Senior Inter Regional: Eastern reigns supreme

Combinations from across the country and their eight Regional Development Officers returned to Keysoe, Bedfordshire for the annual Senior Inter Regional squad competition (16 – 17 May 2015).

A weekend filled with fun, team spirit and regional pride, 33 teams of competitive horse and rider combinations fought for their region across levels ranging from prelim to PSG with the aim to be crowned as champions, taking home the coveted senior inter regional cup.

Selection panels from each region had chosen the teams to attend the competition based on specific qualification criteria. The teams contained combinations, both able bodied and para, with each rider competing individually at their level on the Saturday and Sunday. Total individual points were then calculated by adding together the two scores.

The winning team was decided from the combined placings for all competitors within a team. First place scored one point, second place scored two points and so on; lowest score wins.

With an impressively low score of 39.18, it was the Eastern region who reigned victorious. The first day of competition saw Eastern Grey Goose – compiled of Jodie Smith with Cinja, Jo Mason on Cor De Corrine, Megan Broady riding Lady Di and Vicki Clark with Dakota I SB – in sixth place. However, after a pep talk on the Saturday evening, Eastern Grey Goose attacked with all guns blazing, running away with the title by almost ten marks.

“After the first day, our riders decided they needed to up their game,” exclaimed Eastern RDO Katharine Perry, bursting with pride. “Everyone took to the arena on foot, trotting around and practicing their movements, which seemed to work as Sunday saw everyone up the ante and achieve terrific results – loads of individual placings and the top spot in the team competition, which was just the icing on the cake!”

“But the best thing about the weekend,” Katharine continued “was the team spirit – we had it in bucket loads!”

 “The Eastern region teams were made up of everyone from past team members of several years to riders new to the whole thing – and it was great to see everyone joining in, making the newbies welcome and cheering each other on,” she continued. “Our top team trainer, Mark Ruddock gave an inspirational speech the night before with the main message being ‘no sulking allowed! No sneaking back to your lorry if your test didn’t go to plan – get out and support the next rider!’”

“Eastern region rocks! I am the luckiest person to have support from such fab riders, a great rider rep in Hayley Liddiard and a fab trainer in Mark”

“All I have to say now is bring on the Home International” concluded Katharine. “The East is ready!!”

Individually-speaking, the Bedfordshire-based venue was also host to some fantastic tests and scores. Welsh combination, Kimberly Heginbotham and her own nine-year-old British bred gelding, Machno Bond, clinched the accolade of highest score of the weekend, receiving a personal best of 75.77% in Saturday’s prelim.

North West’s Darcas Lever ruled the PSG riding her own and Iain Holt’s 13-year-old KWPN gelding, Valentijn WG. The pair scored 66.84% and 70.79%, claiming both days’ classes with a combined score of 523.0 – 26 points above joint second placed fellow North Westerners Jaine Bailey and WS Bakkaratt (497.0) and Amy Blount with Gkar (497.0).

For the full list of results, click here.

Team rankings:

1^st: Eastern Grey Goose – 39.18

Jodie Smith with her own, Cinja

Jo Mason with Sharon Kirwan’s Cor De Corrine

Megan Broady with her own, Lady Di

Vicki Clark with her own, Dakota I SB

2^nd: Wales Teifi – 46.12

Nina Boex with Sherida Thompson’s Bastiaan Flamingo

Nicola Howell with her own, Summerhill Cyclone

Sue Cottrell with her own, Chacot Uthokia

Kimberley Heginbotham with her own, Machno Bond

3^rd: Southern Dom Perignon – 48.08

Michelle Sault with her own, Nanteos Midsummer Magic

Victoria O’Carroll with Amy Pennington’s Haysden Woodstock

Caroline Gibson with her own, Albion de Fantasia

Jennifer Hesketh with her own, Glory Bea

Individual competition

Prelim

1^st– Wales’ Kimberly Heginbotham with her own, Machno Bond, 349.5 (75.77% and 69.32%)

2^nd– South West’s Melanie Lawless with Jess Weston’s Donna Duero, 340.5 (72.88% and 68.64%)

3^rd– Eastern’s Vicki Clark with her own, Dakota I SB, 331.5 (66.73% and 71.82%)

Novice

1^st– Wales’ Sue Cottrell with her own, Chacot Uthokia, 393.0 (70.18% and 67.76%)

2^nd– Eastern’s Megan Broady with her own, Lady Di, 389.5 (67.86% and 68.79%)

3^rd– Southern’s Jennifer Hesketh with her own, Glory Bea, 384.5 (67.14% and 67.76%)

Elementary

1^st– Central’s Angela Gladding with her own, Parisienne Jupiter, 451.0 (72.21% and 73.39%)

2^nd– Central’s Jenny Salisbury with her own, Born Fighter, 438.5 (70.44% and 71.07%)

3^rd– Southern’s Edwina Phipps with her own, Summer High, 436.5 (72.35% and 68.04%)

Medium

1^st– Southern’s Caroline Brougham with her own, Diluccio, 461.5 (67.27% and 70.44%)

2^nd– Eastern’s Claire Ackerman with her own, Woodcroft Heinrich, 459.5 (68.94% and 68.24%)

3^rd– Rachel Rhalou-Bruce with her own, Wolkensteins Dream, 450.0 (67.27% and 67.06%)

Advanced medium/PSG

1^st– North West’s Darcas Lever with her own and Iain Holt’s Valentijn WG, 523.0 (66.84% and 70.79%)

2^nd– North West’s Jaine Bailey with her own, WS Bakkarat, 497.0 (65.79% and 65.00%)

2^nd– North West’s Amy Blount with her own, Gkar, 497.0 (65.13% and 65.66%)