H&H Winter Championships: Third day

Horsesense Saddlery Preliminary Championship

Event rider Julie Drumgoole put the dressage riders in they’re place by winning the Horsesense Saddlery Preliminary Championships.

Julie, a former winner of the Pony Club Associates Championship at Weston Park rode her seven-year-old mare Hillside Royal Star, a daughter of top hurdler Royal Vulcan.

Julie trains with Brook Staples and is aiming the mare at the CCI* at Weston in the autumn.

Second to Julie was Jane Sanders with her British-bred Hanoverian Forima Masterclass.

The horse is by Medoc, who is himself competing at the winter championships, Julie buying him last September.

Julie was one to benefit from the wild card qualifying for the championships as a highest scoring combination outside the initial qualifiers.

A delighted Tracey Lawson and Napoly finished third with 67.33%. Napoly, by Contango, was bought as a three-year-old from the Equilibra Sale by chance as Tracey had originally gone on a fact finding mission.

Blue Chip Feed Balancer Novice Open Championship

Jodie Lister and Nicky headed a fascinating Blue Chip Feed Balancer Novice Open Championship, a class which attracted some real stars of the future.

By Houston, the six-year-old was bought in Holland two years ago, but has been taken slowly spending most of last year concentrating on the training.

“He has grown up over the winter,”saidJodie, who is based with Jennie Loriston Clarke.

Second was the Irish-bred Perswaysion, who evented to intermediate level before being bought by Guernsey-based Jill Browning to do dressage.

Jill competed the horse herself before passing the ride to Mark Ruddock, who rode him today.

British-bred stallion Rossgold Riva finished third. Owned by his breeder Karen Smith the horse was ridden by Gareth Hughes, the pair having won the Northern semi final on the way to Solihull

Spillers advanced music championship

A large crowd watched Nicky Barrett riding Stephen Butt’s Giorgo S win the Spillers advanced Music Championship on the second Gala Night of the Winter Championships. Competitors rode at advanced medium level or above with Nicky riding at the ultimate level, Grand Prix.

Isobel Wessels and Leopardo, winners of the music class at the Nationals, finished second less than 1% behind, with perennial crowd pleaser Jennie Loriston-Clarke in third with her homebred stallion Catherston Liberator.

The win continued a great week for Nicky who has just been picked for Arnhem gaining the coveted Union Jack as a full team member.

Equest Young Rider championship

The Equest Young Rider Championship saw some high scores with eventual winner Kate Atlee finishing on 75% with the Shenfields homebred Overstones Isadora. By the Trakhener stallion Isolan, the nine-year-old is out of an imported Danish mare and competed successfully in hand before embarking on her ridden career.

“This was only her second outing of the year,” said a delighted Kate, “and she tried really hard.”

Second was Daniel Timson who is based with Angie Rutherford. He rode his mother’s German bred Moskino.

Becky Moody and Kwadraat, members of last year’s bronze medal winning young rider team, took third.

Spillers elementary/medium/advanced medium music championship

The gala evening began with the final of the elementary/medium championship with the top three from the previous day’s elementary and medium fighting it out.

Jane Bredin carried on her good form at the winter championships with Lucky Star, who won the medium music to qualify for the evening, and was second in the Nirvana Spa Young Dressage Horse PSG.

Woodlander Markies and Katrina Cantrell finished second – the same place they occupied behind Jane in the qualifier itself. The pair has already won the Patey Medium/Elite and are in with a chance of a secondtitle as they go today in the Cliff Barnsby Open Medium Championship.

Third was Adam Kemp with Regan Maggs’ Aderro Donati, who is by Donnerhall. Regan plans to ride him for the rest of the year.

For full results click here