Jones scores bittersweet success
Ashleigh Jones enjoys an emotional finale in the grade III as several para riders put down markers for future team selection
ASHLEIGH JONES made her last ride on Roemer Van Veenoord count, winning the grade III gold championship. Ashleigh has ridden Mandy Wright’s Friesian gelding for the past two years, so she was emotional as they made their final halt.
“I burst into tears as we finished,” she admitted. “He’s been the most fantastic para horse for me; he’s so trainable but I think what makes him really special is when you ask him something, even when he doesn’t understand, he’ll give you his best shot. What more can you ask?”
Ashleigh has cerebral palsy and works for S2S Courses, giving motivational talks to primary school children around the Birmingham area.
“I love it,” she added. “It’s the same as my competing; I go in to enjoy myself and show how good we are. In terms of competing, placings are a bonus, so to walk away from our last show as
national champions is just the best way to finish.”
Sir Lee Pearson won the grade II gold title with his longterm partner and Olympic gold medallist, Zion.
“It’s frightening to think I’ve had him nine years now, although I sometimes feel I’m still getting to know him,” said Lee, who also rode his two home-breds Styletta and Breezer III, the latter hors concours.
“Styletta was a bit hot and Breezer was suffering the aftereffects of having won Wednesday’s elementary silver regional title with my other half, Richard Wood — I think he went in expecting another prize-giving!”
A delighted Sarah Davies took the grade IV silver with Kathryn and Tim Bartlett’s Hundon Lodger. Sarah, who won last year’s summer silver title, did plenty of riding before being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2013. She took on the 18-year-old son of Medoc just over 12 months ago after Kathryn’s mother Shirley suggested he might suit.
“He was a little bit tense today but he still did a lovely test,” said Sarah, who rode her first para test a year ago. “I was really keen to come here to see where I stood against everyone else and how much I needed to up my game for the gold section.”
PANDORA TICKS ALL THE BOXES
TRIPLE European champion Julie Payne carried all before her in the past year with Athene Lindebjerg and is aiming for team selection again with Di Redfern’s talented mare, but here she rode her own Pandora to win the grade I gold. She beat Sophie Christiansen into second on Amazing Romance in the process.
“I certainly didn’t go in with the expectation of beating Sophie, but Pandora always gives me her best and it turned out that today her best was good enough,” said Julie, who bought the Pascal x Graf Grannus mare, now 17, as an eight-year-old. Until that point she’d been a broodmare.
“We’d just got to advanced medium when I was diagnosed with multiple system atrophy,” said Julie. “I did manage a couple of grade IV tests with her 18 months later, but she has been
very accident-prone. I’m realistic: she’s 17 now and she’s not going to be a Tokyo horse, but I love riding her and we just have fun.”
For Sophie Christiansen, former rider of Athene Lindebjerg, it was a first defeat with her new dancing partner Amazing Romance (Harry), but they have have been together less than six months, and it was only their seventh test as a pair.
“I knew Julie would be hard to beat,” said Sophie. “Harry is very different to Athene. She just did it whereas Harry needs more coaxing, but we’ll get there.”
Grade I silver winner Rowan Crosby has her sights set on the Tokyo Paralympics. The teenager rode her Connemara pony Kilimazing Tiger Lily to score 70.38%, finishing 4% ahead of the chasing pack. For Rowan it was the end of a packed week that also included two days at Hartpury College for a course alongside two days at Myerscough, where she also won the warm-up class.
“Tiger has behaved impeccably,” she said. “She tries so hard and I’m so proud of her — can you tell I love my pony?”
Other championship winners included Sophie Wells with
C Fatal Attraction in the grade V gold, while Sophie’s former ride Touchdown M secured the grade IV silver for Izzy Palmer. Izzy and “Touch” were non-travelling reserves for last year’s Europeans.
The final two champions were Hope Hayward, who won the grade V silver with Cadeau K, and grade III silver victors Denise Smith on Sheepcote Catkin. The
latter is by Cassander and a halfsister to three horses who have competed in advanced dressage.
This was a first year for the para winter championships at Myerscough, and had the added bonus of new sponsors, Equissage Pulse.
“It’s always exciting getting new sponsors on board,” said Sophie Christiansen. “That and the livestreaming are a massive step forward to take our sport to a wider audience and I loved the new venue — they made us very welcome and it had a great atmosphere.”
‘I’m realistic: she’s not going to be a Tokyo horse, but I love riding her and we just have fun’
JULIE PAYNE ON PANDORA