Dressage H&H Festival of Dressage, Aachen, Bicton Arena and Somerford Park
A serial ‘self-harmer’ claims the medium championship, and a four-year-old at her first show takes two titles at the inaugural H&H Festival of Dressage
PERSEVERANCE is the name of the game when it comes to the WOW Saddles medium championship winner Luca 192. The 11-year-old German warmblood has certainly been through his fair share of injury and illness, but pulled out all the stops for his loyal owner Camilla Zanna to win Friday’s warm-up class and the medium championship title.
“I bought him six years ago while he was recovering from grade-four ulcers that nearly killed him,” said Camilla. “I was only looking for a horse to loan, but when I went to see him, I bought him and took him home that day without even riding him.”
Using products from her own company, Premier Performance CZ, giving him plenty of turnout and continual access to hay, Camilla treated the ulcers and began competing him before disaster struck again.
“He injured himself on fencing in 2016, slicing the inside of his hock joint open and was in a cast for seven weeks. The vets said he’d never be ridden again, but somehow he recovered and came back into work and we’ve made it up to medium level.”
Not to leave Camilla resting on her laurels, however, the gelding rolled on a stone and cut his elbow open just three weeks before this show, which required a stint in equine hospital.
“He’s a self-harmer and I have to wrap him in cotton wool — he wears bandages and tall leg wraps in the stable,” said Camilla, who gets help from Leigh Jarrett and David Pincus. “This weekend has been amazing. When you look back at where he’s come from, it’s pretty incredible.”
The four-year-old home-bred mare Wild Rose headed four classes over two days, all with plus-70% scores, to claim the intro B and the prelim championships under Lauren Spradbury.
The beautiful chestnut mare by Sammy G Jo out of Romantico Di Villagana, belied her youth to pull off mature performances that oozed balance and suppleness.
“This was her first show and