The 2015 LeMieux National Championships at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire kicked off in style today with five titles won by five stunning combinations in front of a bumper crowd.
Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges
After claiming two titles at the NAF Five Star Winter Championships in April this year, Alice Oppenheimer and Georgina Pole-Carew’s Tantoni Sir Soccrates cranked it up a notch to claim today’s Fairfax Saddles Prix St Georges Championship. (Alice is pictured right but Headmore Boadicia deputised in the prize giving for Socs)
In a class littered with big names and strong combinations, Alice and the 12-year-old Sir Donnerhall gelding topped the tables with a whopping 75.08%, just 0.02% off a personal best.
“I knew immediately it was a good test,” said a delighted Alice. “It was a clear round and I felt that I could ask for more for the higher marks. I know he can perform every single movement in the PSG test for an 8 and today he really went for it.”
The pair, who qualified for the finals at Wellington Premier League with an equally impressive score of 73.37%, has celebrated a successful year both nationally and internationally at small tour level, having not scored less than 70% on British soil in the past year.
“He’s just the most incredible horse to ride and we seem to have built a fantastic rapport, he knows what I’m thinking and I now know what he’s thinking. He’s always so with me.”
Equine Construction Advanced Medium Restricted
Professional dressage rider Sadie Smith (25) from Wickham, Hampshire, secured the first title of the week with Keystone Dynamite, her hot prospect eight-year-old gelding to head the Equine Construction Advanced Medium Restricted with a score of 68.53%.
“I’m so chuffed with him,” smiled Sadie after the prize giving. “I didn’t really mind what score we got as he has been sharp and naughty, and it’s his first nationals, so this was quite unexpected. He has so much ability but he’s not been easy – he’s taken a long time - so this means a lot to me.”
Sadie bought the attractive liver chestnut son of Dimaggio as a four-year-old from his breeder Suzanne Lavandera and now keeps him with Sarah Tyler-Evans who owns several of her other exciting rides. Talented Sadie and ‘Mambo’, as he’s affectionately known, have received great support from Sarah as well as top-notch training from Isobel Wessels and Carl Hester.
The combination qualified with a 71.97% win at the Addington Manor regional championships in Buckinghamshire last month. “He’s such a talented horse and finds all the complex movements easy,” explained Sadie. “He just did a few novices and an elementary before going straight to advanced medium as the more difficult tests do suit him. We’ll move up to PSG later this year.”
Sadie will not be heading home quite yet as she also contests the Nettex elementary open on Sunday with Sarah’s lovely young Lord Leatherdale mare, River Rise Escarla.
Nettex Elementary Restricted
23-year-old Ashley Jenkins, a talented up-and-coming dressage rider from Bristol, enjoyed victory with his own young horse, Salsa Hit in the Nettex elementary restricted championship with 71.88%.
Two years to the day that Ashley bought ‘Salsa’ from his breeder Margaret Lister, Ashley’s belief in the horse was realised in front of the crowds overlooking the Horse Health arena. “It feels good to win, to experience it again,” said a delighted Ashley who won the prelim championship here in 2013 aboard Lukien von Tespe. “There are bits to work on but his simple changes felt good and it was a great learning curve for him - I’m very happy.”
Ashley is assistant rider to Dan Greenwood and Jamie Reynolds and first met Salsa when he was sent to them by Margaret as a three-year-old to be started off. “He’s got a lovely character and is super to train - I just loved him from day one,” smiled Ashley.
The elegant black six-year-old gelding by Samba Hit II - a stallion ridden by Gareth Hughes - was presented with the highest placed British-bred award and Ashley received the highest placed BYRDS rider award. The combination qualified at the Addington Manor summer regional championships where they scored 69.32%, having started at the level at the start of the year.
BackinAction Preliminary Chapionship
Mum of three Karen Frankham from Brampdean in Hampshire proved that persistence wins prizes when she took the 2015 BackinAction Prelim title at the LeMieux National Dressage Championships today. Riding her own Wizard IV, a 12 year bay gelding, Karen topped a 26-stong competitive class where just nine percent separated the winner from the bottom place.
Karen originally purchased Wizard, by Dutch stallion Julio Mariner, six years ago to show jump but the arrival of her two youngest children helped make the decision to swap to dressage. It’s taken them time to establish a partnership but taking time to get to know each other has reaped rewards today. Scoring 72.37%, a delighted Karen said; “He was really good today. A few hairy moments in the warm up as he was completely overwhelmed by the number of horses and riders but in the test he was really lovely. He felt really loose and really helped me out; I'm so pleased with him.”
A conversation with renowned dressage trainer Damien Hallam helped make the decision to take up dressage full time and he continues to train the talented duo. Wizard was clearly overwhelmed by the experience during the prize giving and showed his sensitive side – and his hooves to the crowd! But the bond Karen has worked so hard to establish was clear to see as once in motion their lap of honour was a joy to watch. “He’s really sensitive and it’s taken a long time to get him to accept things – I’ve spent most of that time on the floor! But I’ve never looked back and we’ve got such an amazing bond now; put simply, he tries his heart out for me," added Karen.
Their next goal is success at the Petplan Area Festival at Oldencraig where they’ve qualified for elementary level in mid-October.
Runner up spot went to Elijah Lovell and Sheepcote Let’s Go with 71.99% and third were Lauren Cowie and Coady Bay Brazil on 71.09%.
Monarch Equestrian Inter II Championship
Michael Eilberg’s 2015 National Championships campaign got off to a flying start with a solid win in the Monarch Equestrian Intermediate II Championship. Taking the class with a confident 69.87% on the British-bred Half Moon Dynasty, owned by Jon and Julie Deverill, Michael was pleased with the mare’s test; “It was really good actually, a few little mistakes in the green areas but her potential is looking great. I was hoping for a good score especially with the way she was passaging down the last centre line and the pirouettes were a lot better than they had been in the past.”
“One less mistake would have been nice – I got a three in the two time changes, I was trying to be careful she didn’t go into ones, so I was a little bit behind in the movements. She then came round the corner and the one time changes were really good, especially considering she was not doing them until right before we went in!”
The combination has only competed at one other competition this year, securing their nationals qualification at the Hartpury Premier League back in July in their first ever inter II test. Michael declared their national’s preparation as ‘short and sweet’! “She wasn’t quite at inter II level until the Hartpury date and then it wasn’t too long until we came here,” he added.
Looking to the future with this horse, Michael is aiming to progress up to grand prix as soon as the 11-year-old by Dimaggio, also known as ‘Molly’, has gained some more confidence. “She can get a little bit on her toes at times, as soon as she feels confident enough to take the difficulty of the Grand Prix on, then we’ll crack on with it.”
The partnership have been together since 2011 making this victory and the future ahead all the more exciting; “She came to me after doing a few young horse classes and I started her out at medium, it’s lovely then to get them up to grand prix and get that feeling,” a happy Michael said.
All photos from www.kevinsparrow.co.uk
Ful results including judges' scores: click here
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