Woodlander Farouche, owned by Ferdi Eilberg and Alison Walton, added another title to her Nationals credentials in taking the Saracen Horse Feeds Inter I Championship with rider Michael Eilberg on day two of the LeMieux National Championships at Stoneleigh.
Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I Championship
It was big sister Maria who held the advantage for much of the class with Penny Pollard and Hermione Black’s Royal Concert when the opened the class with a 72.43%. However a mid-field draw for the Furst Heinrich mare proved fruitful when she and Michael posted 74.11%. It wasn’t a fault free display for the duo and while the score was a winning one, costly errors prevented a stellar score which she’s clearly capable. Michael is working at home on the grand prix movements with father Ferdi in a bid to progress her to the ultimate level and the clever chestnut felt it was time to show off her one time changes…but the test sheet ordered threes...! Her talent and presence in the arena is clear but she’s in that transition phase between levels where a few green mistakes prevent the big percentages.
Michael said afterwards; “Apart from the few blips, there were some really nice things. It was a shame she felt it was necessary to go into one times in the three times. But we’re fiddling round at home with all sorts of work in preparation for grand prix so you have to get her brain back into small tour mode. I had a cheeky little play with her passage on my lap of honour! She was a little nervous in there today; it’s like that here. I probably cut my warm up a little short but she was so settled yesterday I felt I didn’t need much. But I brought her out today and she was more tense so I’ll give her a little more time tomorrow to keep her relaxed. It’s a difficult thing timing your warm up; I could have done with an extra five or ten minutes to get her that bit more calm and cool.”
The Worcestershire rider was clearly thinking what might have been; “The potential in some of her work was there; I was pleased with much of the canter. The pirouette just before the blip in the line of threes was top. I guess I get a little greedy sometimes; I want to aim for the high 70’s or 80% I know she can get. I just need to get a clean test and get what I know she can and I know it’s all in reach.” The Saracen Horse Feeds win brings her Nationals tally to five and few would bet against a further one tomorrow in the Inter I Freestyle.
Dodson and Horrell Novice Open
Starting the second day of the nationals with a bang, 25-year-old Jessica Dunn bagged both first and third place in the Dodson and Horrell Novice Open Championship.
In a hotly contested class with the top 15 all breaking the 70% barrier, Jess stormed to victory riding her own and the Keenan family’s five-year-old Sorento mare, Fyona, in their first ever championships together on an enormous score of 76.24%.
“I thought it was a good test, everything she did felt solid but the standard was so high, I didn’t know what we’d come out with,” explained Jess. “I was thrilled with her walk, especially in this atmosphere because she can sometimes get nervous in the rein. Her trot work was lovely and the canter – it was so big! For her, it’s all to do with her nerves. If she feels confident, I can really ride her and go for it – and today she felt great.”
Whilst riding around the arena before the start of their test, Jess – who trains with Matt Frost – spent much of her time patting the Dutch-bred mare to help inject even more enthusiasm: “I do it with all my horses; it’s something I’ve done since Dunn To A T [a previous ride of Jess’s]. I just think that if you want them to work for you in the arena, they’ve got to feel like it’s a bit of play-time and they’re heading to a party. Otherwise, I feel that if you’re working them hard outside, they can get often get a bit sour and fall a little flat. I mean, she’s only five; she’s got to enjoy it. Plus, it does help me breathe!”
Jess was quick to thank the owners of Keenan Estate Agents – who co-own Fyona – and her trainer, Matt Frost for all of their support. Jess’s second ride, Katie Keenan’s six-year-old gelding, MFS French Noir also scored third place in the same class with another impressive mark of 73.69%.
And it’s not over yet for Jess and Fyona, the pair is also contesting in tomorrow’s Shearwater Potential International Dressage Horse Five-Year-Old Championship.
TopSpec Medium Restricted Championship
Jayne Turney (33) and Cruz III, a superstar pony in the making, stamped their authority in this afternoon’s TopSpec medium restricted championship. Jayne and her diminutive but plucky partner scored 72.22% ahead of second-placed Lewis Carrier and Diego V who put up a good fight with 69.92%.
Cruz is a six-year-old gelding owned by Charlotte Dujardin and has a 100% hit rate at these championships having won the novice open last year when ridden by Phoebe Peters.
“This is a dream come true for me,” said Jayne, clearly elated with the experience. “I really cannot believe it!”
Jayne has produced ‘Tom’ from a three-year-old after being offered him as a project by his owner and Jayne’s long-time friend, Charlotte. “I got a phone call out of the blue from Charlotte saying ‘I’ve got a challenge for you’ and would I be interested,” said Jayne. “And he’s been an amazing project - he’s brilliant! He’s hot, wants to do the job, is confident and brave, and is very bright – you can almost see his brain working!”
Tom, a good-looking chestnut by former British team pony, Caesar 171, is stabled just outside Buckingham with Jo Jenkins who plays an invaluable part in Jayne’s support team, along with Ian Cast and Charlotte. Jayne became good friends with the pair when they worked for Judy Harvey - ‘before they were famous’. “Ian helps me a lot and is always on the end of the phone, and I train with Charlotte whenever I can,” she said.
Like all good riders, Jayne is her own biggest critic and gave herself a hard time after her test: “I do get nervous and I do have high expectations of myself, but I’m learning to use that in a positive way,” she said.
Dodson and Horrell Novice Restricted Championship
The name Charlotte Dujardin was also closely associated with the winner of the Dodson and Horrell Novice Restricted Championship under 20-year-old Lucinda Elliott as Mount St John Best of All took the class with a confident score of 74.14%. Having impressed here last year in the Shearwater Potential Young Horse championship class as runner-up with Charlotte Dujardin, this smart, Bordeaux-sired mare is definitely one to watch for the future.
