Hayley Watson-Greaves and WG Don Wimero won a competitive Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I at the second of the 2013 summer regional championships, which took place at Sparsholt College.
Four combinations scored plus-70%, which included Hayley with WG Rubins Nite in third place.
Hayley, who trains with Carl Hester, was last to go with the 10-year-old Don Primero gelding she has owned since he was three. She just edged ahead of Nicola Buchanan and Zidyllic-s by 0.18% with a score of 71.45%.
This will be Wimero’s second visit to the nationals, having competed there at novice level in 2009. Since then, he has had more experience of the big show atmosphere, finishing fourth in the Prix St Georges Freestyle Championships at this year’s Winter Championships with more than 71%.
Hayley now has two horses qualified for the Espayo National Dressage Championships, having won the Intermediate II with WG Rubins Nite at the Keysoe Premier League.
“Every year, I aim to qualify for the nationals; it has a fantastic atmosphere and you are competing against the best in the country,” said Hayley, who buys all her horses as either two- or three-year-olds.
“Wimero is such a sweetheart, but he can become over-excited. We always think of him when we hear Beyonce’s song Sweet Dreams, which has the lyrics ‘you could be a sweet dream or beautiful nightmare’. I’m hoping he’s going to be a sweet dream at the nationals!”
Rider and groom at Anna Ross Davies’s Altogether Equestrian for the past two years, Beth Bainbridge qualified at two levels with Friedrichshein.
Beth won the Suregrow Fertiliser Advanced Medium Open and was runner-up in the Dressage Deluxe Medium Open with her own “Fritz”. Beth, who has trained the 10-year-old by Fabriano from a four-year-old, said: “He was a lazy little s** before he came here and now he’s Champion the Wonder Horse!”
Proud trainer Anna said: “Beth still can’t believe it. It was a big open class with several Olympic riders. Instead of wilting, she rode her socks off and beat them all.
“Fritz has super changes – big and uphill – the only problem is looking elegant on him while he’s doing them. He’s done a couple of PSGs already and we are hoping to take him international next year.”
Sharon Edwards and Rivaal won the Stretch & Flex Elementary Open with 73.13% and posted the highest score of this regional championship.
Sharon’s mum Jenny owns the nine-year-old Danish-bred gelding by Blue Hors Romanov, who competed at his first nationals last year.
“We bought him as an unbroken three-year-old to sell, but couldn’t bring ourselves to let him go as we felt he’s quite special; he’s by far the most talented horse I’ve ridden.
“Because he’s so good at home, I hadn’t taken him to many shows and he had led a bit of a sheltered life. My aim this year has been to campaign him and get him used to buzzy show atmospheres as last year’s nationals was a disaster; he’s like a Duracell battery when he’s running on his nerves. It absolutely came off at Sparsholt and I’m intrigued to see what happens at the nationals this year!”
Picture © www.kevinsparrow.co.uk
Visualise Sportswear Preliminary
Jasmine Clare and Rohdstar (owner: Rider) 73.03%
Ruth Stevens and Flamenco II (owner: Rider) 70%
Lisa Smith and Fly By Star (owner: Rider) 69.85%
Dodson & Horrell Novice Restricted
Vickie Archer and Burlyn’s Bold As Brass (owner: Hilary Davey & Rider) 71.61%
Amy Francis and Fables First Magnum (owner: Sue Griffith) 71.26%
Ruth Stevens and Flamenco II (owner: Rider) 70.23%
Dodson & Horrell Novice Open
Cecilia Hawthorne and Calgary (owner: Rider) 71.95%
Holly Browne and Sigurd (owner: Rider) 70.57%
Amy Blount and Sweetheart (owner: Hillary Davey & Jennie Loriston-Clarke) 69.43%
Stretch & Flex Elementary Restricted
Anna Lawson and Carentino Z (owner: Rider) 72.08%
Jon Pavitt and Keystone Walente (owner: Fiona Pavitt), 67.29%
Stretch & Flex Elementary Open
Sharon Edwards and Rivaal (owner: Johanna Edwards) 73.13%
Nadine Gregory and Candover Dramatico (owner: Rider) 72.50%
Jacky Stolper and Die Oder Kien (owner: Rider) 71.15%
Dressage Deluxe Medium Restricted
Hannah Bates and Essentially M and S (owner: Rider) 69.91%
Laura Gillespie and Flane Rockingham (owner: Rider) 68.20%
Dressage Deluxe Medium Open
Debbie Poynter and Keystone For Real (owner: Rider), 70.90%
Beth Bainbridge and Friedrichshein (owner: Rider) 69.91%
Lucy Cartwright and Samba Dancer (owner: Christie Edwards & Audrey Lawrence) 69.10%
Emile Faurie and Duke Ellington (owner: Patricia Vaughan) 69.01%
Suregrow Fertiliser Advanced Medium Restricted
Claire Randall and Decree (owner: Angela Collins) 69.04%
Charlie Sawyer and Zandiego (owner: Elizabeth Steer) 67.98%
Suregrow Fertiliser Advanced Medium Open
Beth Bainbridge and Friedrichshein (owner: Rider) 71.23%
Emile Faurie and Ebony VIII (owner: Michael Franklin) 70.26%
Alice Oppenheimer and Headmore Roxanne (owner: Sarah Oppenheimer) 67.54%
Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges
Laura Tomlinson and Unique VIII (owner: Wilfried Bechtolsheimer) 71.23%
Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I
Hayley Watson-Greaves and WG Don Wimero (owner: Rider) 71.45%