Finland’s Mikaela Soratie and Hot Casanova’s inter I made a great impression on judge Marion Terry, who awarded them 75.39%.
Hot Casanova, a 17hh Hotline x Kostolany nine-year-old, is now based in West Sussex with his Finnish owner and breeder, Katja Kuistila. Mikaela, who has trained the horse in Germany with Holga Finken, is now also based at Katja’s yard.
Mikaela also rode her own Dacor to score 67.86% in the inter B at Step Aside for second place. Both combinations were heading off to compete at Saumur international (6-9 September).
Commenting on Casanova, Mikaela said: “I was initially surprised at our score, but he did a mistake-free test. Sometimes his canter can get a bit long, but he maintained collection and our pirouettes have improved, too.”
Chantal Pedder competed her mother Diane Eustace’s Breitling W home-bred, Bentley IV, in the inter I Small Tour Championship qualifier at Hickstead.
She said: “This championship is a great opportunity for me. When my mother gave me the ride on Bentley two-and-a-half years ago, I’d never competed above elementary, but my trainer, Richard Mackay, has been super-supportive the whole way. Dressage is all about technique, but Bentley is 17.1hh and I’m only 5ft 4in, so I’ve been on a massive learning curve.”
The Small Tour Championships will also be the climax of Devan Woodgate and Distaulgold’s competitive season. Devan and her 18.2hh Donaugold x Breitling W 10-year-old were awarded 70.44% for their PSG freestyle, including an eight for choreography, which was devised with the help of Alice Oppenheimer.
The top scorers at Saddlesdane were Claire Gillanders and her ex-racehorse and ex-eventer, the 13-year-old Vectored Approach, with 74.48% and 70.55% novices. The combination only affiliated in the spring and came second and eighth respectively in the prelim and novice at last month’s Retraining of Racehorses National Championships at Aintree.