2024 Winter Dressage Championships: barefoot horse wins national title

Juan Marin Aizpurua and David and Serena Pincus’ eight-year-old gelding Sheepcote Adios overcame a disappointing result in the Petplan Novice Bronze Winter Area Festival Championship yesterday (12 April) – where they finished further down the rankings on 61.66% – to storm the HorseHage Preliminary Silver Winter Championship at the 2024 NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships, winning with 72.47%.

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Oscar joined Horse & Hound in October 2023 and is the magazine’s dressage editor and sports manager, overseeing coverage of equestrian sport. After studying equine science at Myerscough College, he spent four years working for leading dressage rider Emile Faurie, competing at the 2015 National Dressage Championships and travelling with the yard to CDIs including Aachen and Saumur. He holds a master’s degree in Literature from York St John University (2021).

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Juan had never competed before moving to the UK from Spain to pursue his dreams of being a professional rider three years ago. He has since become a working pupil at the Pincus’ Sheepcote base.

“I started riding him as a baby, and we’ve developed a very good partnership,” Juan said.

“I chose to come to England to because there are very good professionals here and the way of riding is amazing – so I thought it’d be a good place to come to.”

The combination have been competing together since March 2023 and look to be going from strength to strength having qualified for the championships on a wildcard after coming third at Onley Grounds EC Winter Regionals on 69.83%.

Throughout their partnership, Sheepcote Adios has also been competing barefoot.

“He’s a very strong horse with good confirmation,” explained Juan. “There’s no special reason behind why he doesn’t have shoes – he has a very solid, strong foot so he’s never needed them.”

“The plan is to take him up through the levels and we’ll see how he goes. He’s a good boy, he can be a bit cheeky sometimes – but in a jolly way.”

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