A home-produced six year old was the star performer over two busy Regional Championship days at Addington Manor in Buckinghamshire (9 – 10 August). The Dutch-bred JB Dukatt scored an impressive 77.14% to take the Equilibrium Products Elementary Open class with his owner/rider Jess Bennett.
Jess, a freelance rider/trainer from near Bristol, bought the Westernwind sired gelding from an advert in Horse and Hound shortly after he’d been imported by a yard from Yorkshire. “I’d been looking for over six months with no luck but then spotted the ad and he was tried, vetted and transported home within a day!” explained Jess. Despite an early time of 08.14 and the remnants of Hurricane Bertha pummelling down, the six year old was on song. “He really knuckled down despite everything. I know he’s capable but it’s just getting everything to come right in those five minutes. Riding round, I knew it felt like it was a good one; it just all came together,” said a delighted Jess. He was just four when Jess bought him but within two years she’s produced him to Championship level having qualified for this year’s Winters. This will be her first trip to Stoneleigh for a National Championships in a non-Young Horse class.
Michael Eilberg continued his run of form with the hugely exciting German-bred Der Designer with a win to ensure he can defend his Suregrow Fertiliser Advanced Medium Open title which he won with Woodlander Farouche. The eight year old son of De Niro scored an impressive 76.10% to take the 44-strong class where six combinations qualified.
Worcestershire rider Lucy Farrer had a day to remember with her partner the British-bred Coady Bay Richelieu in booking two tickets to the Nationals. The duo have only been competing together since March and have never been out of the top two.
Fourth spot in the Equilibrium Products Elementary Open and third in the Dressage Deluxe Medium Open, both with 70%+ scores mean they’re Stoneleigh-bound in September.
Dan Greenwood also scored a double of places at the Lemieux National Dressage Championships with Jane Mcwilliam's Val Rubilah with victory in the Dressage Deluxe Medium Open and third spot in the fiercely competitive Suregrow Fertiliser Advanced Medium Open.
Another rider to secure a second Nationals ticket, albeit on different horses and from different regionals, is 2014 pony European medallist Phoebe Peters. Phoebe has picked up a couple of rides from Olympic and European Champion Charlotte Dujardin and she’s quickly gelled with them. Phoebe won the Dodson & Horrell Novice Open with Edison H at Somerford but at Addington, it was the turn of Cruz III, an FEI pony prospect. They headed the first of two sections with 72.67%. Ashley Jenkins took the second with Salsa Hit on 74.83%.
The FEI classes went to Anders Dahl and Olivia Oakeley. Olivia finished second with her Donna Summer to Anders in the Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges but went one better in the Saracen Horse Feeds inter I. Anders was piloting wife Fiona’s Wincenzo who’s been lightly competed over the past couple of years.
It was two days of every type of weather the great British summer could throw at the determined competitors with Hurricane Bertha doing her best to upset proceedings For full results, click here.
Photos from the competition available on www.kevinsparrow.com
Qualifiers:
BackInAction Preliminary
Section 1
1st Claire Hall-Peachey with D’Artagnan 71.60%
2nd Danielle Hardwick with Isigje VH Russeltveld 71.35%
Section 2
1st Niamh Moran with Crackerjack Himself 74.17%
Dodson & Horrell Novice Restricted
1st Anne-Sophie Gilson with Basantos 71.09%
2nd Charlotte Monk with Beauty B 69.02%
Dodson & Horrell Novice Open
Section 1
1st Phoebe Peters with Cruz II 72.67%
2nd Garry Williams with Don Hit 71.47%
3rd Anke Hoeffler with Qwinton 70.52%
Section 2
1st Ashley Jenkins with Salsa Hit 74.83%
2nd Rob Waine with Bam Bam 73.74%
3rd Amanda Leaker with Woodcroft Don Diego 73.51%
Equilibrium Products Elementary Restricted
Section 1
1st Nickie Maddaford with Alfiero 71.56%
Section 2
1st Ali Fernyhough with Chateau 73.65%
Equilibrium Products Elementary Open
1st Jess Bennett with JB Dukatt 77.14%
2nd Harriet Kippling with Camelot’s Black Knight 71.82%
3rd Suzanne Lavandara with Keystone Daganay 70.89%
4th Lucy Farrer with Coady Bay Richelieu 70.36%
5th Trudie Knight with Donatella V 69.01%
Dressage Deluxe Medium Resticted
1st Owen Cooper with Don Dante 72.43%
2nd Katie Richards with Riesenstern 72.21%
3rd Anna Lawson with Carentino Z 70.72
Dressage Deluxe Medium Open
Section 1
1st Dan Greenwood with Val Rubilah 72.21%
2nd Daniel Watson with Calrieta H 7185%
3rd Lucy Farrer with Coady Bay Richelieu 71.26%
4th Nikki Crisp with Forever Young 70.45%
Section 2
1st Gareth Hughes with First Lady 72.75%
2nd Daisy Coakley with Bing 70.99%
=3rd Paul Friday with Zanthoos Himself 70.41%
=3rd Sarah Williams with Felia 70.41%
Suregrow Fertiliser Advanced Medium Restricted
1st Rebecca Cowderoy with Celicia 71.40%
2nd Sam Dewar with Parsons Resume 70.09%
Suregrow Fertiliser Advanced Medium Open
1st Michael Eilberg with Der Designer 76.10%
2nd Emile Faurie with Cavalia 74.25%
3rd Dan Greenwood with Val Rubilah 72.37%
4th Lisa Hopkins with Coole Contender 71.97%
5th Judy Harvey with Blitz 70.09%
6th Fiona Brennan with Lou Wega 69.87%
Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges
1st Anders Dahl with Wincenzo 72.24%
Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I
1st Olivia Oakeley with Donna Summer 71.54%