A part-bred Welsh section D mare, known affectionately as the ‘super sports cob’, is making waves.
Shelly Harriss and the 12-yearold mare Soden Fflach won the advanced medium freestyle with 73.83% and the advanced medium with plus-68% at Stourport.
Shelly rode the mare for her former owner before taking ownership earlier this year.
“She has only been doing dressage for the past two years, but has gone from prelim to PSG,” said Shelly, a riding coach and dressage to music trainer. “She is clever and such a trier with a big heart. She can collect, but also has fabulous extensions and she’s just learning to introduce more cadence into her work.”
Their music floorplan included a sequence of technical canter half-passes.
“The degree of difficulty is quite high, so we make up marks for her not being a warmblood,” added Shelly, who trains with Stephen Clarke and Ferdi Eilberg. “We’ve qualified for the winter regionals and the Area Festivals at PSG, so have lots to look forward to.”
Freelance rider and livery yard proprietor Stephanie Graves scored a pair of novice wins at Quainton Stud, one with plus- 70%, riding the four-year-old gelding Rockwell Blue.
Stephanie bought the Westfalian by Rock Forever from the Brightwells auction last August as a three-year-old, and this was his first affiliated outing aside from young horse classes.
“He’s been really easy,” said Stephanie. “He was an angel as a three-year-old and is proving to be just as good as a four-year-old. My plan is to get to him to grand prix.”