The thirteenth year of Sheepgate’s Under 25’s Championships got off to a cracking start yesterday with classes including Medium and the FEI Pony Preliminary Test, all the way through to a Prix St Georges, which was won by 22 year old Kent based Georgina Swinglehurst and her ride Giddy.
It was well worth the long trip for 20 year Jade Struthers who travelled two hundred and sixty miles from Scotland to take both first and second place in the Young Rider Preliminary Test.
For first place Jade rode the aptly named Far Afield, a 15 year old gelding owned by Gaynor Hill, and followed this up by taking the second spot on her own gelding Knighthawk.
Maisie Scruton also had a good day, with wins in both the Medium and the Junior Team Test.
For the Medium, Maisie rode her black 14.1hh stallion Rembrandt DDH, with whom she was a member of the British team at the 2011 and 2012 European Pony Championships. A mere 0.61% separated them and the jointly second placed Lucy Pincus (Sheepcote Don Calisto) and Beth Barnett (Zantino II). In the Junior Team Test Maisie took first place on 68.78% with her Junior European Championship partner, the flashy dark bay mare ‘Hot Chocolate.’
Today see’s Pony, Junior and Young Rider Individual Tests as well as the crowd favourite Freestyle to Music, as well as three Medium and one PSG class.
Running throughout the fixture is the Sheepgate Tack & Togs Team Competiton which will see Regional squads from across the Nation compete for the team title in Prelim, Novice, Elementary and Medium plus sections.
Yesterday saw Lucy Pincus and her mother's 11 year old homebred gelding Sheepcote Sandmartin with the highest individual score in the Tack & Togs team class (Medium and above) on a score of 68.97%.
This year the competition has a total prize fund in excess of £10,000 up for grabs, thanks to the generosity of 2013 sponsors.
You can keep up to date with live results via Sheepgate’s website here.
Plus, don’t forget to like their Facebook page for all the latest updates, and plenty of pictures, from the six day competition.
Results for Monday 19 August
Dengie Horse Feeds Medium 69
1st Maisie Scruton & Rembrandt DDH, 74.85%
2nd (joint) Lucy Pincus (Sheepcote Don Calisto) & Beth Barnett (Zantino II), 74.24%
The Sheepgate Tack and Togs Team Competition
1st Lucy Pincus & Sheepcote Sandmartin , 68.97%
2nd Zara Myers & Steadhall Renaissance, 67.59%
3rd Samantha Gualtieri & Sandros Dancer, 67.24%
KBIS Prix St Georges
1st Georgina Swinglehurst and Giddy, 68.82%
2nd Emma Corbett & Furst Diamantino, 68.75%
3rd Olivia Oakeley & Donna Summer, 68.36%
KBIS FEI Pony Preliminary Test
1st Louise Crutcher & Rosewater I Claudius, 66%
2nd Angus Corrie – Deane & Grayswood Orlando, 64.50%
KBIS FEI Junior Preliminary Test
1st Jessica Blackmore & Don Romeo, 70%
KBIS FEI Young Rider Preliminary Test
1st Jade Struthers & Far Afield, 63.33%
2nd Jade Struthers & Knighthawk, 61.67%
3rd Deborah Christie & Ravallo Tanesia, 56.64%
The BDSC FEI Pony Team Test
1st Lara Kuropatwa & Don Joshi, 70.08%
2nd Amber Barton & Doctor Little, 68.85%
3rd Angus Corrie – Deane & Grayswood Orlando, 67.05%
Wolds Exclusive Bling FEI Junior Team Test
1st Maisie Scruton & Hot Chocolate 43, 68.78%
2nd Emily Hedger & O'Donner, 67.70%
3rd Philippa Corbett & Saphire VH Overwater, 67.03%
Equetech FEI Young Rider Team Test
1st Jessica Knapton & Di Spirito, 71.71%
2nd Eilidh Grant & Comanche Crumble, 70.53%
3rd Emma Jablonski & Cor IV Z, 67.24%
Senots Rosettes Advanced Medium 98
1st Catrina Leckie & Adventure, 70.26%
2nd Victoria Glasow & Wilumait, 69.56%
3rd Kirsty Mellor & Widor, 69.56%