WALES & WEST

A ‘tricky’ gelding bought for £1 was among the week’s veteran winners.

Katy Williams paid a token amount for Tizer, a lightlycompeted 16-year-old gelding, when her friends wanted to sell him. Now 18, he has excelled in showing, combined training and one-day eventing – and is also making a name for himself in affiliated dressage.

“When I first had him, he couldn’t even canter a 20m circle,” said Katy, who headed both prelims at Severnvale with Tizer. “My trainer Emma Corbett and I would celebrate if he did even a single stride in an outline.”

Emma Maisey and Bogelys Corporal won at both novice and elementary level at Burrows Court Farm, with scores well above 70%.

“I said that after the winter championships I would retire him,” said Emma of her 17-yearold former intermediate eventer. “But 10 days later, I changed my mind. Our next outing will be the summer regionals, as he has qualified for novice gold.

“We know each other inside out and the judges often comment that we have a lovely partnership,” added Emma. “He struggles with allergies, so I’m particularly pleased that he went so well in that heat, at his age.”

The 16.2hh gelding broke his withers as a younger horse and does all his dressage tests in a forward-cut cross-country saddle.

“He seems to like the flexibility it offers, but there’s not much comfort for me,” said Emma. “It’s like sitting on a plate.”

‘He couldn’t canter a circle ’