WALES & WEST
Karen Denness won her first-ever freestyle, scoring 73.61% at Burrows Court Farm with Rubytuesday.
“I’ve always wanted to have a go at the music,” said Karen, who nearly hung up her riding boots for good last summer. “I rode to a soundtrack of music by The Beatles and really enjoyed it.”
Karen (née Jones) was one of the original British Dressage talent spotting finalists back in 1985, but later had surgery for a back problem.
“I had some rods put in my spine as a disc was disintegrating,” she explained. “I didn’t ride for 14 years or so and eventually bought a safe cob. When I sold her last year, my daughter, Taylor, suggested I ride her horse Ruby.”
The seven-year-old Irish draught/thoroughbred mare is by the Jumbo son Battleton Phoenix.
“She’s absolutely fabulous, but she can all of a sudden blow a gasket — although her explosions don’t last for long,” said Karen.
Susan Chant took both elementaries at the same venue earlier in the week with Pascal McCoy, the 12-year-old Blue Hors Romanov gelding she bought two years ago.
“It was the first time we’ve been to Burrows Court and the atmosphere was really friendly,” said Susan, who suffers from competition nerves on occasion.
“We’ve been working on his self-carriage with the aim of moving up to medium next spring. He’s been feeling stronger since I’ve been riding him onwards and back and using half-passes to help keep him between hand and leg.”
‘All of a sudden she can blow
a gasket — although her explosions don’t last for long’
KAREN DENNESS ON RUBYTUESDAY