Day three: Becky Moody scores a Magic one-two at the NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships [VIDEO]
On the third day of action at the NAF Five Star British Dressage Winter Championships, Becky Moody ruled the NAF Magic prix st georges championship, claiming the top two places with her rides Carinsio and Tirsa.
Winner Carinsio — a Painted Black x Beaujolais eight-year-old – scored 77.29% with a powerful and assured performance. Becky’s runner-up Tirsa — a petite chestnut mare by Nourejev — posted 72.54%. Maria Griffin’s popular contender DJ was third with over 71%.
Becky said: “These are an immaculately run championships; down to the stewards everyone has been fantastic. Tonight was pretty cool.”
In today’s PDS Saddles elementary restricted music freestyle, the final rider, para rider Charlotte Cundall secured the class with 75.53% — the highest score of the NAF Five Star show so far — on The Chenko Artist, a 14-year-old Irish-bred chestnut gelding who used to event.
Having broken her back twice in cross-country accidents, Charlotte has metal plates in her spine; her limited movement, along with the lack of feeling in one leg, is what classifies her as a para rider.
She was “speechless” to have lifted the title.
Of the two novice titles up for grabs in the NAF Five Star Arena at the British Dressage Winter Championships today (Friday, 17 April), one was held by the first to go in the class; Jade Whitelaw and her own Dauphin III came out on top in the Blue Chip novice restricted with 72.01%.
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The gelding is an eight-year-old who was bred in Wales by the Donnerhall son Donnersohn.
Sadie Smith added to her haul of titles, scooping another on Sarah Tyler-Evans’ fantastic six-year-old River Rise Escarla – to add to the novice open music title the Lord Leatherdale x Ferro daughter took yesterday. They logged 74.66%.
Area Festival winners
A 16-year-old who swapped the show ring for white boards was delighted with her national win. Abbie Newbury and Amanda Royle’s Dutch-bred Comet II, by the dual-purpose sire Come Back II, took the Petplan Equine medium restricted Area Festival final with 69.09%.
“I didn’t think I had done that well so it was a very, very nice surprise when I looked at the scoreboard,” said 16-year-old Abbie, who is currently studying for her GCSEs. “I took up dressage aged 10 and haven’t looked back since.”
Kate Rowland was ecstatic with Erasmus I when he landed her the Petplan Equine novice open Area Festival title at only his sixth show. Their plus-76% score was the highest of the Area Festival final so far.
“He’s brilliant; I didn’t expect to do so well. I always ride to do my best but I haven’t done a lot,” said Kate.
The German gelding by Aarron, who is joint-owned by Kate and her trainer Roland Tong, scored 76.08%.
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Rachael joined Horse & Hound in 2014, initially as a digital sub editor then became part of the news team as a writer in 2015. The philosophy graduate studied journalism at the Press Association before working as a local reporter at the Brentwood Gazette. Rachael is now a mum of two and still loves all things equestrian, including hacking, dressage and jumping with her cob Bert. Rachael left the H&H staff to go freelance in June 2019, but still contributes to our magazine and website, as well as our sister magazine Country Life, among others.