Horse & Hound Festival of Dressage: pair return from serious injuries to take novice lead
Leaders in Horse & Hound Festival of Dressage’s Equestrian Surface Novice Championship have both overcome serious injuries to return to the competition arena.
Sarah Clarke and Hiawatha La Perle (“Hamlet”) scored 70.21% to claim the top spot in the first novice championship test.
The pair were the only combination to break the 70% barrier, with Adelle Brabham and Astro lying in second on 68.65% and Kate Ward with Fabrio in third on 68.44%.
Former figure skater Sarah was diagnosed with a spinal fracture last year, dating back to her teens.
“I had lower back pain and didn’t realise at the time it was due to stress fractures,” said Sarah.
“I got it checked out this year and was diagnosed with an unstable fracture of the lower spine.
“That was pretty devastating as Hamlet had just come back into work following his problems.”
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Hamlet was diagnosed with a bone cyst in his elbow, which required extensive treatment and rehabilitation.
Article continues below…
You might also be interested in:
Horse & Hound Festival of Dressage: victory over the nerves secures early wins
Catch up on the action from the warm-up day at the Horse & Hound Festival of Dressage
Horse & Hound Festival of Dressage: close-fought competition and a remarkable comeback
Catch up on the news from the elementary and medium classes on day one of the Horse & Hound Festival
Tales from the H&H Festival of Dressage: ‘She broke her hip in the stable’
Find out how Angela Bishop brought her ex-racehorse, Lucy Minaj, back to fitness following a freak accident in the stable
The pair also scored 72.07% in the prelim championship and Sarah added she was quite emotional after her tests.
“He got cast a couple of weeks ago and I have been working on loosening him up with the help of physio and Epiony Heat Pads,” said Sarah, adding this is the horse’s first big championship show.
“He felt super — he was with me 100% and was really chilled.”
The championship tests are run over two days at Sheepgate Equestrian Centre in Lincolnshire.
Competitors rode their first test on Saturday (21 July) and their second on Sunday (22 July). The winners are decided on a combination of percentages from both tests, with a host of prizes, including a Catago FIR-tech healing rug worth £200 for winners and rosettes to tenth place.
Don’t miss the latest news and updates on the H&H Festival of Dressage on the Horse & Hound website and social media channels, plus a full report in the 26 July issue of the magazine.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.