Great Britain celebrated para success at the CPEDI2* held at Bishop Burton, East Yorkshire, last weekend with multiple representatives celebrating a hat trick of wins over the course of the competition.
Paralympian Natasha Baker started proceedings as she made a clean sweep, winning a trio of classes and achieving the highest percentage over the weekend. Paired with her new ride of just ten months, her own eight year old German mare Sookie St. James (pictured), Natasha devoured the competition and took the top spot in the grade II team test, scoring an impressive 71.62% - a whopping 6% above second place’s Emma Douglas and Apart. Moving on to the grade II individual championship test the following day, Natasha and her partner “Sooki” – as she’s known at home – took to the stage and impressed the judges once more, claiming first place with yet another strong score of 69.94%.
Determined to make it three out of three, the dynamic duo put on their dancing shoes for the grade II freestyle and proved to be an unstoppable force posting a massive score of 76.67% - not too shoddy for their second competition together!
Exclaiming her delight via Facebook, Natasha gushed “So so pleased with my Superstar Sooki! What a way to finish an amazing week, 76.67% in our freestyle and a hat-trick of wins!! I couldn't of [sic] asked for more, she was INCREDIBLE! So excited for our future together.”
Like Natasha, 28-year-old Amy Willmott also celebrated a trio of wins. Riding her partner of two years, Dr Jackie Walker’s 21-year-old gelding, Buzzlines Woodlands Boy, Amy claimed victories in the grade Ib team, individual and freestyle tests on 69.80%, 69.94% and 72.42%, respectively – with the latter being a season’s best for the pair.
Other GBR winners hitting the magical three include Fiona Maynard and her own 11-year-old gelding – WS Legolas, Georgia Wilson and her own nine year old gelding by Sheraton – Avanti, Lydia Aucott and her own 15-year-old gelding – Ragtime, Katherine Cooksley and her own Hannovarian gelding – Roh-Gold and, finally, Ashleigh Jones with her own German gelding – Bongo Bong.
For full results, click here.
Thursday
Grade Ib team test
Amy Willmott with Woodlands Boy, GBR, 69.80%
Grade II team test
Natasha Baker with Sookie St. James, GBR, 71.62%
Grade III team test
Georgia Wilson with Avanti, GBR, 62.81%
Grade IV team test
Fiona Maynard with WS Legolas, GBR, 66.79%
Grade III junior novice test
Lydia Aucott with Ragtime, GBR, 66.89%
Grade II young rider novice test
Ashleigh Jones with Bongo Bong, GBR, 71.75%
Grade III young rider novice test
Katherine Cooksley with Roh-Gold, 68.66%
Friday
Grade III novice test
Lydia Aucott with Ragtime, GBR, 65.08%
Grade Ib individual championship test
Amy Willmott with Woodlands Boy, GBR, 69.94%
Grade II individual championship test
Natasha Baker with Sookie St. James, GBR, 69.94%
Grade III individual championship test
Georgina Wilson with Avanti, GBR, 64.55%
Grade IV individual championship test
Fiona Maynard with WS Legolas, GBR, 69.52%
Grade II team test
Ashleigh Jones with Bongo Bong, GBR, 70.59%
Grade III team test
Katherine Cooksley with Roh-Gold, GBR, 64.69
Saturday
Grade II freestyle
Natasha Baker with Sookie St. James, GBR, 76.67%
Grade III freestyle
Georgina Wilson with Avanti, GBR, 68.17%
Grade IV freestyle
Fiona Maynard with WS Legolas, 73.25%
Grade III junior freestyle
Lydia Aucott with Ragtime, 68.42%
Grade II young rider freestyle
Ashleigh Jones with Bongo Bong, 72.42%
Grade III young rider freestyle
Katherine Cooksley with Roh-Gold, 67.67%