It was another glorious day at Hartpury for the second installment of the NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships. With one music title, straight classes at medium and elementary and two Petplan Equine Area Festival honours up for grabs, it was destined to be a fabulous day filled with competitive action. Thanks to LeMieux, in conjunction with Show Direct and Golden Eye Video & Photography, competition from the NAF Five Star arena was also live streamed with over 10,000 viewers tuning in (as early figures indicated).
Albion Medium Restricted
York-based Lisa Megginson took top trumps in the first class of the day, the Albion Medium Restricted Championship. Riding her own nine-year-old Breitling W-sired gelding, Breit Crusader, she scored a solid 67.84% to narrowly beat second placed u25s rider, Joshua Hill and Bewunder by just 0.09% (67.75%).
“I don’t know how I feel, I can’t quite believe it!” exclaimed Lisa. “I’m so thrilled with him, we’ve had a fantastic week.”
The duo also contested the Spillers Medium Restricted Freestyle Music Championship on the previous day, where they scored an impressive 71.39% to take third.
“He felt a little tired in his trot today, but his canter felt great and he really went for it, so I couldn’t be happier,” she added.
Lisa has trained her 16.3hh superstar – Cheeky, as she calls him – from unbroken with the support of trainers Hannah Esberger and Steph Cooper, after purchasing him as a foal and currently work at PSG at home with the hope of qualifying for the Petplan Equine Area Festival PSG Championship next year. Their competition week is still to continue, as the pair will be contesting Sunday’s Petplan Equine Area Festival Advanced Medium Championship.
Petplan Equine Area Festival PSG
It was 24-year-old, Beth Barnett who stormed to victory in the Petplan Equine Area Festival PSG championship. Riding her own 11-year-old British-bred mare, Sheepcote Delight, she topped the tables with a strong score of 71.01%.
“I’m not entirely sure it’s sunk in; I’m really pleased with how she went” announced Beth. “She had one little mistake at the end of her first medium trot but the rest of the test felt very solid and consistent. I loved the tempis, we can sometimes muck those up – me, not her, it’s amazing how counting and riding can be so difficult – but we managed both sets with no mistakes.”
Beth and Dela, as Sheepcote Delight is known at home, became a partnership when the mare was just 18-months-old. Bred at the Pincus’ Sheepcote base – Dela has the same mother as PDS Elementary Open FSM 2015 champion, Sheepcote Suncrest – the combination have trained with David Pincus since day one and Beth explained that no one else has ridden her other than herself:
“I used to event but after a bad fall, I decided to concentrate on dressage and Dela was the first horse I bought to do this after love at first sight when she was first born. So it’s all me, her, our mistakes and our learning but she’s so willing and she really tries, allowing for our errors as we teach each other.”
Beth and Dela are also in action on Sunday as they put their dancing shoes on for the Nupafeed Advanced Medium Freestyle championship.
Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Open Music Freestyle
After an intense competitive battle, it was 25-year-old Sadie Smith who claimed the Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Open Music Freestyle title with Sarah Taylor Evans’ six-year-old British-bred mare, River Rise Escarla. Achieving the highest score of the day with a whopping 74.35%, Hampshire-based Sadie fought off competition from 18-year-old Joshua Hill with Bewunder who placed second with 72.69%.
“She’s just so amazing, always so well behaved. It’s her first time here at these championships and she coped really well” explained Sadie. “It’s her first season competing in classes other than young horse, so we couldn’t have asked for more!”
“The canter was definitely a highlight for me, she has an amazing canter, it’s so off the floor” she added. “She’s got quite an uphill frame naturally anyway, so all I need to do is sit there and keep my hands still – she so trainable and finds the work so easy.”
Sadie also placed sixth with Eddie Clapcott’s eight-year-old Serrano Gold-sired stallion, Serrano (71.02%) and is no stranger to victory in this class, having tasted it before in 2012 with Fascinato and 2010, in the restricted section, with Ambience IV.
Equitop Myoplast Elementary Open
Nathalie Kayal and the aptly-named DHI Cleverboy showed what they’re made of, topping the leaderboard of the Equitop Myoplast Elementary Open with an impressive 73.02%. The tall, impressive bay, a seven-year-old gelding by Sandreo, rose to the occasion to produce a performance that radiated quality.
“I’m so happy with him,” smiled a delighted Nathalie, who trains with both Debbie Childs and Carl Hester. “He has loved it here - the more atmosphere the better for him as he loves an audience. He’s very relaxed at home but at a show he relishes performing in front of a crowd. With him it can always go one of two ways as he can get over-excited, but not today.”
The lovely DHI Cleverboy, fondly known as ‘Post Office’ at home – apparently due to a penchant for sweets! - was the last horse sourced under the DHI banner, and Nathalie bought him as a four-year-old. Describing the horse’s strengths, Nathalie said: “He’s very easy in the contact and always very rhythmical. You can ask for more power, and the basic quality and rhythm always stay. With him, you don’t have to worry about any weaknesses. He’s immensely special to me, and to my groom Casey Veness.”
The win was all the more meaningful for Nathalie, as at this show last year when she came second in the novice open freestyle, her mum was taken ill before the prize-giving. “Mum’s home and well now, but we didn’t let her come this year,” smiled Nathalie, “but she knows we won - I rang her straight away and she was so thrilled she cried!”
Petplan Equine Area Festival Elementary Restricted Championship
A dressage combination which also events - Deborah Doyle and Dandy III - pulled out all the stops to secure the Petplan Equine Area Festival Elementary Restricted Championship. The multi-talented pair led the qualifying test with 68.85%, before sealing Round Two with a convincing 70.34%. “I’m thrilled with him,” smiled Deborah. “He was super in the first test and then came out even better for the second. I couldn’t ask for more - he’s so consistent and never lets me down.”
Dandy, an attractive seven-year-old Dutch gelding, was bought from Rebecca Kingswood with eventing in mind, and qualified for the Young Event Horse Finals as five-year-old. Newark-based Deborah trains with Ian Woodhead, reaping the benefits of his background in both disciplines. “We train more than compete, and are working towards medium now alongside the eventing,” said Deborah
Dandy behaved impeccably during the prize-giving and was very at home between the white boards – this ability and ease in the dressage arena has helped him gain an impressive record of four consecutive BE100 wins. “He qualified for the Young Event Horse Finals as a five-year-old and has been successful since. We’ll do some novice events this year, and aim towards CCI1*,” said Deborah.
Describing Dandy’s character Deborah smiled: “He’s lovely on the yard, you can do anything with him, but he is a character! He has been an angel, though this year he has started to feel his strength!”
For full results, click here.