Riders travelled from far and wide for the second ever Summer Music Championships at Sheepgate Equestrian (26 – 28 August 2019) where the leading Lincolnshire venue staged three days of wall-to-wall Freestyles from Prelim to PSG in soaring August temperatures.
Laura Marshall from Southam in Warwickshire danced to a decisive victory in the Novice Silver with the aptly named British Hanoverian mare Cha Cha Herself (pictured). The pair earned a score of 72.31% for their freestyle to a compilation of music from the Harry Potter spin-off fantasy film series, Fantastic Beasts.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to bits,” was Laura’s response. “She [Cha Cha] was 100% on it…quite feisty in the warm up but completely on her A-game during the test. She felt amazing and it was only the third time we’ve ridden through that music.”
Laura and Cha Cha (nine) competed at their first regionals in February earning themselves a wild card for Baileys Novice Freestyle Silver at the NAF Five Star Winter Championships. The music, a composition by Music in Motion’s Kay Vittori, is dramatic and fits the mare well. “I love riding to it,” commented Laura.
Laura works for Jaguar Land Rover and Cha Cha, who was bred by Paul Friday, is her only horse. “I loved her from the start. She was petite and sharp, but very kind. We had a bit of a setback early on. After being backed in the autumn of her fifth year, she kicked herself badly in the field the following spring which meant an 18 month rehab. It wasn’t easy at the time but it makes me value every moment of riding even more.”
Marsha Webb at Classic Dressage is Laura’s trainer who she says “has been a revelation in our training.”
West Devon grandmother, Sally Pidsley, made the long journey east a profitable one by winning the Preliminary Silver Freestyle with her British bred 15 year old, Tranwheal Tineth Moon. Sally, who's 73 years young, won the 70cm class at the Horse & Hound Grass Roots Eventing Championships just two years ago with this mare, which goes to show that age doesn’t have to be a barrier to competitive riding.
List 2 judge and BDCC Level 3 trainer, Sarah Williams, was the runaway winner of the competitive Medium Gold Freestyle with her talented gelding, San Remo Hitt. The pair achieved a superb 78.61% ahead of Sara-Jane Lanning with Dreamcatcher III and Nicholas Lawson with Fandango V in second and third respectively, both on 75.17%.
Sarah and 11 year old San Remo Hitt (San Remo x Sunset Boulevard) presented a fluent, well executed test to a fitting soundtrack of commanding music. “I am absolutely beyond over the moon,” says Sarah.
British Dressage thanks the team at Sheepgate for delivering 18 classes over three days of competition and all the judges, stewards, writers and volunteers who all helped to make it happen. Congratulations to the winning riders and all those who took part.
This was the final running of the Summer Music Championships before the event’s incorporation into the Petplan Equine Area Festival series from 2020 and beyond. Read more here.
2019 Summer Music Freestyle Champions:
Preliminary Bronze
Ann Hiles with Bojangles III, 69.54%
Preliminary Silver
Sally Pidsley with Tranwheal Tineth Moon, 68.33%
Preliminary Gold
Jane Lavington with Broadriver Madison, 72.22%
Novice Bronze
Rachel Punch with Annie V, 68.61%
Novice Silver
Laura Marshall with Cha Cha Herself, 72.31%
Novice Gold
Jessica Parr with Gabber D, 73.70%
Elementary Bronze
Patricia Smith with Helios, 68.46%
Elementary Silver
Lesley Wheatley with Fürst Lazio, 70.83%
Elementary Gold
Tyler Bradshaw with Igor VIII, 72.12%
Medium Bronze
Trixi Gingell with Contudo, 72.83%
Medium Silver
Florence Human with Fulgencio, 72.39%
Medium Gold
Sarah Williams with San Remo Hitt, 78.61%
Advanced Medium Bronze
Lucie Dunkeld and Barchetta, 71.17%
Advanced Medium Silver
Katharine Lewis with Albertho B, 75.94%
Advanced Medium Gold
Laura Wollen with Woodcroft Francisco, 72.89%
Prix St Georges Bronze
Tyler Bradshaw with Gijsbert, 70.21%
Prix St Georges Silver
Cazzy Derby with Frenderups De Nice, 68.13%
Prix St Georges Gold
Mark Walters with IceBlue Valentino, 72.38%
For full results click here
↧
Summer Music Championships on Song
↧