The UK’s emerging para dressage stars were on show at Vale View Equestrian Centre last weekend at the BD Festival of Para Dressage, 15-16 March. The two-day extravaganza featured the British Dressage Restricted Para Championships and the Para-Equestrian Rider Development - a talent seeking competition sponsored by The British Dressage Supporters Club (BDSC), the Para Dressage Training Trust (PDTT) and the Worshipful Company of Saddlers.
Up-and-coming riders were under the spotlight in the rider development competition. Created to reveal the riders for the future, its programme includes test riding and entrants are judged purely on riding ability alone.
14-year-old Molly Bowen-Morris, pictured with Nick Rodgers from the PDTT and David Hamer, Development Discipline Co-ordinator Para Equestrian Dressage, came out on top in the 16-25 years age group with an overall score of 82.014 - a remarkable achievement considering her younger age. Being the only rider between the age of 13 and 15, she was entered into the higher age category where she more than held her own.
Molly, a grade IV rider who was born missing her left hand and lower forearm, was partnered by Buzz who is also an all-round Pony Club pony owned by her trainer Tiggi Bentley. “Tiggi says he’s like a horse on pony legs but he and I just twig. We’ve got a great partnership already and I only started riding him in January."
“This was our first outing together and Tiggi said if we could produce a test like we do at home we’d do well, and we did!” said Molly. “I’m so pleased with everything.”
Molly, who hails from Abingdon in Oxfordshire, started riding at her local Riding for the Disabled Association group when she was just three years old. She won her first RDA national championship at the age of eight and it wasn’t long before she was participating in para dressage competitions. Read more about Molly on her newly launched website.
The rider to take the 10-12 years category was 12-year-old Rowan Crosby, a Grade II rider from Flintshire. She rode Thirkleby Blue Moon or ‘Tex’, a Welsh x Arab liver chestnut gelding to score a total of 79.370. “We’ve had a really enjoyable weekend and to win tops it off,” smiled Rowan. “My pony has been an absolute superstar and I’m so proud of him. He’s only 14hh but reckons he’s about 18hh!”
Rowan, who was born with microcephaly and periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), a form of brain damage which results in mobility difficulties, has her sights firmly set on para dressage at the highest level. The young rider, who first sat on a pony before she could walk, says: “My ultimate goal now is the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2020. Ever since I was three, riding for Britain is all I’ve wanted to do.”
The winner of the over-25s, and the highest scoring rider in the rider development competition was Charlotte Cundall, 29, from Roecliffe in Yorkshire. Charlotte rode Jenny Ellis’s Looks Similar, a 14-year-old former event horse, for an overall score of 84.444. Charlotte was a successful point-to-point rider until she broke her back in a schooling fall three years ago. The talented rider is now replicating this success, now as a grade IV para rider, and certainly looks to have a promising career ahead of her.
Alongside the new kids on the block was a generous sprinkling of world class riders competing in the open level FEI Para tests, aiming to secure their places for the British Para Dressage Championships at Hickstead in June.
Lee Pearson and Zion earned the highest score, 78.40% in the grade 1b team test as well as winning the 77.93% in the individual. Meanwhile, London 2012 star Natasha Baker, topped the grade II team test with 74.85% and the individual with 73.14%.
Rider Development results
Senior Riders (26 and over)
Charlotte Cundall and Looks Similar, 84.444
Julie Payne and Lollipop II, 80.944
Jane Lishman and Lily Delight, 79.537
Young Rider (16-25 yrs)
Molly Bowen-Morris and Buzz, 82.014
Hebe Williamson and Ulysses II, 80.208
Katherine Smith and Aimbry Caramba, 79.750
Pre-Development (10-12 yrs)
Rowan Crosby and Thirkleby Blue Moon, 79.370
Lucy Mae Bush and Lucky Pinto, 78.750
Leonie Tanisha Saffy, 71.574
Overall Rider Development winner
Charlotte Cundall and Looks Similar
Congratulations to our British Dressage Restricted Para Champions:
Grade Ib
Val Fisher and Matetsi, 65.80%
Grade II
Denise Smith and Sheepcote Catkin, 63.97%
Grade III
Isabelle Palmer and Gregonne Coco Chanel, 67.63%
Grade IV
Julie Frizzell and DCUK Crazy Diamond, 64.94%
Full Para Rider Development results available here
View full Para Restricted Winter Championship and Hickstead qualifier results here
British Dressage would like to thank the BDSC, PDTT, Vale View EC and The Worshipful Company of Saddlers for their support and sponsorship of this event.