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‘I’m hoping he’ll be one of my LA horses’: British rider and future star top the podium at Winter Dressage Championships

Bethany Stone Bethany Stone

    • A British paralympian and her rising star made it all look easy at the NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships (15–19 April) at Addington Equestrian.

    Sophie Wells rode her own Ontario LC to comfortably win the Equi-Trek elementary gold on Friday 17 April with a score of 72.48%.

    “I thought he had a bit more impulsion than yesterday,” said Sophie, reflecting on her second place in the Spillers medium freestyle gold. “I just warmed him up for a little bit too long.

    “But that’s part of the process; he’s changing and getting stronger all the time, and he was super today.”

    The seven-year-old Vitalis son took his first championship win completely in his stride.

    “I’m thrilled with him and his attitude,” said Sophie. “He went in the prize giving and was so cool.”

    The partnership has been together for around 18 months after Amy Woodhead sourced the gelding from the Netherlands.

    “Shortly after he arrived, Amy called me and was like: ‘I think I have a horse for you’,” Sophie told H&H. “She was mega for finding him for me.”

    “Rio” began the year as the reserve regional champion at medium freestyle gold and did his first para competition at the Equissage para winter dressage championships at the end of February.

    Sophie’s taking a slowly-but-surely approach, building the gelding’s confidence and strength with care and with an eye for the long-term.

    “I won’t put any pressure on him this year,” she told H&H’s dressage editor Oscar Williams in February. “It’s about building his confidence and letting him get stronger.”

    With trainability and talent in spades, Sophie has high hopes.

    “I’m hoping that he’s one of my LA 2028 Paralympic horses,” she said. “So this is one step in the journey for him.”

    Dannie Morgan and PDS Saddles elementary freestyle gold champion Fürst Lady III earned second place with 70.15%, while Jayne Turney and Fiona O’Hara’s Finnegan Mac completed the podium won 69.95%.

    Woman pats a black horse she is riding at a canter. The horse wears a blue winners rug

    Natasha Gibbons on her own eight-year-old mare Penhaligon Soleilette Aimee won the Horselight medium silver. Photo: Kevin Sparrow

    Horselight medium silver: “She knows everything”

    Natasha Gibbons on her own eight-year-old Freischutz daughter Penhaligon Soleilette Aimee rose to the top in the Horselight medium silver championship, netting 73.57%.

    Aimee was Berkshire-based Natasha’s first auction purchase.

    “We brought her from Teresa Oaks of Penhaligon stud, from the Elite Auction when it used to be at Stoneleigh,” she told H&H. “We picked her up at six months, and we’ve done everything with her from there.”

    Livery yard owner Natasha previously trained M&Ms, show ponies and workers before progressing to dressage horses.

    Aimee, she says, has been a model student: “It’s like she read the textbook of dressage; she knows everything”.

    The trainable mare learned her changes over the winter and is currently working at advanced medium.

    “I’m hoping we’ll be looking at advanced in the summer and maybe prix st georges by the end of the year,” added Natasha.

    Aimee already has a few Petplan Area Festival titles under her belt – novice silver in 2024 and elementary silver in 2025 –but this is her first winter dressage championships sash.

    “She’s very clever, and really wants to do the right thing,” said Natasha.

    Bethany Edginton on Karen Redfearn’s Nelson HD came second with a score of 72.18%. Emma Mason on Emma Jenkinson’s Fleur C completed the podium on 70.79%.

    Ella Green and Majestic Artist won the Petplan Winter Area Festival Championships novice bronze. Photo: Kevin Sparrow.

    Winter Area Festival Championships: “She’s like a Labrador”

    Ella Green and her own Majestic Artist were victorious in the Petplan Winter Area Festival Championships novice bronze, netting 71.33%

    The 13-year-old daughter of A Picobello’s Artist Z used to event up to BE100, but turned her hoof to dressage a little over a year ago.

    This competition marks the pair’s first-ever Area Festival championships.

    “I didn’t expect to come home with a sash,” said Ella. “I’m just so pleased we got here and I’m delighted with Magic.

    “She has great relaxation in the walk, which was brilliant in this atmosphere.

    “I thought she coped really well. She normally freaks out with the banners and flowers, but the arena walk this morning really helped her.”

    Ella, who has four at home including an eventer, opted for Magic’s career change because cross-country “wasn’t her thing”.

    “It’s funny, she liked cross-country schooling, but as soon as you put her in a competition, she didn’t want to do it.”

    The stable manager told us Magic is “like a Labrador” at home: “She loves cuddles.”

    Michelle Woolmer and her own nine-year-old Tullibards Mr Globetrotter were second with 70.39%, while Jazz Blucher and For Fusion II, a 12-year-old owned by his rider, finished third on their score of 70.11%.

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