Dressage Hickstead regionals plus highlights
British-bred horses dominate at the first summer regional championships while first-time regional winners emerge
BUOYED by the news she’s been selected for the European young rider championships next month with Headmore Delegate (see Dressage Life, p52), Becky Edwards rode her reserve horse Ufano II to victory in the intermediate I gold.
“He’s a powerball and never lets me down,” said the former showing rider fondly of her first dressage horse, Margaret Cox’s 16-year-old 15.2hh Lusitano stallion (Ideciso x Forcado).
Daniel Watson also has a special relationship with the home-bred Butterfly IV, winner of the prix st georges (PSG) gold. They just completed a whirlwind tour of international shows in Europe: Compiègne, Rotterdam and Hartpury.
The nine-year-old 16.1hh Breitling x Dimaggio mare, whom Daniel sold to Barbie Marceau as a foal, is living up to his high hopes: “She needs a little more strength and time, but then we’ll concentrate on grand prix work.”
Another rider appreciating home-grown talent, Luke BaberDavies, was supposed to have the advanced medium gold winner Keystone Drummer Boy in for a month’s bootcamp 18 months ago, but refused to let him go.
“I threatened to chain myself to him,” said Luke, who is grateful to breeder and owner Tracy Cooper for giving him the ride on the eight-year-old 17hh gelding by Dimaggio out of a De Niro mare.
Rob Waine is delighted to be able to compete Jen Nissen’s DHI Lightning Z.
Rob, who topped the advanced medium silver with the 11-yearold Dutch-bred gelding, said: “I’ve been teaching Jen for a couple of years and we’ve taken him from medium to PSG level.”
Paul Hayler piloted a Britishbred to victory in the medium gold; Fiona James’s seven-yearold FJ Veyron. The Vivaldi son has a habit of scoring over 70%, and today was no exception.
Paul too has had to work hard to keep hold of his ride: “My daughter Bobby keeps trying to nick him off me!”
Nicola Rapley rode her own home-bred Scolari’s Glory to victory in the medium silver; their biggest win to date. The former event rider turned to dressage after an accident and trains the seven-year-old gelding by Scolari with help from David Hunt.
Nicola, who competed his dam to inter I level, qualified all three of her horses for the show, finishing sixth in this class on her other home-bred horse, Romassino.
“I am so lucky to have bred them and own them,” said Nicola, who works for her husband, a groundworks contractor.
A six-year-old Friesian stallion bought from a riding school won the elementary gold, ridden by Katharine Lewis.
Katharine’s trainer Anni MacDonald-Hall saw a video of Jos K, known as Walter, as a three-year-old and persuaded her to buy the Tsjale offspring.
“Anni told me to get my arse down to the riding school and try out this horse,” said Katharine.
“As a baby, I had to work to get him around the arena, but today I sat there and enjoyed myself. He may only be 16hh, but he has the neck of a 17hh horse; he’s my ‘big little’ horse.”
FIELD ORNAMENT
SAMANTHA AMOS’ “field ornament” won the elementary silver ridden by Christiane Oakley.
Bought as a yearling, the seven-year-old 18.1hh Britishbred Samarai (Sambertino x Rosenkavalier) has exceeded all expectations.
“We were not expecting him
to grow quite so big, but he is surprisingly light on his feet,” said Christiane.
James Burtwell headed the novice gold and finished second in the elementary gold with the six-year-old Westfalian gelding Serendipitous, by Cologne.
Stephanie Worton bought ‘Sonny’ at the Westfalian auctions as a three-year-old.
“She was determined to buy a bay gelding. We hadn’t even tried him. Her hand just kept going up,” said James.
‘Anni told me to get my arse down to
the riding school and try out this horse’
KATHARINE LEWIS ON JOS K
Recent dressage convert Millie Gover won her first dressage title, the novice silver, with the seven-year-old 16.2hh Belgianbred Kamil T, who was originally bought to event.
“‘He gets over-excited jumping, so we started competing in pure dressage 18 months ago. We are teaching each other as we go along,” said Millie, who trains with Amy Stovold as well as Mark Ruddock and Lianne Wall as a member of the British Young Riders Dressage Scheme.