Hutton’s popping the f izz
Abi Hutton and Don Dino put a disappointing performance behind them by winning the inter I title, while a horse in his first year of PSG comes out on top
Bicton Summer Regional Championships, Devon
ABI HUTTON and Don Dino proved they’ve refound their form with an inter I win, earning their ticket to the nationals.
“We’re definitely stopping on the way home to pick up a bottle of fizz,” said Abi, who had been left puzzled by an uncharacteristic blip in the Hanoverian gelding’s behaviour 10 days previously.
“We had a horrendous outing to Hartpury [Festival of Dressage], retiring from the test on both days, so I’m delighted with a fifth in the prix st georges [PSG] and then this win after such a tough last show.”
Don Dino was ridden at the level by Abi’s husband, Charlie, before she took over the ride two years ago.
“Dino has always been very hot and a bit tricky,” she explained. “He also has some physical issues, so we decided to try him with a
lighter rider. We dropped back to advanced medium and I’ve been having an absolute ball with him since.
“I’m not sure what the problem was at Hartpury, but he completely lost his head,” she added. “I do get nervous in competition, so perhaps it was a case of an overwhelmed rider with an overwhelmed horse. All you can do is go out and try again.
“I just focused on one movement at a time,” said Abi, who put her success down to sessions with sport psychologist Camilla Henderson (see box, above right) and the support of Charlie, her “rock of positivity”.
“I was so proud of Dino today. What a comeback!”
Dan Greenwood achieved his aims with Jo Handman’s Londonderry gelding Lukien Von Tespe, winning the PSG class.
“It’s his first season at the level but he feels happy, so I wanted to show him off looking soft and relaxed,” said Dan. “He was so good through his topline. I ran through our test as we walked back to the stables afterwards and thought ‘tick, tick, OK… I think we got a clear round’.”
Luke’s success follows his third place in the young horse
PSG at Hartpury, where Charlotte Dujardin filled the two top places.
“It looks like our stable tally for the nationals is increasing,” added Dan, who was among many riders to praise the facilities, arena footing and slick organisation at this, Bicton’s first regional championships.
Local rider Lucy Baker enjoyed some promising results with her
trio of unconventional dressage horses — including an advanced medium silver win with Valerie Nock’s Voolra. Valerie bred the thoroughbred gelding to race, but he has instead found his niche in dressage since Lucy took him on as a four-year-old.
“He’s capable of a very good test,” said Lucy, who explained that things were “touch and go” last autumn when Voolra cut himself badly in a field accident. “We have to think outside the box to get what we want, because of his thoroughbred breeding, but I’m really proud of him.”
Lucy was also third in the advanced medium gold with Shirley Tibbs’ pure-bred Irish draught mare Llancloudy Phantom Menace, and was placed at elementary with her sevenyear-old gelding Ifya Like.
“He’s not a posh warmblood either, but he’s fabulous,” she said of the Welsh/thoroughbred gelding, bred by her aunt Dawn Saunders. “All three horses keep me thinking.”
SWIFT RECOVERY
JESS BENNETT and JB Dukaat continued a successful season with an advanced medium gold win, while Stephanie Sweet headed the medium silver with Dolle Jung. The seven-year-old Don Havidoff gelding, co-owned by Stephanie and Sarah Banwell, recovered his composure swiftly after stumbling behind just before his simple changes.
“Otherwise, the test really flowed — he was relaxed, but with a sparkle in his eye,” said Stephanie. “He’s still green, so it was a lovely surprise to win.”
Now he has hit 18hh, Dolle Jung’s owners have stopped measuring him.
“He’s so big that the moves come up really quickly,” said Stephanie. “We’ve been working on all the movements with our trainer Virginia Peters and going out lots to get some match practice so that I can improve my ringcraft.”
The medium gold went to Fernando II, ridden by Calum Whitworth. Calum was also runner-up in a high-scoring elementary gold with Faydirmie ZH, behind Mark Forrest and Bonita VI who won with 72.96%.
Hazel McCorriston and Blue Hors Zagato took novice silver, while Danielle Balsdon and Lord Lennox won the gold section.
“Lennox has matured so much this year,” said Danielle, who bought the German-bred L’Espoir-sired gelding as a green youngster two years ago and trains with Spencer Wilton, Adam Kemp and Olivia Oakeley. “He’s a level-headed and sweet-natured horse, but he tends to become upset by other horses approaching him in the warm-up.
“Our lessons with Spencer have become a bit more intense, as Lennox needs to start developing a little,” she added. “We’ll be cracking on this year.”
In a competitive prelim silver section, less than one percentage point separated the top four. Moira Bonner clinched victory,
riding her friend Jackie WarrenGeorge’s Welsh section D gelding Llanidan Survivor.
“We’re both still grinning from ear to ear,” said Moira after digesting her 70.8% win. “We’ve brought him on slowly over the last couple of years and he
qualified in just three tests.
“The canter is still a work in progress, but it was the first time he has ever really let me ride him in a test,” added Moira, who will be heading to her first nationals. “He loves the big competitions — especially the prize-givings.”