Winter Regionals: Kingston Maurward

Jess bought the horse as an un-backed four-year-old from Lindsay Mc Donald after seeing a video clip on the internet.

“We drove three and a half hours to South Yorkshire and I looked at him in the stable and thought hmm he’s a bit small,” said Jess. “He came out of the stable and she trotted him up and he had so much presence and I bought him there and then-within 24 hours he was vetted, paid for and delivered!”

 

Kim Walker (PDS Saddleselementary restricted freestyle) and Rebecca Clack (Blue Chip novice restricted) more than proved that you don’t need a warmblood to wow the judges.

 

Kim rode her own Max XIII to a win that took her by surprise. “He’s not the flashiest but I can ride him to be very correct and accurate,” she said. Kim, who works as a business development manager, bought the Welsh cob/thoroughbred as a four-year-old 13 years ago when she was 12.  “We grew up together,” she added. “I did a bit of everything on him but he was never that keen on the jumping so I decided to concentrate on dressage. It’s hard in the winter riding in the cold and dark after work but days like this, well they make it all worth it!”

 

Rebecca’s win came her 19-year-old pure-bred Welsh mare Bonny II. Rebecca owned the mare as a youngster and evented her up to novice level as well as competing her in workers. “I ended up selling her on and then bought her back a couple of years later. She’d picked up and injury so I decided to have a try dressage with her,” she explained. “We qualified for and went on to finish second at the Riding Club championships at Lincoln so I thought I’d give it a go and affiliate her. She has been the most amazing little horse. When I got her I wasn’t the bravest over a fence and she took me to novice and now she’s won this for me-what a star!”

 

Louisa Spencer’s former wild child Armstrong II came good in spectacular fashion winning the Spillersmedium restricted freestyle. Louisa bought the gelderlander as a four-year-old. “There was something I liked about him but I have to admit I didn’t see that bit again until last year and I definitely regretted buying him at times,” said a candid Louisa.

 

The turning point came after last year’s winter championships.

 

“He was dreadful there but once he’d come home and realised he’d survived something seemed to click and he was so much better.”

 

A few weeks later the gelderlander bit off a section of his tongue in the field. “I thought that would be the end of him but he learnt how to eat again and has kept on improving,” she added. “He can still be a bit nervy but he loves music and he went into the arena and was completely focused.”

 

Matt Frost and AMD Don Havidoff scored an impressive 76.22% to win the Nupafeed advanced medium freestyle. The nine-year-old is jointly owned by Dr Debbie Sharp, Michael Norman, Adam Kemp and Matt.  “He worked in really well until a horse started screaming in the stables,” said Matt. “It really lit him up and I thought I’ll just have to use this. We made a couple of mistakes – we cantered in the half-pass and he was a little tense in the walk - but in between he was awesome.”    

 

Lucy Straker and Farramir won the MagicPSG freestyle. The Furst Heinrich gelding was bought through Tiggy Lenher who lives in Switzerland and has found all of Lucy’s horses. “She rang me and said you must come and see this,” said Lucy who bought the horse four years ago.” He is the most amazing horse I’ve ever ridden – I’ve always though of my GP horse Lionheart II as my horse of a lifetime but this one is snapping at his heels.”

 

Sixteen-year-old Anna Jesty led her elders a merry dance to win the Albionmedium restricted with Aquiro. Anna has had the horse for nine months after a tip off from a friend.

 

“We were half heartedly looking just to see what was available but once I’d sat on him we were never going to be leaving him behind,” said Anna who is working towards her GCSE’s.

 

A win in the Albion medium open riding Enjoy II had Jodie Lister looking forward to dusting off her top hat and tails. The Lord Leatherdale mare was a chance buy after a training visit to Carl Hester’s. “I’d bred a foal from my own mare and was sort of looking for something to run with it and Carl had just bought this mare with a foal at foot so it was a bit of a done deal.”

The six-year-old has only had eight outings to date.  “She is very trainable but she’s never seen anything like this so I was really chuffed as well as a bit shocked,” added Jodie.

 

The KBIS prelim regional was won with the very good score of 75.45 by Danielle Balsdon who went onto win the Baileysnovice restricted freestyle with Reset Sir Lancelot.

 

Charlie Sawyer riding Greenlanes Enigma won the Baileys novice open freestyle with the highest percentage of the show, 78.61%.

 

The Blue Chipnovice open winner nearly matched that as Sadie Smith and River Rise Escala scored an impressive 78.51% to take the class.
 

The tightest finish of the show came in the Equitop Myoplast elementary restricted where even with three judges just 0.5 of a mark separated the top two with Anna Johannson the winner riding Heiligenberg’s Pushed Again.

The Charles Owen advanced medium restricted was also close with two marks determining the finished order,Bridget Payne emerging victorious with Millers Magic, whilst the open equivalent was an easy win for Lucy Cartwright riding Samba Dancer.

 

Full results: click here

 

Photo: © www.kevinsparrow.co.uk  

 

Danielle Balsdon riding Reset Sir Lancelot 75.45

 

Sadie Smith riding River Rise Escala 78.51

 

Rebecca Clack riding Briony II 72.01

 

Jess Bennett riding JB Dukaat 74.17

 

Anna Johannson riding Heiligenberg’s Pushed Again 69.9

 

Jodie Lister riding Enjoy II 72.34

 

Anna Jesty riding Aquiro 68.47

 

Charlie Sawyer riding Greenlanes Enigma 78.61

 

Danielle Balsdon riding Reset Sir Lancelot 74.72

 

Jess Bennett riding JB Dukaat 73.14

 

Kim Walker riding Max XIII 73.21

 

Jess Bennett riding JB Dukaat

 

Louisa Spencer riding Armstrong II 70.44

 

Matt Frost riding AMD Don Havidoff 76.22

 

Lucy Straker riding Farramir 74.88