A new trainer helped Sara Richardson find motivation — and victory.
WALES & WEST Mount Ballan Manor, Monmouthshire | Burrows Court Farm, Glos
Prix st georges (PSG) winner
Sara had been out of action for four years due to a wrist injury that required multiple operations.
Meanwhile, Cosmic Carnaval (Beast), the Carnaval Drum mare she bought 10 years ago from a
Horse & Hound advert and has produced from novice, remained largely unworked.
“I saw in a Facebook post last year that Hayley Watson-Greaves was teaching just an hour away from me,” said Sara, a winner at Mount Ballan. “She’s been brilliant, giving me the kick up the backside I needed.
“Beast is 19 now, but she’s fully fit and still has attitude,” added Sara, who rides in a wrist support.
“This was our best test at the level so far — I was in awe at first at PSG, in my tails, but Hayley told me to ride it properly and accurately and not just steer round. We’re hoping to try inter I this summer.”
Shelly Harriss headed both the medium and advanced medium freestyles at Burrows Court Farm with Wendy Walters’ part-bred Welsh section D mare Soden Fflach. Shelly, who rode to a quirky soundtrack from the Sherlock TV series, praised the coloured mare’s work ethic.
“Her enthusiasm is lovely — if anything, she tries a little too hard sometimes,” Shelly said.
“She has a really quick, sharp hind leg as well as a fantastic ability to collect at canter. At first she produced a lot of knee action, but with training she’s developing a more rounded effect, working through the whole shoulder.”