Nicky Heale enjoyed a productive weekend at Tillyoch, scoring highly with her two rides Balhagarty Royal Dhu and Furstinclaire.
Her own and partner Nick
Veitch’s exciting Welsh section D mare, Dhu, led a novice gold with 72.96% and an elementary with 72.35%.
“Her tests were good, although she was a little strong in the novice, so I rode her in a double bridle for the elementary. I’ve been busy riding other horses, so she tends to get left behind and still needs exposure,” explained Nicky, who has reluctantly decided to offer the six-year-old for sale due to commitments riding Verity Jenner’s Furstinclaire, who is competing at the same level.
“I bought Dhu as a foal — she’s very easy and will hack out and jump,” added Nicky, who completed her elementary and medium winter qualification with Furstinclaire, a homebred six-year-old daughter of Fürstenball out of the Caprimond mare Claire.
“I’ve been working at home on a punchier trot and uphill canter and Verity hacks her out,” added Nicky. They received a novice gold wild card for the summer championships, with Nicky also qualifying her own Welsh cob, Retanach Request, in the advanced medium silver.
At Dumfries, Carla Milne, 15, made a debut music outing to win at novice and elementary with her reigning winter prelim champion, Hey Good Looking GK.
Carla has produced the Chello III six-year-old, who was bought two years ago, herself with help from Jane Rutherford, and also topped the novice silver qualifier at Alnwick Ford Area Festival.