The Hartpury Festival of Dressage (9 – 13 July) may have played host to a CDI3* and CPEDI3* but the Gloucester-based college also accommodated 2014’s final Premier League and the acclaimed Shearwater Young Dressage Horse Championships.
Charlotte Dujardin and Michael Eilberg set the standard in the first class of the Premier League, the Corse Lawn Hotel prix st georges. Split into two classes due to high entrant numbers, Charlotte and her ride, Anne Seifert-Cohn’s eight year old German gelding Barolo, stormed section A of the PSG. With Hartpury being just their second competition together, the duo improved on their Somerford Premier League PSG mark of 72.15% with a strong score of 74.30% - also claiming the accolade of highest percentage over the five-day-long competition.
Michael Eilberg and wonder horse Woodlander Farouche, Alison Walton and Ferdi Eilberg’s eight year old Furst Heinrich mare, took section B’s PSG with an impressive 73.68%. Proving to be an unstoppable force, the mare remains unbeaten in her competitive career to-date with this being her fourth-ever PSG. Putting Farouche away for a well-earned rest, Michael had further reason to celebrate as he claimed the Baileys Horse Feeds inter II with his second ride of the competition, Lynne Crowden’s 12-year-old Dimaggio-sired mare, Woodlander Dornroschen, with a solid mark of 70.22%.
17-year-old Lucy Pincus impressively scored a hat trick of wins during the Festival of Dressage with her father’s eight year old Don Schufro gelding, Sheepcote Don Calisto. A successful year for the dynamic duo, who claimed the Winter Championship’s advanced medium title back in April, they topped the leader board in both the Hartpury Sport advanced medium and NAF Five Star Optimum advanced medium with 73.11% and 70.13% respectively. Completing a perfect competitive week, the pair also went on to score first place in the Dawson Memorial pony, junior and young rider team test class, gaining a solid mark of 67.93% with their junior team test.
The start list for the LeMieux grand prix read like a who’s who of dressage; with household names such as Michael Eilberg, Spencer Wilton and Richard Barrett, it was always going to be stiff competition for the number one spot. However, it was Olympian Carl Hester who impressed the judges and climbed to the top with his ride, Jane Green’s 13-year-old German stallion Fine Time 13, with their score of 72.44% - a whopping 6% above second place’s Michael Eilberg and Woodlander Dornroschen.
Shearwater Young Dressage Horse Championships
Saturday witnessed a showcase of Britain’s finest young horses in the finals of the Shearwater Young Dressage Horse Championships. Already winners from their qualifying rounds, the finalists rode the relevant test for their horse’s age category; four, five and six year olds.
Sandra Biddlecombe’s Wynton-sired KWPN gelding, Floris (pictured) took the four year old title with an impressive mark of 8.68. Ridden by Calum Whitworth, the dark bay gelding stormed ahead of its competition, beating second place Jody Haswell’s Sir Donnerhall-sired stallion by five marks (7.96).
The five year old section of the Shearwater Young Dressage Horse Championship went to the grey son of Samarant, Exige M, with a score of 8.12. Although currently competing at novice with owner Jenny Welham, it was international rider Daniel Greenwood who scored the ride of Exige M – or Freddie as he’s known by his friends – during the gelding’s young horse campaign.
Speaking from his Facebook page, Dan gushed about Freddie’s win, “[Freddie] did the Shearwater [Young Dressage Horse] Championship and felt great, he tried his heart out. He won on 8.12 with a 9 for his canter, his first championship win!”
Dan continued, “Poor boy had to go again on Sunday to try to qualify for the Shearwater Potential International [Young Dressage Horse Championships] and still give his all to win on 8.3 and gained two [nines] for the canter and adjustability. He’s such a dude to ride.”
The final title in the six year old section went to the Voltaire-sired KWPN mare, Dizzy Heights, on a mark of 8.12. Owned by Alan Tremlett and rider, Jill Grant, the 17hh mare lived up to her name standing at dizzy heights above the second placed German gelding, Louboutin, who was six marks below on 7.56.
For full results, click here.
Class 1a: Corse Lawn Hotel FEI Prix St Georges
Charlotte Dujardin and Barolo, 74.30%
Class 1b: Corse Lawn Hotel FEI Prix St Georges
Michael Eilberg and Woodlander Farouche, 73.68%
Class 2: Baileys Horse Feeds Intermediate II
Michael Eilberg and Woodlander Dornroschen, 70.22%
Class 3: Hartpury Sport Advanced Medium
Lucy Pincus and Sheepcote Don Calisto, 73.11%
Class 4: NAF Five Star Optimum Advanced Medium
Lucy Pincus and Sheepcote Don Calisto, 70.13%
Class 5: Monarch Equestrian FEI Intermediate I
Spencer Wilton and Alfons, 71.80%
Class 6: LeMieux FEI Grand Prix
Carl Hester and Fine Time 13, 72.44%
Class 7: Lovington Ice Advanced
Lucy Cartwright and Fergana, 69.69%
Class 8: Hartpury College Advanced
Louise Bell and Into The Blue, 69.38%
Class 9: Shearwater Young Dressage Horse Championship – 4 year old
Calum Whitworth and Floris, 8.68
Class 10: Shearwater Young Dressage Horse Championship – 5 year old
Daniel Greenwood and Exige M, 8.12
Class 11: Shearwater Young Dressage Horse Championship – 6 year old
Jill Grant and Dizzy Heights, 8.12
Class 12: Grand Prix Freestyle
Hayley Watson Greaves and WG Equus, 67.00%
Class 13: Fairfax FEI Prix St Georges
Maya Goldberg and Torino, 66.97%
Class 14: Dawson Memorial Pony, Junior and Young Rider Team tests
Lucy Pincus and Sheepcote Don Calisto, Junior team test, 67.93%
Class 15: TopSpec Intermediate II
Gareth Hughes and Vivanck, 68.82%
Class 16: Speedskip Medium
Zoe Sleigh and Dark Legend, 74.32%
Class 17: Shearwater Potential International Dressage Horse – 4 year old
Leah Beckett and Shamwari Debonair, 8.46
Class 18: Shearwater Potential International Dressage Horse – 5 year old
Daniel Greenwood and Exige, 8.30