8 young dressage riders to watch in 2015
H&H picks out eight under-25s to take note of in the dressage arena this year
1. Charlotte Fry, British (pictured, above)
Age: 19
Base: with Anne Van Olst in Den Hout, Holland
Top ride: Z Flemmenco, an 11-year-old by Flemmingh.
Best result to date: at the Junior Europeans last year, Charlotte was the best
of the British in all three tests, with all her scores over 70%.
What’s on the cards for 2015? It will be Charlotte’s first year in young riders and
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Flemmenco made his debut at Drachten CDIPJY, Holland in January. She hopes to be
selected for Addington CDI and will enter international shows on the continent.
What gives her the edge? Charlotte’s mother is the late Laura Fry, a member of the
British Olympic team in 1992 with Quarryman who, together with her father, Simon, built up Aike Grange into Fry’s EC, an international dressage competition centre. After a stint at Carl Hester’s yard, she moved to the Van Olst stud in Holland where she trains with Danish Olympian, Ann Van Olst.
2. Alexandra Hellings, British
Age: 15
Base: Chesterfield, Derbys
Top ride: Uvender II (Uvi), a 13-year-old by Krack C, formerly owned by trainer Sonia Baines.
Best results to date: with her previous pony, Der Kleine Lord, Alexandra won silver team and individual bronze medal at the pony Europeans in 2014. With her new horse Uvender II, she recently scored 73% at medium level and has qualified for winter regionals at elementary and medium open.
What’s on the cards for 2015? This year Alex plans to concentrate on building Uvi’s confidence with the aim of qualifying for the advanced medium at the national championships and gaining a junior team place in 2016.
What gives her the edge? Alex doesn’t have a horsey background and started riding lessons with Sonia when she was eight. Her motivation is her love of the sport. She is an early achiever in the sponsorship game and, together with Charlotte Dujardin, has been selected as a muse for leather designer, Mary Wing To.
3. Amy Woodhead, British
Age: 22
Base: Newent, Glos
Top rides: the six-year-old gelding Ekitof, by Zucchero and the seven-year gelding Hawtins Delicato, by Diamond Hit.
Best results to date: Amy represented Great Britain on the pony and young rider teams. With Pardon she reached inter I level.
What’s on the cards for 2015? Working for Carl Hester, Amy will carry on widening her experience of riding quality horses and will be seen in young horse classes. She also hopes to ride her first grand prix.
What gives her the edge? Amy is the daughter of Ian Woodhead, who coached the
pony dressage team for 18 years, winning 10 European championship medals. She was doing grand prix movements as a toddler, sitting in front of her dad on his grand prix horse. She has been based with Carl since September 2013.
4. Alex Hardwick, British
Age: 24Base: Bishop’s Stortford, HertsTop rides: Donauwein (Dude), a 13-year-old by Don Vino and Royal Chester, a 10-year-old by Royal Highness.Best results to date: at Biarritz CDI 2014, Alex and Dude won all three under-25 classes. With Calvin G she was a member of the young rider team that came fourth at theEuropean Championships 2012.What’s on the cards for 2015? Dude’s next outing will be the under-25s grand prix at Addington CDI in March.What gives her the edge? Alex was riding before she could walk and was brought up surrounded by horses at the family’s Hallingbury Hall equestrian centre. She has brought both her horses up through the levels since they were three-year-olds and has established a strong relationship with them.
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5. Phoebe Peters, British
Age: 15
Base: Naunton, Glos
Top rides: SL Lucci, a 14-year-old German riding pony by Lukas and Charlotte Dujardin’s
Cruz III (Tom), a six-year-old by Caesar 171.
Best results to date: Lucci and Pheobe are 2013 pony European dressage champions
and 2014 vice-European champions, and won team bronze in 2013 and team silver in 2014.
They are the current national record holders for the pony team, individual and freestyle tests alongside holding the international world records in the pony FEI team test with 80.21% and the pony freestyle test with 84%. They also top the world pony rankings.
What’s on the cards for 2015? Phoebe and Lucci will be aiming to take back their European pony title and smash the record for the individual pony test. Phoebe will also be introducing Tom to FEI pony tests and setting him on his way to an international competitive career.
What gives her the edge? Phoebe is a hard worker and perfectionist and receives 100% support from her family. She has trained with Peter Storr since she was 10 and has Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester firmly in her camp.
6. Pippa Hutton, British
Age: 21
Base: Cirencester, Glos
Top ride: Duela, a13-year-old mare by Dimaggio.
Best results to date: Pippa was the highest placed British rider in the fourthplaced
team at the European young rider championships 2013. She and Duela have started the season well with a score of 66% in the inter II at Addington High Profile show.
What’s on the cards for 2015? Pippa will be aiming Duela at under-25s grand prix
classes. She is looking forward to moving out of the sheltered environment of young riders and taking on senior competition.
What gives her the edge? Pippa’s first visit to Addington CDI took place when her mother, Pammy, was six months pregnant and competing Calendo. From a strong competitive family, she frequently competes against brother, Charlie, and Pammy. At Talland, she has the benefit of great eyes on the ground in the shape of family and the centre’s other instructors.
7. Olivia Oakeley, British
Age: 21
Base: Berkeley, Glos
Top rides: Donna Summer (Rio), a 14-year-old by Dimaggio and new ride, Don Carissimo, a 10-year-old by Don Crusador.
Best results so far: in January 2015, Olivia and Rio scored 65% in their first grand prix and 69% in their first inter II. The pair were fifth in the individual test at the
young rider Europeans, scoring over 70% in all three tests.
What’s on the cards for 2015? Olivia has her sights set on success in under-25s grand prix with Rio and a place at the winter championships. She also hopes to take both horses to the CDI at Compiegne, France.
What gives her the edge? Although her family were not horsey, they were competitive. Her grandfather was an Olympic yachtsman and her great-grandfather was a world-class wrestler. Her mother Katie gave her a party at the local riding stables when she was six and that was it. She left school at 16 to work for Carl Hester and is now a freelance rider and trainer.
8. Claire Gallimore, British
Age: 20
Base: Academy Bartels, Hooge Mierde, Holland
Top ride: 10-year-old Annette Ballerina by Scandic.
Best results to date: Claire represented Britain at the pony Europeans in 2009 and 2010
What’s on the cards for 2015? Claire will bring ‘Bella’ out at prix st georges this year
with the goal being the European young rider team. She will compete at international shows in Belgium and Holland and potentially come back to England for the Addington CDI in March.
What gives her the edge? Having left university halfway through her second year, Claire moved to the world famous Academy Bartels, a dressage-focused training yard led by
Dutch Olympians Tineke Bartels and Imke Schellekens-Bartels.
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