Daisy Coakley reigned supreme at Addington Manor Equestrian Centre as the Buckinghamshire venue hosted the second of the 2015 Winter Regional Championships. She was the only rider to record two wins which she did riding Melise Witkin’s Bing (pictured) in the Albion medium open and the Charles Owen advanced medium restricted, scoring 72,48% in the former. Daisy divides her time between the dressage and eventing circuit but as yet is not prepared to make a choice between the two.
“I find both very satisfying,” she said. “I love the adrenaline buzz that eventing and particularly cross-country give me but I’ve always loved working and training them on the flat.”
Daisy has concentrated on horses since finishing her ‘A’ levels.“I did them so I could go to university but I’ve always wanted to do horses and the opportunity came along so I grabbed it with both hands,” she said.
Bing is new to advanced medium level. “Three weeks ago I was panicking about the changes but they were fab bar one,” added Daisy who trains with Dan Sherif and Gareth Hughes. “I think Addington deserve a mention as it has been a fantastic show, very friendly and the electronic scoreboard has been brilliant.”
Fourteen-year-old Maddy Begg and Sabinas Miss Money Penny chose the right day to record a ‘best ever test’ and it won them the Blue Chip novice restricted. The pure-bred New Forest mare, by Peveril Peterborough, was bought as a yearling and it has been a joint effort by Maddy and her mother Lizzie to break her in and bring her on.
“It was our first visit to a championship so it was quite a shock to win,” said Maddy. “We came here for a good experience at our first championship and it turned out to be good enough to win,” said Maddy.
Tears of joy marked Jenny Martell and Woodcroft Diddy Cool’s win in section B of the Blue Chip novice open.
“My mum couldn’t work out why I have tears running down my face when I finished my test,” said Jenny.
The Daddy Cool gelding was bought last year through Tim and Antonia Brown who Jenny works for.
“Antonia saw the horse and told me I should buy him so I did,” said Jenny. “It was our first big competition together, he behaved beautifully and I can’t believe we did it!”
On the down side Jenny’s next day of work was looking slightly uncomfortable for two places below her was her boss Antonia riding SJL Flugel!
Section A went to Lucy Pincus and Sheepcote Dream Lover. The Dr Doolittle gelding is home bred out of a Don Primero mare.
“I’ve only been riding him for the last six months as he is really my Dad’s ride,” said Lucy. “He started competing last year and this is his first big competition so I wasn’t sure how he would cope but he picked himself up and rose to the occasion.”
A mare bought off the British Dressage website won the Baileys novice restricted freestyle for Steph Hughes, Bronwen II scoring 73.05% for the win.
“It was her temperament and the fact that she was well educated and could teach me loads that convinced us,” said Steph who has had the Welsh cob/show hunter for two years now. “She was fantastic today, I’ve worked really hard on getting her going forward and it has paid off!”
Tiggi Bentley won the open equivalent with Santaire, a Scolari/Riverman gelding bred by Dan Henson. Now seven, he was bought as an unbacked three-year-old after he caught Tiggi’s eye in a field of youngsters.
“I don’t think Dan had planned to sell him but I managed to persuade him,” said Tiggi. “He’s a very sensitive horse so I haven’t rushed him but he is really one in a million, he’s fluent and trainable rather than super flash and my mum hacks him out. It was my 40th last weekend and he has really given me the best birthday present ever as with a first second and third this week he has picked up three tickets to Hartpury.”
Christine Trendell and Legend Himself won the PDS Saddles elementary restricted freestyle. The gelding was bought by Paul Friday as a four-year-old, Christine buying him soon after.
“He was a 16.1hh four-year-old and now he is a 17.2hh nine-year-old,” said Christine who keeps the horse with Paul who also rides the likes of Winston Bond for her. “He’s a bit behind as he injured himself as a youngster and took time to come right but he is as fit as a flea now.”
Christine wasn’t sure she’d done enough to win.“He did a lovely soft, forward test but I missed my canter strike off and I thought it would cost us,” she added.
Christine was also on hand to watch Paul ride Roman Noir Himself, whom she also owns, win the Spillers medium open. The Rohdiamant gelding was bought as a four-year-old from a show jumping yard.
“He’s training towards PSG but can still get a bit hot in the changes,” said Paul. “He’s a big horse and has needed time to find his balance and I daren’t quite let him go yet in case I can’t quite get it back in the box!”
It was a perfect show for Paul with another of his protégées Laura Wollen winning the Spillers medium restricted freestyle with Judith Davies’s Hawtins Fiorenza. Judith’s homebred is by French Kiss and has had a couple of lovely Bellisimo foals before being produced for competition.
“She can be a little nervous and back off in the ring but she loves doing the music and it really brings the best out in her,” said Laura. “She did super extensions today and tried really hard.”
Former HOYS riding horse Foxcourt Accola proved his liking for his second career with a win in the Albion medium restricted with Jayne Turney in the saddle riding for Jo Jenkins. Jayne originally went to ride a youngster for Jo but was soon legged up on the show horses with this win as the result.
