SOUTH-EAST
Parwood, Surrey | Oldencraig, Surrey
Amo II delivered on young promise with a 75% in advanced medium 98.
Sarah Williams’ 10-year-old Rascalino x Werther AES stallion, who wowed the world as a fourand five-year-old, now has the strength and trainability to move up in his career.
She explained: “Amo lost a lot of training and competing time while recovering from sand cracks. Now I can trust his soundness, I can train consistently and he’s muscled up. He’s also learnt a good basic way of going from which you can extend and collect, rather than just power around showing off.
“He hasn’t been to a party since the National Elementary Championships in September. At Parwood, he was naughty in the advanced medium 85 when horses were brought in from the field, but he listened and did some fabulous work in the qualifier.”
She added: “Doing so well competing abroad for the first time this summer has given me a big confidence boost.”
A last-minute push to qualify some new horses meant Kentbased international rider Dan Watson took four to Oldencraig. His top scorer was Shirley
Rixon’s Sir Donnerhall x Warkant 13-year-old, Black Sabbath, who scored 71.97% in the advanced medium 98 and 72.79% in the non-qualifier.
Dan commented: “He’s got it all there, but lacks ring experience, so at our first show the previous week he lacked confidence. This time I had some power to play with and he gave me some nice uphill changes.”
Ruth Almond has been doggedly pursuing prelim qualification with her inexperienced Don Henrico youngster, Don Maurico. Her hectic campaign, after a minor injury delay, included suffering broken fingers when Rico reared up in the lorry at Wellington.
This, followed by a frustratingly low score at Priory, took her to Parwood, where she wrapped it up with her best-yet scores of 72.06% and 71.87%.