Riders do battle at H&H winter championships

Sarah Turner and Fiddlesticks took the Biotal Equine Gold Medium Restricted on the second day of the Horse & Hound Winter Dressage Championships.

“We’ve been working on more advanced movements at home, but in the past few weeks concentrated on his general way of going,” said Sarah, who is Gareth Hughes’ stable jockey.

Sarah is hoping to do her first prix st georges at the end of this year with the smart dun. She also rides and competes some of Gareth’s horses as well as having a lot of help from him with ‘Custard’.

Jane Brewin’s Nadonna took the Equissage Elementary Music with Roland Tong, to popular can-can music.

“She was a little bit behind me in the warm up, but as I came down the centreline I saw her front legs overtake her nose,” said Roland, who went on to take the Equine Herbals Elementary Open.

“Because she was so hot the day before I worked to calm her down but was a bit worried I’d made the test boring,” said Roland.

Alice Peternell and Surprise lead the Blue Chip Feed Balancer Novice Open from the front.

“I was more nervous waiting for everyone else’s mark to go up than doing my test,” said Alice, who bought the German-bred six-year-old from Holland four years ago.

“It’s always a gamble when you buy a two-year-old, but he’s turned out really trainable to ride, despite being a grumpy git in the stable,” said Alice.

Hannah Esberger-Shepherd and Divine defied the odds to win the Bailey’s Horse Feeds Novice Music Freestyle. The seven-year-old mare has only been back in work for a few days.

Nick Lawson riding Glenys and Phillip Hemmings’ Abbey Tiron were the final combination to go in the Blue Chip Feed Balancer Novice Restricted. They put up a great performance to take the class.

“He’s a very sociable horse now and just amazing to ride — words don’t really do him justice,” said Nick.

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