Two on-form riders, between them, secured six of the 23 qualifying places attained at the Eastern Regional Championships at The College Equestrian Centre, Keysoe (2 – 3 August 2014).
Hertfordshire rider Alex Hardwick, who’s based at her family’s Hallingbury Hall Equestrian Centre in Bishop’s Stortford, was victorious at the FEI-levels with Royal Chester and Donauwein, horses both owned by Alex’s mum, Sally Hardwick.
With Royal Chester (pictured), a nine-year-old Royal Highness son, she ran away with the Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges earning an emphatic 73.77% from the jury, and partnering Donauwein, a 12-year-old Don Vino gelding, she headed the Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I. In the latter, Alex and Donauwein scored 70.92% for victory under pressure from Lucy Fallen. Lucy’s performance with Cruise, the Danewood Syndicate’s talented ten-year-old was awarded 70.83% putting them within a whisker of taking the winner’s ribbons.
From the show, a delighted 23-year-old Alex said via her Facebook page: “Wow what a fab day at Keysoe regionals with great company and amazing horses!! Chez out-did himself on only his 5th ever PSG competing at the regionals and won the class with almost 74%. He's just getting better all the time. Then Dude competed in the Inter I and won the class with just under 71%. Now bring on the Medium and Advanced Medium tomorrow. Love my ‘ponies’ and thank you to all the help from my super home team, sponsors and supporters.”
Alex and Royal Chester also took the Suregrow Fertiliser Advanced Medium Open with 71.14%. “That horse just gets better and better. Can't believe how lucky I am to ride him every day,” said Alex. “The support at the Keysoe regionals has been fab and we’ve had such a lovely show.”
Jess Thompson, Assouline Dressage’s head jockey, won both the Dodson & Horrell Novice Open and Equilibrium Products Elementary Open with 74.60% and 75.63% respectively. Both classes were high-class fields but this proved no barrier to Jess and her ride, Athene Lindebjerg. The attractive seven-year-old Gribaldi mare, owned by Di Redfern, won the Novice Open by a considerable margin, and her cracking score in the Elementary Open was enough to fend off a challenge from Louise Davison and Sport Horse Centre Carilla who earned the huge score of 75.52%.
Jess gained her third ticket for the LeMieux National Dressage Championships for her second place in the Dressage Deluxe Medium Open. At this level, she rode Pascal McCoy, Susanna Wade’s Danish nine-year-old son of Blue Hors Romanov to score 69.28% behind Judy Harvey and Blitz (69.49%).
Qualified combinations:
BackinAction Preliminary
Section 1 - 1st Natasha Dobson with Camaretto BFZ 69.10%
Section 2 – 1st Louise Beard with Danny’s April Pride 71.47
Dodson & Horrell Novice Restricted
1st Julie Arabin with Felina III 70.40%
Dodson & Horrell Novice Open
1st Jess Thompson with Athene Lindebjerg 74.60%
2nd Joshua Hill with Bewonder 71.95%
3rd Daisy Coakley with Show-Off 70.86%
Equilibrium Products Elementary Restricted
1st Lucy Diamond with Argentus 69.74%
2nd Julie Beckwith with Keystone Washington 69.06%
Equilibrium Products Elementary Open
1st Jess Thompson with Athene Lindebjerg 75.63%
2nd Louise Davison with Sport Horse Centre Carilla 75.52%
3rd Carmen Gammie with Amalia B 73.13%
Dressage Deluxe Medium Restricted
1st Regula Stricker with Pimmento 68.78%
2nd Owen Cooper with Saint Symphony 67.57%
Dressage Deluxe Medium Open
1st Judy Harvey with Blitz 69.49%
2nd Jess Thompson with Pascal McCoy 69.28%
3rd Ami McLean with Premier Royal Mint 69.23%
Suregrow Fertiliser Advanced Medium Restricted
1st Claire Knowles with Pendragon of Independence 71.14%
Suregrow Fertiliser Advanced Medium Open
1st Alex Hardwick with Royal Chester 71.14%
2nd Tahley Reeve-Smith with Special 70.57%
3rd Emma Jablonski with Cor IV Z 69.04%
4th Judy Harvey with Don Rubiland 68.46%
Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges
1st Alex Hardwick with Royal Chester 73.77%
Saracen Horse Feeds Inter I
1st Alex Hardwick with Donauwein 70.92%
For full results click here
