New combination celebrate a double
A rider nets two titles with a horse he has ridden for just two months, before eventing the next day, while a raider from the Isle of Wight claims inter I spoils
DANNIE MORGAN gave more seasoned dressage riders plenty of food for thought when he took both advanced medium silver and medium gold honours with Lisa Morgan and David Knox’s elegant liver chestnut Knoxx’s Figaro.
More used to jumping solid fences at this venue, Dannie only took up pure dressage two and a half years ago and he still juggles his new sport with eventing — contesting the intermediate section at Aston-le-Walls the following day.
Dannie first climbed aboard the eight-year-old KWPN, by Jazz, two months before Bicton, but their brief partnership proved
no barrier. They produced some quality half-passes and impressive trot work in the medium and some particularly expressive changes in the advanced medium on the final afternoon of the three days of competition.
“He was more relaxed than during the medium test,” beamed Dannie after he had secured his second sash. “We had a blip — when he clipped the side of the board and jumped — but the fact that he got all the changes in the serpentine was fantastic. The plan is to establish him at this level.”
Danielle Rhodes broke the mould, too, when she and her 14.2hh gypsy cob stallion Tiger Tim, sporting full feathers and with his luscious white and black tail flowing behind him, left the more conventional dressage horses trailing in their wake in the elementary silver championship. Demonstrating exceptional rhythm and extensions — which Danielle describes as Tim’s “party piece” — the pair scored 73.28% for an emphatic victory.
“That was the best test he’s ever done,” said Danielle, also the winner of the novice silver championships with her barock pinto warmblood/Friesian, Jannick. “Tim was second to go in his class and when I saw the big, flashy warmbloods who came after us I didn’t think we had a chance.”
Some flowing and rhythmic canter and trot work helped to leave the seven-year-old mare Hawtins Soave and Hawtins Stud rider Bryony Goodwin in pole position in the elementary gold, the second championship they contested on Friday.
“She came out feeling confident in the afternoon,” said Bryony, who had finished second to Knoxx’s Figaro in the medium gold on Friday morning. “I only started training with Serena Pincus last year, but she has really brought us on.”
Hawtins Soave is a second generation home-bred. Her dam, Hawtins Belladonna, was ridden by Bryony until she was injured and switched to breeding. The 17.2hh Soave, who is by Sir Donnerhall, was backed at four
and brought on slowly due to being “tall and gangly”.
A BUBBLING POT
AT the top end of the levels,
Isle of Wight raider Gemma Maddocks overcame the nerves she invariably suffers at big shows to win the inter I with El Paso
Van Overis (see box, right).
“I don’t have any help with the issue, but I do give myself a good pep talk. He’s a lovely horse to ride, so there’s no reason to be nervous,” said Gemma.
JB Dukaat with Jess Bennett earned yet another ticket to the nationals after securing a prix st georges (PSG) win.
“Every year since he was five, he’s got me to the summer and winter championships,” said
Jess of the 10-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding who can be affected by atmosphere. “He’s like a bubbling pot. You never know which way he’s going to go.”
A pupil of Carl Hester’s, Bristol-based Jess only started campaigning the horse she bought as an unbacked four-year-old at PSG this year.
“It’s been going much better than I expected,” she said.
Christian Landolt, the judge at C, commented: “Jess’s trot work was high-class. There was a little tension in the walk, but the canter was tidy and correct.”
But while Christian was impressed with this particular winner, he admitted to disappointment while assessing the inter I.
“Most horses made mistakes and had balance issues,” he said.
GOOD SAMARITAN
MARK FORREST finished at the head of affairs in the advanced medium gold with a polished, fault-free test — bar cantering instead of trotting off from the first centre line — aboard his landlady Vanessa Lee’s mare Bonita VI.
The pair had scooped the elementary at this venue 12 months earlier and Mark noted: “Bonita felt like she did her best. She can be quite sharp at home, but she’s always quieter at a competition and she always tries. She’s moving up to PSG now, although the new tail coat I’ve bought for that still hasn’t arrived.”
Stephanie Sweet collected her sash for winning the medium silver and, back at the lorry park, hurried to untack the plus-18hh Dolle Jung, passing her saddle and bridle to a flustered Elder Klatzko, who had left her own tack at home. Elder and Faustino III duly appeared in arena A 30 minutes later to contest the inter I gold.
Earlier, Stephanie and Sarah Banwell’s imposing chestnut had impressed judges Sara-Jane Lanning, Sue McMahon and Sue Wood in arena B to head this class for the second year on the bounce. The eight-year-old by Don Havidoff was purchased at five in Germany after a recommendation from Frits Donderwinkel.
The pair train under the watchful eye of Virginia Peters.
“He did some super simple changes and I was so pleased with his canter work,” said Stephanie.
Riders and judges alike were full of praise for the seamless organisation and facilities, including Polish handyman
Bart Rembecki’s new blue beach hut-like judges’ huts that he only completed on Wednesday night.
“What he doesn’t realise is that I’m about to put in an order for four more,” laughed Bicton Arena manager Helen West.
Christian Landolt added: “Bicton is worthy of running a championship. This venue needs to stay in the calendar and it deserves to be supported.”