“I thought it went really well, it was really flowing and the canter work felt amazing, she’s so much fun to ride! Besty’s amazing in her way of going and doesn’t ride like a five-year-old but like a much more mature horse” said a beaming Lucinda who is the current stud rider at the Mount St John stud in North Yorkshire. The canter work was the highlight of their fluid test for Lucinda; “She’s so good at adjusting for the mediums and the test also had canter, trot, canter transitions, she did them very well, they were smooth and balanced.”
Coming from a showing background, Lucinda has only been doing dressage for just under a year impressively winning at her first ever British Dressage National Championships! The combination has benefitted from training with both Emile Faurie and
Charlotte Dujardin working on Lucinda’s test riding and accuracy in particular.
Now aiming towards Elementary level, the goal is to contest ‘a few Winter qualifiers’, however Lucinda will first be having her tonsils out in a weeks’ time having been hospitalised by a bout of glandular fever for a week whilst training in Germany over Christmas. Though Lucinda ensured it waited until after the all-important Nationals as she admits it will just be dressage from now on – “I’m hooked!”
KBIS Para Dressage Championships
Grade II riders were the first down the centre line for the KBIS Para Dressage Championships under sunny skies on day two of the LeMieux National Championships.
Erin Orford (26) who hails from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire came out on top with a confident victory cementing her partnership with new ride Dior UKH. Erin and Annabel Whittet’s 12-year-old daughter of Dimaggio scored an impressive 71.95%.
“She [Dior] just gets better and better,” enthused Erin, who has ridden the British-bred mare since January this year. “I was so pleased with her, particularly in her trot work. She was in good balance and was nicely hot, loving the big occasion.”
With the support of their trainer Stephen Moore, Erin and ‘Pimms’ have formed a formidable partnership in their short time together and Erin has high hopes for their future career together. “We clicked straight away and she’s now so quick to pick up my aids, wanting to please all the time – we just understand each other.”
Talking about their future plans, Erin said: “We have Bury Farm international at the end of October and will look to do a few internationals into next year. I’d love to be in contention for Rio.”
Next up was the grade I and what a hot class it was! Reigning grade I restricted champion Suzanna Hext scored a creditable 68.71% aboard Abira but this wasn’t enough to keep 21-year-old Natasha Adkinson at bay. Natasha and her lovely Scottish-born black mare Sweet Caledonia earned the highest score across all grades – 73.68% - to take the class in convincing style.
“I’m incredibly pleased!” beamed Natasha. “It all came together, she gave me her best and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.”
Natasha bought the daughter of San Remo as a six week old foal from her breeder Reay Campbell in Inverness – ‘She walked away from her mum straight towards me, as if she chose me’ – and they now know each inside out. “I’m a great believer in partnerships and having formed a good bond it gives us great confidence coming into this sort of environment.”
“Reay is here today and I’m just so proud. I love this horse.”
Surrey-based Nicky Greenhill, 37, nailed the grade III with Gregorian Chant, an 11-year-old German-bred gelding by French Kiss who she co-owns with husband Gary. The pair was awarded with a resounding 73.09%.
“I’d have loved to have been at the Europeans but I’m thrilled to have done this today,” said Nicky after the prize giving. “He just gives me his all and although we struggled last year as he was lazy and would just shut down, he now he tries his heart out for me - he’s woken up and learnt that he’s got to work for a living,” she smiled.
Nicky is excited about their future together and feels that there’s still a lot more to come from the tall, dark, handsome horse who is known as ‘Greg’ to his friends. “Today wasn’t his best – there are so many more marks to come.”
Nicky, who is visually impaired, went on to partner Greg in this afternoon’s hotly-contested TopSpec medium restricted championship. She was awarded an impressive 67.51% amongst her able-bodied counterparts.
Fresh from her victory at the summer restricted championships, Charlotte Cundall claimed the grade IV title with her lovely chestnut Irish Sports Horse, The Chenko Artist. The pair scored 67.10%.
“I’m over the moon,” said Charlotte, clearly delighted. “He really is the horse of a lifetime.”
The pair has enjoyed a phenomenal 2015 so far and this result took their national title tally to an incredible four. To date they have won the elementary freestyle at the winters, the grade IV at both the winter and summer para restricted championships, and now this.
Charlotte who has evented to 3* level and is a former Yorkshire novice ladies point-to-point champion, broke her back in a fall in 2007. Three years later, in an unthinkable twist of fate, she broke it again.
“Doctors told me not to ride again,” said Charlotte, reflecting on her prognosis. “I had to redesign my life as I’d lost my identity. Horses and riding was all I knew and without them I didn’t have a reason. With eventing I always had something to work towards, and I’d lost that.”
Four years later, Charlotte’s intrinsic craving to reconnect with horses got the better of her. She had an epiphany and declared that she ‘needed to get on a horse again’. At the same time The Chenko Artist, who was eventing at 3* with Rachel Lupton, discovered that he wasn’t the boldest cross country. He’d always loved the dressage phase and so he was offered to Charlotte as a potential para dressage horse.
“We came into it naïve and were struck by the seriously high standard but I’m loving it,” said Charlotte. “It’s given me a reason. I cannot afford a fall which is why dressage is so good. Theoretically it doesn’t get any more risky as I push myself and get better.”
All pictures by www.kevinsparrow.co.uk
Full results - click here
Listen to interviews with the winners - click here
