Somerford Park Farm hosted the first of this year’s seven regional championships (18 - 20 July) and saw massive entries in the BackinAction prelim classes which were split into two, with more than 40 entries in each section.
Forty-four-year-old Cerian Screen, who works full time as a pharmacist in Aberystwyth, Wales, and has a four-year-old daughter, conquered her competition nerves to ride her seven-year-old home-bred mare Donna Bella (by Donnersohn) into top spot in prelim section A.
“’Roxy’ can be a real dressage diva – the last time we went to a new venue, she threw a strop just before we started our test and had to be led past the judges and into the arena, so I was a bit apprehensive about what she might do at Somerford as neither of us had been there before,” said Cerian, who trains with Serina Pincus and gets up at 5.30am to ride before work. “We’ve only done four competitions this year and won three of them, but I was nervous because she can be quite naughty. With the flags, flowers and three judges’ boxes to contend with, I thought it might blow her mind, but on the day she was brilliant and didn’t bat an eyelid!”
Cerian, who hadn’t competed without a test caller before, had an early draw and held her nerve while waiting almost five hours until the end of the class to discover the final result: “I never imagined we would win – I was just delighted that Roxy behaved so well. . . now I’m already starting to get nervous about going to the nationals, but luckily my good friend Genette who comes with me to competitions is a brilliant support, and I’m going to practice breathing and focussing techniques!”
The prelim section B was also hotly contested, with 41-year-old Chrissy Leak and her 14hh seven-year-old traditional coloured cob mare, It's Just Rosie (pictured), clinching first place.
“I bought Rosie from a dealer as a four-year-old who’d got her from Appleby Fair,” explained Chrissie, who works full time for Northern Rail as a train conductor in Blackpool and keeps Rosie at DIY livery. “I’ve had horses all my life, but had huge gaps in my riding due to work and lack of finance, so I wanted a horse which was kind and gentle to bring on. My mum died of lung cancer nine years ago and left me some money which I used to buy Rosie, so I named Rosie after her - she’s kind, gentle and a real people person -- she’s my best buddy!
“I do suffer from competition nerves, but Rosie always looks after me and tries her best, “ said Chrissie, who celebrated her win by treating her two good friends and travel companions Rachel and Hayley with a trip to Burger King.
“I then came home and poured myself a vodka by which time my Facebook page was in meltdown! I can’t wait to go to the nationals now, I’ve only ever been as a spectator before, so to compete at Stoneleigh is a dream come true.”
The highest score of the three days, 76.53%, belonged to the phenomenal 16-year-old Phoebe Peters and St Lucci, who soared into the lead in the Top Spec Medium Open championship.
The combination, who are in their last year of ponies, were having their final competitive preparation ahead of their call up for their fourth consecutive FEI Pony European Championships in Malmo, Sweden, next month.
It was another “red -letter day” for Lucy Cartwright with Justin and Isobel Wessels’ fabulous five-year-old San Marco, high scoring winners of the Dodson & Horrell Novice Open title.
This in-form combination, who clocked up a mega score of 9.1 as the highest score of the Shearwater young horse championships at Hartpury’s Premier League just a week ago, proved outstanding once again.
“Marco’s only five, but he’s an amazing horse who is so willing and forward thinking - he just loves to work and has three fantastic paces which are all as good as each other,” said 27-year-old Lucy, who was previously based with her trainer Carl Hester for six years (during which time she also won the 2006 Badminton Young Horse finals with Valegro) before setting up DL Dressage with her partner Daniel Bremmer at Carole Felton’s stunning yard in the Cotswolds.
“Isobel, who also helps me with him and has been a fantastic support, bought Marco from Jayne Lancashire’s Dressage International as a three-year-old and rides him a couple of days a week. We’re hoping to do the six-year-old classes with him next year, as well as some novices and elementaries and see how it goes, but I feel incredibly lucky to ride him.”
DL Dressage had much to celebrate as Lucy was also runner up in the medium open with Niki and Mervyn Franklyn’s Leonello, as well as third in the Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I with Waterloo V, while the yard’s working pupil, 19-year-old Alex Chick, won the Equine Construction Advanced Medium Restricted title with SOS Montevideo.
Twenty-four-year-old Darcas Lever, a former junior and young rider team member from Warrington, was the winner of the Equine Construction Advanced Medium Open and runner-up in the Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges with her own Valentijn WG, a 13-year-old KWPN gelding by Cabochan.
“’Lewis’ [named after the Formula One racing driver] came to me originally to be sold, but although he can be quirky and sharp, we’ve formed a good relationship. He’s got a lot of potential and we bring out the best in each other,” said Darcas, who trains with Darryl Thickitt and is based at Cockshot Dressage, where she produces horses and ponies for showing and dressage.
After competing at Somerford Park for three days, Darcas, who also has an 18-month-old son Jacob, had a brief stopover at home with just three hours in bed before making a 2am start for the four-hour journey to the Scottish Horse Show at the Royal Highland showground where she was competing two horses in HOYS qualifiers.
“I divide my time between showing and dressage, which can be a bit hectic with show dates clashing, but dressage always takes the priority,” said Darcas.
For full results, visit the Somerford Regionals website
RESULTS
BackinAction Prelim
Section a – Cerian Screen with Donna Bella - 72.37%
Section b – Chrissy Leak with It's Just Rosie - 70.06%
Dodson & Horrell Novice Restricted
Section a – Cara Sweeney with Belissima - 72.07%
Section b – Freya Metters with Maesmynach Jester - 67.99%
Dodson & Horrell Novice Open
Lucy Cartwright with San Marco 75.23%
NETTEX Elementary Restricted
Section a – Rebecca Jackson with Blixem 71.46%
Section b - James McCullough with Diluvio 69.01%
NETTEX Elementary Elementary Open
Sarah Kingswell with The Contact People Destiny D 69.79%
Top Spec Medium Restricted
Georgie Wheeler with Don Camillo II 69.32%
Top Spec Medium Open
Phoebe Peters with St Lucci 76.53%
Equine Construction Advanced Medium Restricted
Alex Chick with SOS Montevideo 68.95%
Equine Construction Advanced Medium Open
Darcas Lever with Valentijn WG 71.36%
Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges
Tracey Tomlinson with Undercover 68.99%
Saracen Horse Feeds Intermediate I
Jenny Rose with Tabriz 67.32%
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