Paras gear up for team selection
Competition for a coveted spot on the team for the World Equestrian Games is as hot as the weather
SOPHIE WELLS and C Fatal Attraction (Jorge) were on top form, sealing a grade V hat-trick with 78.79% in the freestyle, dazzling the judges with their emotive new music and clever floorplan. Sophie also finished second to herself in both the team and individual tests riding her seven-year-old Gladstone. Her pupil Izzy Palmer was on a winning streak, too, claiming all three grade IV wins with the Wells family’s Touchdown M.
Natasha Baker and the 11-year-old Mount St John Diva Dannebrog have only been together a matter of months but have already formed a strong partnership in grade III ranks. They only just pipped Erin Orford and Dior to the freestyle win, as a bit of tension meant the mare’s lovely walk and halts suffered, but Natasha described their individual victory the day before as “a dream test”.
Lee Pearson caught the eye with his new ride, the dainty home-bred mare Styletta. The Sandros Dancer nine-year-old topped the grade II team and individual tests, and although she slightly bubbled over in the freestyle, looks to be a very promising prospect for the multi-Paralympic gold medallist.
“She’s really hot, but we could always tell she had raw talent,” said Lee. “She’s so sharp she used to practically throw herself on the ground just walking in from the field, but now she’s much more confident. I’ve never ridden her to music though, and it was very loud — she pooped her pants!”
Many expected Sophie Christiansen to dominate grade I, but Sophie’s partnership with the nineyear-old Danish gelding Amazing Romance (Harry) is still new, and it showed. Harry broke to trot once in her team test, which she still won with 72.36%, but made her life difficult in the individual, appearing to resist badly on multiple occasions, and plummeting their score to 61.39%.
“Every test is a learning experience. It’s safe to say that Harry has given us some new things to focus on in training,” said Sophie, philosophically.
Mari Durward Akhurst put in solid performances with Sky O’Hara for a double victory at grade I.