own success.”
This will be a sentiment well worth remembering for a group of girls who have the mettle to strive for their dreams and a very bright future ahead of them.