“Jo was looking for a career change for him,” said Jayne. “He has always been amazing to sit on and is lovely and light in front but he’s had to learn to take a little more contact to make him a little more secure but he’s taken to it very well. I was lucky today as I train with Ian Cast with the occasional help from Charlotte Dujardin and she was here today to watch a pony I have of hers and very kindly worked me in-it was a massive, massive help!”
Dan Greenwood rode Kris Brown’s D-Sign to win the Equitop Myoplast elementary open on 72.86%. The seven-year-old Negro/Welt Hit II was bought from the Van Olsts as a four-year-old by Kris and Dan got him in the spring last year.
“I’ve been training the horse with Carl and his help has been invaluable,” said Dan. “He is the first Negro I’ve had and he’s very trainable with an amazing canter and we’ve just let him find his trot. This is the first championship he’s been to so we were thrilled with him before we even saw the mark!”
Winner of the Magic PSG Freestyle was Kate Cowell riding Rockefella V for Frances Meier. Kate took over the ride on the Rubinstein Noir gelding last April and has been invited to compete in the Super Flex inter I freestyle at the upcoming NAF Five Star Winter Championships.
“We’ve spent the winter refining the grand prix movements, will aim for ‘middle tour’ over the summer and possibly a grand prix to finish the year,” said Kate. “We are having such fun with him, Frances comes over to watch him every couple of weeks and have a ride in him and he shows her all the new tricks he has learnt.”
Joshua Hill had to use all his ingenuity to win the PDS Saddles open elementary freestyle with Bewunder.
“I’m not sure quite how it happened but I got way ahead of my music and had to improvise in all the canter work,” said Joshua who trains with Sharon Edwards. “I couldn’t believe the mark considering I winged it!”
Bewunder, an eight-year-old Breitling/Weltmeyer gelding, was bought before Joshua graduated from the pony ranks. “We bought him from Christian Heinrich off a photograph,” said Joshua who broke him in with help from Richard Wilkinson. “I was only 14 so it was a fantastic experience and the horse has been everything and more that we could have hoped for.”
Olivia Oakeley and new ride Don Carissimo won the Nupafeed advanced medium freestyle. The ten-year-old Don Crusader/World Cup III gelding is owned by Anne and Steve Keen and was bought as a foal at auction in Germany.
“It’s a new partnership so we are still testing the water,” said Olivia. “I was really pleased with the trot work and every test we do is an improvement so to get 75% is very exciting for the future.”
Other winners included Beth Mantel in section A of the KBIS prelim riding Rainhill Rowena and Rhian Evans section B riding Chanlee Secret.
Lewis Carrier just missed breaking the 70% winning the Equitop Myoplast elementary restricted with Diego V whilst Tom Goode succeeded with Joradina Gemma in the Charles Owen advanced medium open.
For full results – click here
Photo from www.kevinsparrow.co.uk
Winners
KBIS Prelim Regional Championship
Sec A Elizabeth Mantel riding Rainhill Rowena 71.22%
Sec B Rhian Evans riding Chanlee Secret 71.67%
Blue Chip Novice Open Regional Championship sec A
Lucy Pincus riding Sheepcote Dream Lover 69.77%
Blue Chip Novice Open Regional Championship sec B
Jenny Martell riding Woodcroft Diddy Cool 70.57%
Blue Chip Novice Restricted Regional Championship
Maddy Begg riding her own Sabinas Miss Money Penny 68.74%
Equitop Myoplast Elementary Open Regional Championship
Dan Greenwood riding D Sign 72.86%
Equitop Myoplast Elementary Restricted Regional Championship
Lewis Carrier riding his own Diego V 69.84%
Albion Medium Open Regional Championship
Daisy Coakley riding Bing 72.48%
Albion Medium Restricted Regional Championship
Jayne Turney riding Foxcourt Accola 67.66%
Charles Owen Advanced Medium Open Regional Championship
Tom Goode riding Joradina Gemma 70.53%
Charles Owen Advanced Medium Restricted Regional Championship
Daisy Coakley riding Bing 68.64%
Baileys Novice Open Freestyle Regional Championship
Tiggi Bentley riding her own Santaire 74.72%
Baileys Novice Restricted Freestyle Regional Championship
Steph Hughes riding her own Bronwen II 73.06%
PDS Saddles Elementary Open Freestyle Regional Championship
Joshua Hill riding his own Bewunder 74.55%
PDS Saddles Elementary Restricted Freestyle Regional Championship
Christine Trendell riding her own Legend Himself 70.19%
Spillers Medium Open Freestyle Regional Championship
Paul Friday riding Roman Noir Himself 74.06%
Spillers Medium Restricted Freestyle Regional Championship
Laura Wollen riding Hawtins Fiorenza 69.06%
Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle Regional Championship
Olivia Oakeley and Don Carissimo 75.17%
Magic Prix St Georges Freestyle Northern Regional Championship
Kate Cowell riding Rockefella IV 72.63%